第53章

第53章“iamquitewell,iamnotill.razumihin,haveyoubeenherelong?”

“itellyoui’vebeenwaitingforthelastthreehours.”

“no,before.”

“howdoyoumean?”

“howlonghaveyoubeencominghere?”

“whyitoldyouallaboutitthismorning.don’tyouremember?”

raskolnikovpondered.themorningseemedlikeadreamtohim.hecouldnotrememberalone,andlookedinquiringlyatrazumihin.

“hm!”saidthelatter,“hehasforgotten.ifanciedthenthatyouwerenotquiteyourself.nowyouarebetterforyoursleep.…youreallylookmuchbetter.first-rate!well,tobusiness.lookhere,mydearboy.”

hebeganuntyingthebundle,whichevidentlyinterestedhim.

“believeme,brother,thisissomethingspeciallynearmyheart.forwemustmakeamanofyou.let’sbeginfromthetop.doyouseethiscap?”hesaid,takingoutofthebundleafairlygoodthoughcheapandordinarycap.“letmetryiton.”

“presently,afterwards,”saidraskolnikov,wavingitoffpettishly.

“come,rodya,myboy,don’topposeit,afterwardswillbetoolate;andishan’tsleepallnight,foriboughtitbyguess,withoutmeasure.justright!”hecriedtriumphantly,fittingiton,“justyoursize!aproperhead-coveringisthefirstthingindressandarecommendationinitsownway.tolstyakov,afriendofmine,isalwaysobligedtotakeoffhispuddingbasinwhenhegoesintoanypublicplacewhereotherpeopleweartheirhatsorcaps.peoplethinkhedoesitfromslavishpoliteness,butit’ssimplybecauseheisashamedofhisbird’snest;heissuchaboastfulfellow!look,nastasya,herearetwospecimensofheadgear:thispalmerston”—hetookfromthecornerraskolnikov’sold,batteredhat,whichforsomeunknownreason,hecalledapalmerston—“orthisjewel!guesstheprice,rodya,whatdoyousupposeipaidforit,nastasya!”hesaid,turningtoher,seeingthatraskolnikovdidnotspeak.

“twentycopecks,nomore,idaresay,”answerednastasya.

“twentycopecks,silly!”hecried,offended.“why,nowadaysyouwouldcostmorethanthat—eightycopecks!andthatonlybecauseithasbeenworn.andit’sboughtonconditionthatwhen’sit’swornout,theywillgiveyouanothernextyear.yes,onmyword!well,nowletuspasstotheunitedstatesofamerica,astheycalledthematschool.iassureyouiamproudofthesebreeches,”andheexhibitedtoraskolnikovapairoflight,summertrousersofgreywoollenmaterial.“noholes,nospots,andquiterespectable,althoughalittleworn;andawaistcoattomatch,quiteinthefashion.anditsbeingwornreallyisanimprovement,it’ssofter,smoother.…yousee,rodya,tomythinking,thegreatthingforgettingonintheworldisalwaystokeeptotheseasons;ifyoudon’tinsistonhavingasparagusinjanuary,youkeepyourmoneyinyourpurse;andit’sthesamewiththispurchase.it’ssummernow,soi’vebeenbuyingsummerthings—warmermaterialswillbewantedforautumn,soyouwillhavetothrowtheseawayinanycase…especiallyastheywillbedoneforbythenfromtheirownlackofcoherenceifnotyourhigherstandardofluxury.come,pricethem!whatdoyousay?tworoublestwenty-fivecopecks!andrememberthecondition:ifyouweartheseout,youwillhaveanothersuitfornothing!theyonlydobusinessonthatsystematfedyaev’s;ifyou’veboughtathingonce,youaresatisfiedforlife,foryouwillnevergothereagainofyourownfreewill.nowfortheboots.whatdoyousay?youseethattheyareabitworn,butthey’lllastacoupleofmonths,forit’sforeignworkandforeignleather;thesecretaryoftheenglishembassysoldthemlastweek—hehadonlywornthemsixdays,buthewasveryshortofcash.price—aroubleandahalf.abargain?”

“butperhapstheywon’tfit,”observednastasya.

“notfit?justlook!”andhepulledoutofhispocketraskolnikov’sold,brokenboot,stifflycoatedwithdrymud.“ididnotgoempty-handed—theytookthesizefromthismonster.wealldidourbest.andastoyourlinen,yourlandladyhasseentothat.here,tobeginwitharethreeshirts,hempenbutwithafashionablefront.…wellnowthen,eightycopecksthecap,tworoublestwenty-fivecopecksthesuit—togetherthreeroublesfivecopecks—aroubleandahalffortheboots—for,yousee,theyareverygood—andthatmakesfourroublesfifty-fivecopecks;fiveroublesfortheunderclothes—theywereboughtinthelo—whichmakesexactlynineroublesfifty-fivecopecks.forty-fivecopeckschangeincoppers.willyoutakeit?andso,rodya,youaresetupwithacompletenewrig-out,foryourovercoatwillserve,andevenhasastyleofitsown.thatcomesfromgettingone’sclothesfromsharmer’s!asforyoursocksandotherthings,ileavethemtoyou;we’vetwenty-fiveroublesleft.andasforpashenkaandpayingforyourlodging,don’tyouworry.itellyoushe’lltrustyouforanything.andnow,brother,letmechangeyourlinen,foridaresayyouwillthrowoffyourillnesswithyourshirt.”

“letmebe!idon’twantto!”raskolnikovwavedhimoff.hehadlistenedwithdisgusttorazumihin’seffortstobeplayfulabouthispurchases.

“come,brother,don’ttellmei’vebeentrudgingaroundfornothing,”razumihininsisted.“nastasya,don’tbebashful,buthelpme—that’sit,”andinspiteofraskolnikov’sresistancehechangedhislinen.thelattersankbackonthepillowsandforaminuteortwosaidnothing.

“itwillbelongbeforeigetridofthem,”hethought.“whatmoneywasallthatboughtwith?”heaskedatlast,gazingatthewall.

“money?why,yourown,whatthemessengerbroughtfromvahrushin,yourmothersentit.haveyouforgottenthat,too?”

“iremembernow,”saidraskolnikovafteralong,sullensilence.razumihinlookedathim,frowninganduneasy.

thedooropenedandatall,stoutmanwhoseappearanceseemedfamiliartoraskolnikovcamein.