第208章

第208章pulcheriaalexandrovnawasdelightedtogiveherblessingtodounia’smarriagewithrazumihin;butafterthemarriageshebecameevenmoremelancholyandanxious.togiveherpleasurerazumihintoldherhowraskolnikovhadlookedafterthepoorstudentandhisdecrepitfatherandhowayearagohehadbeenburntandinjuredinrescuingtwolittlechildrenfromafire.thesetwopiecesofnewsexcitedpulcheriaalexandrovna’sdisorderedimaginationalmosttoecstasy.shewascontinuallytalkingaboutthem,evenenteringintoconversationwithstrangersinthestreet,thoughdouniaalwaysaccompaniedher.inpublicconveyancesandshops,wherevershecouldcapturealistener,shewouldbeginthediscourseaboutherson,hisarticle,howhehadhelpedthestudent,howhehadbeenburntatthefire,andsoon!douniadidnotknowhowtorestrainher.apartfromthedangerofhermorbidexcitement,therewastheriskofsomeone’srecallingraskolnikov’snameandspeakingoftherecenttrial.pulcheriaalexandrovnafoundouttheaddressofthemotherofthetwochildrenhersonhadsavedandinsistedongoingtoseeher.

atlastherrestlessnessreachedanextremepoint.shewouldsometimesbegintocrysuddenlyandwasoftenillandfeverishlydelirious.onemorningshedeclaredthatbyherreckoningrodyaoughtsoontobehome,thatsherememberedwhenhesaidgood-byetoherhesaidthattheymustexpecthimbackinninemonths.shebegantoprepareforhiscoming,begantodoupherroomforhim,tocleanthefurniture,towashandputupnewhangingsandsoon.douniawasanxious,butsaidnothingandhelpedhertoarrangetheroom.afterafatiguingdayspentincontinualfancies,injoyfulday-dreamsandtears,pulcheriaalexandrovnawastakenillinthenightandbymorningshewasfeverishanddelirious.itwasbrainfever.shediedwithinafortnight.inherdeliriumshedroppedwordswhichshowedthatsheknewagreatdealmoreaboutherson’sterriblefatethantheyhadsupposed.

foralongtimeraskolnikovdidnotknowofhismother’sdeath,thougharegularcorrespondencehadbeenmaintainedfromthetimehereachedsiberia.itwascarriedonbymeansofsonia,whowroteeverymonthtotherazumihinsandreceivedananswerwithunfailingregularity.atfirsttheyfoundsonia’slettersdryandunsatisfactory,butlaterontheycametotheconclusionthattheletterscouldnotbebetter,forfromtheseletterstheyreceivedacompletepictureoftheirunfortunatebrother’slife.sonia’sletterswerefullofthemostmatter-of-factdetail,thesimplestandclearestdescriptionofallraskolnikov’ssurroundingsasaconvict.therewasnowordofherownhopes,noconjectureastothefuture,nodescriptionofherfeelings.insteadofanyattempttointerprethisstateofmindandinnerlife,shegavethesimplefacts—thatis,hisownwords,anexactaccountofhishealth,whatheaskedforattheirinterviews,whatcommissionhegaveherandsoon.allthesefactsshegavewithextraordinaryminuteness.thepictureoftheirunhappybrotherstoodoutatlastwithgreatclearnessandprecision.therecouldbenomistake,becausenothingwasgivenbutfacts.

butdouniaandherhusbandcouldgetlittlecomfortoutofthenews,especiallyatfirst.soniawrotethathewasconstantlysullenandnotreadytotalk,thathescarcelyseemedinterestedinthenewsshegavehimfromtheirletters,thathesometimesaskedafterhismotherandthatwhen,seeingthathehadguessedthetruth,shetoldhimatlastofherdeath,shewassurprisedtofindthathedidnotseemgreatlyaffectedbyit,notexternallyatanyrate.shetoldthemthat,althoughheseemedsowrappedupinhimselfand,asitwere,shuthimselfofffromeveryone—hetookaverydirectandsimpleviewofhisnewlife;thatheunderstoodhisposition,expectednothingbetterforthetime,hadnoill-foundedhopes(asissocommoninhisposition)andscarcelyseemedsurprisedatanythinginhissurroundings,sounlikeanythinghehadknownbefore.shewrotethathishealthwassatisfactory;hedidhisworkwithoutshirkingorseekingtodomore;hewasalmostindifferentaboutfood,butexceptonsundaysandholidaysthefoodwassobadthatatlasthehadbeengladtoacceptsomemoneyfromher,sonia,tohavehisownteaeveryday.heedhernottotroubleaboutanythingelse,declaringthatallthisfussabouthimonlyannoyedhim.soniawrotefurtherthatinprisonhesharedthesameroomwiththerest,thatshehadnotseentheinsideoftheirbarracks,butconcludedthattheywerecrowded,miserableandunhealthy;thathesleptonaplankbedwitharugunderhimandwasunwillingtomakeanyotherarrangement.butthathelivedsopoorlyandroughly,notfromanyplanordesign,butsimplyfrominattentionandindifference.

soniawrotesimplythathehadatfirstshownnointerestinhervisits,hadalmostbeenvexedwithherindeedforcoming,unwillingtotalkandrudetoher.butthatintheendthesevisitshadbecomeahabitandalmostanecessityforhim,sothathewaspositivelydistressedwhenshewasillforsomedaysandcouldnotvisithim.sheusedtoseehimonholidaysattheprisongatesorintheguard-room,towhichhewasbroughtforafewminutestoseeher.onworkingdaysshewouldgotoseehimatworkeitherattheworkshopsoratthebrickkilns,orattheshedsonthebanksoftheirtish.

aboutherself,soniawrotethatshehadeededinmakingsomeacquaintancesinthetown,thatshedidsewing,and,astherewasscarcelyadressmakerinthetown,shewaslookeduponasanindispensablepersoninmanyhouses.butshedidnotmentionthattheauthoritieswere,throughher,interestedinraskolnikov;thathistaskwaslightenedandsoon.