ed slowly after him towards Mihailovsky Street, and for a long
time he saw the child running in the distance as fast as ever, not turning
his head, and no doubt still keeping up his tearful wail. He made up his
mind to find him out as soon as he had time, and to solve this mystery.
Just now he had not the time.

Chapter IV. At The Hohlakovs'

Alyosha soon reached Madame Hohlakov's house, a handsome stone house of
two stories, one of the finest in our town. Though Madame Hohlakov spent
most of her time in another province where she had an estate, or in
Moscow, where she had a house of her own, yet she had a house in our town
too, inherited from her forefathers. The estate in our district was the
largest of her three estates, yet she had been very little in our province
before this time. She ran out to Alyosha in the hall.

"Did you get my letter about the new miracle?" She spoke rapidly and
nervously.

"Yes."

"Did you show it to every one? He restored the son to his mother!"

"He is dying to-day," said Alyosha.

"I have heard, I know, oh, how I long to talk to you, to you or some one,
about all this. No, to you, to you! And how sorry I am I can't see him!
The whole town is in excitement, they are all suspense. But now--do you
know Katerina Ivanovna is here now?"

"Ah, that's lucky," cried Alyosha. "Then I shall see her here. She told me
yesterday to be sure to come and see her to-day."

"I know, I know all. I've heard exactly what happened yesterday--and the
atrocious behavior of that--creature. _C'est tragique_, and if I'd been in
her place I don't know what I should have done. And your brother Dmitri
Fyodorovitch, what do you think of him?--my goodness! Alexey Fyodorovitch,
I am forgetting, only fancy; your brother is in there with her, not that
dreadful brother who was so shocking yesterday, but the other, Ivan
Fyodorovitch, he is sitting with her talking; they are having a serious
conversation. If you could only imagine what's passing between them
now--it's awful, I tell you it's lacerating, it's like some incredible tale
of horror. They are ruining their lives for no reason any one can see.
They both recognize it and revel in it. I've been watching for you! I've
been thirsting for you! It's too much for me, that's the worst of it. I'll
tell you all about it presently, but now I must speak of something else,
the most important thing--I had quite forgotten what's most important. Tell
me, why has Lise