第207章

第207章whendouniareturnedfromherlastinterviewwithherbrother,shehadfoundhermotheralreadyill,infeverishdelirium.thateveningrazumihinandsheagreedwhatanswerstheymustmaketohermother’squestionsaboutraskolnikovandmadeupacompletestoryforhermother’sbenefitofhishavingtogoawaytoadistantpartofrussiaonabusinesscommission,whichwouldbringhimintheendmoneyandreputation.

buttheywerestruckbythefactthatpulcheriaalexandrovnaneveraskedthemanythingonthesubject,neitherthennorthereafter.onthecontrary,shehadherownversionofherson’ssuddendeparture;shetoldthemwithtearshowhehadcometosaygood-byetoher,hintingthatshealoneknewmanymysteriousandimportantfacts,andthatrodyahadmanyverypowerfulenemies,sothatitwasnecessaryforhimtobeinhiding.asforhisfuturecareer,shehadnodoubtthatitwouldbebrilliantwhencertainsinisterinfluencescouldberemoved.sheassuredrazumihinthathersonwouldbeonedayagreatstatesman,thathisarticleandbrilliantliterarytalentprovedit.thisarticleshewascontinuallyreading,sheevenreaditaloud,almosttookittobedwithher,butscarcelyaskedwhererodyawas,thoughthesubjectwasobviouslyavoidedbytheothers,whichmighthavebeenenoughtoawakenhersuspicions.

theybegantobefrightenedatlastatpulcheriaalexandrovna’sstrangesilenceoncertainsubjects.shedidnot,forinstance,complainofgettingnolettersfromhim,thoughinpreviousyearsshehadonlylivedonthehopeoflettersfromherbelovedrodya.thiswasthecauseofgreatuneasinesstodounia;theideaoccurredtoherthathermothersuspectedthattherewassomethingterribleinherson’sfateandwasafraidtoask,forfearofhearingsomethingstillmoreawful.inanycase,douniasawclearlythathermotherwasnotinfullpossessionofherfaculties.

ithappenedonceortwice,however,thatpulcheriaalexandrovnagavesuchaturntotheconversationthatitwasimpossibletoanswerherwithoutmentioningwhererodyawas,andonreceivingunsatisfactoryandsuspiciousanswersshebecameatoncegloomyandsilent,andthismoodlastedforalongtime.douniasawatlastthatitwashardtodeceiveherandcametotheconclusionthatitwasbettertobeabsolutelysilentoncertainpoints;butitbecamemoreandmoreevidentthatthepoormothersuspectedsomethingterrible.douniarememberedherbrother’stellingherthathermotherhadoverheardhertalkinginhersleeponthenightafterherinterviewwithsvidrigailovandbeforethefataldayoftheconfession:hadnotshemadeoutsomethingfromthat?sometimesdaysandevenweeksofgloomysilenceandtearswouldbeeededbyaperiodofhystericalanimation,andtheinvalidwouldbegintotalkalmostincessantlyofherson,ofherhopesofhisfuture.…herfanciesweresometimesverystrange.theyhumouredher,pretendedtoagreewithher(shesawperhapsthattheywerepretending),butshestillwentontalking.

fivemonthsafterraskolnikov’sconfession,hewassentenced.razumihinandsoniasawhiminprisonasoftenasitwaspossible.atlastthemomentofseparationcame.douniasworetoherbrotherthattheseparationshouldnotbeforever,razumihindidthesame.razumihin,inhisyouthfulardour,hadfirmlyresolvedtolaythefoundationsatleastofasecurelivelihoodduringthenextthreeorfouryears,andsavingupacertainsum,toemigratetosiberia,acountryrichineverynaturalresourceandinneedofworkers,activemenandcapital.theretheywouldsettleinthetownwhererodyawasandalltogetherwouldbeginanewlife.theyallweptatparting.

raskolnikovhadbeenverydreamyforafewdaysbefore.heaskedagreatdealabouthismotherandwasconstantlyanxiousabouther.heworriedsomuchaboutherthatitalarmeddounia.whenheheardabouthismother’sillnesshebecameverygloomy.withsoniahewasparticularlyreservedallthetime.withthehelpofthemoneylefttoherbysvidrigailov,soniahadlongagomadeherpreparationstofollowthepartyofconvictsinwhichhewasdespatchedtosiberia.notawordpassedbetweenraskolnikovandheronthesubject,butbothknewitwouldbeso.atthefinalleave-takinghesmiledstrangelyathissister’sandrazumihin’sferventanticipationsoftheirhappyfuturetogetherwhenheshouldcomeoutofprison.hepredictedthattheirmother’sillnesswouldsoonhaveafatalending.soniaandheatlastsetoff.

twomonthslaterdouniawasmarriedtorazumihin.itwasaquietandsorrowfulwedding;porfirypetrovitchandzossimovwereinvitedhowever.duringallthisperiodrazumihinworeanairofresolutedetermination.douniaputimplicitfaithinhiscarryingouthisplansandindeedshecouldnotbutbelieveinhim.hedisplayedararestrengthofwill.amongotherthingshebeganattendinguniversitylecturesagaininordertotakehisdegree.theywerecontinuallymakingplansforthefuture;bothcountedonsettlinginsiberiawithinfiveyearsatleast.tillthentheyrestedtheirhopesonsonia.