第60章
第60章“idon’tagreewithyou,”pyotrpetrovitchreplied,withevidentenjoyment.“ofcourse,peopledogetcarriedawayandmakemistakes,butonemusthaveindulgence;thosemistakesaremerelyevidenceofenthusiasmforthecauseandofabnormalexternalenvironment.iflittlehasbeendone,thetimehasbeenbutshort;ofmeansiwillnotspeak.it’smypersonalview,ifyoucaretoknow,thatsomethinghasbeenaccomplishedalready.newvaluableideas,newvaluableworksarecirculatingintheplaceofourolddreamyandromanticauthors.literatureistakingamaturerform,manyinjuriousprejudicehavebeenrootedupandturnedintoridicule.…inaword,wehavecutourselvesoffirrevocablyfromthepast,andthat,tomythinking,isagreatthing…”
“he’slearntitbyhearttoshowoff!”raskolnikovpronouncedsuddenly.
“what?”askedpyotrpetrovitch,notcatchinghiswords;buthereceivednoreply.
“that’salltrue,”zossimovhastenedtointerpose.
“isn’titso?”pyotrpetrovitchwenton,glancingaffablyatzossimov.“youmustadmit,”hewenton,addressingrazumihinwithashadeoftriumphandsuperciliousness—healmostadded“youngman”—“thatthereisanadvance,or,astheysaynow,progressinthenameofscienceandeconomictruth…”
“acommonplace.”
“no,notacommonplace!hitherto,forinstance,ifiweretold,‘lovethyneighbour,’whatcameofit?”pyotrpetrovitchwenton,perhapswithexcessivehaste.“itcametomytearingmycoatinhalftosharewithmyneighbourandwebothwerelefthalfnaked.asarussianproverbhasit,‘catchseveralharesandyouwon’tcatchone.’sciencenowtellsus,loveyourselfbeforeallmen,foreverythingintheworldrestsonself-interest.youloveyourselfandmanageyourownaffairsproperlyandyourcoatremainswhole.economictruthaddsthatthebetterprivateaffairsareorganisedinsociety—themorewholecoats,sotosay—thefirmerareitsfoundationsandthebetteristhecommonwelfareorganisedtoo.therefore,inacquiringwealthsolelyandexclusivelyformyself,iamacquiring,sotospeak,forall,andhelpingtobringtopassmyneighbour’sgettingalittlemorethanatorncoat;andthatnotfromprivate,personalliberality,butasaconsequenceofthegeneraladvance.theideaissimple,butunhappilyithasbeenalongtimereachingus,beinghinderedbyidealismandsentimentality.andyetitwouldseemtowantverylittlewittoperceiveit…”
“excuseme,i’veverylittlewitmyself,”razumihincutinsharply,“andsoletusdropit.ibeganthisdiscussionwithanobject,buti’vegrownsosickduringthelastthreeyearsofthischatteringtoamuseoneself,ofthisincessantflowofcommonplaces,alwaysthesame,that,byjove,iblushevenwhenotherpeopletalklikethat.youareinahurry,nodoubt,toexhibityouracquirements;andidon’tblameyou,that’squitepardonable.ionlywantedtofindoutwhatsortofmanyouare,forsomanyunscrupulouspeoplehavegotholdoftheprogressivecauseoflateandhavesodistortedintheirowninterestseverythingtheytouched,thatthewholecausehasbeenedinthemire.that’senough!”
“excuseme,sir,”saidluzhin,affronted,andspeakingwithexcessivedignity.“doyoumeantoestsounceremoniouslythatitoo…”
“oh,mydearsir…howcouldi?…come,that’senough,”razumihinconcluded,andheturnedabruptlytozossimovtocontinuetheirpreviousconversation.
pyotrpetrovitchhadthegoodsensetoacceptthedisavowal.hemadeuphismindtotakeleaveinanotherminuteortwo.
“itrustouracquaintance,”hesaid,addressingraskolnikov,“may,uponyourrecoveryandinviewofthecircumstancesofwhichyouareaware,becomecloser…aboveall,ihopeforyourreturntohealth…”
raskolnikovdidnoteventurnhishead.pyotrpetrovitchbegangettingupfromhischair.
“oneofhercustomersmusthavekilledher,”zossimovdeclaredpositively.
“notadoubtofit,”repliedrazumihin.“porfirydoesn’tgivehisopinion,butisexaminingallwhohaveleftpledgeswithherthere.”
“examiningthem?”raskolnikovaskedaloud.
“yes.whatthen?”
“nothing.”
“howdoeshegetholdofthem?”askedzossimov.
“kochhasgiventhenamesofsomeofthem,othernamesareonthewrappersofthepledgesandsomehavecomeforwardofthemselves.”
“itmusthavebeenacunningandpractisedruffian!theboldnessofit!thecoolness!”
“that’sjustwhatitwasn’t!”interposedrazumihin.“that’swhatthrowsyoualloffthescent.butimaintainthatheisnotcunning,notpractised,andprobablythiswashisfirstcrime!thesuppositionthatitwasacalculatedcrimeandacunningcriminaldoesn’twork.supposehimtohavebeeninexperienced,andit’sclearthatitwasonlyachancethatsavedhim—andchancemaydoanything.why,hedidnotforeseeobstacles,perhaps!andhowdidhesettowork?hetookjewelsworthtenortwentyroubles,stuffinghispocketswiththem,ransackedtheoldwoman’strunks,herrags—andtheyfoundfifteenhundredroubles,besidesnotes,inaboxinthetopdrawerofthechest!hedidnotknowhowtorob;hecouldonlymurder.itwashisfirstcrime,iassureyou,hisfirstcrime;helosthishead.andhegotoffmorebyluckthangoodcounsel!”
“youaretalkingofthemurderoftheoldpawnbroker,ibelieve?”pyotrpetrovitchputin,addressingzossimov.hewasstanding,hatandglovesinhand,butbeforedepartinghefeltdisposedtothrowoffafewmoreintellectualphrases.hewasevidentlyanxioustomakeafavourableimpressionandhisvanityovercamehisprudence.
“yes.you’veheardofit?”
“oh,yes,beingintheneighbourhood.”
“doyouknowthedetails?”