Page 1207 - the-brothers-karamazov

ly according to this programme, and by no other than the
writer of it. Yes, gentlemen of the jury, it went off without
a hitch! He did not run respectfully and timidly away from
his father’s window, though he was firmly convinced that
the object of his affections was with him. No, that is absurd
and unlikely! He went in and murdered him. Most likely he
killed him in anger, burning with resentment, as soon as
he looked on his hated rival. But having killed him, proba-
bly with one blow of the brass pestle, and having convinced
himself, after careful search, that she was not there, he did
not, however, forget to put his hand under the pillow and
take out the envelope, the torn cover of which lies now on
the table before us.
‘I mention this fact that you may note one, to my think-
ing, very characteristic circumstance. Had he been an
experienced murderer and had he committed the murder
for the sake of gain only, would he have left the torn enve-
lope on the floor as it was found, beside the corpse? Had
it been Smerdyakov, for instance, murdering his master to
rob him, he would have simply carried away the envelope
with him, without troubling himself to open it over his vic-
tim’s corpse, for he would have known for certain that the
notes were in the envelope- they had been put in and sealed
up in his presence — and had he taken the envelope with
him, no one would ever have known of the robbery. I ask
you, gentlemen, would Smerdyakov have behaved in that
way? Would he have left the envelope on the floor?
‘No, this was the action of a frantic murderer, a murderer
who was not a thief and had never stolen before that day,

1 0 The Brothers Karamazov