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interposed, addressing Mitya. ‘I don’t withdraw my ques-
tion, however. It is now vitally important for us to know
exactly why you needed that sum, I mean precisely three
thousand.’
‘Why I needed it?... Oh, for one thing and another.... Well,
it was to pay a debt.’
‘A debt to whom?’
‘That I absolutely refuse to answer, gentlemen. Not be-
cause I couldn’t, or because I shouldn’t dare, or because it
would be damaging, for it’s all a paltry matter and absolute-
ly trifling, but — I won’t, because it’s a matter of principle:
that’s my private life, and I won’t allow any intrusion into
my private life. That’s my principle. Your question has no
bearing on the case, and whatever has nothing to do with
the case is my private affair. I wanted to pay a debt. I wanted
to pay a debt of honour but to whom I won’t say.’
‘Allow me to make a note of that,’ said the prosecutor.
‘By all means. Write down that I won’t say, that I won’t.
Write that I should think it dishonourable to say. Ech! you
can write it; you’ve nothing else to do with your time.’
‘Allow me to caution you, sir, and to remind you once
more, if you are unaware of it,’ the prosecutor began, with a
peculiar and stern impressiveness, ‘that you have a perfect
right not to answer the questions put to you now, and we on
our side have no right to extort an answer from you, if you
decline to give it for one reason or another. That is entirely a
matter for your personal decision. But it is our duty, on the
other hand, in such cases as the present, to explain and set
before you the degree of injury you will be doing yourself by