第93章

第93章atthatmomentthedoorwassoftlyopened,andayounggirlwalkedintotheroom,lookingtimidlyabouther.everyoneturnedtowardsherwithsurpriseandcuriosity.atfirstsight,raskolnikovdidnotrecogniseher.itwassofyasemyonovnamarmeladov.hehadseenheryesterdayforthefirsttime,butatsuchamoment,insuchsurroundingsandinsuchadress,thathismemoryretainedaverydifferentimageofher.nowshewasamodestlyandpoorly-dressedyounggirl,veryyoung,indeed,almostlikeachild,withamodestandrefinedmanner,withacandidbutsomewhatfrightened-lookingface.shewaswearingaveryplainindoordress,andhadonashabbyold-fashionedhat,butshestillcarriedaparasol.unexpectedlyfindingtheroomfullofpeople,shewasnotsomuchembarrassedascompletelyoverwhelmedwithshyness,likealittlechild.shewasevenabouttoretreat.“oh…it’syou!”saidraskolnikov,extremelyastonished,andhe,too,wasconfused.heatoncerecollectedthathismotherandsisterknewthroughluzhin’sletterof“someyoungwomanofnotoriousbehaviour.”hehadonlyjustbeenprotestingagainstluzhin’scalumnyanddeclaringthathehadseenthegirllastnightforthefirsttime,andsuddenlyshehadwalkedin.heremembered,too,thathehadnotprotestedagainsttheexpression“ofnotoriousbehaviour.”allthispassedvaguelyandfleetinglythroughhisbrain,butlookingathermoreintently,hesawthatthehumiliatedcreaturewassohumiliatedthathefeltsuddenlysorryforher.whenshemadeamovementtoretreatinterror,itsentapangtohisheart.

“ididnotexpectyou,”hesaid,hurriedly,withalookthatmadeherstop.“pleasesitdown.youcome,nodoubt,fromkaterinaivanovna.allowme—notthere.sithere.…”

atsonia’sentrance,razumihin,whohadbeensittingononeofraskolnikov’sthreechairs,closetothedoor,gotuptoallowhertoenter.raskolnikovhadatfirstshownhertheplaceonthesofawherezossimovhadbeensitting,butfeelingthatthesofawhichservedhimasabed,wastoofamiliaraplace,hehurriedlymotionedhertorazumihin’schair.

“yousithere,”hesaidtorazumihin,puttinghimonthesofa.

soniasatdown,almostshakingwithterror,andlookedtimidlyatthetwoladies.itwasevidentlyalmostinconceivabletoherselfthatshecouldsitdownbesidethem.atthethoughtofit,shewassofrightenedthatshehurriedlygotupagain,andinutterconfusionaddressedraskolnikov.

“i…i…havecomeforoneminute.forgivemefordisturbingyou,”shebeganfalteringly.“icomefromkaterinaivanovna,andshehadnoonetosend.katerinaivanovnatoldmetobegyou…tobeattheservice…inthemorning…atmitrofanievsky…andthen…tous…toher…todoherthehonour…shetoldmetobegyou…”soniastammeredandceasedspeaking.

“iwilltry,certainly,mostcertainly,”answeredraskolnikov.he,too,stoodup,andhe,too,falteredandcouldnotfinishhissentence.“pleasesitdown,”hesaid,suddenly.“iwanttotalktoyou.youareperhapsinahurry,butplease,besokind,sparemetwominutes,”andhedrewupachairforher.

soniasatdownagain,andagaintimidlyshetookahurried,frightenedlookatthetwoladies,anddroppedhereyes.raskolnikov’spalefaceflushed,ashudderpassedoverhim,hiseyesglowed.

“mother,”hesaid,firmlyandinsistently,“thisissofyasemyonovnamarmeladov,thedaughterofthatunfortunatemr.marmeladov,whowasrunoveryesterdaybeforemyeyes,andofwhomiwasjusttellingyou.”

pulcheriaalexandrovnaglancedatsonia,andslightlyscreweduphereyes.inspiteofherembarrassmentbeforerodya’surgentandchallenginglook,shecouldnotdenyherselfthatsatisfaction.douniagazedgravelyandintentlyintothepoorgirl’sface,andscrutinisedherwithperplexity.sonia,hearingherselfintroduced,triedtoraisehereyesagain,butwasmoreembarrassedthanever.

“iwantedtoaskyou,”saidraskolnikov,hastily,“howthingswerearrangedyesterday.youwerenotworriedbythepolice,forinstance?”

“no,thatwasallright…itwastooevident,thecauseofdeath…theydidnotworryus…onlythelodgersareangry.”

“why?”

“atthebody’sremainingsolong.youseeitishotnow.sothat,to-day,theywillcarryittothecemetery,intothechapel,untilto-morrow.atfirstkaterinaivanovnawasunwilling,butnowsheseesherselfthatit’snecessary…”

“to-day,then?”

“shebegsyoutodousthehonourtobeinthechurchto-morrowfortheservice,andthentobepresentatthefunerallunch.”

“sheisgivingafunerallunch?”

“yes…justalittle.…shetoldmetothankyouverymuchforhelpingusyesterday.butforyou,weshouldhavehadnothingforthefuneral.”

allatonceherlipsandchinbegantrembling,but,withaneffort,shecontrolledherself,lookingdownagain.

duringtheconversation,raskolnikovwatchedhercarefully.shehadathin,verythin,palelittleface,ratherirregularandangular,withasharplittlenoseandchin.shecouldnothavebeencalledpretty,butherblueeyesweresoclear,andwhentheylightedup,therewassuchakindlinessandsimplicityinherexpressionthatonecouldnothelpbeingattracted.herface,andherwholefigureindeed,hadanotherpeculiarcharacteristic.inspiteofhereighteenyears,shelookedalmostalittlegirl—almostachild.andinsomeofhergestures,thischildishnessseemedalmostabsurd.

“buthaskaterinaivanovnabeenabletomanagewithsuchsmallmeans?doessheevenmeantohaveafunerallunch?”raskolnikovasked,persistentlykeepinguptheconversation.

“thecoffinwillbeplain,ofcourse…andeverythingwillbeplain,soitwon’tcostmuch.katerinaivanovnaandihavereckoneditallout,sothattherewillbeenoughleft…andkaterinaivanovnawasveryanxiousitshouldbeso.youknowonecan’t…it’sacomforttoher…sheislikethat,youknow.…”