第45章

第45章“andwhatiftherehasbeenasearchalready?whatififindtheminmyroom?”

butherewashisroom.nothingandnooneinit.noonehadpeepedin.evennastasyahadnottouchedit.butheavens!howcouldhehaveleftallthosethingsinthehole?

herushedtothecorner,slippedhishandunderthepaper,pulledthethingsoutandlinedhispocketswiththem.therewereeightarticlesinall:twolittleboxeswithear-ringsorsomethingofthesort,hehardlylookedtosee;thenfoursmallleathercases.therewasachain,too,merelywrappedinnewspaperandsomethingelseinnewspaper,thatlookedlikeadecoration.…heputthemallinthedifferentpocketsofhisovercoat,andtheremainingpocketofhistrousers,tryingtoconcealthemasmuchaspossible.hetookthepurse,too.thenhewentoutofhisroom,leavingthedooropen.hewalkedquicklyandresolutely,andthoughhefeltshattered,hehadhissensesabouthim.hewasafraidofpursuit,hewasafraidthatinanotherhalf-hour,anotherquarterofanhourperhaps,instructionswouldbeissuedforhispursuit,andsoatallcosts,hemusthidealltracesbeforethen.hemustcleareverythingupwhilehestillhadsomestrength,somereasoningpowerlefthim.…wherewashetogo?

thathadlongbeensettled:“flingthemintothecanal,andalltraceshiddeninthewater,thethingwouldbeatanend.”sohehaddecidedinthenightofhisdeliriumwhenseveraltimeshehadhadtheimpulsetogetupandgoaway,tomakehaste,andgetridofitall.buttogetridofit,turnedouttobeaverydifficulttask.hewanderedalongthebankoftheekaterininskycanalforhalfanhourormoreandlookedseveraltimesatthestepsrunningdowntothewater,buthecouldnotthinkofcarryingouthisplan;eitherraftsstoodatthesteps’edge,andwomenwerewashingclothesonthem,orboatsweremooredthere,andpeoplewereswarmingeverywhere.moreoverhecouldbeseenandnoticedfromthebanksonallsides;itwouldlooksuspiciousforamantogodownonpurpose,stop,andthrowsomethingintothewater.andwhatiftheboxesweretofloatinsteadofsinking?andofcoursetheywould.evenasitwas,everyonehemetseemedtostareandlookround,asiftheyhadnothingtodobuttowatchhim.“whyisit,orcanitbemyfancy?”hethought.

atlastthethoughtstruckhimthatitmightbebettertogototheneva.therewerenotsomanypeoplethere,hewouldbelessobserved,anditwouldbemoreconvenientineveryway,aboveallitwasfurtheroff.hewonderedhowhecouldhavebeenwanderingforagoodhalf-hour,worriedandanxiousinthisdangerouspastwithoutthinkingofitbefore.andthathalf-hourhehadlostoveranirrationalplan,simplybecausehehadthoughtofitindelirium!hehadbecomeextremelyabsentandforgetfulandhewasawareofit.hecertainlymustmakehaste.

hewalkedtowardsthenevaalongv——prospect,butonthewayanotherideastruckhim.“whytotheneva?woulditnotbebettertogosomewherefaroff,totheislandsagain,andtherehidethethingsinsomesolitaryplace,inawoodorunderabush,andmarkthespotperhaps?”andthoughhefeltincapableofclearjudgment,theideaseemedtohimasoundone.buthewasnotdestinedtogothere.forcomingoutofv——prospecttowardsthesquare,hesawontheleftapassageleadingbetweentwoblankwallstoacourtyard.ontherighthand,theblankunwhitewashedwallofafour-storiedhousestretchedfarintothecourt;ontheleft,awoodenhoardingranparallelwithitfortwentypacesintothecourt,andthenturnedsharplytotheleft.herewasadesertedfenced-offplacewhererubbishofdifferentsortswaslying.attheendofthecourt,thecornerofalow,smutty,stoneshed,apparentlypartofsomeworkshop,peepedfrombehindthehoarding.itwasprobablyacarriagebuilder’sorcarpenter’sshed;thewholeplacefromtheentrancewasblackwithcoaldust.herewouldbetheplacetothrowit,hethought.notseeinganyoneintheyard,heslippedin,andatoncesawnearthegateasink,suchasisoftenputinyardswheretherearemanyworkmenorcab-drivers;andonthehoardingabovehadbeenscribbledinchalkthetime-honouredwitticism,“standingherestrictlyforbidden.”thiswasallthebetter,fortherewouldbenothingsuspiciousabouthisgoingin.“hereicouldthrowitallinaheapandgetaway!”

lookingroundoncemore,withhishandalreadyinhispocket,henoticedagainsttheouterwall,betweentheentranceandthesink,abigunhewnstone,weighingperhapssixtypounds.theothersideofthewallwasastreet.hecouldhearpassers-by,alwaysnumerousinthatpart,buthecouldnotbeseenfromtheentrance,unlesssomeonecameinfromthestreet,whichmightwellhappenindeed,sotherewasneedofhaste.

hebentdownoverthestone,seizedthetopofitfirmlyinbothhands,andusingallhisstrengthturneditover.underthestonewasasmallhollowintheground,andheimmediatelyemptiedhispocketintoit.thepurselayatthetop,andyetthehollowwasnotfilledup.thenheseizedthestoneagainandwithonetwistturneditback,sothatitwasinthesamepositionagain,thoughitstoodaverylittlehigher.buthescrapedtheearthaboutitandpresseditattheedgeswithhisfoot.nothingcouldbenoticed.