第145章

第145章katerinaivanovna,however,putoffexpressingherfeelingsforthetimeandcontentedherselfwithtreatinghercoldly,thoughshedecidedinwardlythatshewouldcertainlyhavetoputamaliaivanovnadownandsetherinherproperplace,forgoodnessonlyknewwhatshewasfancyingherself.katerinaivanovnawasirritatedtoobythefactthathardlyanyofthelodgersinvitedhadcometothefuneral,exceptthepolewhohadjustmanagedtorunintothecemetery,whiletothememorialdinnerthepoorestandmostinsignificantofthemhadturnedup,thewretchedcreatures,manyofthemnotquitesober.theolderandmorerespectableofthemall,asifbycommonconsent,stayedaway.pyotrpetrovitchluzhin,forinstance,whomightbesaidtobethemostrespectableofallthelodgers,didnotappear,thoughkaterinaivanovnahadtheeveningbeforetoldalltheworld,thatisamaliaivanovna,polenka,soniaandthepole,thathewasthemostgenerous,noble-heartedmanwithalargepropertyandvastconnections,whohadbeenafriendofherfirsthusband’s,andaguestinherfather’shouse,andthathehadpromisedtouseallhisinfluencetosecureheraconsiderablepension.itmustbenotedthatwhenkaterinaivanovnaexaltedanyone’sconnectionsandfortune,itwaswithoutanyulteriormotive,quitedisinterestedly,forthemerepleasureofaddingtotheconsequenceofthepersonpraised.probably“takinghiscue”fromluzhin,“thatcontemptiblewretchlebeziatnikovhadnotturnedupeither.whatdidhefancyhimself?hewasonlyaskedoutofkindnessandbecausehewassharingthesameroomwithpyotrpetrovitchandwasafriendofhis,sothatitwouldhavebeenawkwardnottoinvitehim.”

amongthosewhofailedtoappearwere“thegenteelladyandherold-maidishdaughter,”whohadonlybeenlodgersinthehouseforthelastfortnight,buthadseveraltimescomplainedofthenoiseanduproarinkaterinaivanovna’sroom,especiallywhenmarmeladovhadcomebackdrunk.katerinaivanovnaheardthisfromamaliaivanovnawho,quarrellingwithkaterinaivanovna,andthreateningtoturnthewholefamilyoutofdoors,hadshoutedatherthatthey“werenotworththefoot”ofthehonourablelodgerswhomtheyweredisturbing.katerinaivanovnadeterminednowtoinvitethisladyandherdaughter,“whosefootshewasnotworth,”andwhohadturnedawayhaughtilywhenshecasuallymetthem,sothattheymightknowthat“shewasmorenobleinherthoughtsandfeelingsanddidnotharbourmalice,”andmightseethatshewasnotaccustomedtoherwayofliving.shehadproposedtomakethiscleartothematdinnerwithallusionstoherlatefather’sgovernorship,andalsoatthesametimetohintthatitwasexceedinglystupidofthemtoturnawayonmeetingher.thefatcolonel-major(hewasreallyadischargedofficeroflowrank)wasalsoabsent,butitappearedthathehadbeen“nothimself”forthelasttwodays.thepartyconsistedofthepole,awretchedlookingclerkwithaspottyfaceandagreasycoat,whohadnotawordtosayforhimself,andsmeltabominably,adeafandalmostblindoldmanwhohadoncebeeninthepostofficeandwhohadbeenfromimmemorialagesmaintainedbysomeoneatamaliaivanovna’s.

aretiredclerkofthecommissariatdepartmentcame,too;hewasdrunk,hadaloudandmostunseemlylaughandonlyfancy—waswithoutawaistcoat!oneofthevisitorssatstraightdowntothetablewithoutevengreetingkaterinaivanovna.finallyonepersonhavingnosuitappearedinhisdressing-gown,butthiswastoomuch,andtheeffortsofamaliaivanovnaandthepoleeededinremovinghim.thepolebroughtwithhim,however,twootherpoleswhodidnotliveatamaliaivanovna’sandwhomnoonehadseenherebefore.allthisirritatedkaterinaivanovnaintensely.“forwhomhadtheymadeallthesepreparationsthen?”tomakeroomforthevisitorsthechildrenhadnotevenbeenlaidforatthetable;butthetwolittleonesweresittingonabenchinthefurthestcornerwiththeirdinnerlaidonabox,whilepolenkaasabiggirlhadtolookafterthem,feedthem,andkeeptheirnoseswipedlikewell-bredchildren’s.

katerinaivanovna,infact,couldhardlyhelpmeetingherguestswithincreaseddignity,andevenhaughtiness.shestaredatsomeofthemwithspecialseverity,andloftilyinvitedthemtotaketheirseats.rushingtotheconclusionthatamaliaivanovnamustberesponsibleforthosewhowereabsent,shebegantreatingherwithextremenonchalance,whichthelatterpromptlyobservedandresented.suchabeginningwasnogoodomenfortheend.allwereseatedatlast.

raskolnikovcameinalmostatthemomentoftheirreturnfromthecemetery.katerinaivanovnawasgreatlydelightedtoseehim,inthefirstplace,becausehewastheone“educatedvisitor,and,aseveryoneknew,wasintwoyearstotakeaprofessorshipintheuniversity,”andsecondlybecauseheimmediatelyandrespectfullyapologisedforhavingbeenunabletobeatthefuneral.shepositivelypounceduponhim,andmadehimsitonherlefthand(amaliaivanovnawasonherright).inspiteofhercontinualanxietythatthedishesshouldbepassedroundcorrectlyandthateveryoneshouldtastethem,inspiteoftheagonisingcoughwhichinterruptedhereveryminuteandseemedtohavegrownworseduringthelastfewdays,shehastenedtopouroutinahalfwhispertoraskolnikovallhersuppressedfeelingsandherjustindignationatthefailureofthedinner,interspersingherremarkswithlivelyanduncontrollablelaughterattheexpenseofhervisitorsandespeciallyofherlandlady.