第114章

第114章pyotrpetrovitchbelongedtothatclassofpersons,onthesurfaceverypoliteinsociety,whomakeagreatpointofpunctiliousness,butwho,directlytheyarecrossedinanything,arecompletelydisconcerted,andbecomemorelikesacksofflourthanelegantandlivelymenofsociety.againallwassilent;raskolnikovwasobstinatelymute,avdotyaromanovnawasunwillingtoopentheconversationtoosoon.razumihinhadnothingtosay,sopulcheriaalexandrovnawasanxiousagain.

“marfapetrovnaisdead,haveyouheard?”shebeganhavingrecoursetoherleadingitemofconversation.

“tobesure,iheardso.iwasimmediatelyinformed,andihavecometomakeyouacquaintedwiththefactthatarkadyivanovitchsvidrigailovsetoffinhasteforpetersburgimmediatelyafterhiswife’sfuneral.soatleastihaveexcellentauthorityforbelieving.”

“topetersburg?here?”douniaaskedinalarmandlookedathermother.

“yes,indeed,anddoubtlessnotwithoutsomedesign,havinginviewtherapidityofhisdeparture,andallthecircumstancesprecedingit.”

“goodheavens!won’theleavedouniainpeaceevenhere?”criedpulcheriaalexandrovna.

“iimaginethatneitheryounoravdotyaromanovnahaveanygroundsforuneasiness,unless,ofcourse,youareyourselvesdesirousofgettingintocommunicationwithhim.formypartiamonmyguard,andamnowdiscoveringwhereheislodging.”

“oh,pyotrpetrovitch,youwouldnotbelievewhatafrightyouhavegivenme,”pulcheriaalexandrovnawenton:“i’veonlyseenhimtwice,butithoughthimterrible,terrible!iamconvincedthathewasthecauseofmarfapetrovna’sdeath.”

“it’simpossibletobecertainaboutthat.ihavepreciseinformation.idonotdisputethathemayhavecontributedtoacceleratethecourseofeventsbythemoralinfluence,sotosay,oftheaffront;butastothegeneralconductandmoralcharacteristicsofthatpersonage,iaminagreementwithyou.idonotknowwhetherheiswelloffnow,andpreciselywhatmarfapetrovnalefthim;thiswillbeknowntomewithinaveryshortperiod;butnodoubthereinpetersburg,ifhehasanypecuniaryresources,hewillrelapseatonceintohisoldways.heisthemostdepraved,andabjectlyviciousspecimenofthatclassofmen.ihaveconsiderablereasontobelievethatmarfapetrovna,whowassounfortunateastofallinlovewithhimandtopayhisdebtseightyearsago,wasofservicetohimalsoinanotherway.solelybyherexertionsandsacrifices,acriminalcharge,involvinganelementoffantasticandhomicidalbrutalityforwhichhemightwellhavebeensentencedtosiberia,washushedup.that’sthesortofmanheis,ifyoucaretoknow.”

“goodheavens!”criedpulcheriaalexandrovna.raskolnikovlistenedattentively.

“areyouspeakingthetruthwhenyousaythatyouhavegoodevidenceofthis?”douniaaskedsternlyandemphatically.

“ionlyrepeatwhatiwastoldinsecretbymarfapetrovna.imustobservethatfromthelegalpointofviewthecasewasfarfromclear.therewas,andibelievestillis,livinghereawomancalledresslich,aforeigner,wholentsmallsumsofmoneyatinterest,anddidothercommissions,andwiththiswomansvidrigailovhadforalongwhilecloseandmysteriousrelations.shehadarelation,anieceibelieve,livingwithher,adeafanddumbgirloffifteen,orperhapsnotmorethanfourteen.resslichhatedthisgirl,andgrudgedhereverycrust;sheusedtobeathermercilessly.onedaythegirlwasfoundhanginginthegarret.attheinquesttheverdictwassuicide.aftertheusualproceedingsthematterended,but,lateron,informationwasgiventhatthechildhadbeen…cruellyoutragedbysvidrigailov.itistrue,thiswasnotclearlyestablished,theinformationwasgivenbyanothergermanwomanofloosecharacterwhosewordcouldnotbetrusted;nostatementwasactuallymadetothepolice,thankstomarfapetrovna’smoneyandexertions;itdidnotgetbeyondgossip.andyetthestoryisaverysignificantone.youheard,nodoubt,avdotyaromanovna,whenyouwerewiththemthestoryoftheservantphilipwhodiedofilltreatmenthereceivedsixyearsago,beforetheabolitionofserfdom.”

“iheard,onthecontrary,thatthisphiliphangedhimself.”

“quiteso,butwhatdrovehim,orratherperhapsdisposedhim,tosuicidewasthesystematicpersecutionandseverityofmr.svidrigailov.”

“idon’tknowthat,”answereddounia,dryly.“ionlyheardaqueerstorythatphilipwasasortofhypochondriac,asortofdomesticphilosopher,theservantsusedtosay,‘hereadhimselfsilly,’andthathehangedhimselfpartlyonaccountofmr.svidrigailov’smockeryofhimandnothisblows.wheniwastherehebehavedwelltotheservants,andtheywereactuallyfondofhim,thoughtheycertainlydidblamehimforphilip’sdeath.”

“iperceive,avdotyaromanovna,thatyouseemdisposedtoundertakehisdefenceallofasudden,”luzhinobserved,twistinghislipsintoanambiguoussmile,“there’snodoubtthatheisanastuteman,andinsinuatingwhereladiesareconcerned,ofwhichmarfapetrovna,whohasdiedsostrangely,isaterribleinstance.myonlydesirehasbeentobeofservicetoyouandyourmotherwithmyadvice,inviewoftherenewedeffortswhichmaycertainlybeanticipatedfromhim.formypartit’smyfirmconviction,thathewillendinadebtor’sprisonagain.marfapetrovnahadnottheslightestintentionofsettlinganythingsubstantialonhim,havingregardforhischildren’sinterests,and,ifshelefthimanything,itwouldonlybethemerestsufficiency,somethinginsignificantandephemeral,whichwouldnotlastayearforamanofhishabits.”

“pyotrpetrovitch,ibegyou,”saiddounia,“saynomoreofmr.svidrigailov.itmakesmemiserable.”

“hehasjustbeentoseeme,”saidraskolnikov,breakinghissilenceforthefirsttime.

therewereexclamationsfromall,andtheyallturnedtohim.evenpyotrpetrovitchwasroused.