第127章

第127章whennextmorningateleveno’clockpunctuallyraskolnikovwentintothedepartmentoftheinvestigationofcriminalcausesandsenthisnameintoporfirypetrovitch,hewassurprisedatbeingkeptwaitingsolong:itwasatleasttenminutesbeforehewassummoned.hehadexpectedthattheywouldpounceuponhim.buthestoodinthewaiting-room,andpeople,whoapparentlyhadnothingtodowithhim,werecontinuallypassingtoandfrobeforehim.inthenextroomwhichlookedlikeanoffice,severalclerksweresittingwritingandobviouslytheyhadnonotionwhoorwhatraskolnikovmightbe.helookeduneasilyandsuspiciouslyabouthimtoseewhethertherewasnotsomeguard,somemysteriouswatchbeingkeptonhimtopreventhisescape.buttherewasnothingofthesort:hesawonlythefacesofclerksabsorbedinpettydetails,thenotherpeople,nooneseemedtohaveanyconcernwithhim.hemightgowherehelikedforthem.theconvictiongrewstrongerinhimthatifthatenigmaticmanofyesterday,thatphantomsprungoutoftheearth,hadseeneverything,theywouldnothavelethimstandandwaitlikethat.andwouldtheyhavewaitedtillheelectedtoappearateleven?eitherthemanhadnotyetgiveninformation,or…orsimplyheknewnothing,hadseennothing(andhowcouldhehaveseenanything?)andsoallthathadhappenedtohimthedaybeforewasagainaphantomeratedbyhissickandoverstrainedimagination.thisconjecturehadbeguntogrowstrongthedaybefore,inthemidstofallhisalarmanddespair.thinkingitallovernowandpreparingforafreshconflict,hewassuddenlyawarethathewastrembling—andhefeltarushofindignationatthethoughtthathewastremblingwithfearatfacingthathatefulporfirypetrovitch.whathedreadedaboveallwasmeetingthatmanagain;hehatedhimwithanintense,unmitigatedhatredandwasafraidhishatredmightbetrayhim.hisindignationwassuchthatheceasedtremblingatonce;hemadereadytogoinwithacoldandarrogantbearingandvowedtohimselftokeepassilentaspossible,towatchandlistenandforonceatleasttocontrolhisoverstrainednerves.atthatmomenthewassummonedtoporfirypetrovitch.

hefoundporfirypetrovitchaloneinhisstudy.hisstudywasaroomneitherlargenorsmall,furnishedwithalargewriting-table,thatstoodbeforeasofa,upholsteredincheckedmaterial,abureau,abookcaseinthecornerandseveralchairs—allgovernmentfurniture,ofpolishedyellowwood.inthefurtherwalltherewasacloseddoor,beyondittherewerenodoubtotherrooms.onraskolnikov’sentranceporfirypetrovitchhadatonceclosedthedoorbywhichhehadcomeinandtheyremainedalone.hemethisvisitorwithanapparentlygenialandgood-temperedair,anditwasonlyafterafewminutesthatraskolnikovsawsignsofacertainawkwardnessinhim,asthoughhehadbeenthrownoutofhisreckoningorcaughtinsomethingverysecret.

“ah,mydearfellow!hereyouare…inourdomain”…beganporfiry,holdingoutbothhandstohim.“come,sitdown,oldman…orperhapsyoudon’tliketobecalled‘mydearfellow’and‘oldman!’—toutcourt?pleasedon’tthinkittoofamiliar.…here,onthesofa.”

raskolnikovsatdown,keepinghiseyesfixedonhim.“inourdomain,”theapologiesforfamiliarity,thefrenchphrasetoutcourt,wereallcharacteristicsigns.

“heheldoutbothhandstome,buthedidnotgivemeone—hedrewitbackintime,”struckhimsuspiciously.bothwerewatchingeachother,butwhentheireyesmet,quickaslightningtheylookedaway.

“ibroughtyouthispaper…aboutthewatch.hereitis.isitallrightorshallicopyitagain?”

“what?apaper?yes,yes,don’tbeuneasy,it’sallright,”porfirypetrovitchsaidasthoughinhaste,andafterhehadsaidithetookthepaperandlookedatit.“yes,it’sallright.nothingmoreisneeded,”hedeclaredwiththesamerapidityandhelaidthepaperonthetable.

aminutelaterwhenhewastalkingofsomethingelsehetookitfromthetableandputitonhisbureau.

“ibelieveyousaidyesterdayyouwouldliketoquestionme…formally…aboutmyacquaintancewiththemurderedwoman?”raskolnikovwasbeginningagain.“whydidiputin‘ibelieve’”passedthroughhismindinaflash.“whyamisouneasyathavingputinthat‘ibelieve’?”cameinasecondflash.andhesuddenlyfeltthathisuneasinessatthemerecontactwithporfiry,atthefirstwords,atthefirstlooks,hadgrowninaninstanttomonstrousproportions,andthatthiswasfearfullydangerous.hisnerveswerequivering,hisemotionwasincreasing.“it’sbad,it’sbad!ishallsaytoomuchagain.”

“yes,yes,yes!there’snohurry,there’snohurry,”mutteredporfirypetrovitch,movingtoandfroaboutthetablewithoutanyapparentaim,asitweremakingdashestowardsthewindow,thebureauandthetable,atonemomentavoidingraskolnikov’ssuspiciousglance,thenagainstandingstillandlookinghimstraightintheface.

hisfatroundlittlefigurelookedverystrange,likeaballrollingfromonesidetotheotherandreboundingback.

“we’veplentyoftime.doyousmoke?haveyouyourown?here,acigarette!”hewenton,offeringhisvisitoracigarette.“youknowiamreceivingyouhere,butmyownquartersarethroughthere,youknow,mygovernmentquarters.butiamlivingoutsideforthetime,ihadtohavesomerepairsdonehere.it’salmostfinishednow.…governmentquarters,youknow,areacapitalthing.eh,whatdoyouthink?”

“yes,acapitalthing,”answeredraskolnikov,lookingathimalmostironically.

“acapitalthing,acapitalthing,”repeatedporfirypetrovitch,asthoughhehadjustthoughtofsomethingquitedifferent.“yes,acapitalthing,”healmostshoutedatlast,suddenlystaringatraskolnikovandstoppingshorttwostepsfromhim.

thisstupidrepetitionwastooincongruousinitsineptitudewiththeserious,broodingandenigmaticglanceheturneduponhisvisitor.