第56章

第56章“wait!heartheend.ofcoursetheysoughthighandlowfornikolay;theydetaineddushkinandsearchedhishouse;dmitri,too,wasarrested;thekolomenskymenalsowereturnedinsideout.andthedaybeforeyesterdaytheyarrestednikolayinatavernattheendofthetown.hehadgonethere,takenthesilvercrossoffhisneckandaskedforadramforit.theygaveittohim.afewminutesafterwardsthewomanwenttothecowshed,andthroughacrackinthewallshesawinthestableadjoininghehadmadeanooseofhissashfromthebeam,stoodonablockofwood,andwastryingtoputhisneckinthenoose.thewomanscreechedherhardest;peopleranin.‘sothat’swhatyouareupto!’‘takeme,’hesays,‘tosuch-and-suchapoliceofficer;i’llconfesseverything.’well,theytookhimtothatpolicestation—thatishere—withasuitableescort.sotheyaskedhimthisandthat,howoldheis,‘twenty-two,’andsoon.atthequestion,‘whenyouwereworkingwithdmitri,didn’tyouseeanyoneonthestaircaseatsuch-and-suchatime?’—answer:‘tobesurefolksmayhavegoneupanddown,butididnotnoticethem.’‘anddidn’tyouhearanything,anynoise,andsoon?’‘weheardnothingspecial.’‘anddidyouhear,nikolay,thatonthesamedaywidowso-and-soandhersisterweremurderedandrobbed?’‘ineverknewathingaboutit.thefirstiheardofitwasfromafanasypavlovitchthedaybeforeyesterday.’‘andwheredidyoufindtheear-rings?’‘ifoundthemonthepavement.“whydidn’tyougotoworkwithdmitritheotherday?’‘becauseiwasdrinking.’‘andwherewereyoudrinking?’‘oh,insuch-and-suchaplace.’‘whydidyourunawayfromdushkin’s?’‘becauseiwasawfullyfrightened.’‘whatwereyoufrightenedof?’‘thatishouldbeaccused.’‘howcouldyoubefrightened,ifyoufeltfreefromguilt?’now,zossimov,youmaynotbelieveme,thatquestionwasputliterallyinthosewords.iknowitforafact,itwasrepeatedtomeexactly!whatdoyousaytothat?”

“well,anyway,there’stheevidence.”

“iamnottalkingoftheevidencenow,iamtalkingaboutthatquestion,oftheirownideaofthemselves.well,sotheysqueezedandsqueezedhimandheconfessed:‘ididnotfinditinthestreet,butintheflatwhereiwaspaintingwithdmitri.’‘andhowwasthat?’‘why,dmitriandiwerepaintingthereallday,andwewerejustgettingreadytogo,anddmitritookabrushandpaintedmyface,andheranoffandiafterhim.iranafterhim,shoutingmyhardest,andatthebottomofthestairsiranrightagainsttheporterandsomegentlemen—andhowmanygentlemenwerethereidon’tremember.andtheportersworeatme,andtheotherporterswore,too,andtheporter’swifecameout,andsworeatus,too;andagentlemancameintotheentrywithalady,andhesworeatus,too,fordmitriandilayrightacrosstheway.igotholdofdmitri’shairandknockedhimdownandbeganbeatinghim.anddmitri,too,caughtmebythehairandbeganbeatingme.butwediditallnotfortemperbutinafriendlyway,forsport.andthendmitriescapedandranintothestreet,andiranafterhim;butididnotcatchhim,andwentbacktotheflatalone;ihadtoclearupmythings.ibeganputtingthemtogether,expectingdmitritocome,andthereinthepassage,inthecornerbythedoor,isteppedonthebox.isawitlyingtherewrappedupinpaper.itookoffthepaper,sawsomelittlehooks,undidthem,andintheboxweretheear-rings.…’”

“behindthedoor?lyingbehindthedoor?behindthedoor?”raskolnikovcriedsuddenly,staringwithablanklookofterroratrazumihin,andheslowlysatuponthesofa,leaningonhishand.

“yes…why?what’sthematter?what’swrong?”razumihin,too,gotupfromhisseat.

“nothing,”raskolnikovansweredfaintly,turningtothewall.allweresilentforawhile.

“hemusthavewakedfromadream,”razumihinsaidatlast,lookinginquiringlyatzossimov.thelatterslightlyshookhishead.

“well,goon,”saidzossimov.“whatnext?”

“whatnext?assoonashesawtheear-rings,forgettingdmitriandeverything,hetookuphiscapandrantodushkinand,asweknow,gotaroublefromhim.hetoldaliesayinghefoundtheminthestreet,andwentoffdrinking.hekeepsrepeatinghisoldstoryaboutthemurder:‘iknownothingofit,neverheardofittillthedaybeforeyesterday.’‘andwhydidn’tyoucometothepolicetillnow?’‘iwasfrightened.’‘andwhydidyoutrytohangyourself?’‘fromanxiety.’‘whatanxiety?’‘thatishouldbeaccusedofit.’well,that’sthewholestory.andnowwhatdoyousupposetheydeducedfromthat?”

“why,there’snosupposing.there’saclue,suchasitis,afact.youwouldn’thaveyourpaintersetfree?”

“nowthey’vesimplytakenhimforthemurderer.theyhaven’tashadowofdoubt.”

“that’snonsense.youareexcited.butwhatabouttheear-rings?youmustadmitthat,ifontheverysamedayandhourear-ringsfromtheoldwoman’sboxhavecomeintonikolay’shands,theymusthavecometheresomehow.that’sagooddealinsuchacase.”