ed serenely and modestly, but Kolya interrupted him
hotly:

"Come, you want obedience and mysticism. You must admit that the Christian
religion, for instance, has only been of use to the rich and the powerful
to keep the lower classes in slavery. That's so, isn't it?"

"Ah, I know where you read that, and I am sure some one told you so!"
cried Alyosha.

"I say, what makes you think I read it? And certainly no one told me so. I
can think for myself.... I am not opposed to Christ, if you like. He was a
most humane person, and if He were alive to-day, He would be found in the
ranks of the revolutionists, and would perhaps play a conspicuous part....
There's no doubt about that."

"Oh, where, where did you get that from? What fool have you made friends
with?" exclaimed Alyosha.

"Come, the truth will out! It has so chanced that I have often talked to
Mr. Rakitin, of course, but ... old Byelinsky said that, too, so they
say."

"Byelinsky? I don't remember. He hasn't written that anywhere."

"If he didn't write it, they say he said it. I heard that from a ... but
never mind."

"And have you read Byelinsky?"

"Well, no ... I haven't read all of him, but ... I read the passage about
Tatyana, why she didn't go off with Onyegin."

"Didn't go off with Onyegin? Surely you don't ... understand that
already?"

"Why, you seem to take me for little Smurov," said Kolya, with a grin of
irritation. "But please don't suppose I am such a revolutionist. I often
disagree with Mr. Rakitin. Though I mention Tatyana, I am not at all for
the emancipation of women. I acknowledge that women are a subject race and
must obey. _Les femmes tricottent_, as Napoleon said." Kolya, for some
reason, smiled, "And on that question at least I am quite of one mind with
that pseudo-great man. I think, too, that to leave one's own country and
fly to America is mean, worse than mean--silly. Why go to America when one
may be of great service to humanity here? Now especially. There's a
perfect mass of fruitful activity open to us. That's what I answered."

"What do you mean? Answered whom? Has some one suggested your going to
America already?"

"I must own, they've been at me to go, but I declined. That's between
ourselves, of course, Karamazov; do you hear, not a word to any one. I say
this only to you. I am not at all anxious to fall into the clutches of the
secret police and take lessons at the Chain bridge.

_Long will you remember_