第128章

第128章butthisstirredraskolnikov’sspleenmorethaneverandhecouldnotresistanironicalandratherincautiouschallenge.

“tellme,please,”heaskedsuddenly,lookingalmostinsolentlyathimandtakingakindofpleasureinhisowninsolence.“ibelieveit’sasortoflegalrule,asortoflegaltradition—forallinvestigatinglawyers—tobegintheirattackfromafar,withatrivial,oratleastanirrelevantsubject,soastoencourage,orrather,todivertthemantheyarecross-examining,todisarmhiscautionandthenallatoncetogivehimanunexpectedknock-downblowwithsomefatalquestion.isn’tthatso?it’sasacredtradition,mentioned,ifancy,inallthemanualsoftheart?”

“yes,yes.…why,doyouimaginethatwaswhyispokeaboutgovernmentquarters…eh?”

andashesaidthisporfirypetrovitchscreweduphiseyesandwinked;agood-humoured,craftylookpassedoverhisface.thewrinklesonhisforeheadweresmoothedout,hiseyescontracted,hisfeaturesbroadenedandhesuddenlywentoffintoanervousprolongedlaugh,shakingalloverandlookingraskolnikovstraightintheface.thelatterforcedhimselftolaugh,too,butwhenporfiry,seeingthathewaslaughing,brokeintosuchaguffawthatheturnedalmostcrimson,raskolnikov’srepulsionovercameallprecaution;heleftofflaughing,scowledandstaredwithhatredatporfiry,keepinghiseyesfixedonhimwhilehisintentionallyprolongedlaughterlasted.therewaslackofprecautiononbothsides,however,forporfirypetrovitchseemedtobelaughinginhisvisitor’sfaceandtobeverylittledisturbedattheannoyancewithwhichthevisitorreceivedit.thelatterfactwasverysignificantinraskolnikov’seyes:hesawthatporfirypetrovitchhadnotbeenembarrassedjustbeforeeither,butthathe,raskolnikov,hadperhapsfallenintoatrap;thattheremustbesomething,somemotivehereunknowntohim;that,perhaps,everythingwasinreadinessandinanothermomentwouldbreakuponhim…

hewentstraighttothepointatonce,rosefromhisseatandtookhiscap.

“porfirypetrovitch,”hebeganresolutely,thoughwithconsiderableirritation,“yesterdayyouexpressedadesirethatishouldcometoyouforsomeinquiries”(helaidspecialstressontheword“inquiries”).“ihavecomeandifyouhaveanythingtoaskme,askit,andifnot,allowmetowithdraw.ihavenotimetospare.…ihavetobeatthefuneralofthatmanwhowasrunover,ofwhomyou…knowalso,”headded,feelingangryatonceathavingmadethisadditionandmoreirritatedathisanger.“iamsickofitall,doyouhear?andhavelongbeen.it’spartlywhatmademeill.inshort,”heshouted,feelingthatthephraseabouthisillnesswasstillmoreoutofplace,“inshort,kindlyexaminemeorletmego,atonce.andifyoumustexamineme,dosointheproperform!iwillnotallowyoutodosootherwise,andsomeanwhile,good-bye,aswehaveevidentlynothingtokeepusnow.”

“goodheavens!whatdoyoumean?whatshalliquestionyouabout?”cackledporfirypetrovitchwithachangeoftone,instantlyleavingofflaughing.“pleasedon’tdisturbyourself,”hebeganfidgetingfromplacetoplaceandfussilymakingraskolnikovsitdown.“there’snohurry,there’snohurry,it’sallnonsense.oh,no,i’mverygladyou’vecometoseemeatlast…ilookuponyousimplyasavisitor.andasformyconfoundedlaughter,pleaseexcuseit,rodionromanovitch.rodionromanovitch?thatisyourname?…it’smynerves,youtickledmesowithyourwittyobservation;iassureyou,sometimesishakewithlaughterlikeanindia-rubberballforhalfanhouratatime.…i’moftenafraidofanattackofparalysis.dositdown.pleasedo,orishallthinkyouareangry…”

raskolnikovdidnotspeak;helistened,watchinghim,stillfrowningangrily.hedidsitdown,butstillheldhiscap.

“imusttellyouonethingaboutmyself,mydearrodionromanovitch,”porfirypetrovitchcontinued,movingabouttheroomandagainavoidinghisvisitor’seyes.“yousee,i’mabachelor,amanofnoconsequenceandnotusedtosociety;besides,ihavenothingbeforeme,i’mset,i’mrunningtoseedand…andhaveyounoticed,rodionromanovitch,thatinourpetersburgcircles,iftwoclevermenmeetwhoarenotintimate,butrespecteachother,likeyouandme,ittakesthemhalfanhourbeforetheycanfindasubjectforconversation—theyaredumb,theysitoppositeeachotherandfeelawkward.everyonehassubjectsofconversation,ladiesforinstance…peopleinhighsocietyalwayshavetheirsubjectsofconversation,c’estderigueur,butpeopleofthemiddlesortlikeus,thinkingpeoplethatis,arealwaystongue-tiedandawkward.whatisthereasonofit?whetheritisthelackofpublicinterest,orwhetheritiswearesohonestwedon’twanttodeceiveoneanother,idon’tknow.whatdoyouthink?doputdownyourcap,itlooksasifyouwerejustgoing,itmakesmeuncomfortable…iamsodelighted…”

raskolnikovputdownhiscapandcontinuedlisteninginsilencewithaseriousfrowningfacetothevagueandemptychatterofporfirypetrovitch.“doeshereallywanttodistractmyattentionwithhissillybabble?”