第102章

第102章“thankyou.buttellmethis:howdoyoudistinguishthoseextraordinarypeoplefromtheordinaryones?aretheresignsattheirbirth?ifeelthereoughttobemoreexactitude,moreexternaldefinition.excusethenaturalanxietyofapracticallaw-abidingcitizen,butcouldn’ttheyadoptaspecialuniform,forinstance,couldn’ttheywearsomething,bebrandedinsomeway?foryouknowifconfusionarisesandamemberofonecategoryimaginesthathebelongstotheother,beginsto‘eliminateobstacles’asyousohappilyexpressedit,then…”

“oh,thatveryoftenhappens!thatremarkiswittierthantheother.”

“thankyou.”

“noreasonto;buttakenotethatthemistakecanonlyariseinthefirstcategory,thatisamongtheordinarypeople(asiperhapsunfortunatelycalledthem).inspiteoftheirpredispositiontoobedienceverymanyofthem,throughaplayfulnessofnature,sometimesvouchsafedeventothecow,liketoimaginethemselvesadvancedpeople,‘destroyers,’andtopushthemselvesintothe‘newmovement,’andthisquitesincerely.meanwhilethereallynewpeopleareveryoftenunobservedbythem,orevendespisedasreactionariesofgrovellingtendencies.butidon’tthinkthereisanyconsiderabledangerhere,andyoureallyneednotbeuneasyfortheynevergoveryfar.ofcourse,theymighthaveathrashingsometimesforlettingtheirfancyrunawaywiththemandtoteachthemtheirplace,butnomore;infact,eventhisisn’tnecessaryastheycastigatethemselves,fortheyareveryconscientious:someperformthisserviceforoneanotherandotherschastisethemselveswiththeirownhands.…theywillimposevariouspublicactsofpenitenceuponthemselveswithabeautifulandedifyingeffect;infactyou’venothingtobeuneasyabout.…it’salawofnature.”

“well,youhavecertainlysetmymindmoreatrestonthatscore;butthere’sanotherthingworriesme.tellme,please,aretheremanypeoplewhohavetherighttokillothers,theseextraordinarypeople?iamreadytobowdowntothem,ofcourse,butyoumustadmitit’salarmingifthereareagreatmanyofthem,eh?”

“oh,youneedn’tworryaboutthateither,”raskolnikovwentoninthesametone.“peoplewithnewideas,peoplewiththefaintestcapacityforsayingsomethingnew,areextremelyfewinnumber,extraordinarilysoinfact.onethingonlyisclear,thattheappearanceofallthesegradesandsub-divisionsofmenmustfollowwithunfailingregularitysomelawofnature.thatlaw,ofcourse,isunknownatpresent,butiamconvincedthatitexists,andonedaymaybecomeknown.thevastmassofmankindismerematerial,andonlyexistsinorderbysomegreateffort,bysomemysteriousprocess,bymeansofsomecrossingofracesandstocks,tobringintotheworldatlastperhapsonemanoutofathousandwithasparkofindependence.oneintenthousandperhaps—ispeakroughly,approximately—isbornwithsomeindependence,andwithstillgreaterindependenceoneinahundredthousand.themanofgeniusisoneofmillions,andthegreatgeniuses,thecrownofhumanity,appearonearthperhapsoneinmanythousandmillions.infactihavenotpeepedintotheretortinwhichallthistakesplace.buttherecertainlyisandmustbeadefinitelaw,itcannotbeamatterofchance.”

“why,areyoubothjoking?”razumihincriedatlast.“thereyousit,makingfunofoneanother.areyouserious,rodya?”

raskolnikovraisedhispaleandalmostmournfulfaceandmadenoreply.andtheunconcealed,persistent,nervous,anddiscourteoussarcasmofporfiryseemedstrangetorazumihinbesidethatquietandmournfulface.

“well,brother,ifyouarereallyserious…youareright,ofcourse,insayingthatit’snotnew,thatit’slikewhatwe’vereadandheardathousandtimesalready;butwhatisreallyoriginalinallthis,andisexclusivelyyourown,tomyhorror,isthatyousanctionbloodshedinthenameofconscience,and,excusemysayingso,withsuchfanaticism.…that,itakeit,isthepointofyourarticle.butthatsanctionofbloodshedbyconscienceistomymind…moreterriblethantheofficial,legalsanctionofbloodshed.…”

“youarequiteright,itismoreterrible,”porfiryagreed.

“yes,youmusthaveerated!thereissomemistake,ishallreadit.youcan’tthinkthat!ishallreadit.”

“allthatisnotinthearticle,there’sonlyahintofit,”saidraskolnikov.

“yes,yes.”porfirycouldn’tsitstill.“yourattitudetocrimeisprettycleartomenow,but…excusemeformyimpertinence(iamreallyashamedtobeworryingyoulikethis),yousee,you’veremovedmyanxietyastothetwogradesgettingmixed,but…therearevariouspracticalpossibilitiesthatmakemeuneasy!whatifsomemanoryouthimaginesthatheisalycurgusormahomet—afutureoneofcourse—andsupposehebeginstoremoveallobstacles.…hehassomegreatenterprisebeforehimandneedsmoneyforit…andtriestogetit…doyousee?”

zametovgaveasuddenguffawinhiscorner.raskolnikovdidnotevenraisehiseyestohim.

“imustadmit,”hewentoncalmly,“thatsuchcasescertainlymustarise.thevainandfoolishareparticularlyapttofallintothatsnare;youngpeopleespecially.”

“yes,yousee.wellthen?”

“whatthen?”raskolnikovsmiledinreply;“that’snotmyfault.soitisandsoitalwayswillbe.hesaidjustnow(henoddedatrazumihin)thatisanctionbloodshed.societyistoowellprotectedbyprisons,banishment,criminalinvestigators,penalservitude.there’snoneedtobeuneasy.youhavebuttocatchthethief.”

“andwhatifwedocatchhim?”

“thenhegetswhathedeserves.”

“youarecertainlylogical.butwhatofhisconscience?”

“whydoyoucareaboutthat?”

“simplyfromhumanity.”