第58章

第58章thiswasagentlemannolongeryoung,ofastiffandportlyappearance,andacautiousandsourcountenance.hebeganbystoppingshortinthedoorway,staringabouthimwithoffensiveandundisguisedastonishment,asthoughaskinghimselfwhatsortofplacehehadcometo.mistrustfullyandwithanaffectationofbeingalarmedandalmostaffronted,hescannedraskolnikov’slowandnarrow“cabin.”withthesameamazementhestaredatraskolnikov,wholayundressed,dishevelled,unwashed,onhismiserabledirtysofa,lookingfixedlyathim.thenwiththesamedeliberationhescrutinisedtheuncouth,unkemptfigureandunshavenfaceofrazumihin,wholookedhimboldlyandinquiringlyinthefacewithoutrisingfromhisseat.aconstrainedsilencelastedforacoupleofminutes,andthen,asmightbeexpected,somescene-shiftingtookplace.reflecting,probablyfromcertainfairlyunmistakablesigns,thathewouldgetnothinginthis“cabin”byattemptingtooverawethem,thegentlemansoftenedsomewhat,andcivilly,thoughwithsomeseverity,emphasisingeverysyllableofhisquestion,addressedzossimov:

“rodionromanovitchraskolnikov,astudent,orformerlyastudent?”

zossimovmadeaslightmovement,andwouldhaveanswered,hadnotrazumihinanticipatedhim.

“hereheislyingonthesofa!whatdoyouwant?”

thisfamiliar“whatdoyouwant”seemedtocutthegroundfromthefeetofthepompousgentleman.hewasturningtorazumihin,butcheckedhimselfintimeandturnedtozossimovagain.

“thisisraskolnikov,”mumbledzossimov,noddingtowardshim.thenhegaveaprolongedyawn,openinghismouthaswideaspossible.thenhelazilyputhishandintohiswaistcoat-pocket,pulledoutahugegoldwatchinaroundhunter’scase,openedit,lookedatitandasslowlyandlazilyproceededtoputitback.

raskolnikovhimselflaywithoutspeaking,onhisback,gazingpersistently,thoughwithoutunderstanding,atthestranger.nowthathisfacewasturnedawayfromthestrangefloweronthepaper,itwasextremelypaleandworealookofanguish,asthoughhehadjustundergoneanagonisingoperationorjustbeentakenfromtherack.butthenew-comergraduallybegantoarousehisattention,thenhiswonder,thensuspicionandevenalarm.whenzossimovsaid“thisisraskolnikov”hejumpedupquickly,satonthesofaandwithanalmostdefiant,butweakandbreaking,voicearticulated:

“yes,iamraskolnikov!whatdoyouwant?”

thevisitorscrutinisedhimandpronouncedimpressively:

“pyotrpetrovitchluzhin.ibelieveihavereasontohopethatmynameisnotwhollyunknowntoyou?”

butraskolnikov,whohadexpectedsomethingquitedifferent,gazedblanklyanddreamilyathim,makingnoreply,asthoughheheardthenameofpyotrpetrovitchforthefirsttime.

“isitpossiblethatyoucanuptothepresenthavereceivednoinformation?”askedpyotrpetrovitch,somewhatdisconcerted.

inreplyraskolnikovsanklanguidlybackonthepillow,puthishandsbehindhisheadandgazedattheceiling.alookofdismaycameintoluzhin’sface.zossimovandrazumihinstaredathimmoreinquisitivelythanever,andatlastheshowedunmistakablesignsofembarrassment.

“ihadpresumedandcalculated,”hefaltered,“thataletterpostedmorethantendays,ifnotafortnightago…”

“isay,whyareyoustandinginthedoorway?”razumihininterruptedsuddenly.“ifyou’vesomethingtosay,sitdown.nastasyaandyouaresocrowded.nastasya,makeroom.here’sachair,threadyourwayin!”

hemovedhischairbackfromthetable,madealittlespacebetweenthetableandhisknees,andwaitedinarathercrampedpositionforthevisitorto“threadhiswayin.”theminutewassochosenthatitwasimpossibletorefuse,andthevisitorsqueezedhiswaythrough,hurryingandstumbling.reachingthechair,hesatdown,lookingsuspiciouslyatrazumihin.

“noneedtobenervous,”thelatterblurtedout.“rodyahasbeenillforthelastfivedaysanddeliriousforthree,butnowheisrecoveringandhasgotanappetite.thisishisdoctor,whohasjusthadalookathim.iamacomradeofrodya’s,likehim,formerlyastudent,andnowiamnursinghim;sodon’tyoutakeanynoticeofus,butgoonwithyourbusiness.”

“thankyou.butshallinotdisturbtheinvalidbymypresenceandconversation?”pyotrpetrovitchaskedofzossimov.

“n-no,”mumbledzossimov;“youmayamusehim.”heyawnedagain.

“hehasbeenconsciousalongtime,sincethemorning,”wentonrazumihin,whosefamiliarityseemedsomuchlikeunaffectedgood-naturethatpyotrpetrovitchbegantobemorecheerful,partly,perhaps,becausethisshabbyandimpudentpersonhadintroducedhimselfasastudent.

“yourmamma,”beganluzhin.

“hm!”razumihinclearedhisthroatloudly.luzhinlookedathiminquiringly.

“that’sallright,goon.”

luzhinedhisshoulders.

“yourmammahadcommencedalettertoyouwhileiwassojourninginherneighbourhood.onmyarrivalhereipurposelyallowedafewdaystoelapsebeforecomingtoseeyou,inorderthatimightbefullyassuredthatyouwereinfullpossessionofthetidings;butnow,tomyastonishment…”

“iknow,iknow!”raskolnikovcriedsuddenlywithimpatientvexation.“soyouarethefiance?iknow,andthat’senough!”

therewasnodoubtaboutpyotrpetrovitch’sbeingoffendedthistime,buthesaidnothing.hemadeaviolentefforttounderstandwhatitallmeant.therewasamoment’ssilence.