"You ought not to write that down about 'disgrace.'
I only told you that in the goodness of my heart. I needn't have told you. I made you a present of it, so to speak, and you pounce upon it at once.
Oh, well, write- write what you like," he concluded, with scornful disgust. "I'm not afraid of you and I can still hold up my head before you."
"And can't you tell us the nature of that disgrace?" Nikolay Parfenovitch hazarded.
The prosecutor frowned darkly.
"No, no, c'est fini, don't trouble yourselves.
It's not worth while soiling one's hands.
I have soiled myself enough through you as it is.
You're not worth it- no one is. Enough, gentlemen. I'm not going on."
This was said too peremptorily.
Nikolay Parfenovitch did not insist further, but from Ippolit Kirillovitch's eyes he saw that he had not given up hope.
"Can you not, at least, tell us what sum you had in your hands when you went into Mr. Perhotin's- how many roubles exactly?"
"I can't tell you that."
"You spoke to Mr. Perhotin, I believe, of having received three thousand from Madame Hohlakov."
"Perhaps I did.
Enough, gentlemen. I won't say how much I had."
"Will you be so good then as to tell us how you came here and what you have done since you arrived?"
"Oh! you might ask the people here about that.
But I'll tell you if you like."
He proceeded to do so, but we won't repeat his story.
He told it dryly and curtly.
Of the raptures of his love he said nothing, but told them that he abandoned his determination to shoot himself, owing to "new factors in the case."
He told the story without going into motives or details.
And this time the lawyers did not worry him much. It was obvious that there was no essential point of interest to them here.
"We shall verify all that. We will come back to it during the examination of the witnesses, which will, of course, take place in your presence," said Nikolay Parfenovitch in conclusion. "And now allow me to request you to lay on the table everything in your possession, especially all the money you still have about you."
"My money, gentlemen?
Certainly. I understand that that is necessary.
I'm surprised, indeed, that you haven't inquired about it before.
It's true I couldn't get away anywhere. I'm sitting here where I can be seen.
But here's my money- count it- take it. That's all, I think."
He turned it all out of his pockets; even the small change- two pieces of twenty copecks- he pulled out of his waistcoat pocket.
They counted the money, which amounted to eight hundred and thirty-six roubles, and forty copecks.
"And is that all?" asked the investigating lawyer.
"You stated just now in your evidence that you spent three hundred roubles at Plotnikovs'. You gave Perhotin ten, your driver twenty, here you lost two hundred, then..."
Nikolay Parfenovitch reckoned it all up.
Mitya helped him readily.
They recollected every farthing and included it in the reckoning.
Nikolay Parfenovitch hurriedly added up the total.
"With this eight hundred you must have had about fifteen hundred at first?"
"I suppose so," snapped Mitya.
"How is it they all assert there was much more?"
"Let them assert it."
"But you asserted it yourself."
"Yes, I did, too."
"We will compare all this with the evidence of other persons not yet examined. Don't be anxious about your money. It will be properly taken care of and be at your disposal at the conclusion of... what is beginning... if it appears, or, so to speak, is proved that you have undisputed right to it.
Well, and now..."
Nikolay Parfenovitch suddenly got up, and informed Mitya firmly that it was his duty and obligation to conduct a minute and thorough search "of your clothes and everything else..."
"By all means, gentlemen. I'll turn out all my pockets, if you like."
And he did, in fact, begin turning out his pockets.
"It will be necessary to take off your clothes, too."