第51章

第51章“andallthatcouldbewished,indeed,ineveryrespect,”razumihinwenton,notatallembarrassedbyhissilence.

“ah,theslydog!”nastasyashriekedagain.thisconversationaffordedherunspeakabledelight.

“it’sapity,brother,thatyoudidnotsettoworkintherightwayatfirst.yououghttohaveapproachedherdifferently.sheis,sotospeak,amostountablecharacter.butwewilltalkabouthercharacterlater.…howcouldyouletthingscometosuchapassthatshegaveupsendingyouyourdinner?andthatiou?youmusthavebeenmadtosignaniou.andthatpromiseofmarriagewhenherdaughter,natalyayegorovna,wasalive?…iknowallaboutit!butiseethat’sadelicatematterandiamanass;forgiveme.but,talkingoffoolishness,doyouknowpraskovyapavlovnaisnotnearlysofoolishasyouwouldthinkatfirstsight?”

“no,”mumbledraskolnikov,lookingaway,butfeelingthatitwasbettertokeepuptheconversation.

“sheisn’t,isshe?”criedrazumihin,delightedtogetanansweroutofhim.“butsheisnotveryclevereither,eh?sheisessentially,essentiallyanountablecharacter!iamsometimesquiteataloss,iassureyou.…shemustbeforty;shesayssheisthirty-six,andofcourseshehaseveryrighttosayso.butiswearijudgeherintellectually,simplyfromthemetaphysicalpointofview;thereisasortofsymbolismsprungupbetweenus,asortofalgebraorwhatnot!idon’tunderstandit!well,that’sallnonsense.only,seeingthatyouarenotastudentnowandhavelostyourlessonsandyourclothes,andthatthroughtheyounglady’sdeathshehasnoneedtotreatyouasarelation,shesuddenlytookfright;andasyouhidinyourdenanddroppedallyouroldrelationswithher,sheplannedtogetridofyou.andshe’sbeencherishingthatdesignalongtime,butwassorrytolosetheiou,foryouassuredheryourselfthatyourmotherwouldpay.”

“itwasbaseofmetosaythat.…mymotherherselfisalmostaar…anditoldalietokeepmylodging…andbefed,”raskolnikovsaidloudlyanddistinctly.

“yes,youdidverysensibly.buttheworstofitisthatatthatpointmr.tchebarovturnsup,abusinessman.pashenkawouldneverhavethoughtofdoinganythingonherownaccount,sheistooretiring;butthebusinessmanisbynomeansretiring,andfirstthingheputsthequestion,‘isthereanyhopeofrealisingtheiou?’answer:thereis,becausehehasamotherwhowouldsaveherrodyawithherhundredandtwenty-fiveroublespension,ifshehastostarveherself;andasister,too,whowouldgointobondageforhissake.that’swhathewasbuildingupon.…whydoyoustart?iknowalltheinsandoutsofyouraffairsnow,mydearboy—it’snotfornothingthatyouweresoopenwithpashenkawhenyouwereherprospectiveson-in-law,andisayallthisasafriend.…butitellyouwhatitis;anhonestandsensitivemanisopen;andabusinessman‘listensandgoesoneating’youup.well,thenshegavetheioubywayofpaymenttothistchebarov,andwithouthesitationhemadeaformaldemandforpayment.wheniheardofallthisiwantedtoblowhimup,too,toclearmyconscience,butbythattimeharmonyreignedbetweenmeandpashenka,andiinsistedonstoppingthewholeaffair,engagingthatyouwouldpay.iwentsecurityforyou,brother.doyouunderstand?wecalledtchebarov,flunghimtenroublesandgottheioubackfromhim,andhereihavethehonourofpresentingittoyou.shetrustsyourwordnow.here,takeit,youseeihavetornit.”

razumihinputthenoteonthetable.raskolnikovlookedathimandturnedtothewallwithoututteringaword.evenrazumihinfeltatwinge.

“isee,brother,”hesaidamomentlater,“thatihavebeenplayingthefoolagain.ithoughtishouldamuseyouwithmychatter,andibelieveihaveonlymadeyoucross.”

“wasityouididnotrecognisewheniwasdelirious?”raskolnikovasked,afteramoment’spausewithoutturninghishead.

“yes,andyouflewintoarageaboutit,especiallywhenibroughtzametovoneday.”

“zametov?theheadclerk?whatfor?”raskolnikovturnedroundquicklyandfixedhiseyesonrazumihin.

“what’sthematterwithyou?…whatareyouupsetabout?hewantedtomakeyouracquaintancebecauseitalkedtohimalotaboutyou.…howcouldihavefoundoutsomuchexceptfromhim?heisacapitalfellow,brother,first-rate…inhisownway,ofcourse.nowwearefriends—seeeachotheralmosteveryday.ihavemovedintothispart,youknow.ihaveonlyjustmoved.i’vebeenwithhimtoluiseivanovnaonceortwice.…doyourememberluise,luiseivanovna?

“didisayanythingindelirium?”

“ishouldthinkso!youwerebesideyourself.”

“whatdidiraveabout?”

“whatnext?whatdidyouraveabout?whatpeopledoraveabout.…well,brother,nowimustnotlosetime.towork.”hegotupfromthetableandtookuphiscap.

“whatdidiraveabout?”