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he comes from there.’
‘Listen,’ began Alyosha. ‘She will come, but I don’t know
when. Perhaps to-day, perhaps in a few days, that I can’t tell.
But she will come, she will, that’s certain.’
Mitya started, would have said something, but was silent.
The news had a tremendous effect on him. It was evident
that he would have liked terribly to know what had been
said, but he was again afraid to ask. Something cruel and
contemptuous from Katya would have cut him like a knife
at that moment.
‘This was what she said among other things; that I must
be sure to set your conscience at rest about escaping. If Ivan
is not well by then she will see to it all herself.’
‘You’ve spoken of that already,’ Mitya observed musing-
ly.
‘And you have repeated it to Grusha,’ observed Alyosha.
‘Yes,’ Mitya admitted. ‘She won’t come this morning.’
He looked timidly at his brother. ‘She won’t come till the
evening. When I told her yesterday that Katya was taking
measures, she was silent, but she set her mouth. She only
whispered, ‘Let her!’ She understood that it was important.
I did not dare to try her further. She understands now, I
think, that Katya no longer cares for me, but loves Ivan.’
‘Does she?’ broke from Alyosha.
‘Perhaps she does not. Only she is not coming this morn-
ing,’ Mitya hastened to explain again; ‘I asked her to do
something for me. You know, Ivan is superior to all of us.
He ought to live, not us. He will recover.’
‘Would you believe it, though Katya is alarmed about

1 The Brothers Karamazov