1 The Brothers Karamazov

Chapter 6

The Prosecutor

Catches Mitya

S

OMETHING utterly unexpected and amazing to Mitya

followed. He could never, even a minute before, have

conceived that anyone could behave like that to him, Mitya

Karamazov. What was worst of all, there was something

humiliating in it, and on their side something ‘supercilious

and scornful.’ It was nothing to take off his coat, but he was

asked to undress further, or rather not asked but ‘command-

ed,’ he quite understood that. From pride and contempt he

submitted without a word. Several peasants accompanied

the lawyers and remained on the same side of the curtain.

‘To be ready if force is required,’ thought Mitya, ‘and per-

haps for some other reason, too.’

‘Well, must I take off my shirt, too?’ he asked sharply,

but Nikolay Parfenovitch did not answer. He was busily

engaged with the prosecutor in examining the coat, the

trousers, the waistcoat and the cap; and it was evident that

they were both much interested in the scrutiny. ‘They make

no bones about it,’ thought Mitya, ‘they don’t keep up the