第72章

第72章“youwouldn’tbelieve,youcan’timagine,polenka,”shesaid,walkingabouttheroom,“whatahappyluxuriouslifewehadinmypapa’shouseandhowthisdrunkardhasbroughtme,andwillbringyouall,toruin!papawasacivilcolonelandonlyastepfrombeingagovernor;sothateveryonewhocametoseehimsaid,‘welookuponyou,ivanmihailovitch,asourgovernor!’wheni…when…”shecoughedviolently,“oh,cursedlife,”shecried,clearingherthroatandpressingherhandstoherbreast,“wheni…whenatthelastball…atthemarshal’s…princessbezzemelnysawme—whogavemetheblessingwhenyourfatherandiweremarried,polenka—sheaskedatonce‘isn’tthattheprettygirlwhodancedtheshawldanceatthebreaking-up?’(youmustmendthattear,youmusttakeyourneedleanddarnitasishowedyou,orto-morrow—cough,cough,cough—hewillmaketheholeer,”shearticulatedwitheffort.)“princeschegolskoy,akammerjunker,hadjustcomefrompetersburgthen…hedancedthemazurkawithmeandwantedtomakemeanoffernextday;butithankedhiminflatteringexpressionsandtoldhimthatmyhearthadlongbeenanother’s.thatotherwasyourfather,polya;papawasfearfullyangry.…isthewaterready?givemetheshirt,andthestockings!lida,”saidshetotheyoungestone,“youmustmanagewithoutyourchemiseto-night…andlayyourstockingsoutwithit…i’llwashthemtogether.…howisitthatdrunkenvagabonddoesn’tcomein?hehaswornhisshirttillitlookslikeadish-clout,hehastornittorags!i’ddoitalltogether,soasnottohavetoworktwonightsrunning!oh,dear!(cough,cough,cough,cough!)again!what’sthis?”shecried,noticingacrowdinthepassageandthemen,whowerepushingintoherroom,carryingaburden.“whatisit?whataretheybringing?mercyonus!”

“wherearewetoputhim?”askedthepoliceman,lookingroundwhenmarmeladov,unconsciousandcoveredwithblood,hadbeencarriedin.

“onthesofa!puthimstraightonthesofa,withhisheadthisway,”raskolnikovshowedhim.

“runoverintheroad!drunk!”someoneshoutedinthepassage.

katerinaivanovnastood,turningwhiteandgaspingforbreath.thechildrenwereterrified.littlelidascreamed,rushedtopolenkaandclutchedather,tremblingallover.

havinglaidmarmeladovdown,raskolnikovflewtokaterinaivanovna.

“forgod’ssakebecalm,don’tbefrightened!”hesaid,speakingquickly,“hewascrossingtheroadandwasrunoverbyacarriage,don’tbefrightened,hewillcometo,itoldthembringhimhere…i’vebeenherealready,youremember?hewillcometo;i’llpay!”

“he’sdoneitthistime!”katerinaivanovnacrieddespairinglyandsherushedtoherhusband.

raskolnikovnoticedatoncethatshewasnotoneofthosewomenwhoswooneasily.sheinstantlyplacedunderthelucklessman’sheadapillow,whichnoonehadthoughtofandbeganundressingandexamininghim.shekeptherhead,forgettingherself,bitinghertremblinglipsandstiflingthescreamswhichwerereadytobreakfromher.

raskolnikovmeanwhileinducedsomeonetorunforadoctor.therewasadoctor,itappeared,nextdoorbutone.

“i’vesentforadoctor,”hekeptassuringkaterinaivanovna,“don’tbeuneasy,i’llpay.haven’tyouwater?…andgivemeanapkinoratowel,anything,asquickasyoucan.…heisinjured,butnotkilled,believeme.…weshallseewhatthedoctorsays!”

katerinaivanovnarantothewindow;there,onabrokenchairinthecorner,alargeearthenwarebasinfullofwaterhadbeenstood,inreadinessforwashingherchildren’sandhusband’slinenthatnight.thiswashingwasdonebykaterinaivanovnaatnightatleasttwiceaweek,ifnotoftener.forthefamilyhadcometosuchapassthattheywerepracticallywithoutchangeoflinen,andkaterinaivanovnacouldnotendureuncleanlinessand,ratherthanseedirtinthehouse,shepreferredtowearherselfoutatnight,workingbeyondherstrengthwhentherestwereasleep,soastogetthewetlinenhungonalineanddrybythemorning.shetookupthebasinofwateratraskolnikov’srequest,butalmostfelldownwithherburden.butthelatterhadalreadyeededinfindingatowel,wetteditandbeganwashingthebloodoffmarmeladov’sface.

katerinaivanovnastoodby,breathingpainfullyandpressingherhandstoherbreast.shewasinneedofattentionherself.raskolnikovbegantorealisethathemighthavemadeamistakeinhavingtheinjuredmanbroughthere.thepoliceman,too,stoodinhesitation.

“polenka,”criedkaterinaivanovna,“runtosonia,makehaste.ifyoudon’tfindherathome,leavewordthatherfatherhasbeenrunoverandthatsheistocomehereatonce…whenshecomesin.run,polenka!there,putontheshawl.”

“runyourfastest!”criedthelittleboyonthechairsuddenly,afterwhichherelapsedintothesamedumbrigidity,withroundeyes,hisheelsthrustforwardandhistoesspreadout.

meanwhiletheroomhadbecomesofullofpeoplethatyoucouldn’thavedroppedapin.thepolicemenleft,allexceptone,whoremainedforatime,tryingtodriveoutthepeoplewhocameinfromthestairs.almostallmadamelippevechsel’slodgershadstreamedinfromtheinnerroomsoftheflat;atfirsttheyweresqueezedtogetherinthedoorway,butafterwardstheyoverflowedintotheroom.katerinaivanovnaflewintoafury.

“youmightlethimdieinpeace,atleast,”sheshoutedatthecrowd,“isitaspectacleforyoutogapeat?withcigarettes!(cough,cough,cough!)youmightaswellkeepyourhatson.…andthereisoneinhishat!…getaway!youshouldrespectthedead,atleast!”