第205章

第205章“imeanthosecrop-headedwenches,”thetalkativeilyapetrovitchcontinued.“midwivesismynameforthem.ithinkitaverysatisfactoryone,ha-ha!theygototheacademy,studyanatomy.ififallill,amitosendforayoungladytotreatme?whatdoyousay?ha-ha!”ilyapetrovitchlaughed,quitepleasedwithhisownwit.“it’sanimmoderatezealforeducation,butonceyou’reeducated,that’senough.whyabuseit?whyinsulthonourablepeople,asthatscoundrelzametovdoes?whydidheinsultme,iaskyou?lookatthesesuicides,too,howcommontheyare,youcan’tfancy!peoplespendtheirlasthalfpennyandkillthemselves,boysandgirlsandoldpeople.onlythismorningweheardaboutagentlemanwhohadjustcometotown.nilpavlitch,isay,whatwasthenameofthatgentlemanwhoshothimself?”

“svidrigailov,”someoneansweredfromtheotherroomwithdrowsylistlessness.

raskolnikovstarted.

“svidrigailov!svidrigailovhasshothimself!”hecried.

“what,doyouknowsvidrigailov?”

“yes…iknewhim.…hehadn’tbeenherelong.”

“yes,that’sso.hehadlosthiswife,wasamanofrecklesshabitsandallofasuddenshothimself,andinsuchashockingway.…heleftinhisnotebookafewwords:thathediesinfullpossessionofhisfacultiesandthatnooneistoblameforhisdeath.hehadmoney,theysay.howdidyoucometoknowhim?”

“i…wasacquainted…mysisterwasgovernessinhisfamily.”

“bah-bah-bah!thennodoubtyoucantellussomethingabouthim.youhadnosuspicion?”

“isawhimyesterday…he…wasdrinkingwine;iknewnothing.”

raskolnikovfeltasthoughsomethinghadfallenonhimandwasstiflinghim.

“you’veturnedpaleagain.it’ssostuffyhere…”

“yes,imustgo,”mutteredraskolnikov.“excusemytroublingyou.…”

“oh,notatall,asoftenasyoulike.it’sapleasuretoseeyouandiamgladtosayso.”

ilyapetrovitchheldouthishand.

“ionlywanted…icametoseezametov.”

“iunderstand,iunderstand,andit’sapleasuretoseeyou.”

“i…amveryglad…good-bye,”raskolnikovsmiled.

hewentout;hereeled,hewasovertakenwithgiddinessanddidnotknowwhathewasdoing.hebegangoingdownthestairs,supportinghimselfwithhisrighthandagainstthewall.hefanciedthataporterpushedpasthimonhiswayupstairstothepoliceoffice,thatadoginthelowerstoreykeptupashrillbarkingandthatawomanflungarolling-pinatitandshouted.hewentdownandoutintotheyard.there,notfarfromtheentrance,stoodsonia,paleandhorror-stricken.shelookedwildlyathim.hestoodstillbeforeher.therewasalookofpoignantagony,ofdespair,inherface.sheclaspedherhands.hislipsworkedinanugly,meaninglesssmile.hestoodstillaminute,grinnedandwentbacktothepoliceoffice.

ilyapetrovitchhadsatdownandwasrummagingamongsomepapers.beforehimstoodthesamepeasantwhohadpushedbyonthestairs.

“hulloa!backagain!haveyouleftsomethingbehind?what’sthematter?”

raskolnikov,withwhitelipsandstaringeyes,cameslowlynearer.hewalkedrighttothetable,leanedhishandonit,triedtosaysomething,butcouldnot;onlyincoherentsoundswereaudible.

“youarefeelingill,achair!here,sitdown!somewater!”

raskolnikovdroppedontoachair,buthekepthiseyesfixedonthefaceofilyapetrovitch,whichexpressedunpleasantsurprise.bothlookedatoneanotherforaminuteandwaited.waterwasbrought.

“itwasi…”beganraskolnikov.

“drinksomewater.”

raskolnikovrefusedthewaterwithhishand,andsoftlyandbrokenly,butdistinctlysaid:

“itwasikilledtheoldpawnbrokerwomanandhersisterlizavetawithanaxeandrobbedthem.”

ilyapetrovitchopenedhismouth.peopleranuponallsides.

raskolnikovrepeatedhisstatement.

1dostoevskyappearstohaveforgottenthatitisaftersunset,andthatthelasttimeraskolnikovvisitedthepoliceofficeattwointheafternoonhewasreproachedforcomingtoolate.—translator.

epilogue

i

siberia.onthebanksofabroadsolitaryriverstandsatown,oneoftheadministrativecentresofrussia;inthetownthereisafortress,inthefortressthereisaprison.intheprisonthesecond-classconvictrodionraskolnikovhasbeenconfinedforninemonths.almostayearandahalfhaspassedsincehiscrime.