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A Hymn and a SecretIT was quite late (days are short in November) when Alyosha rang at the prison gate.It was beginning to get dusk.But Alyosha knew that he would be admitted without difficulty.Things were managed in our little town, as everywhere else.At first, of course, on the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry, relations and a few other persons could only obtain interviews with Mitya by going through certain inevitable formalities.But later, though the formalities were not relaxed, exceptions were made for some, at least, of Mitya's visitors.So much so, that sometimes the interviews with the prisoner in the room set aside for the purpose were practically tete-a-tete.

These exceptions, however, were few in number; only Grushenka, Alyosha and Rakitin were treated like this.But the captain of the police, Mihail Mihailovitch, was very favourably disposed to Grushenka.His abuse of her at Mokroe weighed on the old man's conscience, and when he learned the whole story, he completely changed his view of her.And strange to say, though he was firmly persuaded of his guilt, yet after Mitya was once in prison, the old man came to take a more and more lenient view of him."He was a man of good heart, perhaps," he thought, "who had come to grief from drinking and dissipation." His first horror had been succeeded by pity.As for Alyosha, the police captain was very fond of him and had known him for a long time.Rakitin, who had of late taken to coming very often to see the prisoner, was one of the most intimate acquaintances of the "police captain's young ladies," as he called them, and was always hanging about their house.He gave lessons in the house of the prison superintendent, too, who, though scrupulous in the performance of his duties, was a kindhearted old man.Alyosha, again, had an intimate acquaintance of long standing with the superintendent, who was fond of talking to him, generally on sacred subjects.He respected Ivan Fyodorovitch, and stood in awe of his opinion, though he was a great philosopher himself; "self-taught,"of course.But Alyosha had an irresistible attraction for him.

During the last year the old man had taken to studying the Apocryphal Gospels, and constantly talked over his impressions with his young friend.He used to come and see him in the monastery and discussed for hours together with him and with the monks.So even if Alyosha were late at the prison, he had only to go to the superintendent and everything was made easy.Besides, everyone in the prison, down to the humblest warder, had grown used to Alyosha.

The sentry, of course, did not trouble him so long as the authorities were satisfied.

When Mitya was summoned from his cell, he always went downstairs, to the place set aside for interviews.As Alyosha entered the room he came upon Rakitin, who was just taking leave of Mitya.They were both talking loudly.Mitya was laughing heartily as he saw him out, while Rakitin seemed grumbling.Rakitin did not like meeting Alyosha, especially of late.He scarcely spoke to him, and bowed to him stiffly.Seeing Alyosha enter now, he frowned and looked away, as though he were entirely absorbed in buttoning his big, warm, fur-trimmed overcoat.Then he began looking at once for his umbrella.

"I must mind not to forget my belongings," he muttered, simply to say something.

"Mind you don't forget other people's belongings," said Mitya, as a joke, and laughed at once at his own wit.Rakitin fired up instantly.

"You'd better give that advice to your own family, who've always been a slave-driving lot, and not to Rakitin," he cried, suddenly trembling with anger.

"What's the matter? I was joking," cried Mitya."Damn it all! They are all like that." He turned to Alyosha, nodding towards Rakitin's hurriedly retreating figure."He was sitting here, laughing and cheerful, and all at once he boils up like that.He didn't even nod to you.Have you broken with him completely? Why are you so late? I've not been simply waiting, but thirsting for you the whole morning.

But never mind.We'll make up for it now.""Why does he come here so often? Surely you are not such great friends?" asked Alyosha.He, too, nodded at the door through which Rakitin had disappeared.

"Great friends with Rakitin? No, not as much as that.Is it likely- a pig like that? He considers I am...a blackguard.They can't understand a joke either, that's the worst of such people.They never understand a joke, and their souls are dry, dry and flat; they remind me of prison walls when I was first brought here.But he is a clever fellow, very clever.Well, Alexey, it's all over with me now."He sat down on the bench and made Alyosha sit down beside him.

"Yes, the trial's to-morrow.Are you so hopeless, brother?"Alyosha said, with an apprehensive feeling.

"What are you talking about?" said Mitya, looking at him rather uncertainly."Oh, you mean the trial! Damn it all! Till now we've been talking of things that don't matter, about this trial, but I haven't said a word to you about the chief thing.Yes, the trial is to-morrow;but it wasn't the trial I meant, when I said it was all over with me.Why do you look at me so critically?""What do you mean, Mitya?"

"Ideas, ideas, that's all! Ethics! What is ethics?""Ethics?" asked Alyosha, wondering.

"Yes; is it a science?"

"Yes, there is such a science...but...I confess I can't explain to you what sort of science it is.""Rakitin knows.Rakitin knows a lot, damn him! He's not going to be a monk.He means to go to Petersburg.There he'll go in for criticism of an elevating tendency.Who knows, he may be of use and make his own career, too.Ough! they are first-rate, these people, at making a career! Damn ethics, I am done for, Alexey, I am, you man of God! I love you more than anyone.It makes my heart yearn to look at you.Who was Karl Bernard?""Karl Bernard?" Alyosha was surprised again.