Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com truth — he’s been to see him twice, the first directly he ar-
rived. He galloped here from Moscow at once, of course,
before I was taken ill; and the second time was a week ago.
He told Mitya not to tell you about it, under any circum-
stances; and not to tell anyone, in fact. He came secretly.’
Alyosha sat plunged in thought, considering something.
The news evidently impressed him.
‘Ivan doesn’t talk to me of Mitya’s case,’ he said slow-
ly. ‘He’s said very little to me these last two months. And
whenever I go to see him, he seems vexed at my coming, so
I’ve not been to him for the last three weeks. H’m!... if he
was there a week ago... there certainly has been a change in
Mitya this week.’
‘There has been a change,’ Grushenka assented quickly.
‘They have a secret, they have a secret! Mitya told me him-
self there was a secret, and such a secret that Mitya can’t rest.
Before then, he was cheerful — and, indeed, he is cheerful
now — but when he shakes his head like that, you know,
and strides about the room and keeps pulling at the hair on
his right temple with his right hand, I know there is some-
thing on his mind worrying him.... I know! He was cheerful
before, though, indeed, he is cheerful to-day.’
‘But you said he was worried.’
‘Yes, he is worried and yet cheerful. He keeps on being
irritable for a minute and then cheerful and then irritable
again. And you know, Alyosha, I am constantly wonder-
ing at him — with this awful thing hanging over him, he
sometimes laughs at such trifles as though he were a baby
himself.’