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Chapter 6

The Prosecutor

Catches Mitya

OMETHING utterly unexpected and amazing to Mitya
Sfollowed. 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

1 The Brothers Karamazov