Page 1098 - the-brothers-karamazov

Chapter 10

“It Was He Who Said That”

LYOSHA coming in told Ivan that a little over an hour
Aago Marya Kondratyevna had run to his rooms and in-
formed him Smerdyakov had taken his own life. ‘I went in
to clear away the samovar and he was hanging on a nail in
the wall.’ On Alyosha’s inquiring whether she had informed
the police, she answered that she had told no one, ‘but I flew
straight to you, I’ve run all the way.’ She seemed perfectly
crazy, Alyosha reported, and was shaking like a leaf. When
Alyosha ran with her to the cottage, he found Smerdyakov
still hanging. On the table lay a note: ‘I destroy my life of
my own will and desire, so as to throw no blame on anyone.’
Alyosha left the note on the table and went straight to the
police captain and told him all about it. ‘And from him I’ve
come straight to you,’ said Alyosha, in conclusion, looking
intently into Ivan’s face. He had not taken his eyes off him
while he told his story, as though struck by something in
his expression.
‘Brother,’ he cried suddenly, ‘you must be terribly ill. You
look and don’t seem to understand what I tell you.’
‘It’s a good thing you came,’ said Ivan, as though brood-

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