10 The Brothers Karamazov
‘Of course, I shall take it. But why do you give it to me, if
you committed the murder for the sake of it?’ Ivan looked at
him with great surprise.
‘I don’t want it,’ Smerdyakov articulated in a shaking
voice, with a gesture of refusal. ‘I did have an idea of be-
ginning a new life with that money in Moscow or, better
still, abroad. I did dream of it, chiefly because ‘all things are
lawful.’ That was quite right what you taught me, for you
talked a lot to me about that. For if there’s no everlasting
God, there’s no such thing as virtue, and there’s no need of
it. You were right there. So that’s how I looked at it.’
‘Did you come to that of yourself?’ asked Ivan, with a
wry smile.
‘With your guidance.’
‘And now, I suppose, you believe in God, since you are
giving back the money?’
‘No, I don’t believe,’ whispered Smerdyakov.
‘Then why are you giving it back?’
‘Leave off... that’s enough!’ Smerdyakov waved his hand
again. ‘You used to say yourself that everything was lawful,
so now why are you so upset, too? You even want to go and
give evidence against yourself.... Only there’ll be nothing
of the sort! You won’t go to give evidence,’ Smerdyakov de-
cided with conviction.
‘You’ll see,’ said Ivan.
‘It isn’t possible. You are very clever. You are fond of mon-
ey, I know that. You like to be respected, too, for you’re very
proud; you are far too fond of female charms, too, and you
mind most of all about living in undisturbed comfort, with-