The Brothers Karamazovtold me it was read at our mass from the Lives of the Saints...
he was a very learned man who had made a special study
of Russian statistics and had lived a long time in Russia....
I have not read the Lives of the Saints myself, and I am not
going to read them... all sorts of things are said at dinner
— we were dining then.’
‘Yes, you were dining then, and so I lost my faith!’ said
Fyodor Pavlovitch, mimicking him.
‘What do I care for your faith?’ Miusov was on the point
of shouting, but he suddenly checked himself, and said with
contempt, ‘You defile everything you touch.’
The elder suddenly rose from his seat. ‘Excuse me, gen-
tlemen, for leaving you a few minutes,’ he said, addressing
all his guests. ‘I have visitors awaiting me who arrived
before you. But don’t you tell lies all the same,’ he added,
turning to Fyodor Pavlovitch with a good-humoured face.
He went out of the cell. Alyosha and the novice flew to es-
cort him down the steps. Alyosha was breathless: he was
glad to get away, but he was glad, too, that the elder was
good-humoured and not offended. Father Zossima was go-
ing towards the portico to bless the people waiting for him
there. But Fyodor Pavlovitch persisted, in stopping him at
the door of the cell.
‘Blessed man!’ he cried, with feeling. ‘Allow me to kiss
your hand once more. Yes, with you I could still talk, I could
still get on. Do you think I always lie and play the fool like
this? Believe me, I have been acting like this all the time on
purpose to try you. I have been testing you all the time to
see whether I could get on with you. Is there room for my