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merciless emphasis.
‘But why to-day, why at once?... I can’t leave our patient-.’
‘You can for a moment. It will only be a moment. If you
don’t come, he will be in delirium by to-night. I would not
tell you a lie; have pity on him!’
‘Have pity on me!’ Katya said, with bitter reproach, and
she burst into tears.
‘Then you will come,’ said Alyosha firmly, seeing her
tears. ‘I’ll go and tell him you will come directly.’
‘No, don’t tell him so on any account,’ cried Katya in
alarm. ‘I will come, but don’t tell him beforehand, for per-
haps I may go, but not go in... I don’t know yet-.’
Her voice failed her. She gasped for breath. Alyosha got
up to go.
‘And what if I meet anyone?’ she said suddenly, in a low
voice, turning white again.
‘That’s just why you must go now, to avoid meeting any-
one. There will be no one there, I can tell you that for certain.
We will expect you,’ he concluded emphatically, and went
out of the room.