第167章

第167章“whatanidea!waswillstdumehr?whatthingsthefoolinvents!ah,yes!

“intheheatofmiddayinthevaleofdagestan.

“ah,howilovedit!ilovedthatsongtodistraction,polenka!yourfather,youknow,usedtosingitwhenwewereengaged.…ohthosedays!ohthat’sthethingforustosing!howdoesitgo?i’veforgotten.remindme!howwasit?”

shewasviolentlyexcitedandtriedtositup.atlast,inahorriblyhoarse,brokenvoice,shebegan,shriekingandgaspingateveryword,withalookofgrowingterror.

“intheheatofmidday!…inthevale!…ofdagestan!…withleadinmybreast!…”

“yourexcellency!”shewailedsuddenlywithaheart-rendingscreamandafloodoftears,“protecttheorphans!youhavebeentheirfather’sguest…onemaysayaristocratic.…”shestarted,regainingconsciousness,andgazedatallwithasortofterror,butatoncerecognisedsonia.

“sonia,sonia!”shearticulatedsoftlyandcaressingly,asthoughsurprisedtofindherthere.“soniadarling,areyouhere,too?”

theyliftedherupagain.

“enough!it’sover!farewell,poorthing!iamdonefor!iambroken!”shecriedwithvindictivedespair,andherheadfellheavilybackonthepillow.

shesankintounconsciousnessagain,butthistimeitdidnotlastlong.herpale,yellow,wastedfacedroppedback,hermouthfellopen,herlegmovedconvulsively,shegaveadeep,deepsighanddied.

soniafelluponher,flungherarmsabouther,andremainedmotionlesswithherheadpressedtothedeadwoman’swastedbosom.polenkathrewherselfathermother’sfeet,kissingthemandweepingviolently.thoughkolyaandlidadidnotunderstandwhathadhappened,theyhadafeelingthatitwassomethingterrible;theyputtheirhandsoneachother’slittleshoulders,staredstraightatoneanotherandbothatonceopenedtheirmouthsandbeganscreaming.theywerebothstillintheirfancydress;oneinaturban,theotherinthecapwiththeostrichfeather.

andhowdid“thecertificateofmerit”cometobeonthebedbesidekaterinaivanovna?itlaytherebythepillow;raskolnikovsawit.

hewalkedawaytothewindow.lebeziatnikovskippeduptohim.

“sheisdead,”hesaid.

“rodionromanovitch,imusthavetwowordswithyou,”saidsvidrigailov,cominguptothem.

lebeziatnikovatoncemaderoomforhimanddelicatelywithdrew.svidrigailovdrewraskolnikovfurtheraway.

“iwillundertakeallthearrangements,thefuneralandthat.youknowit’saquestionofmoneyand,asitoldyou,ihaveplentytospare.iwillputthosetwolittleonesandpolenkaintosomegoodorphanasylum,andiwillsettlefifteenhundredroublestobepaidtoeachoncomingofage,sothatsofyasemyonovnaneedhavenoanxietyaboutthem.andiwillpullheroutofthemudtoo,forsheisagoodgirl,isn’tshe?sotellavdotyaromanovnathatthatishowiamspendinghertenthousand.”

“whatisyourmotiveforsuchbenevolence?”askedraskolnikov.

“ah!youscepticalperson!”laughedsvidrigailov.“itoldyouihadnoneedofthatmoney.won’tyouadmitthatit’ssimplydonefromhumanity?shewasn’t‘alouse,’youknow”(hepointedtothecornerwherethedeadwomanlay),“wasshe,likesomeoldpawnbrokerwoman?come,you’llagree,isluzhintogoonliving,anddoingwickedthingsorisshetodie?andifididn’thelpthem,polenkawouldgothesameway.”

hesaidthiswithanairofasortofgaywinkingslyness,keepinghiseyesfixedonraskolnikov,whoturnedwhiteandcold,hearinghisownphrases,spokentosonia.hequicklysteppedbackandlookedwildlyatsvidrigailov.

“howdoyouknow?”hewhispered,hardlyabletobreathe.

“why,ilodgehereatmadameresslich’s,theothersideofthewall.hereiskapernaumov,andtherelivesmadameresslich,anoldanddevotedfriendofmine.iamaneighbour.”

“you?”

“yes,”continuedsvidrigailov,shakingwithlaughter.“iassureyouonmyhonour,dearrodionromanovitch,thatyouhaveinterestedmeenormously.itoldyouweshouldbecomefriends,iforetoldit.well,herewehave.andyouwillseewhatanaccommodatingpersoniam.you’llseethatyoucangetonwithme!”