第119章

第119章thenraskolnikovrepeated(ratherdryly)hisconversationwithsvidrigailov,omittinghisaccountoftheghostlyvisitationsofmarfapetrovna,wishingtoavoidallunnecessarytalk.

“whatanswerdidyougivehim?”askeddounia.

“atfirstisaidiwouldnottakeanymessagetoyou.thenhesaidthathewoulddohisutmosttoobtainaninterviewwithyouwithoutmyhelp.heassuredmethathispassionforyouwasapassinginfatuation,nowhehasnofeelingforyou.hedoesn’twantyoutomarryluzhin.…histalkwasaltogetherrathermuddled.”

“howdoyouexplainhimtoyourself,rodya?howdidhestrikeyou?”

“imustconfessidon’tquiteunderstandhim.heoffersyoutenthousand,andyetsaysheisnotwelloff.hesaysheisgoingaway,andintenminutesheforgetshehassaidit.thenhesaysishegoingtobemarriedandhasalreadyfixedonthegirl.…nodoubthehasamotive,andprobablyabadone.butit’soddthatheshouldbesoclumsyaboutitifhehadanydesignsagainstyou.…ofcourse,irefusedthismoneyonyouraccount,onceforall.altogether,ithoughthimverystrange.…onemightalmostthinkhewasmad.butimaybemistaken;thatmayonlybethepartheassumes.thedeathofmarfapetrovnaseemstohavemadeagreatimpressiononhim.”

“godresthersoul,”exclaimedpulcheriaalexandrovna.“ishallalways,alwaysprayforher!whereshouldwebenow,dounia,withoutthisthreethousand!it’sasthoughithadfallenfromheaven!why,rodya,thismorningwehadonlythreeroublesinourpocketanddouniaandiwerejustplanningtopawnherwatch,soastoavoidborrowingfromthatmanuntilheofferedhelp.”

douniaseemedstrangelyimpressedbysvidrigailov’soffer.shestillstoodmeditating.

“hehasgotsometerribleplan,”shesaidinahalfwhispertoherself,almostshuddering.

raskolnikovnoticedthisdisproportionateterror.

“ifancyishallhavetoseehimmorethanonceagain,”hesaidtodounia.

“wewillwatchhim!iwilltrackhimout!”criedrazumihin,vigorously.“iwon’tlosesightofhim.rodyahasgivenmeleave.hesaidtomehimselfjustnow.‘takecareofmysister.’willyougivemeleave,too,avdotyaromanovna?”

douniasmiledandheldoutherhand,butthelookofanxietydidnotleaveherface.pulcheriaalexandrovnagazedathertimidly,butthethreethousandroubleshadobviouslyasoothingeffectonher.

aquarterofanhourlater,theywereallengagedinalivelyconversation.evenraskolnikovlistenedattentivelyforsometime,thoughhedidnottalk.razumihinwasthespeaker.

“andwhy,whyshouldyougoaway?”heflowedonecstatically.“andwhatareyoutodoinalittletown?thegreatthingis,youareallheretogetherandyouneedoneanother—youdoneedoneanother,believeme.foratime,anyway.…takemeintopartnership,andiassureyouwe’llplanacapitalenterprise.listen!i’llexplainitallindetailtoyou,thewholeproject!itallflashedintomyheadthismorning,beforeanythinghadhappened…itellyouwhat;ihaveanuncle,imustintroducehimtoyou(amostaccommodatingandrespectableoldman).thisunclehasgotacapitalofathousandroubles,andhelivesonhispensionandhasnoneedofthatmoney.forthelasttwoyearshehasbeenbotheringmetoborrowitfromhimandpayhimsixpercent.interest.iknowwhatthatmeans;hesimplywantstohelpme. yearihadnoneedofit,butthisyeariresolvedtoborrowitassoonashearrived.thenyoulendmeanotherthousandofyourthreeandwehaveenoughforastart,sowe’llgointopartnership,andwhatarewegoingtodo?”

thenrazumihinbegantounfoldhisproject,andheexplainedatlengththatalmostallourpublishersandbooksellersknownothingatallofwhattheyareselling,andforthatreasontheyareusuallybadpublishers,andthatanydecentpublicationspayasaruleandgiveaprofit,sometimesaconsiderableone.razumihinhad,indeed,beendreamingofsettingupasapublisher.forthelasttwoyearshehadbeenworkinginpublishers’offices,andknewthreeeuropeanlanguageswell,thoughhehadtoldraskolnikovsixdaysbeforethathewas“schwach”ingermanwithanobjectofpersuadinghimtotakehalfhistranslationandhalfthepaymentforit.hehadtoldaliethen,andraskolnikovknewhewaslying.