第84章

第84章“that’snonsense,itellyou,howcouldithinkitseriously?you,yourself,describedhimasamonomaniacwhenyoufetchedmetohim…andweaddedfueltothefireyesterday,youdid,thatis,withyourstoryaboutthepainter;itwasaniceconversation,whenhewas,perhaps,madonthatverypoint!ifonlyi’dknownwhathappenedthenatthepolicestationandthatsomewretch…hadinsultedhimwiththissuspicion!hm…iwouldnothaveallowedthatconversationyesterday.thesemonomaniacswillmakeamountainoutofamole-hill…andseetheirfanciesassolidrealities.…asfarasiremember,itwaszametov’sstorythatcleareduphalfthemystery,tomymind.why,iknowonecaseinwhichahypochondriac,amanofforty,cutthethroatofalittleboyofeight,becausehecouldn’tendurethejokeshemadeeverydayattable!andinthiscasehisrags,theinsolentpoliceofficer,thefeverandthissuspicion!allthatworkinguponamanhalffranticwithhypochondria,andwithhismorbidexceptionalvanity!thatmaywellhavebeenthestarting-pointofillness.well,botheritall!…and,bytheway,thatzametovcertainlyisanicefellow,buthm…heshouldn’thavetoldallthatlastnight.heisanawfulchatterbox!”

“butwhomdidhetellitto?youandme?”

“andporfiry.”

“whatdoesthatmatter?”

“and,bytheway,haveyouanyinfluenceonthem,hismotherandsister?tellthemtobemorecarefulwithhimto-day.…”

“they’llgetonallright!”razumihinansweredreluctantly.

“whyishesosetagainstthisluzhin?amanwithmoneyandshedoesn’tseemtodislikehim…andtheyhaven’tafarthing,isuppose?eh?”

“butwhatbusinessisitofyours?”razumihincriedwithannoyance.“howcanitellwhetherthey’veafarthing?askthemyourselfandperhapsyou’llfindout.…”

“foo!whatanassyouaresometimes! night’swinehasnotgoneoffyet.…good-bye;thankyourpraskovyapavlovnafrommeformynight’slodging.shelockedherselfin,madenoreplytomybonjourthroughthedoor;shewasupatseveno’clock,thesamovarwastakenintoherfromthekitchen.iwasnotvouchsafedapersonalinterview.…”

atnineo’clockpreciselyrazumihinreachedthelodgingsatbakaleyev’shouse.bothladieswerewaitingforhimwithnervousimpatience.theyhadrisenatseveno’clockorearlier.heenteredlookingasblackasnight,bowedawkwardlyandwasatoncefuriouswithhimselfforit.hehadreckonedwithouthishost:pulcheriaalexandrovnafairlyrushedathim,seizedhimbybothhandsandwasalmostkissingthem.heglancedtimidlyatavdotyaromanovna,butherproudcountenanceworeatthatmomentanexpressionofsuchgratitudeandfriendliness,suchcompleteandunlooked-forrespect(inplaceofthesneeringlooksandill-disguisedcontempthehadexpected),thatitthrewhimintogreaterconfusionthanifhehadbeenmetwithabuse.fortunatelytherewasasubjectforconversation,andhemadehastetosnatchatit.

hearingthateverythingwasgoingwellandthatrodyahadnotyetwaked,pulcheriaalexandrovnadeclaredthatshewasgladtohearit,because“shehadsomethingwhichitwasvery,verynecessarytotalkoverbeforehand.”thenfollowedaninquiryaboutbreakfastandaninvitationtohaveitwiththem;theyhadwaitedtohaveitwithhim.avdotyaromanovnarangthebell:itwasansweredbyaeddirtywaiter,andtheyaskedhimtobringteawhichwasservedatlast,butinsuchadirtyanddisorderlywaythattheladieswereashamed.razumihinvigorouslyattackedthelodgings,but,rememberingluzhin,stoppedinembarrassmentandwasgreatlyrelievedbypulcheriaalexandrovna’squestions,whichshoweredinacontinualstreamuponhim.

hetalkedforthreequartersofanhour,beingconstantlyinterruptedbytheirquestions,andeededindescribingtothemallthemostimportantfactsheknewofthelastyearofraskolnikov’slife,concludingwithacircumstantialaccountofhisillness.heomitted,however,manythings,whichwerebetteromitted,includingthesceneatthepolicestationwithallitsconsequences.theylistenedeagerlytohisstory,and,whenhethoughthehadfinishedandsatisfiedhislisteners,hefoundthattheyconsideredhehadhardlybegun.

“tellme,tellme!whatdoyouthink…?excuseme,istilldon’tknowyourname!”pulcheriaalexandrovnaputinhastily.

“dmitriprokofitch.”

“ishouldlikevery,verymuchtoknow,dmitriprokofitch…howhelooks…onthingsingeneralnow,thatis,howcaniexplain,whatarehislikesanddislikes?ishealwayssoirritable?tellme,ifyoucan,whatarehishopesand,sotosay,hisdreams?underwhatinfluencesishenow?inaword,ishouldlike…”

“ah,mother,howcanheanswerallthatatonce?”observeddounia.

“goodheavens,ihadnotexpectedtofindhimintheleastlikethis,dmitriprokofitch!”