“And I am sure that you find such belief more respectable after all than complete unbelief....”[18] Stavrogin began to laugh. Footnote 18: After “unbelief” is struck out: “Oh, parson!” “On the contrary, complete atheism is more respectable than worldly indifference,” Tikhon answered, with visible gaiety and good-nature. “Oho, that’s how you get round it!” “A complete atheist stands on the last rung but one before absolute faith (he may or may not step higher), but an indifferent man has no longer any faith at all, nothing but an ugly fear, and that only on rare occasions, if he is a sentimental man.” “Hm ... you have read the Apocalypse?” “I have.” “Do you remember, ‘Write to the Angel of the Laodicean Church’?” “I do.”[19] Footnote 19: After “I do” is struck out: “They are fascinating words.”—“‘Fascinating,’ these are strange words for a bishop; you are altogether a queer fellow.” “Where is the book?” Stavrogin began with a strange hurry and anxiety, searching with his eyes for the book on the table. “I want to read to you ... you have a Russian translation?” “I know the passage, I remember it,” Tikhon murmured. “Do you know it by heart? Read it....” He at once looked at the ground, rested both his hands on his knees, and impatiently prepared to listen. Tikhon repeated word for word: “Write to the Angel of the Laodicean Church: The true and authoritative witness of the beginning of the creations of God says Amen. I know thy works; thou art neither cold nor hot. Would that thou wert cold or hot. But in so far as thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I shall spew thee out from my lips. For thou sayest: I am rich; I have everything and need nothing; but thou knowest not that thou art miserable, and poor and beggarly and blind and naked....” “Enough,” Stavrogin cut him short.[20] “Do you know, I love you very much.” Footnote 20: After “Stavrogin cut him short” is struck out: “this is for those in the middle, this is for the indifferent ones, isn’t it?” “I love you too,” Tikhon replied in a low voice. Stavrogin fell silent and suddenly lapsed again into his old reverie. This came as though in fits and now for the third time. And the “I love” he said to Tikhon was also said almost in an impulse, at any rate unexpectedly to himself. More than a minute passed. “Do not be angry,” Tikhon whispered, touching his arm very lightly with his finger and as though his courage failed him. Stavrogin shuddered and frowned angrily. “How did you know that I was angry?” he said hastily. Tikhon was about to reply, when he suddenly interrupted him in inexplicable alarm: