“I believe we shall, Lise.”
Alyosha thought it better not to go in to Madame Hohlakov and was going out of the house without saying goodbye to her. But no sooner had he opened the door than he found Madame Hohlakov standing before him. From the first word Alyosha guessed that she had been waiting on purpose to meet him.
“Alexey Fyodorovitch, this is awful. This is all childish nonsense and ridiculous. I trust you won’t dream—It’s foolishness, nothing but foolishness!” she said, attacking him at once.
“Only don’t tell her that,” said Alyosha, “or she will be upset, and that’s bad for her now.”
“Sensible advice from a sensible young man. Am I to understand that you only agreed with her from compassion for her invalid state, because you didn’t want to irritate her by contradiction?”
“Oh, no, not at all. I was quite serious in what I said,” Alyosha declared stoutly.
“To be serious about it is impossible, unthinkable, and in the first place I shall never be at home to you again, and