but he’s suddenly started talking about a wee one—that is, about some baby, ‘Why is the wee one poor?’ he says. ‘For that wee one I’ll go to Siberia now, I’m not a murderer, but I must go to Siberia!’ What does he mean, what wee one? I didn’t understand a thing. I just started crying as he was speaking, because he spoke so well, and he was crying himself, and I started crying, and suddenly he kissed me and made the sign of the cross over me. What is it, Alyosha, tell me, what is this ‘wee one’?” “It’s Rakitin, for some reason he’s taken to visiting him,” Alyosha smiled, “although … that is not
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