, , andmountingthestaircase, whichwasdimlylightedbyaChineselantern, hesawamancomingdown, andastheymet, .
"Ah, it'sonlyyou," saidIvandryly."Well, good-by! Youaregoingtoher?"
"Yes."
"Idon'tadviseyouto; she'supsetandyou'llupsethermore."
Adoorwasinstantlyflungopenabove, andavoicecriedsuddenly:
"No, no! AlexeyFyodorovitch, haveyoucomefromhim?"
"Yes, Ihavebeenwithhim."
"Hashesentmeanymessage? Comeup, Alyosha, andyou, IvanFyodorovitch, youmustcomeback, ?"
TherewassuchaperemptorynoteinKatya'svoicethatIvan, afteramoment'shesitation, madeuphismindtogobackwithAlyosha.
"Shewaslistening," hemurmuredangrilytohimself, butAlyoshaheardit.
"Excusemykeepingmygreatcoaton," saidIvan, goingintothedrawing-room."Iwon''tstaymorethanaminute."
"Sitdown, AlexeyFyodorovitch," saidKaterinaIvanovna, , .
"Whatdidheaskyoutotellme?"
"Onlyonething," saidAlyosha, lookingherstraightintheface, "thatyouwouldspareyourselfandsaynothingatthetrialofwhat" (hewasalittleconfused) "...passedbetweenyou...atthetimeofyourfirstacquaintance...inthattown."
"Ah! thatIboweddowntothegroundforthatmoney!" Shebrokeintoabitterlaugh."Why, isheafraidformeorforhimself? Heasksmetospare—whom? Himormyself? Tellme, AlexeyFyodorovitch!"
Alyoshawatchedherintently, tryingtounderstandher.
"Bothyourselfandhim," heansweredsoftly.
"Iamgladtohearit," shesnappedoutmaliciously, andshesuddenlyblushed.
"Youdon'tknowmeyet, AlexeyFyodorovitch," shesaidmenacingly."AndIdon''llwanttotramplemeunderfootaftermyexaminationto-morrow."
