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go in and out as he liked, to Grigory’s room at the other end
of the lodge, where he was always put, shut off by a screen
three paces from their own bed. This was the immemorial
custom established by his master and the kindhearted Mar-
fa Ignatyevna, whenever he had a fit. There, lying behind
the screen, he would most likely, to keep up the sham, have
begun groaning, and so keeping them awake all night (as
Grigory and his wife testified). And all this, we are to be-
lieve, that he might more conveniently get up and murder
his master!
‘But I shall be told that he shammed illness on purpose
that he might not be suspected and that he told the pris-
oner of the money and the signals to tempt him to commit
the murder, and when he had murdered him and had gone
away with the money, making a noise, most likely, and wak-
ing people, Smerdyakov got up, am I to believe, and went
in — what for? To murder his master a second time and
carry off the money that had already been stolen? Gentle-
men, are you laughing? I am ashamed to put forward such
suggestions, but, incredible as it seems, that’s just what the
prisoner alleges. When he had left the house, had knocked
Grigory down and raised an alarm, he tells us Smerdyakov
got up, went in and murdered his master and stole the mon-
ey! I won’t press the point that Smerdyakov could hardly
have reckoned on this beforehand, and have foreseen that
the furious and exasperated son would simply come to peep
in respectfully, though he knew the signals, and beat a re-
treat, leaving Smerdyakov his booty. Gentlemen of the jury,
I put this question to you in earnest: when was the moment