his excitement, “and not only on an equal, but even on a higher
“ ‘On a higher footing’ is charming, Alexey Fyodorovitch; but go on, go on!”
“You mean there isn’t such an expression as ‘on a higher footing’; but that doesn’t matter because—”
“Oh, no, of course it doesn’t matter. Forgive me, Alyosha, dear. … You know, I scarcely respected you till now—that is I respected you but on an equal footing; but now I shall begin to respect you on a higher footing. Don’t be angry, dear, at my joking,” she put in at once, with strong feeling.
“I am absurd and small, but you, you! Listen, Alexey Fyodorovitch. Isn’t there in all our analysis—I mean your analysis … no, better call it ours—aren’t we showing contempt for him, for that poor man—in analyzing his soul like this, as it were, from above, eh? In deciding so certainly that he will take the money?”
“No, Lise, it’s not contempt,” Alyosha answered, as