The Brothers Karamazovother matter. You see, gentlemen’ — Mitya frowned — ‘it
seemed to me that about feelings you’ve no right to question
me. I know that you are bound by your office, I quite under-
stand that, but that’s my affair, my private, intimate affair,
yet... since I haven’t concealed my feelings in the past... in
the tavern, for instance, I’ve talked to everyone, so... so I
won’t make a secret of it now. You see, I understand, gentle-
men, that there are terrible facts against me in this business.
I told everyone that I’d kill him, and now, all of a sudden,
he’s been killed. So it must have been me! Ha ha! I can make
allowances for you, gentlemen, I can quite make allowances.
I’m struck all of a heap myself, for who can have murdered
him, if not I? That’s what it comes to, isn’t it? If not I, who
can it be, who? Gentlemen, I want to know, I insist on know-
ing!’ he exclaimed suddenly. ‘Where was he murdered? How
was he murdered? How, and with what? Tell me,’ he asked
quickly, looking at the two lawyers.
‘We found him in his study, lying on his back on the floor,
with his head battered in,’ said the prosecutor.
‘That’s horrible!’ Mitya shuddered and, putting his el-
bows on the table, hid his face in his right hand.
‘We will continue,’ interposed Nikolay Parfenovitch. ‘So
what was it that impelled you to this sentiment of hatred?
You have asserted in public, I believe, that it was based upon
jealousy?’
‘Well, yes, jealousy. not only jealousy.’
‘Disputes about money?’
‘Yes, about money, too.’
‘There was a dispute about three thousand roubles, I