Alyosha assures Mitya that he believes him innocent in a private farewell that turns fear into strength on the eve of the next day’s proceedings. Mitya’s question is not a request for evidence or legal judgment: he needs to know whether Alyosha, in his own heart, believes him to be the murderer. Alyosha’s unequivocal answer gives him new life and strength for tomorrow, while exposing how even their close bond has been shadowed by Mitya’s fear of being disbelieved.

The Farewell and the Question

After they kiss hurriedly, Alyosha is about to leave when Mitya calls him back. He asks Alyosha to face him, then demands the whole truth, as before God: does Alyosha believe that he committed the murder? Mitya presses him not to lie, making clear that reassurance will mean nothing unless it is sincere.

The exchange is emotionally urgent, but the evidence does not describe a new inquiry into the crime. Mitya is asking for Alyosha’s personal conviction, not a reconstruction of events. The distinction gives the scene its immediate stakes: as Mitya faces what is coming the next day, he cannot bear to leave without knowing whether the brother he trusts most regards him as a murderer.

Alyosha’s Answer

Alyosha responds that he has never, for a single instant, believed Mitya was the murderer. His voice shakes, and he raises his right hand as though calling God to witness the truth of what he says. The gesture lends his answer the force of a solemn assurance rather than a hurried attempt to comfort Mitya.

The answer brings a visible change. Mitya’s face lights up, and he thanks Alyosha as if he has drawn a breath after fainting. He says that Alyosha has given him new life. The shift is the scene’s decisive turn: Mitya’s fear that even his brother might believe him guilty gives way to renewed confidence, founded not on a change in the case but on Alyosha’s declared trust.

What the Assurance Means to Mitya

Mitya admits that, until this moment, he had been afraid to ask Alyosha. The confession reveals that his anxiety is not limited to the prospect of legal punishment. Even Alyosha’s confidence had seemed uncertain to him, and the need to ask directly shows how much he depends on his brother’s belief in his innocence.

Alyosha’s words give Mitya strength for the next day, but the exchange offers no account of a changed legal situation or a resolution of the charge. Its consequence is personal: Mitya can face what lies ahead with the knowledge that Alyosha does not think him the murderer. He sends Alyosha away with a blessing and, as his final word to him, tells him to love Ivan.

Brothers, Trust, and the Scene’s Turning Point

The scene brings together affection and insecurity. Mitya and Alyosha kiss before parting, yet Mitya still needs to summon Alyosha back and ask for the plain truth. Their closeness does not make doubt impossible; rather, it makes Alyosha’s answer especially consequential. Mitya’s relief shows that the assurance reaches him as an act of trust, not merely as consolation.

For Alyosha, the encounter ends in tears. He is struck by how distrustful Mitya has been and by the fact that Mitya lacked confidence even in him. The farewell therefore leaves both brothers affected: Mitya departs strengthened for tomorrow, while Alyosha is newly aware of the fear that had kept his brother from asking. The event’s significance lies in this change of conviction between them, not in any resolution of the murder case.