第103章

第103章“ifhehasaconsciencehewillsufferforhismistake.thatwillbehispunishment—aswellastheprison.”

“buttherealgeniuses,”askedrazumihinfrowning,“thosewhohavetherighttomurder?oughtn’ttheytosufferatallevenforthebloodthey’veshed?”

“whythewordought?it’snotamatterofpermissionorprohibition.hewillsufferifheissorryforhisvictim.painandsufferingarealwaysinevitableforalargeintelligenceandadeepheart.thereallygreatmenmust,ithink,havegreatsadnessonearth,”headdeddreamily,notinthetoneoftheconversation.

heraisedhiseyes,lookedearnestlyatthemall,smiled,andtookhiscap.hewastooquietbycomparisonwithhismannerathisentrance,andhefeltthis.everyonegotup.

“well,youmayabuseme,beangrywithmeifyoulike,”porfirypetrovitchbeganagain,“butican’tresist.allowmeonelittlequestion(iknowiamtroublingyou).thereisjustonelittlenotioniwanttoexpress,simplythatimaynotforgetit.”

“verygood,tellmeyourlittlenotion,”raskolnikovstoodwaiting,paleandgravebeforehim.

“well,yousee…ireallydon’tknowhowtoexpressitproperly.…it’saplayful,psychologicalidea.…whenyouwerewritingyourarticle,surelyyoucouldn’thavehelped,he-he!fancyingyourself…justalittle,an‘extraordinary’man,utteringanewwordinyoursense.…that’sso,isn’tit?”

“quitepossibly,”raskolnikovansweredcontemptuously.

razumihinmadeamovement.

“and,ifso,couldyoubringyourselfincaseofworldlydifficultiesandhardshiporforsomeservicetohumanity—tooverstepobstacles?…forinstance,torobandmurder?”

andagainhewinkedwithhislefteye,andlaughednoiselesslyjustasbefore.

“ifididicertainlyshouldnottellyou,”raskolnikovansweredwithdefiantandhaughtycontempt.

“no,iwasonlyinterestedonaccountofyourarticle,fromaliterarypointofview…”

“foo!howobviousandinsolentthatis!”raskolnikovthoughtwithrepulsion.

“allowmetoobserve,”heanswereddryly,“thatidon’tconsidermyselfamahometoranapoleon,noranypersonageofthatkind,andnotbeingoneofthemicannottellyouhowishouldact.”

“oh,come,don’tweallthinkourselvesnapoleonsnowinrussia?”porfirypetrovitchsaidwithalarmingfamiliarity.

somethingpeculiarbetrayeditselfintheveryintonationofhisvoice.

“perhapsitwasoneofthesefuturenapoleonswhodidforalyonaivanovnalastweek?”zametovblurtedoutfromthecorner.

raskolnikovdidnotspeak,butlookedfirmlyandintentlyatporfiry.razumihinwasscowlinggloomily.heseemedbeforethistobenoticingsomething.helookedangrilyaround.therewasaminuteofgloomysilence.raskolnikovturnedtogo.

“areyougoingalready?”porfirysaidamiably,holdingouthishandwithexcessivepoliteness.“very,verygladofyouracquaintance.asforyourrequest,havenouneasiness,writejustasitoldyou,or,betterstill,cometomethereyourselfinadayortwo…to-morrow,indeed.ishallbethereateleveno’clockforcertain.we’llarrangeitall;we’llhaveatalk.asoneofthelasttobethere,youmightperhapsbeabletotellussomething,”headdedwithamostgood-naturedexpression.

“youwanttocross-examinemeofficiallyindueform?”raskolnikovaskedsharply.

“oh,why?that’snotnecessaryforthepresent.youmisunderstandme.ilosenoopportunity,yousee,and…i’vetalkedwithallwhohadpledges.…iobtainedevidencefromsomeofthem,andyouarethelast.…yes,bytheway,”hecried,seeminglysuddenlydelighted,“ijustremember,whatwasithinkingof?”heturnedtorazumihin,“youweretalkingmyearsoffaboutthatnikolay…ofcourse,iknow,iknowverywell,”heturnedtoraskolnikov,“thatthefellowisinnocent,butwhatisonetodo?wehadtotroubledmitritoo.…thisisthepoint,thisisall:whenyouwentupthestairsitwaspastseven,wasn’tit?”

“yes,”answeredraskolnikov,withanunpleasantsensationattheverymomenthespokethatheneednothavesaidit.

“thenwhenyouwentupstairsbetweensevenandeight,didn’tyouseeinaflatthatstoodopenonasecondstorey,doyouremember?twoworkmenoratleastoneofthem?theywerepaintingthere,didn’tyounoticethem?it’svery,veryimportantforthem.”

“painters?no,ididn’tseethem,”raskolnikovansweredslowly,asthoughransackinghismemory,whileatthesameinstanthewasrackingeverynerve,almostswooningwithanxietytoconjectureasquicklyaspossiblewherethetraplayandnottooverlookanything.“no,ididn’tseethem,andidon’tthinkinoticedaflatlikethatopen.…butonthefourthstorey”(hehadmasteredthetrapnowandwastriumphant)“iremembernowthatsomeonewasmovingoutoftheflatoppositealyonaivanovna’s.…iremember…irememberitclearly.someporterswerecarryingoutasofaandtheysqueezedmeagainstthewall.butpainters…no,idon’trememberthattherewereanypainters,andidon’tthinkthattherewasaflatopenanywhere,no,therewasn’t.”

“whatdoyoumean?”razumihinshoutedsuddenly,asthoughhehadreflectedandrealised.“why,itwasonthedayofthemurderthepainterswereatwork,andhewastherethreedaysbefore?whatareyouasking?”

“foo!ihavemuddledit!”porfiryslappedhimselfontheforehead.“deucetakeit!thisbusinessisturningmybrain!”headdressedraskolnikovsomewhatapologetically.“itwouldbesuchagreatthingforustofindoutwhetheranyonehadseenthembetweensevenandeightattheflat,soifanciedyoucouldperhapshavetoldussomething.…iquitemuddledit.”

“thenyoushouldbemorecareful,”razumihinobservedgrimly.

thelastwordswereutteredinthepassage.porfirypetrovitchsawthemtothedoorwithexcessivepoliteness.

theywentoutintothestreetgloomyandsullen,andforsomestepstheydidnotsayaword.raskolnikovdrewadeepbreath.