10 The Brothers Karamazovfrom Fyodor Pavlovitch. I didn’t say that openly to the pros-
ecutor when I was being examined, but quite the contrary,
I brought him to it by a hint, as though I didn’t see it my-
self, and as though he’d thought of it himself and I hadn’t
prompted him; so that Mr. Prosecutor’s mouth positively
watered at my suggestion.’
‘But can you possibly have thought of all that on the
spot?’ cried Ivan, overcome with astonishment. He looked
at Smerdyakov again with alarm.
‘Mercy on us! Could anyone think of it all in such a des-
perate hurry? It was all thought out beforehand.’
‘Well... well, it was the devil helped you!’ Ivan cried again.
‘No, you are not a fool, you are far cleverer than I thought..’
He got up, obviously intending to walk across the room.
He was in terrible distress. But as the table blocked his way,
and there was hardly room to pass between the table and
the wall, he only turned round where he stood and sat down
again. Perhaps the impossibility of moving irritated him, as
he suddenly cried out almost as furiously as before.
‘Listen, you miserable, contemptible creature! Don’t you
understand that if I haven’t killed you, it’s simply because I
am keeping you to answer to-morrow at the trial. God sees,’
Ivan raised his hand, ‘perhaps I, too, was guilty; perhaps I
really had a secret desire for my father’s... death, but I swear
I was not as guilty as you think, and perhaps I didn’t urge
you on at all. No, no, I didn’t urge you on! But no matter, I
will give evidence against myself to-morrow at the trial. I’m
determined to! I shall tell everything, everything. But we’ll
make our appearance together. And whatever you may say