第36章
第36章atlastwhentheunknownwasmountingtothefourthfloor,hesuddenlystarted,andeededinslippingneatlyandquicklybackintotheflatandclosingthedoorbehindhim.thenhetookthehookandsoftly,noiselessly,fixeditinthecatch.instincthelpedhim.whenhehaddonethis,hecrouchedholdinghisbreath,bythedoor.theunknownvisitorwasbynowalsoatthedoor.theywerenowstandingoppositeoneanother,ashehadjustbeforebeenstandingwiththeoldwoman,whenthedoordividedthemandhewaslistening.
thevisitorpantedseveraltimes.“hemustbeabig,fatman,”thoughtraskolnikov,squeezingtheaxeinhishand.itseemedlikeadreamindeed.thevisitortookholdofthebellandrangitloudly.
assoonasthetinbelltinkled,raskolnikovseemedtobeawareofsomethingmovingintheroom.forsomesecondshelistenedquiteseriously.theunknownrangagain,waitedandsuddenlyedviolentlyandimpatientlyatthehandleofthedoor.raskolnikovgazedinhorroratthehookshakinginitsfastening,andinblankterrorexpectedeveryminutethatthefasteningwouldbepulledout.itcertainlydidseempossible,soviolentlywasheshakingit.hewastemptedtoholdthefastening,buthemightbeawareofit.agiddinesscameoverhimagain.“ishallfalldown!”flashedthroughhismind,buttheunknownbegantospeakandherecoveredhimselfatonce.
“what’sup?aretheyasleepormurdered?d-damnthem!”hebawledinathickvoice,“hey,alyonaivanovna,oldwitch!lizavetaivanovna,hey,mybeauty!openthedoor!oh,damnthem!aretheyasleeporwhat?”
andagain,enraged,heedwithallhismightadozentimesatthebell.hemustcertainlybeamanofauthorityandanintimateacquaintance.
atthismomentlighthurriedstepswereheardnotfaroff,onthestairs.someoneelsewasapproaching.raskolnikovhadnotheardthematfirst.
“youdon’tsaythere’snooneathome,”thenew-comercriedinacheerful,ringingvoice,addressingthefirstvisitor,whostillwentonpullingthebell.“goodevening,koch.”
“fromhisvoicehemustbequiteyoung,”thoughtraskolnikov.
“whothedevilcantell?i’vealmostbrokenthelock,”answeredkoch.“buthowdoyoucometoknowme?
“why!thedaybeforeyesterdayibeatyouthreetimesrunningatbilliardsatgambrinus’.”
“oh!”
“sotheyarenotathome?that’squeer.it’sawfullystupidthough.wherecouldtheoldwomanhavegone?i’vecomeonbusiness.”
“yes;andihavebusinesswithher,too.”
“well,whatcanwedo?goback,isuppose,aie—aie!andiwashopingtogetsomemoney!”criedtheyoungman.
“wemustgiveitup,ofcourse,butwhatdidshefixthistimefor?theoldwitchfixedthetimeformetocomeherself.it’soutofmyway.andwherethedevilshecanhavegotto,ican’tmakeout.shesitsherefromyear’sendtoyear’send,theoldhag;herlegsarebadandyethereallofasuddensheisoutforawalk!”
“hadn’twebetterasktheporter?”
“what?”
“whereshe’sgoneandwhenshe’llbeback.”
“hm.…damnitall!…wemightask.…butyouknowsheneverdoesgoanywhere.”
andheoncemoreedatthedoor-handle.
“damnitall.there’snothingtobedone,wemustgo!”
“stay!”criedtheyoungmansuddenly.“doyouseehowthedoorshakesifyoupullit?”
“well?”
“thatshowsit’snotlocked,butfastenedwiththehook!doyouhearhowthehookclanks?”
“well?”
“why,don’tyousee?thatprovesthatoneofthemisathome.iftheywereallout,theywouldhavelockedthedoorfromtheoutsidewiththekeyandnotwiththehookfrominside.there,doyouhearhowthehookisclanking?tofastenthehookontheinsidetheymustbeathome,don’tyousee.sotheretheyaresittinginsideanddon’topenthedoor!”
“well!andsotheymustbe!”criedkoch,astonished.“whataretheyaboutinthere?”andhebeganfuriouslyshakingthedoor.
“stay!”criedtheyoungmanagain.“don’tpullatit!theremustbesomethingwrong.…here,you’vebeenringingandpullingatthedoorandstilltheydon’topen!soeitherthey’vebothfaintedor…”
“what?”
“itellyouwhat.let’sgofetchtheporter,lethimwakethemup.”
“allright.”
bothweregoingdown.
“stay.youstopherewhileirundownfortheporter.”
“whatfor?”
“well,you’dbetter.”
“allright.”
“i’mstudyingthelawyousee!it’sevident,e-vi-dentthere’ssomethingwronghere!”theyoungmancriedhotly,andherandownstairs.
kochremained.oncemorehesoftlytouchedthebellwhichgaveonetinkle,thengently,asthoughreflectingandlookingabouthim,begantouchingthedoor-handlepullingitandlettingitgotomakesureoncemorethatitwasonlyfastenedbythehook.thenpuffingandpantinghebentdownandbeganlookingatthekeyhole:butthekeywasinthelockontheinsideandsonothingcouldbeseen.