第113章

第113章itwasnearlyeighto’clock.thetwoyoungmenhurriedtobakaleyev’s,toarrivebeforeluzhin.

“why,whowasthat?”askedrazumihin,assoonastheywereinthestreet.

“itwassvidrigailov,thatlandownerinwhosehousemysisterwasinsultedwhenshewastheirgoverness.throughhispersecutingherwithhisattentions,shewasturnedoutbyhiswife,marfapetrovna.thismarfapetrovnaeddounia’sforgivenessafterwards,andshe’sjustdiedsuddenly.itwasofherweweretalkingthismorning.idon’tknowwhyi’mafraidofthatman.hecamehereatonceafterhiswife’sfuneral.heisverystrange,andisdeterminedondoingsomething.…wemustguarddouniafromhim…that’swhatiwantedtotellyou,doyouhear?”

“guardher!whatcanhedotoharmavdotyaromanovna?thankyou,rodya,forspeakingtomelikethat.…wewill,wewillguardher.wheredoeshelive?”

“idon’tknow.”

“whydidn’tyouask?whatapity!i’llfindout,though.”

“didyouseehim?”askedraskolnikovafterapause.

“yes,inoticedhim,inoticedhimwell.”

“youdidreallyseehim?yousawhimclearly?”raskolnikovinsisted.

“yes,irememberhimperfectly,ishouldknowhiminathousand;ihaveagoodmemoryforfaces.”

theyweresilentagain.

“hm!…that’sallright,”mutteredraskolnikov.“doyouknow,ifancied…ikeepthinkingthatitmayhavebeenanhallucination.”

“whatdoyoumean?idon’tunderstandyou.”

“well,youallsay,”raskolnikovwenton,twistinghismouthintoasmile,“thatiammad.ithoughtjustnowthatperhapsireallyammad,andhaveonlyseenaphantom.”

“whatdoyoumean?”

“why,whocantell?perhapsiamreallymad,andperhapseverythingthathappenedallthesedaysmaybeonlyimagination.”

“ach,rodya,youhavebeenupsetagain!…butwhatdidhesay,whatdidhecomefor?”

raskolnikovdidnotanswer.razumihinthoughtaminute.

“nowletmetellyoumystory,”hebegan,“icametoyou,youwereasleep.thenwehaddinnerandtheniwenttoporfiry’s,zametovwasstillwithhim.itriedtobegin,butitwasnouse.icouldn’tspeakintherightway.theydon’tseemtounderstandandcan’tunderstand,butarenotabitashamed.idrewporfirytothewindow,andbegantalkingtohim,butitwasstillnouse.helookedawayandilookedaway.atlastishookmyfistinhisuglyface,andtoldhimasacousini’dbrainhim.hemerelylookedatme,icursedandcameaway.thatwasall.itwasverystupid.tozametovididn’tsayaword.but,yousee,ithoughti’dmadeamessofit,butasiwentdownstairsabrilliantideastruckme:whyshouldwetrouble?ofcourseifyouwereinanydangeroranything,butwhyneedyoucare?youneedn’tcareahangforthem.weshallhavealaughatthemafterwards,andifiwereinyourplacei’dmystifythemmorethanever.howashamedthey’llbeafterwards!hangthem!wecanthrashthemafterwards,butlet’slaughatthemnow!”

“tobesure,”answeredraskolnikov.“butwhatwillyousayto-morrow?”hethoughttohimself.strangetosay,tillthatmomentithadneveroccurredtohimtowonderwhatrazumihinwouldthinkwhenheknew.ashethoughtit,raskolnikovlookedathim.razumihin’saccountofhisvisittoporfiryhadverylittleinterestforhim,somuchhadcomeandgonesincethen.

inthecorridortheycameuponluzhin;hehadarrivedpunctuallyateight,andwaslookingforthenumber,sothatallthreewentintogetherwithoutgreetingorlookingatoneanother.theyoungmenwalkedinfirst,whilepyotrpetrovitch,forgoodmanners,lingeredalittleinthepassage,takingoffhiscoat.pulcheriaalexandrovnacameforwardatoncetogreethiminthedoorway,douniawaswelcomingherbrother.pyotrpetrovitchwalkedinandquiteamiably,thoughwithredoubleddignity,bowedtotheladies.helooked,however,asthoughhewerealittleputoutandcouldnotyetrecoverhimself.pulcheriaalexandrovna,whoseemedalsoalittleembarrassed,hastenedtomakethemallsitdownattheroundtablewhereasamovarwasboiling.douniaandluzhinwerefacingoneanotheronoppositesidesofthetable.razumihinandraskolnikovwerefacingpulcheriaalexandrovna,razumihinwasnexttoluzhinandraskolnikovwasbesidehissister.

amoment’ssilencefollowed.pyotrpetrovitchdeliberatelydrewoutacambrichandkerchiefreekingofscentandblewhisnosewithanairofabenevolentmanwhofelthimselfslighted,andwasfirmlyresolvedtoinsistonanexplanation.inthepassagetheideahadoccurredtohimtokeeponhisovercoatandwalkaway,andsogivethetwoladiesasharpandemphaticlessonandmakethemfeelthegravityoftheposition.buthecouldnotbringhimselftodothis.besides,hecouldnotendureuncertainty,andhewantedanexplanation:ifhisrequesthadbeensoopenlydisobeyed,therewassomethingbehindit,andinthatcaseitwasbettertofinditoutbeforehand;itrestedwithhimtopunishthemandtherewouldalwaysbetimeforthat.

“itrustyouhadafavourablejourney,”heinquiredofficiallyofpulcheriaalexandrovna.

“oh,very,pyotrpetrovitch.”

“iamgratifiedtohearit.andavdotyaromanovnaisnotover-fatiguedeither?”

“iamyoungandstrong,idon’tgettired,butitwasagreatstrainformother,”answereddounia.

“that’sunavoidable!ournationalrailwaysareofterriblelength.‘motherrussia,’astheysay,isavastcountry.…inspiteofallmydesiretodoso,iwasunabletomeetyouyesterday.butitrustallpassedoffwithoutinconvenience?”

“oh,no,pyotrpetrovitch,itwasallterriblydisheartening,”pulcheriaalexandrovnahastenedtodeclarewithpeculiarintonation,“andifdmitriprokofitchhadnotbeensentus,ireallybelievebygodhimself,weshouldhavebeenutterlylost.here,heis!dmitriprokofitchrazumihin,”sheadded,introducinghimtoluzhin.

“ihadthepleasure…yesterday,”mutteredpyotrpetrovitchwithahostileglancesidelongatrazumihin;thenhescowledandwassilent.