第61章
第61章“ican’tsaythat;butanothercircumstanceinterestsmeinthecase—thewholequestion,sotosay.nottospeakofthefactthatcrimehasbeengreatlyontheincreaseamongthelowerclassesduringthelastfiveyears,nottospeakofthecasesofrobberyandarsoneverywhere,whatstrikesmeasthestrangestthingisthatinthehigherclasses,too,crimeisincreasingproportionately.inoneplaceonehearsofastudent’srobbingthemailonthehighroad;inanotherplacepeopleofgoodsocialpositionforgefalsebanknotes;inmoscowoflateawholeganghasbeencapturedwhousedtoforgelotterytickets,andoneoftheringleaderswasalecturerinuniversalhistory;thenoursecretaryabroadwasmurderedfromsomeobscuremotiveofgain.…andifthisoldwoman,thepawnbroker,hasbeenmurderedbysomeoneofahigherclassinsociety—forpeasantsdon’tpawngoldtrinkets—howarewetoexplainthisdemoralisationofthecivilisedpartofoursociety?”
“therearemanyeconomicchanges,”putinzossimov.
“howarewetoexplainit?”razumihincaughthimup.“itmightbeexplainedbyourinveterateimpracticality.”
“howdoyoumean?”
“whatanswerhadyourlecturerinmoscowtomaketothequestionwhyhewasforgingnotes?‘everybodyisgettingrichonewayoranother,soiwanttomakehastetogetrichtoo.’idon’tremembertheexactwords,buttheupshotwasthathewantsmoneyfornothing,withoutwaitingorworking!we’vegrownusedtohavingeverythingready-made,towalkingoncrutches,tohavingourfoodchewedforus.thenthegreathourstruck,1andeverymanshowedhimselfinhistruecolours.”
“butmorality?andsotospeak,principles…”
“butwhydoyouworryaboutit?”raskolnikovinterposedsuddenly.“it’sinaccordancewithyourtheory!”
“inaccordancewithmytheory?”
“why,carryoutlogicallythetheoryyouwereadvocatingjustnow,anditfollowsthatpeoplemaybekilled…”
“uponmyword!”criedluzhin.
“no,that’snotso,”putinzossimov.
raskolnikovlaywithawhitefaceandtwitchingupperlip,breathingpainfully.
“there’sameasureinallthings,”luzhinwentonsuperciliously.“economicideasarenotanincitementtomurder,andonehasbuttosuppose…”
“andisittrue,”raskolnikovinterposedoncemoresuddenly,againinavoicequiveringwithfuryanddelightininsultinghim,“isittruethatyoutoldyourfiancee…withinanhourofheracceptance,thatwhatpleasedyoumost…wasthatshewasaar…becauseitwasbettertoraiseawifefrompoverty,sothatyoumayhavecompletecontroloverher,andreproachherwithyourbeingherbenefactor?”
“uponmyword,”luzhincriedwrathfullyandirritably,crimsonwithconfusion,“todistortmywordsinthisway!excuseme,allowmetoassureyouthatthereportwhichhasreachedyou,orrather,letmesay,hasbeenconveyedtoyou,hasnofoundationintruth,andi…suspectwho…inaword…thisarrow…inaword,yourmamma…sheseemedtomeinotherthings,withallherexcellentqualities,ofasomewhathigh-flownandromanticwayofthinking.…butiwasathousandmilesfromsupposingthatshewouldmisunderstandandmisrepresentthingsinsofancifulaway.…andindeed…indeed…”