The Brothers Karamazov

Chapter 4

At the Hohlakovs’

A

LYOSHA soon reached Madame Hohlakov’s house, a

handsome stone house of two stories, one of the fin-

est in our town. Though Madame Hohlakov spent most of

her time in another province where she had an estate, or in

Moscow, where she had a house of her own, yet she had a

house in our town too, inherited from her forefathers. The

estate in our district was the largest of her three estates, yet

she had been very little in our province before this time. She

ran out to Alyosha in the hall.

‘Did you get my letter about the new miracle?’ She spoke

rapidly and nervously.

‘Yes.’

‘Did you show it to everyone? He restored the son to his

mother!’

‘He is dying to-day,’ said Alyosha.

‘I have heard, I know, oh, how I long to talk to you, to

you or someone, about all this. No, to you, to you! And how

sorry I am I can’t see him! The whole town is in excitement,

they are all suspense. But now — do you know Katerina Iva-

novna is here now?’