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Chapter 2

A Critical Moment

F

ATHER PAISSY, of course, was not wrong when he de-
cided that his ‘dear boy’ would come back again. Perhaps
indeed, to some extent, he penetrated with insight into the
true meaning of Alyosha’s spiritual condition. Yet I must
frankly own that it would be very difficult for me to give a
clear account of that strange, vague moment in the life of
the young hero I love so much. To Father Paissy’s sorrowful
question, ‘Are you too with those of little faith?’ I could, of
course, confidently answer for Alyosha, ‘No, he is not with
those of little faith. Quite the contrary.’ Indeed, all his trou-
ble came from the fact that he was of great faith. But still
the trouble was there and was so agonising that even long
afterwards Alyosha thought of that sorrowful day as one
of the bitterest and most fatal days of his life. If the ques-
tion is asked: ‘Could all his grief and disturbance have been
only due to the fact that his elder’s body had shown signs
of premature decomposition instead of at once performing
miracles?’ I must answer without beating about the bush,
‘Yes, it certainly was.’ I would only beg the reader not to be
in too great a hurry to laugh at my young hero’s pure heart.