第141章

第141章pyotrpetrovitchlaughedheartily.hehadfinishedcountingthemoneyandwasputtingitaway.butsomeofthenotesheleftonthetable.the“cesspoolquestion”hadalreadybeenasubjectofdisputebetweenthem.whatwasabsurdwasthatitmadelebeziatnikovreallyangry,whileitamusedluzhinandatthatmomentheparticularlywantedtoangerhisyoungfriend.

“it’syourill-luckyesterdaythatmakesyousoill-humouredandannoying,”blurtedoutlebeziatnikov,whoinspiteofhis“independence”andhis“protests”didnotventuretoopposepyotrpetrovitchandstillbehavedtohimwithsomeoftherespecthabitualinearlieryears.

“you’dbettertellmethis,”pyotrpetrovitchinterruptedwithhaughtydispleasure,“canyou…orratherareyoureallyfriendlyenoughwiththatyoungpersontoaskhertostepinhereforaminute?ithinkthey’veallcomebackfromthecemetery…iheardthesoundofsteps…iwanttoseeher,thatyoungperson.”

“whatfor?”lebeziatnikovaskedwithsurprise.

“oh,iwantto.iamleavinghereto-dayorto-morrowandthereforeiwantedtospeaktoherabout…however,youmaybepresentduringtheinterview.it’sbetteryoushouldbe,indeed.forthere’snoknowingwhatyoumightimagine.”

“ishan’timagineanything.ionlyaskedand,ifyou’veanythingtosaytoher,nothingiseasierthantocallherin.i’llgodirectlyandyoumaybesureiwon’tbeinyourway.”

fiveminuteslaterlebeziatnikovcameinwithsonia.shecameinverymuchsurprisedandovercomewithshynessasusual.shewasalwaysshyinsuchcircumstancesandwasalwaysafraidofnewpeople,shehadbeenasachildandwasevenmoresonow.…pyotrpetrovitchmether“politelyandaffably,”butwithacertainshadeofbanteringfamiliaritywhichinhisopinionwassuitableforamanofhisrespectabilityandweightindealingwithacreaturesoyoungandsointerestingasshe.hehastenedto“reassure”herandmadehersitdownfacinghimatthetable.soniasatdown,lookedabouther—atlebeziatnikov,atthenoteslyingonthetableandthenagainatpyotrpetrovitchandhereyesremainedrivetedonhim.lebeziatnikovwasmovingtothedoor.pyotrpetrovitchsignedtosoniatoremainseatedandstoppedlebeziatnikov.

“israskolnikovinthere?hashecome?”heaskedhiminawhisper.

“raskolnikov?yes.why?yes,heisthere.isawhimjustcomein.…why?”

“well,iparticularlybegyoutoremainherewithusandnottoleavemealonewiththis…youngwoman.ionlywantafewwordswithher,butgodknowswhattheymaymakeofit.ishouldn’tlikeraskolnikovtorepeatanything.…youunderstandwhatimean?”

“iunderstand!”lebeziatnikovsawthepoint.“yes,youareright.…ofcourse,iamconvincedpersonallythatyouhavenoreasontobeuneasy,but…still,youareright.certainlyi’llstay.i’llstandhereatthewindowandnotbeinyourway…ithinkyouareright…”

pyotrpetrovitchreturnedtothesofa,satdownoppositesonia,lookedattentivelyatherandassumedanextremelydignified,evensevereexpression,asmuchastosay,“don’tyoumakeanymistake,madam.”soniawasoverwhelmedwithembarrassment.

“inthefirstplace,sofyasemyonovna,willyoumakemyexcusestoyourrespectedmamma.…that’sright,isn’tit?katerinaivanovnastandsintheplaceofamothertoyou?”pyotrpetrovitchbeganwithgreatdignity,thoughaffably.

itwasevidentthathisintentionswerefriendly.

“quiteso,yes;theplaceofamother,”soniaanswered,timidlyandhurriedly.

“thenwillyoumakemyapologiestoher?throughinevitablecircumstancesiamforcedtobeabsentandshallnotbeatthedinnerinspiteofyourmamma’skindinvitation.”

“yes…i’lltellher…atonce.”

andsoniahastilyjumpedupfromherseat.

“wait,that’snotall,”pyotrpetrovitchdetainedher,smilingathersimplicityandignoranceofgoodmanners,“andyouknowmelittle,mydearsofyasemyonovna,ifyousupposeiwouldhaveventuredtotroubleapersonlikeyouforamatterofsolittleconsequenceaffectingmyselfonly.ihaveanotherobject.”

soniasatdownhurriedly.hereyesrestedagainforaninstantonthegrey-and-rainbow-colourednotesthatremainedonthetable,butshequicklylookedawayandfixedhereyesonpyotrpetrovitch.shefeltithorriblyindecorous,especiallyforher,tolookatanotherperson’smoney.shestaredatthegoldeye-glasswhichpyotrpetrovitchheldinhislefthandandatthemassiveandextremelyhandsomeringwithayellowstoneonhismiddlefinger.butsuddenlyshelookedawayand,notknowingwheretoturn,endedbystaringpyotrpetrovitchagainstraightintheface.afterapauseofstillgreaterdignityhecontinued.

“ichancedyesterdayinpassingtoexchangeacoupleofwordswithkaterinaivanovna,poorwoman.thatwassufficienttoenablemetoascertainthatsheisinaposition—preternatural,ifonemaysoexpressit.”

“yes…preternatural…”soniahurriedlyassented.

“oritwouldbesimplerandmorecomprehensibletosay,ill.”

“yes,simplerandmorecomprehen…yes,ill.”

“quiteso.sothenfromafeelingofhumanityandsotospeakcompassion,ishouldbegladtobeofservicetoherinanyway,foreseeingherunfortunateposition.ibelievethewholeofthispoverty-strickenfamilydependsnowentirelyonyou?”

“allowmetoask,”soniarosetoherfeet,“didyousaysomethingtoheryesterdayofthepossibilityofapension?becauseshetoldmeyouhadundertakentogetherone.wasthattrue?”

“notintheslightest,andindeedit’sanabsurdity!imerelyhintedatherobtainingtemporaryassistanceasthewidowofanofficialwhohaddiedintheservice—ifonlyshehaspatronage…butapparentlyyourlateparenthadnotservedhisfulltermandhadnotindeedbeenintheserviceatalloflate.infact,iftherecouldbeanyhope,itwouldbeveryephemeral,becausetherewouldbenoclaimforassistanceinthatcase,farfromit.…andsheisdreamingofapensionalready,he-he-he!…ago-aheadlady!”