第138章

第138章andreysemyonovitchhadbeenathomeallthemorning.theattitudeofpyotrpetrovitchtothisgentlemanwasstrange,thoughperhapsnatural.pyotrpetrovitchhaddespisedandhatedhimfromthedayhecametostaywithhimandatthesametimeheseemedsomewhatafraidofhim.hehadnotcometostaywithhimonhisarrivalinpetersburgsimplyfromparsimony,thoughthathadbeenperhapshischiefobject.hehadheardofandreysemyonovitch,whohadoncebeenhisward,asaleadingyoungprogressivewhowastakinganimportantpartincertaininterestingcircles,thedoingsofwhichwerealegendintheprovinces.ithadimpressedpyotrpetrovitch.thesepowerfulomniscientcircleswhodespisedeveryoneandshowedeveryoneuphadlonginspiredinhimapeculiarbutquitevaguealarm.hehadnot,ofcourse,beenabletoformevenanapproximatenotionofwhattheymeant.he,likeeveryone,hadheardthattherewere,especiallyinpetersburg,progressivesofsomesort,nihilistsandsoon,and,likemanypeople,heeratedanddistortedthesignificanceofthosewordstoanabsurddegree.whatformanyyearspasthehadfearedmorethananythingwasbeingshownupandthiswasthechiefgroundforhiscontinualuneasinessatthethoughtoftransferringhisbusinesstopetersburg.hewasafraidofthisaslittlechildrenaresometimespanic-stricken.someyearsbefore,whenhewasjustenteringonhisowncareer,hehadcomeupontwocasesinwhichratherimportantpersonagesintheprovince,patronsofhis,hadbeencruellyshownup.oneinstancehadendedingreatscandalforthepersonattackedandtheotherhadverynearlyendedinserioustrouble.forthisreasonpyotrpetrovitchintendedtogointothesubjectassoonashereachedpetersburgand,ifnecessary,toanticipatecontingenciesbyseekingthefavourof“ouryoungergeneration.”hereliedonandreysemyonovitchforthisandbeforehisvisittoraskolnikovhehadeededinpickingupsomecurrentphrases.hesoondiscoveredthatandreysemyonovitchwasacommonplacesimpleton,butthatbynomeansreassuredpyotrpetrovitch.evenifhehadbeencertainthatalltheprogressiveswerefoolslikehim,itwouldnothaveallayedhisuneasiness.allthedoctrines,theideas,thesystems,withwhichandreysemyonovitchpesteredhimhadnointerestforhim.hehadhisownobject—hesimplywantedtofindoutatoncewhatwashappeninghere.hadthesepeopleanypowerornot?hadheanythingtofearfromthem?wouldtheyexposeanyenterpriseofhis?andwhatpreciselywasnowtheobjectoftheirattacks?couldhesomehowmakeuptothemandgetroundthemiftheyreallywerepowerful?wasthisthethingtodoornot?couldn’thegainsomethingthroughthem?infacthundredsofquestionspresentedthemselves.

andreysemyonovitchwasananaemic,scrofulouslittleman,withstrangelyflaxenmutton-chopwhiskersofwhichhewasveryproud.hewasaclerkandhadalmostalwayssomethingwrongwithhiseyes.hewasrathersoft-hearted,butself-confidentandsometimesextremelyconceitedinspeech,whichhadanabsurdeffect,incongruouswithhislittlefigure.hewasoneofthelodgersmostrespectedbyamaliaivanovna,forhedidnotgetdrunkandpaidregularlyforhislodgings.andreysemyonovitchreallywasratherstupid;heattachedhimselftothecauseofprogressand“ouryoungergeneration”fromenthusiasm.hewasoneofthenumerousandvariedlegionofdullards,ofhalf-animateabortions,conceited,half-educatedcoxcombs,whoattachthemselvestotheideamostinfashiononlytovulgariseitandwhocaricatureeverycausetheyserve,howeversincerely.

thoughlebeziatnikovwassogood-natured,he,too,wasbeginningtodislikepyotrpetrovitch.thishappenedonbothsidesunconsciously.howeversimpleandreysemyonovitchmightbe,hebegantoseethatpyotrpetrovitchwasdupinghimandsecretlydespisinghim,andthat“hewasnottherightsortofman.”hehadtriedexpoundingtohimthesystemoffourierandthedarwiniantheory,butoflatepyotrpetrovitchbegantolistentoosarcasticallyandeventoberude.thefactwashehadbeguninstinctivelytoguessthatlebeziatnikovwasnotmerelyacommonplacesimpleton,but,perhaps,aliar,too,andthathehadnoconnectionsofanyconsequenceeveninhisowncircle,buthadsimplypickedthingsupthird-hand;andthatverylikelyhedidnotevenknowmuchabouthisownworkofpropaganda,forhewasintoogreatamuddle.afinepersonhewouldbetoshowanyoneup!itmustbenoted,bytheway,thatpyotrpetrovitchhadduringthosetendayseagerlyacceptedthestrangestpraisefromandreysemyonovitch;hehadnotprotested,forinstance,whenandreysemyonovitchbelaudedhimforbeingreadytocontributetotheestablishmentofthenew“commune,”ortoabstainfromchristeninghisfuturechildren,ortoacquiesceifdouniaweretotakealoveramonthaftermarriage,andsoon.pyotrpetrovitchsoenjoyedhearinghisownpraisesthathedidnotdisdainevensuchvirtueswhentheywereattributedtohim.

pyotrpetrovitchhadhadoccasionthatmorningtorealisesomefive-per-centbondsandnowhesatdowntothetableandcountedoverbundlesofnotes.andreysemyonovitchwhohardlyeverhadanymoneywalkedabouttheroompretendingtohimselftolookatallthosebanknoteswithindifferenceandevencontempt.nothingwouldhaveconvincedpyotrpetrovitchthatandreysemyonovitchcouldreallylookonthemoneyunmoved,andthelatter,onhisside,keptthinkingbitterlythatpyotrpetrovitchwascapableofentertainingsuchanideaabouthimandwas,perhaps,gladoftheopportunityofteasinghisyoungfriendbyremindinghimofhisinferiorityandthegreatdifferencebetweenthem.