The Brothers Karamazov
cried Mitya, laughing gaily, ‘but I can help you now. Oh,
gentlemen, I feel like a new man, and don’t be offended at
my addressing you so simply and directly. I’m rather drunk,
too, I’ll tell you that frankly. I believe I’ve had the honour
and pleasure of meeting you, Nikolay Parfenovitch, at my
kinsman Miusov’s. Gentlemen, gentlemen, I don’t pretend
to be on equal terms with you. I understand, of course,
in what character I am sitting before you. Oh, of course,
there’s a horrible suspicion... hanging over me... if Grigory
has given evidence.... A horrible suspicion! It’s awful, awful,
I understand that! But to business, gentlemen, I am ready,
and we will make an end of it in one moment; for, listen, lis-
ten, gentlemen! Since I know I’m innocent, we can put an
end to it in a minute. Can’t we? Can’t we?’
Mitya spoke much and quickly, nervously and effusive-
ly, as though he positively took his listeners to be his best
friends.
‘So, for the present, we will write that you absolutely deny
the charge brought against you,’ said Nikolay Parfenovitch,
impressively, and bending down to the secretary he dictat-
ed to him in an undertone what to write.
‘Write it down? You want to write that down? Well, write
it; I consent, I give my full consent, gentlemen, only... do
you see?... Stay, stay, write this. Of disorderly conduct I am
guilty, of violence on a poor old man I am guilty. And there
is something else at the bottom of my heart, of which I am
guilty, too but that you need not write down’ (he turned
suddenly to the secretary); ‘that’s my personal life, gentle-
men, that doesn’t concern you, the bottom of my heart,