第134章

第134章“whydeputies,mygoodman?whatthingspeoplewillimagine!andtodosowouldnotbeactinginformasyousay,youdon’tknowthebusiness,mydearfellow.…andthere’snoescapingform,asyousee,”porfirymuttered,listeningatthedoorthroughwhichanoisecouldbeheard.

“ah,they’recoming,”criedraskolnikov.“you’vesentforthem!youexpectedthem!well,producethemall:yourdeputies,yourwitnesses,whatyoulike!…iamready!”

butatthismomentastrangeincidentoccurred,somethingsounexpectedthatneitherraskolnikovnorporfirypetrovitchcouldhavelookedforsuchaconclusiontotheirinterview.

whenherememberedthesceneafterwards,thisishowraskolnikovsawit.

thenoisebehindthedoorincreased,andsuddenlythedoorwasopenedalittle.

“whatisit?”criedporfirypetrovitch,annoyed.“why,igaveorders…”

foraninstanttherewasnoanswer,butitwasevidentthattherewereseveralpersonsatthedoor,andthattheywereapparentlypushingsomebodyback.

“whatisit?”porfirypetrovitchrepeated,uneasily.

“theprisonernikolayhasbeenbrought,”someoneanswered.

“heisnotwanted!takehimaway!lethimwait!what’shedoinghere?howirregular!”criedporfiry,rushingtothedoor.

“buthe…”beganthesamevoice,andsuddenlyceased.

twoseconds,notmore,werespentinactualle,thensomeonegaveaviolentshove,andthenaman,verypale,strodeintotheroom.

thisman’sappearancewasatfirstsightverystrange.hestaredstraightbeforehim,asthoughseeingnothing.therewasadeterminedgleaminhiseyes;atthesametimetherewasadeathlypallorinhisface,asthoughhewerebeingledtothescaffold.hiswhitelipswerefaintlytwitching.

hewasdressedlikeaworkmanandwasofmediumheight,veryyoung,slim,hishaircutinroundcrop,withthinsparefeatures.themanwhomhehadthrustbackfollowedhimintotheroomandeededinseizinghimbytheshoulder;hewasawarder;butnikolaypulledhisarmaway.

severalpersonscrowdedinquisitivelyintothedoorway.someofthemtriedtogetin.allthistookplacealmostinstantaneously.

“goaway,it’stoosoon!waittillyouaresentfor!…whyhaveyoubroughthimsosoon?”porfirypetrovitchmuttered,extremelyannoyed,andasitwerethrownoutofhisreckoning.

butnikolaysuddenlykneltdown.

“what’sthematter?”criedporfiry,surprised.

“iamguilty!mineisthesin!iamthemurderer,”nikolayarticulatedsuddenly,ratherbreathless,butspeakingfairlyloudly.

fortensecondstherewassilenceasthoughallhadbeenstruckdumb;eventhewardersteppedback,mechanicallyretreatedtothedoor,andstoodimmovable.

“whatisit?”criedporfirypetrovitch,recoveringfromhismomentarystupefaction.

“i…amthemurderer,”repeatednikolay,afterabriefpause.

“what…you…what…whomdidyoukill?”porfirypetrovitchwasobviouslybewildered.

nikolayagainwassilentforamoment.

“alyonaivanovnaandhersisterlizavetaivanovna,i…killed…withanaxe.darknesscameoverme,”headdedsuddenly,andwasagainsilent.

hestillremainedonhisknees.porfirypetrovitchstoodforsomemomentsasthoughmeditating,butsuddenlyrousedhimselfandwavedbacktheuninvitedspectators.theyinstantlyvanishedandclosedthedoor.thenhelookedtowardsraskolnikov,whowasstandinginthecorner,staringwildlyatnikolayandmovedtowardshim,butstoppedshort,lookedfromnikolaytoraskolnikovandthenagainatnikolay,andseemingunabletorestrainhimselfdartedatthelatter.

“you’reintoogreatahurry,”heshoutedathim,almostangrily.“ididn’taskyouwhatcameoveryou.…speak,didyoukillthem?”

“iamthemurderer.…iwanttogiveevidence,”nikolaypronounced.

“ach!whatdidyoukillthemwith?”

“anaxe.ihaditready.”

“ach,heisinahurry!alone?”

nikolaydidnotunderstandthequestion.

“didyoudoitalone?”

“yes,alone.andmitkaisnotguiltyandhadnoshareinit.”

“don’tbeinahurryaboutmitka!a-ach!howwasityourandownstairslikethatatthetime?theportersmetyouboth!”

“itwastoputthemoffthescent…iranaftermitka,”nikolayrepliedhurriedly,asthoughhehadpreparedtheanswer.

“iknewit!”criedporfiry,withvexation.“it’snothisowntaleheistelling,”hemutteredasthoughtohimself,andsuddenlyhiseyesrestedonraskolnikovagain.

hewasapparentlysotakenupwithnikolaythatforamomenthehadforgottenraskolnikov.hewasalittletakenaback.

“mydearrodionromanovitch,excuseme!”heflewuptohim,“thiswon’tdo;i’mafraidyoumustgo…it’snogoodyourstaying…iwill…yousee,whatasurprise!…good-bye!”

andtakinghimbythearm,heshowedhimtothedoor.

“isupposeyoudidn’texpectit?”saidraskolnikovwho,thoughhehadnotyetfullygraspedthesituation,hadregainedhiscourage.

“youdidnotexpectiteither,myfriend.seehowyourhandistrembling!he-he!”

“you’retrembling,too,porfirypetrovitch!”

“yes,iam;ididn’texpectit.”

theywerealreadyatthedoor;porfirywasimpatientforraskolnikovtobegone.

“andyourlittlesurprise,aren’tyougoingtoshowittome?”raskolnikovsaid,sarcastically.

“why,histeetharechatteringasheasks,he-he!youareanironicalperson!come,tillwemeet!”

“ibelievewecansaygood-bye!”

“that’singod’shands,”mutteredporfiry,withanunnaturalsmile.

ashewalkedthroughtheoffice,raskolnikovnoticedthatmanypeoplewerelookingathim.amongthemhesawthetwoportersfromthehouse,whomhehadinvitedthatnighttothepolicestation.theystoodtherewaiting.buthewasnosooneronthestairsthanheheardthevoiceofporfirypetrovitchbehindhim.turninground,hesawthelatterrunningafterhim,outofbreath.