第85章

第85章“naturally,”answeredrazumihin.“ihavenomother,butmyunclecomeseveryyearandalmosteverytimehecanscarcelyrecogniseme,eveninappearance,thoughheisacleverman;andyourthreeyears’separationmeansagreatdeal.whatamitotellyou?ihaveknownrodionforayearandahalf;heismorose,gloomy,proudandhaughty,andoflate—andperhapsforalongtimebefore—hehasbeensuspiciousandfanciful.hehasanoblenatureandakindheart.hedoesnotlikeshowinghisfeelingsandwouldratherdoacruelthingthanopenhisheartfreely.sometimes,though,heisnotatallmorbid,butsimplycoldandinhumanlycallous;it’sasthoughhewerealternatingbetweentwocharacters.sometimesheisfearfullyreserved!hesaysheissobusythateverythingisahindrance,andyetheliesinbeddoingnothing.hedoesn’tjeeratthings,notbecausehehasn’tthewit,butasthoughhehadn’ttimetowasteonsuchtrifles.heneverlistenstowhatissaidtohim.heisneverinterestedinwhatinterestsotherpeopleatanygivenmoment.hethinksveryhighlyofhimselfandperhapsheisright.well,whatmore?ithinkyourarrivalwillhaveamostbeneficialinfluenceuponhim.”

“godgrantitmay,”criedpulcheriaalexandrovna,distressedbyrazumihin’saccountofherrodya.

andrazumihinventuredtolookmoreboldlyatavdotyaromanovnaatlast.heglancedatheroftenwhilehewastalking,butonlyforamomentandlookedawayagainatonce.avdotyaromanovnasatatthetable,listeningattentively,thengotupagainandbeganwalkingtoandfrowithherarmsfoldedandherlipscompressed,occasionallyputtinginaquestion,withoutstoppingherwalk.shehadthesamehabitofnotlisteningtowhatwassaid.shewaswearingadressofthindarkstuffandshehadawhitetransparentscarfroundherneck.razumihinsoondetectedsignsofextremepovertyintheirbelongings.hadavdotyaromanovnabeendressedlikeaqueen,hefeltthathewouldnotbeafraidofher,butperhapsjustbecauseshewaspoorlydressedandthathenoticedallthemiseryofhersurroundings,hisheartwasfilledwithdreadandhebegantobeafraidofeverywordheuttered,everygesturehemade,whichwasverytryingforamanwhoalreadyfeltdiffident.

“you’vetoldusagreatdealthatisinterestingaboutmybrother’scharacter…andhavetolditimpartially.iamglad.ithoughtthatyouweretoouncriticallydevotedtohim,”observedavdotyaromanovnawithasmile.“ithinkyouarerightthatheneedsawoman’scare,”sheaddedthoughtfully.

“ididn’tsayso;butidaresayyouareright,only…”

“what?”

“helovesnooneandperhapsheneverwill,”razumihindeclareddecisively.

“youmeanheisnotcapableoflove?”

“doyouknow,avdotyaromanovna,youareawfullylikeyourbrother,ineverything,indeed!”heblurtedoutsuddenlytohisownsurprise,butrememberingatoncewhathehadjustbeforesaidofherbrother,heturnedasredasacrabandwasovercomewithconfusion.avdotyaromanovnacouldn’thelplaughingwhenshelookedathim.

“youmaybothbemistakenaboutrodya,”pulcheriaalexandrovnaremarked,slightlypiqued.“iamnottalkingofourpresentdifficulty,dounia.whatpyotrpetrovitchwritesinthisletterandwhatyouandihavesupposedmaybemistaken,butyoucan’timagine,dmitriprokofitch,howmoodyand,sotosay,capriciousheis.inevercoulddependonwhathewoulddowhenhewasonlyfifteen.andiamsurethathemightdosomethingnowthatnobodyelsewouldthinkofdoing…well,forinstance,doyouknowhowayearandahalfagoheastoundedmeandgavemeashockthatnearlykilledme,whenhehadtheideaofmarryingthatgirl—whatwashername—hislandlady’sdaughter?”

“didyouhearaboutthataffair?”askedavdotyaromanovna.

“doyousuppose——”pulcheriaalexandrovnacontinuedwarmly.“doyousupposethatmytears,myentreaties,myillness,mypossibledeathfromgrief,ourpovertywouldhavemadehimpause?no,hewouldcalmlyhavedisregardedallobstacles.andyetitisn’tthathedoesn’tloveus!”

“hehasneverspokenawordofthataffairtome,”razumihinansweredcautiously.“butididhearsomethingfrompraskovyapavlovnaherself,thoughsheisbynomeansagossip.andwhatiheardcertainlywasratherstrange.”

“andwhatdidyouhear?”boththeladiesaskedatonce.

“well,nothingveryspecial.ionlylearnedthatthemarriage,whichonlyfailedtotakeplacethroughthegirl’sdeath,wasnotatalltopraskovyapavlovna’sliking.theysay,too,thegirlwasnotatallpretty,infactiamtoldpositivelyugly…andsuchaninvalid…andqueer.butsheseemstohavehadsomegoodqualities.shemusthavehadsomegoodqualitiesorit’squiteinexplicable.…shehadnomoneyeitherandhewouldn’thaveconsideredhermoney.…butit’salwaysdifficulttojudgeinsuchmatters.”

“iamsureshewasagoodgirl,”avdotyaromanovnaobservedbriefly.

“godforgiveme,isimplyrejoicedatherdeath.thoughidon’tknowwhichofthemwouldhavecausedmostmiserytotheother—hetoherorshetohim,”pulcheriaalexandrovnaconcluded.thenshebegantentativelyquestioninghimaboutthesceneonthepreviousdaywithluzhin,hesitatingandcontinuallyglancingatdounia,obviouslytothelatter’sannoyance.thisincidentmorethanalltherestevidentlycausedheruneasiness,evenconsternation.razumihindescribeditindetailagain,butthistimeheaddedhisownconclusions:heopenlyblamedraskolnikovforintentionallyinsultingpyotrpetrovitch,notseekingtoexcusehimonthescoreofhisillness.

“hehadplanneditbeforehisillness,”headded.

“ithinkso,too,”pulcheriaalexandrovnaagreedwithadejectedair.butshewasverymuchsurprisedathearingrazumihinexpresshimselfsocarefullyandevenwithacertainrespectaboutpyotrpetrovitch.avdotyaromanovna,too,wasstruckbyit.

“sothisisyouropinionofpyotrpetrovitch?”pulcheriaalexandrovnacouldnotresistasking.