Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com And I’ve my own dignity to keep up, too. I quite understand
the difference for the moment. I am, after all, in the posi-
tion of a criminal, and so, far from being on equal terms
with you. And it’s your business to watch me. I can’t expect
you to pat me on the head for what I did to Grigory, for one
can’t break old men’s heads with impunity. I suppose you’ll
put me away for him for six months, or a year perhaps, in a
house of correction. I don’t know what the punishment is —
but it will be without loss of the rights of my rank, without
loss of my rank, won’t it? So you see, gentlemen, I under-
stand the distinction between us.... But you must see that
you could puzzle God Himself with such questions. ‘How
did you step? Where did you step? When did you step? And
on what did you step?’ I shall get mixed up, if you go on like
this, and you will put it all down against me. And what will
that lead to? To nothing! And even if it’s nonsense I’m talk-
ing now, let me finish, and you, gentlemen, being men of
honour and refinement, will forgive me! I’ll finish by asking
you, gentlemen, to drop that conventional method of ques-
tioning. I mean, beginning from some miserable trifle, how
I got up, what I had for breakfast, how I spat, and where I
spat, and so distracting the attention of the criminal, sud-
denly stun him with an overwhelming question, ‘Whom
did you murder? Whom did you rob?’ Ha-ha! That’s your
regulation method, that’s where all your cunning comes in.
You can put peasants off their guard like that, but not me.
I know the tricks. I’ve been in the service, too. Ha ha ha!
You’re not angry, gentlemen? You forgive my impertinence?’
he cried, looking at them with a good-nature that was al-