第49章

第49章hewasnotcompletelyunconscious,however,allthetimehewasill;hewasinafeverishstate,sometimesdelirious,sometimeshalfconscious.herememberedagreatdealafterwards.sometimesitseemedasthoughtherewereanumberofpeopleroundhim;theywantedtotakehimawaysomewhere,therewasagreatdealofsquabblinganddiscussingabouthim.thenhewouldbealoneintheroom;theyhadallgoneawayafraidofhim,andonlynowandthenopenedthedooracracktolookathim;theythreatenedhim,plottedsomethingtogether,laughed,andmockedathim.herememberednastasyaoftenathisbedside;hedistinguishedanotherperson,too,whomheseemedtoknowverywell,thoughhecouldnotrememberwhohewas,andthisfrettedhim,evenmadehimcry.sometimeshefanciedhehadbeenlyingthereamonth;atothertimesitallseemedpartofthesameday.butofthat—ofthathehadnorecollection,andyeteveryminutehefeltthathehadforgottensomethingheoughttoremember.heworriedandtormentedhimselftryingtoremember,moaned,flewintoarage,orsankintoawful,intolerableterror.thenheledtogetup,wouldhaverunaway,butsomeonealwayspreventedhimbyforce,andhesankbackintoimpotenceandforgetfulness.atlasthereturnedtocompleteconsciousness.

ithappenedatteno’clockinthemorning.onfinedaysthesunshoneintotheroomatthathour,throwingastreakoflightontherightwallandthecornernearthedoor.nastasyawasstandingbesidehimwithanotherperson,acompletestranger,whowaslookingathimveryinquisitively.hewasayoungmanwithabeard,wearingafull,short-waistedcoat,andlookedlikeamessenger.thelandladywaspeepinginatthehalf-openeddoor.raskolnikovsatup.

“whoisthis,nastasya?”heasked,pointingtotheyoungman.

“isay,he’shimselfagain!”shesaid.

“heishimself,”echoedtheman.

concludingthathehadreturnedtohissenses,thelandladyclosedthedooranddisappeared.shewasalwaysshyanddreadedconversationsordiscussions.shewasawomanofforty,notatallbad-looking,fatandbuxom,withblackeyesandeyebrows,good-naturedfromfatnessandlaziness,andabsurdlybashful.

“who…areyou?”hewenton,addressingtheman.butatthatmomentthedoorwasflungopen,and,stoopingalittle,ashewassotall,razumihincamein.

“whatacabinitis!”hecried.“iamalwaysknockingmyhead.youcallthisalodging!soyouareconscious,brother?i’vejustheardthenewsfrompashenka.”

“hehasjustcometo,”saidnastasya.

“justcometo,”echoedthemanagain,withasmile.

“andwhoareyou?”razumihinasked,suddenlyaddressinghim.“mynameisvrazumihin,atyourservice;notrazumihin,asiamalwayscalled,butvrazumihin,astudentandgentleman;andheismyfriend.andwhoareyou?”

“iamthemessengerfromouroffice,fromthemerchantshelopaev,andi’vecomeonbusiness.”

“pleasesitdown.”razumihinseatedhimselfontheothersideofthetable.“it’sagoodthingyou’vecometo,brother,”hewentontoraskolnikov.“forthelastfourdaysyouhavescarcelyeatenordrunkanything.wehadtogiveyouteainspoonfuls.ibroughtzossimovtoseeyoutwice.yourememberzossimov?heexaminedyoucarefullyandsaidatonceitwasnothingserious—somethingseemedtohavegonetoyourhead.somenervousnonsense,theresultofbadfeeding,hesaysyouhavenothadenoughbeerandradish,butit’snothingmuch,itwillpassandyouwillbeallright.zossimovisafirst-ratefellow!heismakingquiteaname.come,iwon’tkeepyou,”hesaid,addressingthemanagain.“willyouexplainwhatyouwant?youmustknow,rodya,thisisthesecondtimetheyhavesentfromtheoffice;butitwasanothermanlasttime,anditalkedtohim.whowasitcamebefore?”

“thatwasthedaybeforeyesterday,iventuretosay,ifyouplease,sir.thatwasalexeysemyonovitch;heisinouroffice,too.”

“hewasmoreintelligentthanyou,don’tyouthinkso?”

“yes,indeed,sir,heisofmoreweightthaniam.”

“quiteso;goon.”

“atyourmamma’srequest,throughafanasyivanovitchvahrushin,ofwhomipresumeyouhaveheardmorethanonce,aremittanceissenttoyoufromouroffice,”themanbegan,addressingraskolnikov.“ifyouareinanintelligiblecondition,i’vethirty-fiveroublestoremittoyou,assemyonsemyonovitchhasreceivedfromafanasyivanovitchatyourmamma’srequestinstructionstothateffect,asonpreviousoccasions.doyouknowhim,sir?”

“yes,iremember…vahrushin,”raskolnikovsaiddreamily.

“youhear,heknowsvahrushin,”criedrazumihin.“heisin‘anintelligiblecondition’!andiseeyouareanintelligentmantoo.well,it’salwayspleasanttohearwordsofwisdom.”

“that’sthegentleman,vahrushin,afanasyivanovitch.andattherequestofyourmamma,whohassentyouaremittanceoncebeforeinthesamemannerthroughhim,hedidnotrefusethistimealso,andsentinstructionstosemyonsemyonovitchsomedayssincetohandyouthirty-fiveroublesinthehopeofbettertocome.”

“that‘hopingforbettertocome’isthebestthingyou’vesaid,though‘yourmamma’isnotbadeither.comethen,whatdoyousay?ishefullyconscious,eh?”

“that’sallright.ifonlyhecansignthislittlepaper.”

“hecanscrawlhisname.haveyougotthebook?”

“yes,here’sthebook.”

“giveittome.here,rodya,situp.i’llholdyou.takethepenandscribble‘raskolnikov’forhim.forjustnow,brother,moneyissweetertousthantreacle.”

“idon’twantit,”saidraskolnikov,pushingawaythepen.

“notwantit?”

“iwon’tsignit.”

“howthedevilcanyoudowithoutsigningit?”

“idon’twant…themoney.”

“don’twantthemoney!come,brother,that’snonsense,ibearwitness.don’ttrouble,please,it’sonlythatheisonhistravelsagain.butthat’sprettycommonwithhimatalltimesthough.…youareamanofjudgmentandwewilltakehiminhand,thatis,moresimply,takehishandandhewillsignit.here.”

“buticancomeanothertime.”