It's all the good effect of the reformed law courts.
The doctor has been here and questioned me about that evening, about the gold mines. 'How did he seem then?' he asked me.
He must have been in a state of aberration. He came in shouting, 'Money, money, three thousand! Give me three thousand!' and then went away and immediately did the murder.
'I don't want to murder him,' he said, and he suddenly went and murdered him.
That's why they'll acquit him, because he struggled against it and yet he murdered him."
"But he didn't murder him," Alyosha interrupted rather sharply.
He felt more and more sick with anxiety and impatience.
"Yes, I know it was that old man Grigory murdered him."
"Grigory?" cried Alyosha.
"Yes, yes; it was Grigory.
He lay as Dmitri Fyodorovitch struck him down, and then got up, saw the door open, went in and killed Fyodor Pavlovitch."
"But why, why?"
"Suffering from aberration.
When he recovered from the blow Dmitri Fyodorovitch gave him on the head, he was suffering from aberration: he went and committed the murder.
As for his saying he didn't, he very likely doesn't remember.
Only, you know, it'll be better, ever so much better, if Dmitri Fyodorovitch murdered him.
And that's how it must have been, though I say it was Grigory. It certainly was Dmitri Fyodorovitch, and that's better, ever so much better!
Oh! not better that a son should have killed his father, I don't defend that. Children ought to honour their parents, and yet it would be better if it were he, as you'd have nothing to cry over then, for he did it when he was unconscious or rather when he was conscious, but did not know what he was doing.
Let them acquit him- that's so humane, and would show what a blessing reformed law courts are. I knew nothing about it, but they say they have been so a long time. And when I heard it yesterday, I was so struck by it that I wanted to send for you at once. And if he is acquitted, make him come straight from the law courts to dinner with me, and I'll have a party of friends, and we'll drink to the reformed law courts.
I don't believe he'd be dangerous; besides, I'll invite a great many friends, so that he could always be led out if he did anything. And then he might be made a justice of the peace or something in another town, for those who have been in trouble themselves make the best judges.
And, besides, who isn't suffering from aberration nowadays?- you, I, all of us, are in a state of aberration, and there are ever so many examples of it: a man sits singing a song, suddenly something annoys him, he takes a pistol and shoots the first person he comes across, and no one blames him for it.
I read that lately, and all the doctors confirm it.
The doctors are always confirming; they confirm,- anything.
Why, my Lise is in a state of aberration. She made me cry again yesterday, and the day before, too, and to-day I suddenly realised that it's all due to aberration.
Oh, Lise grieves me so!
I believe she's quite mad.
Why did she send for you?
Did she send for you or did you come of yourself?"
"Yes, she sent for me, and I am just going to her." Alyosha got up resolutely.
"Oh, my dear, dear Alexey Fyodorovitch, perhaps that's what's most important," Madame Hohlakov cried, suddenly bursting into tears. "God knows I trust Lise to you with all my heart, and it's no matter her sending for you on the sly, without telling her mother.
But forgive me, I can't trust my daughter so easily to your brother Ivan Fyodorovitch, though I still consider him the most chivalrous young man.
But only fancy, he's been to see Lise and I knew nothing about it!"
"How?
What?
When?" Alyosha was exceedingly surprised.
He had not sat down again and listened standing.
"I will tell you; that's perhaps why I asked you to come, for I don't know now why I did ask you to come.
Well, Ivan Fyodorovitch has been to see me twice, since he came back from Moscow. First time he came as a friend to call on me, and the second time Katya was here and he came because he heard she was here.
I didn't, of course, expect him to come often, knowing what a lot he has to do as it is, vous comprenez, cette affaire et la mort terrible de votre papa. (You know, this affair and your father's terrible death.) But I suddenly heard he'd been here again, not to see me but to see Lise. That's six days ago now. He came, stayed five minutes, and went away.
And I didn't hear of it till three days afterwards, from Glafira, so it was a great shock to me.
I sent for Lise directly. She laughed. 'He thought you were asleep,' she said, 'and came in to me to ask after your health.'
Of course, that's how it happened.
But Lise, Lise, mercy on us, how she distresses me!
Would you believe it, one night, four days ago, just after you saw her last time, and had gone away, she suddenly had a fit, screaming, shrieking, hysterics!
Why is it I never have hysterics?
Then, next day another fit, and the same thing on the third, and yesterday too, and then yesterday that aberration.
She suddenly screamed out,
'I hate Ivan Fyodorovitch. I insist on your never letting him come to the house again.'
I was struck dumb at these amazing words, and answered, 'On what grounds could I refuse to see such an excellent young man, a young man of such learning too, and so unfortunate?'- for all this business is a misfortune, isn't it?'
She suddenly burst out laughing at my words, and so rudely, you know.