第148章

第148章regaininghergood-humour,katerinaivanovnabeganatoncetellingraskolnikovthatwhenshehadobtainedherpension,sheintendedtoopenaschoolforthedaughtersofgentlemeninhernativetownt——.thiswasthefirsttimeshehadspokentohimoftheproject,andshelaunchedoutintothemostalluringdetails.itsuddenlyappearedthatkaterinaivanovnahadinherhandstheverycertificateofhonourofwhichmarmeladovhadspokentoraskolnikovinthetavern,whenhetoldhimthatkaterinaivanovna,hiswife,haddancedtheshawldancebeforethegovernorandothergreatpersonagesonleavingschool.thiscertificateofhonourwasobviouslyintendednowtoprovekaterinaivanovna’srighttoopenaboarding-school;butshehadarmedherselfwithitchieflywiththeobjectofoverwhelming“thosetwostuck-upletails”iftheycametothedinner,andprovingincontestablythatkaterinaivanovnawasofthemostnoble,“shemightevensayaristocraticfamily,acolonel’sdaughterandwasfarsuperiortocertainadventuresseswhohavebeensomuchtotheforeoflate.”thecertificateofhonourimmediatelypassedintothehandsofthedrunkenguests,andkaterinaivanovnadidnottrytoretainit,foritactuallycontainedthestatemententouteslettres,thatherfatherwasoftherankofamajor,andalsoacompanionofanorder,sothatshereallywasalmostthedaughterofacolonel.

warmingup,katerinaivanovnaproceededtoenlargeonthepeacefulandhappylifetheywouldleadint——,onthegymnasiumteacherswhomshewouldengagetogivelessonsinherboarding-school,oneamostrespectableoldfrenchman,onemangot,whohadtaughtkaterinaivanovnaherselfinolddaysandwasstilllivingint——,andwouldnodoubtteachinherschoolonmoderateterms.nextshespokeofsoniawhowouldgowithhertot——andhelpherinallherplans.atthissomeoneatthefurtherendofthetablegaveasuddenguffaw.

thoughkaterinaivanovnatriedtoappeartobedisdainfullyunawareofit,sheraisedhervoiceandbeganatoncespeakingwithconvictionofsonia’sundoubtedabilitytoassisther,of“hergentleness,patience,devotion,generosityandgoodeducation,”tappingsoniaonthecheekandkissingherwarmlytwice.soniaflushedcrimson,andkaterinaivanovnasuddenlyburstintotears,immediatelyobservingthatshewas“nervousandsilly,thatshewastoomuchupset,thatitwastimetofinish,andasthedinnerwasover,itwastimetohandroundthetea.”

atthatmoment,amaliaivanovna,deeplyaggrievedattakingnopartintheconversation,andnotbeinglistenedto,madeonelasteffort,andwithsecretmisgivingsventuredonanexceedinglydeepandweightyobservation,that“inthefutureboarding-schoolshewouldhavetopayparticularattentiontodiewasche,andthattherecertainlymustbeagooddametolookafterthelinen,andsecondlythattheyoungladiesmustnotnovelsatnightread.”

katerinaivanovna,whocertainlywasupsetandverytired,aswellasheartilysickofthedinner,atoncecutshortamaliaivanovna,saying“sheknewnothingaboutitandwastalkingnonsense,thatitwasthebusinessofthelaundrymaid,andnotofthedirectressofahigh-classboarding-schooltolookafterdiewasche,andasfornovel-reading,thatwassimplyrudeness,andsheedhertobesilent.”amaliaivanovnafiredupandgettingangryobservedthatsheonly“meanthergood,”andthat“shehadmeantherverygood,”andthat“itwaslongsinceshehadpaidhergoldforthelodgings.”

katerinaivanovnaatonce“setherdown,”sayingthatitwasalietosayshewishedhergood,becauseonlyyesterdaywhenherdeadhusbandwaslyingonthetable,shehadworriedheraboutthelodgings.tothisamaliaivanovnaveryappropriatelyobservedthatshehadinvitedthoseladies,but“thoseladieshadnotcome,becausethoseladiesareladiesandcannotcometoaladywhoisnotalady.”katerinaivanovnaatoncepointedouttoher,thatasshewasaslutshecouldnotjudgewhatmadeonereallyalady.amaliaivanovnaatoncedeclaredthather“vaterausberlinwasavery,veryimportantman,andbothhandsinpocketswent,andalwaysusedtosay:‘poof!poof!’”andsheleaptupfromthetabletorepresentherfather,stickingherhandsinherpockets,puffinghercheeks,andutteringvaguesoundsresembling“poof!poof!”amidloudlaughterfromallthelodgers,whopurposelyencouragedamaliaivanovna,hopingforafight.

butthiswastoomuchforkaterinaivanovna,andsheatoncedeclared,sothatallcouldhear,thatamaliaivanovnaprobablyneverhadafather,butwassimplyadrunkenpetersburgfinn,andhadcertainlyoncebeenacookandprobablysomethingworse.amaliaivanovnaturnedasredasalobsterandsquealedthatperhapskaterinaivanovnaneverhadafather,“butshehadavaterausberlinandthatheworealongcoatandalwayssaidpoof-poof-poof!”

katerinaivanovnaobservedcontemptuouslythatallknewwhatherfamilywasandthatonthatverycertificateofhonouritwasstatedinprintthatherfatherwasacolonel,whileamaliaivanovna’sfather—ifshereallyhadone—wasprobablysomefinnishmilkman,butthatprobablysheneverhadafatheratall,sinceitwasstilluncertainwhetherhernamewasamaliaivanovnaoramalialudwigovna.

atthisamaliaivanovna,lashedtofury,struckthetablewithherfist,andshriekedthatshewasamaliaivanovna,andnotludwigovna,“thathervaterwasnamedjohannandthathewasaburgomeister,andthatkaterinaivanovna’svaterwasquiteneveraburgomeister.”katerinaivanovnarosefromherchair,andwithasternandapparentlycalmvoice(thoughshewaspaleandherchestwasheaving)observedthat“ifshedaredforonemomenttosethercontemptiblewretchofafatheronalevelwithherpapa,she,katerinaivanovna,wouldtearhercapoffherheadandtrampleitunderfoot.”amaliaivanovnaranabouttheroom,shoutingatthetopofhervoice,thatshewasmistressofthehouseandthatkaterinaivanovnashouldleavethelodgingsthatminute;thensherushedforsomereasontocollectthesilverspoonsfromthetable.therewasagreatoutcryanduproar,thechildrenbegancrying.soniarantorestrainkaterinaivanovna,butwhenamaliaivanovnashoutedsomethingabout“theyellowticket,”katerinaivanovnapushedsoniaaway,andrushedatthelandladytocarryoutherthreat.

atthatminutethedooropened,andpyotrpetrovitchluzhinappearedonthethreshold.hestoodscanningthepartywithsevereandvigilanteyes.katerinaivanovnarushedtohim.