第57章

第57章“howdidtheygetthere?howdidtheygetthere?”criedrazumihin.“howcanyou,adoctor,whosedutyitistostudymanandwhohasmoreopportunitythananyoneelseforstudyinghumannature—howcanyoufailtoseethecharacterofthemaninthewholestory?don’tyouseeatoncethattheanswershehasgivenintheexaminationaretheholytruth?theycameintohishandpreciselyashehastoldus—hesteppedontheboxandpickeditup.”

“theholytruth!butdidn’theownhimselfthathetoldalieatfirst?”

“listentome,listenattentively.theporterandkochandpestryakovandtheotherporterandthewifeofthefirstporterandthewomanwhowassittingintheporter’slodgeandthemankryukov,whohadjustgotoutofacabatthatminuteandwentinattheentrywithaladyonhisarm,thatiseightortenwitnesses,agreethatnikolayhaddmitriontheground,waslyingonhimbeatinghim,whiledmitrihungontohishair,beatinghim,too.theylayrightacrosstheway,blockingthethoroughfare.theywereswornatonallsideswhilethey‘likechildren’(theverywordsofthewitnesses)werefallingoveroneanother,squealing,fightingandlaughingwiththefunniestfaces,and,chasingoneanotherlikechildren,theyranintothestreet.nowtakecarefulnote.thebodiesupstairswerewarm,youunderstand,warmwhentheyfoundthem!ifthey,ornikolayalone,hadmurderedthemandbrokenopentheboxes,orsimplytakenpartintherobbery,allowmetoaskyouonequestion:dotheirstateofmind,theirsquealsandlesandchildishscufflingatthegatefitinwithaxes,bloodshed,fiendishcunning,robbery?they’djustkilledthem,notfiveortenminutesbefore,forthebodieswerestillwarm,andatonce,leavingtheflatopen,knowingthatpeoplewouldgothereatonce,flingingawaytheirbooty,theyrolledaboutlikechildren,laughingandattractinggeneralattention.andthereareadozenwitnessestosweartothat!”

“ofcourseitisstrange!it’simpossible,indeed,but…”

“no,brother,nobuts.andiftheear-ringsbeingfoundinnikolay’shandsattheverydayandhourofthemurderconstitutesanimportantpieceofcircumstantialevidenceagainsthim—althoughtheexplanationgivenbyhimaccountsforit,andthereforeitdoesnottellseriouslyagainsthim—onemusttakeintoconsiderationthefactswhichprovehiminnocent,especiallyastheyarefactsthatcannotbedenied.anddoyousuppose,fromthecharacterofourlegalsystem,thattheywillaccept,orthattheyareinapositiontoaccept,thisfact—restingsimplyonapsychologicalimpossibility—asirrefutableandconclusivelybreakingdownthecircumstantialevidencefortheprosecution?no,theywon’tacceptit,theycertainlywon’t,becausetheyfoundthejewel-caseandthemantriedtohanghimself,‘whichhecouldnothavedoneifhehadn’tfeltguilty.’that’sthepoint,that’swhatexcitesme,youmustunderstand!”

“oh,iseeyouareexcited!waitabit.iforgottoaskyou;whatproofistherethattheboxcamefromtheoldwoman?”

“that’sbeenproved,”saidrazumihinwithapparentreluctance,frowning.“kochrecognisedthejewel-caseandgavethenameoftheowner,whoprovedconclusivelythatitwashis.”

“that’sbad.nowanotherpoint.didanyoneseenikolayatthetimethatkochandpestryakovweregoingupstairsatfirst,andistherenoevidenceaboutthat?”

“nobodydidseehim,”razumihinansweredwithvexation.“that’stheworstofit.evenkochandpestryakovdidnotnoticethemontheirwayupstairs,though,indeed,theirevidencecouldnothavebeenworthmuch.theysaidtheysawtheflatwasopen,andthattheremustbeworkgoingoninit,buttheytooknospecialnoticeandcouldnotrememberwhetherthereactuallyweremenatworkinit.”

“hm!…sotheonlyevidenceforthedefenceisthattheywerebeatingoneanotherandlaughing.thatconstitutesastrongpresumption,but…howdoyouexplainthefactsyourself?”

“howdoiexplainthem?whatistheretoexplain?it’sclear.atanyrate,thedirectioninwhichexplanationistobesoughtisclear,andthejewel-casepointstoit.therealmurdererdroppedthoseear-rings.themurdererwasupstairs,lockedin,whenkochandpestryakovknockedatthedoor.koch,likeanass,didnotstayatthedoor;sothemurdererpoppedoutandrandown,too;forhehadnootherwayofescape.hehidfromkoch,pestryakovandtheporterintheflatwhennikolayanddmitrihadjustrunoutofit.hestoppedtherewhiletheporterandothersweregoingupstairs,waitedtilltheywereoutofhearing,andthenwentcalmlydownstairsattheveryminutewhendmitriandnikolayranoutintothestreetandtherewasnooneintheentry;possiblyhewasseen,butnotnoticed.therearelotsofpeoplegoinginandout.hemusthavedroppedtheear-ringsoutofhispocketwhenhestoodbehindthedoor,anddidnotnoticehedroppedthem,becausehehadotherthingstothinkof.thejewel-caseisaconclusiveproofthathedidstandthere.…that’showiexplainit.”

“tooclever!no,myboy,you’retooclever.thatbeatseverything.”

“but,why,why?”

“why,becauseeverythingfitstoowell…it’stoomelodramatic.”

“a-ach!”razumihinwasexclaiming,butatthatmomentthedooropenedandapersonagecameinwhowasastrangertoallpresent.