o-day, perhaps in a few days, that I can't tell. But she will come, she
will, that's certain."

Mitya started, would have said something, but was silent. The news had a
tremendous effect on him. It was evident that he would have liked terribly
to know what had been said, but he was again afraid to ask. Something
cruel and contemptuous from Katya would have cut him like a knife at that
moment.

"This was what she said among other things; that I must be sure to set
your conscience at rest about escaping. If Ivan is not well by then she
will see to it all herself."

"You've spoken of that already," Mitya observed musingly.

"And you have repeated it to Grusha," observed Alyosha.

"Yes," Mitya admitted. "She won't come this morning." He looked timidly at
his brother. "She won't come till the evening. When I told her yesterday
that Katya was taking measures, she was silent, but she set her mouth. She
only whispered, 'Let her!' She understood that it was important. I did not
dare to try her further. She understands now, I think, that Katya no
longer cares for me, but loves Ivan."

"Does she?" broke from Alyosha.

"Perhaps she does not. Only she is not coming this morning," Mitya
hastened to explain again; "I asked her to do something for me. You know,
Ivan is superior to all of us. He ought to live, not us. He will recover."

"Would you believe it, though Katya is alarmed about him, she scarcely
doubts of his recovery," said Alyosha.

"That means that she is convinced he will die. It's because she is
frightened she's so sure he will get well."

"Ivan has a strong constitution, and I, too, believe there's every hope
that he will get well," Alyosha observed anxiously.

"Yes, he will get well. But she is convinced that he will die. She has a
great deal of sorrow to bear..." A silence followed. A grave anxiety was
fretting Mitya.

"Alyosha, I love Grusha terribly," he said suddenly in a shaking voice,
full of tears.

"They won't let her go out there to you," Alyosha put in at once.

"And there is something else I wanted to tell you," Mitya went on, with a
sudden ring in his voice. "If they beat me on the way or out there, I
won't submit to it. I shall kill some one, and shall be shot for it. And
this will be going on for twenty years! They speak to me rudely as it is.
I've been lying here all night, passing judgment on myself. I am not
ready! I am not able to resign myself. I wanted to sing a 'hymn'; but if a
gua