第206章

第206章therehadbeenlittledifficultyabouthistrial.thecriminaladheredexactly,firmly,andclearlytohisstatement.hedidnotconfusenormisrepresentthefacts,norsoftentheminhisowninterest,noromitthesmallestdetail.heexplainedeveryincidentofthemurder,thesecretofthepledge(thepieceofwoodwithastripofmetal)whichwasfoundinthemurderedwoman’shand.hedescribedminutelyhowhehadtakenherkeys,whattheywerelike,aswellasthechestanditscontents;heexplainedthemysteryoflizaveta’smurder;describedhowkochand,afterhim,thestudentknocked,andrepeatedalltheyhadsaidtooneanother;howheafterwardshadrundownstairsandheardnikolayanddmitrishouting;howhehadhiddenintheemptyflatandafterwardsgonehome.heendedbyindicatingthestoneintheyardoffthevoznesenskyprospectunderwhichthepurseandthetrinketswerefound.thewholething,infact,wasperfectlyclear.thelawyersandthejudgeswereverymuchstruck,amongotherthings,bythefactthathehadhiddenthetrinketsandthepurseunderastone,withoutmakinguseofthem,andthat,whatwasmore,hedidnotnowrememberwhatthetrinketswerelike,orevenhowmanytherewere.thefactthathehadneveropenedthepurseanddidnotevenknowhowmuchwasinitseemedincredible.thereturnedouttobeinthepursethreehundredandseventeenroublesandsixtycopecks.frombeingsolongunderthestone,someofthemostvaluablenoteslyinguppermosthadsufferedfromthedamp.theywerealongwhiletryingtodiscoverwhytheaccusedmanshouldtellalieaboutthis,whenabouteverythingelsehehadmadeatruthfulandstraightforwardconfession.finallysomeofthelawyersmoreversedinpsychologyadmittedthatitwaspossiblehehadreallynotlookedintothepurse,andsodidn’tknowwhatwasinitwhenhehiditunderthestone.buttheyimmediatelydrewthedeductionthatthecrimecouldonlyhavebeencommittedthroughtemporarymentalderangement,throughhomicidalmania,withoutobjectorthepursuitofgain.thisfellinwiththemostrecentfashionabletheoryoftemporaryinsanity,sooftenappliedinourdaysincriminalcases.moreoverraskolnikov’shypochondriacalconditionwasprovedbymanywitnesses,bydr.zossimov,hisformerfellowstudents,hislandladyandherservant.allthispointedstronglytotheconclusionthatraskolnikovwasnotquitelikeanordinarymurdererandrobber,butthattherewasanotherelementinthecase.

totheintenseannoyanceofthosewhomaintainedthisopinion,thecriminalscarcelyattemptedtodefendhimself.tothedecisivequestionastowhatmotiveimpelledhimtothemurderandtherobbery,heansweredveryclearlywiththecoarsestfranknessthatthecausewashismiserableposition,hispovertyandhelplessness,andhisdesiretoprovideforhisfirststepsinlifebythehelpofthethreethousandroubleshehadreckonedonfinding.hehadbeenledtothemurderthroughhisshallowandcowardlynature,exasperatedmoreoverbyprivationandfailure.tothequestionwhatledhimtoconfess,heansweredthatitwashisheartfeltrepentance.allthiswasalmostcoarse.…

thesentencehoweverwasmoremercifulthancouldhavebeenexpected,perhapspartlybecausethecriminalhadnottriedtojustifyhimself,buthadrathershownadesiretoeratehisguilt.allthestrangeandpeculiarcircumstancesofthecrimeweretakenintoconsideration.therecouldbenodoubtoftheabnormalandpoverty-strickenconditionofthecriminalatthetime.thefactthathehadmadenouseofwhathehadstolenwasputdownpartlytotheeffectofremorse,partlytohisabnormalmentalconditionatthetimeofthecrime.incidentallythemurderoflizavetaservedindeedtoconfirmthelasthypothesis:amancommitstwomurdersandforgetsthatthedoorisopen!finally,theconfession,attheverymomentwhenthecasewashopelesslymuddledbythefalseevidencegivenbynikolaythroughmelancholyandfanaticism,andwhen,moreover,therewerenoproofsagainsttherealcriminal,nosuspicionseven(porfirypetrovitchfullykepthisword)—allthisdidmuchtosoftenthesentence.othercircumstances,too,intheprisoner’sfavourcameoutquiteunexpectedly.razumihinsomehowdiscoveredandprovedthatwhileraskolnikovwasattheuniversityhehadhelpedapoorconsumptivefellowstudentandhadspenthislastpennyonsupportinghimforsixmonths,andwhenthisstudentdied,leavingadecrepitoldfatherwhomhehadmaintainedalmostfromhisthirteenthyear,raskolnikovhadgottheoldmanintoahospitalandpaidforhisfuneralwhenhedied.raskolnikov’slandladyborewitness,too,thatwhentheyhadlivedinanotherhouseatfivecorners,raskolnikovhadrescuedtwolittlechildrenfromahouseonfireandwasburntindoingso.thiswasinvestigatedandfairlywellconfirmedbymanywitnesses.thesefactsmadeanimpressioninhisfavour.

andintheendthecriminalwas,inconsiderationofextenuatingcircumstances,condemnedtopenalservitudeinthesecondclassforatermofeightyearsonly.

attheverybeginningofthetrialraskolnikov’smotherfellill.douniaandrazumihinfounditpossibletogetheroutofpetersburgduringthetrial.razumihinchoseatownontherailwaynotfarfrompetersburg,soastobeabletofolloweverystepofthetrialandatthesametimetoseeavdotyaromanovnaasoftenaspossible.pulcheriaalexandrovna’sillnesswasastrangenervousoneandwasaccompaniedbyapartialderangementofherintellect.