第146章

第146章“it’sallthatcuckoo’sfault!youknowwhomimean?her,her!”katerinaivanovnanoddedtowardsthelandlady.“lookather,she’smakingroundeyes,shefeelsthatwearetalkingaboutherandcan’tunderstand.pfoo,theowl!ha-ha!(cough-cough-cough.)andwhatdoessheputonthatcapfor?(cough-cough-cough.)haveyounoticedthatshewantseveryonetoconsiderthatsheispatronisingmeanddoingmeanhonourbybeinghere?iaskedherlikeasensiblewomantoinvitepeople,especiallythosewhoknewmylatehusband,andlookatthesetoffoolsshehasbrought!thesweeps!lookatthatonewiththespottyface.andthosewretchedpoles,ha-ha-ha!(cough-cough-cough.)notoneofthemhaseverpokedhisnoseinhere,i’veneverseteyesonthem.whathavetheycomeherefor,iaskyou?theretheysitinarow.hey,pan!”shecriedsuddenlytooneofthem,“haveyoutastedthepancakes?takesomemore!havesomebeer!won’tyouhavesomevodka?look,he’sjumpedupandismakinghisbows,theymustbequitestarved,poorthings.nevermind,letthemeat!theydon’tmakeanoise,anyway,thoughi’mreallyafraidforourlandlady’ssilverspoons…amaliaivanovna!”sheaddressedhersuddenly,almostaloud,“ifyourspoonsshouldhappentobestolen,iwon’tberesponsible,iwarnyou!ha-ha-ha!”shelaughedturningtoraskolnikov,andagainnoddingtowardsthelandlady,inhighgleeathersally.“shedidn’tunderstand,shedidn’tunderstandagain!lookhowshesitswithhermouthopen!anowl,arealowl!anowlinnewribbons,ha-ha-ha!”

hereherlaughturnedagaintoaninsufferablefitofcoughingthatlastedfiveminutes.dropsofperspirationstoodoutonherforeheadandherhandkerchiefwasstainedwithblood.sheshowedraskolnikovthebloodinsilence,andassoonasshecouldgetherbreathbeganwhisperingtohimagainwithextremeanimationandahecticflushonhercheeks.

“doyouknow,igaveherthemostdelicateinstructions,sotospeak,forinvitingthatladyandherdaughter,youunderstandofwhomiamspeaking?itneededtheutmostdelicacy,thegreatestnicety,butshehasmanagedthingssothatthatfool,thatconceitedage,thatprovincialnonentity,simplybecausesheisthewidowofamajor,andhascometotryandgetapensionandtofrayoutherskirtsinthegovernmentoffices,becauseatfiftyshepaintsherface(everybodyknowsit)…acreaturelikethatdidnotthinkfittocome,andhasnotevenansweredtheinvitation,whichthemostordinarygoodmannersrequired!ican’tunderstandwhypyotrpetrovitchhasnotcome?butwhere’ssonia?wherehasshegone?ah,theresheisatlast!whatisit,sonia,wherehaveyoubeen?it’soddthatevenatyourfather’sfuneralyoushouldbesounpunctual.rodionromanovitch,makeroomforherbesideyou.that’syourplace,sonia…takewhatyoulike.havesomeofthecoldentreewithjelly,that’sthebest.they’llbringthepancakesdirectly.havetheygiventhechildrensome?polenka,haveyougoteverything?(cough-cough-cough.)that’sallright.beagoodgirl,lida,and,kolya,don’tfidgetwithyourfeet;sitlikealittlegentleman.whatareyousaying,sonia?”

soniahastenedtogiveherpyotrpetrovitch’sapologies,tryingtospeakloudenoughforeveryonetohearandcarefullychoosingthemostrespectfulphraseswhichsheattributedtopyotrpetrovitch.sheaddedthatpyotrpetrovitchhadparticularlytoldhertosaythat,assoonashepossiblycould,hewouldcomeimmediatelytodiscussbusinessalonewithherandtoconsiderwhatcouldbedoneforher,etc.,etc.

soniaknewthatthiswouldcomfortkaterinaivanovna,wouldflatterherandgratifyherpride.shesatdownbesideraskolnikov;shemadehimahurriedbow,glancingcuriouslyathim.butfortherestofthetimesheseemedtoavoidlookingathimorspeakingtohim.sheseemedabsent-minded,thoughshekeptlookingatkaterinaivanovna,tryingtopleaseher.neithershenorkaterinaivanovnahadbeenabletogetmourning;soniawaswearingdarkbrown,andkaterinaivanovnahadonheronlydress,adarkstripedcottonone.

themessagefrompyotrpetrovitchwasveryessful.listeningtosoniawithdignity,katerinaivanovnainquiredwithequaldignityhowpyotrpetrovitchwas,thenatoncewhisperedalmostaloudtoraskolnikovthatitcertainlywouldhavebeenstrangeforamanofpyotrpetrovitch’spositionandstandingtofindhimselfinsuch“extraordinarycompany,”inspiteofhisdevotiontoherfamilyandhisoldfriendshipwithherfather.

“that’swhyiamsogratefultoyou,rodionromanovitch,thatyouhavenotdisdainedmyhospitality,eveninsuchsurroundings,”sheaddedalmostaloud.“butiamsurethatitwasonlyyourspecialaffectionformypoorhusbandthathasmadeyoukeepyourpromise.”

thenoncemorewithprideanddignityshescannedhervisitors,andsuddenlyinquiredaloudacrossthetableofthedeafman:“wouldn’thehavesomemoremeat,andhadhebeengivensomewine?”theoldmanmadenoanswerandforalongwhilecouldnotunderstandwhathewasasked,thoughhisneighboursamusedthemselvesbypokingandshakinghim.hesimplygazedabouthimwithhismouthopen,whichonlyincreasedthegeneralmirth.

“whatanimbecile!look,look!whywashebrought?butastopyotrpetrovitch,ialwayshadconfidenceinhim,”katerinaivanovnacontinued,“and,ofcourse,heisnotlike…”withanextremelysternfacesheaddressedamaliaivanovnasosharplyandloudlythatthelatterwasquitedisconcerted,“notlikeyourdressedupletailswhommyfatherwouldnothavetakenascooksintohiskitchen,andmylatehusbandwouldhavedonethemhonourifhehadinvitedtheminthegoodnessofhisheart.”

“yes,hewasfondofdrink,hewasfondofit,hediddrink!”criedthecommissariatclerk,gulpingdownhistwelfthglassofvodka.