第151章

第151章“what!mad?amimad?idiot!”shriekedkaterinaivanovna.“youareanidiotyourself,inglawyer,baseman!sonia,soniatakehismoney!soniaathief!why,she’dgiveawayherlastpenny!”andkaterinaivanovnabrokeintohystericallaughter.“didyoueverseesuchanidiot?”sheturnedfromsidetoside.“andyoutoo?”shesuddenlysawthelandlady,“andyoutoo,sausageeater,youdeclarethatsheisathief,youtrashyprussianhen’sleginacrinoline!shehasn’tbeenoutofthisroom:shecamestraightfromyou,youwretch,andsatdownbesideme,everyonesawher.shesathere,byrodionromanovitch.searchher!sinceshe’snotlefttheroom,themoneywouldhavetobeonher!searchher,searchher!butifyoudon’tfindit,thenexcuseme,mydearfellow,you’llanswerforit!i’llgotooursovereign,tooursovereign,toourgracioustsarhimself,andthrowmyselfathisfeet,to-day,thisminute!iamaloneintheworld!theywouldletmein!doyouthinktheywouldn’t?you’rewrong,iwillgetin!iwillgetin!youreckonedonhermeekness!yourelieduponthat!butiamnotsosubmissive,letmetellyou!you’vegonetoofaryourself.searchher,searchher!”

andkaterinaivanovnainafrenzyshookluzhinandedhimtowardssonia.

“iamready,i’llberesponsible…butcalmyourself,madam,calmyourself.iseethatyouarenotsosubmissive!…well,well,butastothat…”luzhinmuttered,“thatoughttobebeforethepolice…thoughindeedtherearewitnessesenoughasitis.…iamready.…butinanycaseit’sdifficultforaman…onaccountofhersex.…butwiththehelpofamaliaivanovna…though,ofcourse,it’snotthewaytodothings.…howisittobedone?”

“asyouwill!letanyonewholikessearchher!”criedkaterinaivanovna.“sonia,turnoutyourpockets!see!look,monster,thepocketisempty,herewasherhandkerchief!hereistheotherpocket,look!d’yousee,d’yousee?”

andkaterinaivanovnaturned—orrathersnatched—bothpocketsinsideout.butfromtherightpocketapieceofpaperflewoutanddescribingaparabolaintheairfellatluzhin’sfeet.everyonesawit,severalcriedout.pyotrpetrovitchstoopeddown,pickedupthepaperintwofingers,lifteditwhereallcouldseeitandopenedit.itwasahundred-roublenotefoldedineight.pyotrpetrovitchheldupthenoteshowingittoeveryone.

“thief!outofmylodging.police,police!”yelledamaliaivanovna.“theymusttosiberiabesent!away!”

exclamationsaroseonallsides.raskolnikovwassilent,keepinghiseyesfixedonsonia,exceptforanoccasionalrapidglanceatluzhin.soniastoodstill,asthoughunconscious.shewashardlyabletofeelsurprise.suddenlythecolourrushedtohercheeks;sheutteredacryandhidherfaceinherhands.

“no,itwasn’ti!ididn’ttakeit!iknownothingaboutit,”shecriedwithaheartrendingwail,andsherantokaterinaivanovna,whoclaspedhertightlyinherarms,asthoughshewouldshelterherfromalltheworld.

“sonia!sonia!idon’tbelieveit!yousee,idon’tbelieveit!”shecriedinthefaceoftheobviousfact,swayinghertoandfroinherarmslikeababy,kissingherfacecontinually,thensnatchingatherhandsandkissingthem,too,“youtookit!howstupidthesepeopleare!ohdear!youarefools,fools,”shecried,addressingthewholeroom,“youdon’tknow,youdon’tknowwhataheartshehas,whatagirlsheis!shetakeit,she?she’dsellherlastrag,she’dgobarefoottohelpyouifyouneededit,that’swhatsheis!shehastheyellowpassportbecausemychildrenwerestarving,shesoldherselfforus!ah,husband,husband!doyousee?doyousee?whatamemorialdinnerforyou!mercifulheavens!defendher,whyareyouallstandingstill?rodionromanovitch,whydon’tyoustandupforher?doyoubelieveit,too?youarenotworthherlittlefinger,allofyoutogether!goodgod!defendhernow,atleast!”

thewailofthepoor,consumptive,helplesswomanseemedtoproduceagreateffectonheraudience.theagonised,wasted,consumptiveface,theparchedblood-stainedlips,thehoarsevoice,thetearsunrestrainedasachild’s,thetrustful,childishandyetdespairingprayerforhelpweresopiteousthateveryoneseemedtofeelforher.pyotrpetrovitchatanyratewasatoncemovedtocompassion.

“madam,madam,thisincidentdoesnotreflectuponyou!”hecriedimpressively,“noonewouldtakeuponhimselftoaccuseyouofbeinganinstigatororevenanaccompliceinit,especiallyasyouhaveprovedherguiltbyturningoutherpockets,showingthatyouhadnopreviousideaofit.iammostready,mostreadytoshowcompassion,ifpoverty,sotospeak,drovesofyasemyonovnatoit,butwhydidyourefusetoconfess,mademoiselle?wereyouafraidofthedisgrace?thefirststep?youlostyourhead,perhaps?onecanquiteunderstandit.…buthowcouldyouhaveloweredyourselftosuchanaction?gentlemen,”headdressedthewholecompany,“gentlemen!compassionateand,sotosay,commiseratingthesepeople,iamreadytooverlookitevennowinspiteofthepersonalinsultlavisheduponme!andmaythisdisgracebealessontoyouforthefuture,”hesaid,addressingsonia,“andiwillcarrythematternofurther.enough!”

pyotrpetrovitchstoleaglanceatraskolnikov.theireyesmet,andthefireinraskolnikov’sseemedreadytoreducehimtoashes.meanwhilekaterinaivanovnaapparentlyheardnothing.shewaskissingandingsonialikeamadwoman.thechildren,too,wereembracingsoniaonallsides,andpolenka—thoughshedidnotfullyunderstandwhatwaswrong—wasdrownedintearsandshakingwithsobs,asshehidherprettylittleface,swollenwithweeping,onsonia’sshoulder.

“howvile!”aloudvoicecriedsuddenlyinthedoorway.

pyotrpetrovitchlookedroundquickly.

“whatvileness!”lebeziatnikovrepeated,staringhimstraightintheface.

pyotrpetrovitchgaveapositivestart—allnoticeditandrecalleditafterwards.lebeziatnikovstrodeintotheroom.