第117章

第117章“youseemtothinkwearecompletelyunderyourauthority,pyotrpetrovitch.douniahastoldyouthereasonyourdesirewasdisregarded,shehadthebestintentions.andindeedyouwriteasthoughyouwerelayingcommandsuponme.arewetoconsidereverydesireofyoursasacommand?letmetellyouonthecontrarythatyououghttoshowparticulardelicacyandconsiderationforusnow,becausewehavethrownupeverything,andhavecomehererelyingonyou,andsoweareinanycaseinasenseinyourhands.”

“thatisnotquitetrue,pulcheriaalexandrovna,especiallyatthepresentmoment,whenthenewshascomeofmarfapetrovna’slegacy,whichseemsindeedveryapropos,judgingfromthenewtoneyoutaketome,”headdedsarcastically.

“judgingfromthatremark,wemaycertainlypresumethatyouwerereckoningonourhelplessness,”douniaobservedirritably.

“butnowinanycaseicannotreckononit,andiparticularlydesirenottohinderyourdiscussionofthesecretproposalsofarkadyivanovitchsvidrigailov,whichhehasentrustedtoyourbrotherandwhichhave,iperceive,agreatandpossiblyaveryagreeableinterestforyou.”

“goodheavens!”criedpulcheriaalexandrovna.

razumihincouldnotsitstillonhischair.

“aren’tyouashamednow,sister?”askedraskolnikov.

“iamashamed,rodya,”saiddounia.“pyotrpetrovitch,goaway,”sheturnedtohim,whitewithanger.

pyotrpetrovitchhadapparentlynotatallexpectedsuchaconclusion.hehadtoomuchconfidenceinhimself,inhispowerandinthehelplessnessofhisvictims.hecouldnotbelieveitevennow.heturnedpale,andhislipsquivered.

“avdotyaromanovna,ifigooutofthisdoornow,aftersuchadismissal,then,youmayreckononit,iwillnevercomeback.considerwhatyouaredoing.mywordisnottobeshaken.”

“whatinsolence!”crieddounia,springingupfromherseat.“idon’twantyoutocomebackagain.”

“what!sothat’showitstands!”criedluzhin,utterlyunabletothelastmomenttobelieveintheruptureandsocompletelythrownoutofhisreckoningnow.“sothat’showitstands!butdoyouknow,avdotyaromanovna,thatimightprotest?”

“whatrighthaveyoutospeaktoherlikethat?”pulcheriaalexandrovnaintervenedhotly.“andwhatcanyouprotestabout?whatrightshaveyou?amitogivemydouniatoamanlikeyou?goaway,leaveusaltogether!wearetoblameforhavingagreedtoawrongaction,andiaboveall.…”

“butyouhaveboundme,pulcheriaalexandrovna,”luzhinstormedinafrenzy,“byyourpromise,andnowyoudenyitand…besides…ihavebeenledonaccountofthatintoexpenses.…”

thislastcomplaintwassocharacteristicofpyotrpetrovitch,thatraskolnikov,palewithangerandwiththeeffortofrestrainingit,couldnothelpbreakingintolaughter.butpulcheriaalexandrovnawasfurious.

“expenses?whatexpenses?areyouspeakingofourtrunk?buttheconductorbroughtitfornothingforyou.mercyonus,wehaveboundyou!whatareyouthinkingabout,pyotrpetrovitch,itwasyouboundus,handandfoot,notwe!”

“enough,mother,nomoreplease,”avdotyaromanovnaimplored.“pyotrpetrovitch,dobekindandgo!”

“iamgoing,butonelastword,”hesaid,quiteunabletocontrolhimself.“yourmammaseemstohaveentirelyforgottenthatimadeupmymindtotakeyou,sotospeak,afterthegossipofthetownhadspreadalloverthedistrictinregardtoyourreputation.disregardingpublicopinionforyoursakeandreinstatingyourreputation,icertainlymightverywellreckononafittingreturn,andmightindeedlookforgratitudeonyourpart.andmyeyeshaveonlynowbeenopened!iseemyselfthatimayhaveactedvery,veryrecklesslyindisregardingtheuniversalverdict.…”

“doesthefellowwanthisheadsmashed?”criedrazumihin,jumpingup.

“youareameanandspitefulman!”crieddounia.

“notaword!notamovement!”criedraskolnikov,holdingrazumihinback;thengoingcloseuptoluzhin,“kindlyleavetheroom!”hesaidquietlyanddistinctly,“andnotawordmoreor…”

pyotrpetrovitchgazedathimforsomesecondswithapalefacethatworkedwithanger,thenheturned,wentout,andrarelyhasanymancarriedawayinhisheartsuchvindictivehatredashefeltagainstraskolnikov.him,andhimalone,heblamedforeverything.itisnoteworthythatashewentdownstairshestillimaginedthathiscasewasperhapsnotutterlylost,andthat,sofarastheladieswereconcerned,allmight“verywellindeed”besetrightagain.