第96章

第96章whensoniacameoutonthecanalbank,theyweretheonlytwopersonsonthepavement.heobservedherdreaminessandupation.onreachingthehousewhereshelodged,soniaturnedinatthegate;hefollowedher,seemingrathersurprised.inthecourtyardsheturnedtotherightcorner.“bah!”mutteredtheunknowngentleman,andmountedthestairsbehindher.onlythensonianoticedhim.shereachedthethirdstorey,turneddownthepassage,andrangatno.9.onthedoorwasinscribedinchalk,“kapernaumov,tailor.”“bah!”thestrangerrepeatedagain,wonderingatthestrangecoincidence,andherangnextdoor,atno.8.thedoorsweretwoorthreeyardsapart.

“youlodgeatkapernaumov’s,”hesaid,lookingatsoniaandlaughing.“healteredawaistcoatformeyesterday.iamstayingclosehereatmadameresslich’s.howodd!”sonialookedathimattentively.

“weareneighbours,”hewentongaily.“ionlycametotownthedaybeforeyesterday.good-byeforthepresent.”

soniamadenoreply;thedooropenedandsheslippedin.shefeltforsomereasonashamedanduneasy.

onthewaytoporfiry’s,razumihinwasobviouslyexcited.

“that’scapital,brother,”herepeatedseveraltimes,“andiamglad!iamglad!”

“whatareyougladabout?”raskolnikovthoughttohimself.

“ididn’tknowthatyoupledgedthingsattheoldwoman’s,too.and…wasitlongago?imean,wasitlongsinceyouwerethere?”

“whatasimple-heartedfoolheis!”

“whenwasit?”raskolnikovstoppedstilltorecollect.“twoorthreedaysbeforeherdeathitmusthavebeen.butiamnotgoingtoredeemthethingsnow,”heputinwithasortofhurriedandconspicuoussolicitudeaboutthethings.“i’venotmorethanasilverroubleleft…afterlastnight’saccurseddelirium!”

helaidspecialemphasisonthedelirium.

“yes,yes,”razumihinhastenedtoagree—withwhatwasnotclear.“thenthat’swhyyou…werestuck…partly…youknowinyourdeliriumyouwerecontinuallymentioningsomeringsorchains!yes,yes…that’sclear,it’sallclearnow.”

“hullo!howthatideamusthavegotaboutamongthem.herethismanwillgotothestakeforme,andifindhimdelightedathavingitclearedupwhyispokeofringsinmydelirium!whataholdtheideamusthaveonallofthem!”

“shallwefindhim?”heaskedsuddenly.

“oh,yes,”razumihinansweredquickly.“heisanicefellow,youwillsee,brother.ratherclumsy,thatistosay,heisamanofpolishedmanners,butimeanclumsyinadifferentsense.heisanintelligentfellow,verymuchsoindeed,buthehashisownrangeofideas.…heisincredulous,sceptical,cynical…helikestoimposeonpeople,orrathertomakefunofthem.hisistheold,circumstantialmethod.…butheunderstandshiswork…thoroughly.… yearheclearedupacaseofmurderinwhichthepolicehadhardlyaclue.heisvery,veryanxioustomakeyouracquaintance!”

“onwhatgroundsishesoanxious?”

“oh,it’snotexactly…yousee,sinceyou’vebeenillihappentohavementionedyouseveraltimes.…so,whenheheardaboutyou…aboutyourbeingalawstudentandnotabletofinishyourstudies,hesaid,‘whatapity!’andsoiconcluded…fromeverythingtogether,notonlythat;yesterdayzametov…youknow,rodya,italkedsomenonsenseonthewayhometoyouyesterday,wheniwasdrunk…iamafraid,brother,ofyoureratingit,yousee.”

“what?thattheythinkiamamadman?maybetheyareright,”hesaidwithaconstrainedsmile.

“yes,yes.…thatis,pooh,no!…butallthatisaid(andtherewassomethingelsetoo)itwasallnonsense,drunkennonsense.”

“butwhyareyouapologising?iamsosickofitall!”raskolnikovcriedwitheratedirritability.itwaspartlyassumed,however.

“iknow,iknow,iunderstand.believeme,iunderstand.one’sashamedtospeakofit.”

“ifyouareashamed,thendon’tspeakofit.”

bothweresilent.razumihinwasmorethanecstaticandraskolnikovperceiveditwithrepulsion.hewasalarmed,too,bywhatrazumihinhadjustsaidaboutporfiry.

“ishallhavetopullalongfacewithhimtoo,”hethought,withabeatingheart,andheturnedwhite,“anddoitnaturally,too.butthemostnaturalthingwouldbetodonothingatall.carefullydonothingatall!no,carefullywouldnotbenaturalagain.…oh,well,weshallseehowitturnsout.…weshallsee…directly.isitagoodthingtogoornot?thebutterflyfliestothelight.myheartisbeating,that’swhat’sbad!”

“inthisgreyhouse,”saidrazumihin.

“themostimportantthing,doesporfiryknowthatiwasattheoldhag’sflatyesterday…andaskedabouttheblood?imustfindthatoutinstantly,assoonasigoin,findoutfromhisface;otherwise…i’llfindout,ifit’smyruin.”

“isay,brother,”hesaidsuddenly,addressingrazumihin,withaslysmile,“ihavebeennoticingalldaythatyouseemtobecuriouslyexcited.isn’titso?”

“excited?notabitofit,”saidrazumihin,stungtothequick.

“yes,brother,iassureyouit’snoticeable.why,yousatonyourchairinawayyouneverdosit,ontheedgesomehow,andyouseemedtobewrithingallthetime.youkeptjumpingupfornothing.onemomentyouwereangry,andthenextyourfacelookedlikeasweetmeat.youevenblushed;especiallywhenyouwereinvitedtodinner,youblushedawfully.”

“nothingofthesort,nonsense!whatdoyoumean?”

“butwhyareyoulingoutofit,likeaschoolboy?byjove,therehe’sblushingagain.”

“whatapigyouare!”

“butwhyareyousoshamefacedaboutit?romeo!stay,i’lltellofyouto-day.ha-ha-ha!i’llmakemotherlaugh,andsomeoneelse,too…”

“listen,listen,listen,thisisserious.…whatnext,youfiend!”razumihinwasutterlyoverwhelmed,turningcoldwithhorror.“whatwillyoutellthem?come,brother…foo!whatapigyouare!”

“youarelikeasummerrose.andifonlyyouknewhowitsuitsyou;aromeooversixfoothigh!andhowyou’vewashedto-day—youcleanedyournails,ideclare.eh?that’ssomethingunheardof!why,idobelieveyou’vegotpomatumonyourhair!benddown.”

“pig!”

raskolnikovlaughedasthoughhecouldnotrestrainhimself.solaughing,theyenteredporfirypetrovitch’sflat.thisiswhatraskolnikovwanted:fromwithintheycouldbeheardlaughingastheycamein,stillguffawinginthepassage.

“notawordhereori’ll…brainyou!”razumihinwhisperedfuriously,seizingraskolnikovbytheshoulder.