第21章

第21章andtakingthepolicemanbythehandhedrewhimtowardstheseat.

“lookhere,hopelesslydrunk,andshehasjustcomedowntheboulevard.thereisnotellingwhoandwhatsheis,shedoesnotlooklikeaprofessional.it’smorelikelyshehasbeengivendrinkanddeceivedsomewhere…forthefirsttime…youunderstand?andthey’veputheroutintothestreetlikethat.lookatthewayherdressistorn,andthewayithasbeenputon:shehasbeendressedbysomebody,shehasnotdressedherself,anddressedbyunpractisedhands,byaman’shands;that’sevident.andnowlookthere:idon’tknowthatdandywithwhomiwasgoingtofight,iseehimforthefirsttime,buthe,too,hasseenherontheroad,justnow,drunk,notknowingwhatsheisdoing,andnowheisveryeagertogetholdofher,togetherawaysomewherewhilesheisinthisstate…that’scertain,believeme,iamnotwrong.isawhimmyselfwatchingherandfollowingher,butipreventedhim,andheisjustwaitingformetogoaway.nowhehaswalkedawayalittle,andisstandingstill,pretendingtomakeacigarette.…thinkhowcanwekeepheroutofhishands,andhowarewetogetherhome?”

thepolicemansawitallinaflash.thestoutgentlemanwaseasytounderstand,heturnedtoconsiderthegirl.thepolicemanbentovertoexaminehermoreclosely,andhisfaceworkedwithgenuinecompassion.

“ah,whatapity!”hesaid,shakinghishead—“why,sheisquiteachild!shehasbeendeceived,youcanseethatatonce.listen,lady,”hebeganaddressingher,“wheredoyoulive?”thegirlopenedherwearyandsleepy-lookingeyes,gazedblanklyatthespeakerandwavedherhand.

“here,”saidraskolnikovfeelinginhispocketandfindingtwentycopecks,“here,callacabandtellhimtodrivehertoheraddress.theonlythingistofindoutheraddress!”

“missy,missy!”thepolicemanbeganagain,takingthemoney.“i’llfetchyouacabandtakeyouhomemyself.whereshallitakeyou,eh?wheredoyoulive?”

“goaway!theywon’tletmealone,”thegirlmuttered,andoncemorewavedherhand.

“ach,ach,howshocking!it’sshameful,missy,it’sashame!”heshookhisheadagain,shocked,sympatheticandindignant.

“it’sadifficultjob,”thepolicemansaidtoraskolnikov,andashedidso,helookedhimupanddowninarapidglance.he,too,musthaveseemedastrangefiguretohim:dressedinragsandhandinghimmoney!

“didyoumeetherfarfromhere?”heaskedhim.

“itellyoushewaswalkinginfrontofme,ering,justhere,intheboulevard.sheonlyjustreachedtheseatandsankdownonit.”

“ah,theshamefulthingsthataredoneintheworldnowadays,godhavemercyonus!aninnocentcreaturelikethat,drunkalready!shehasbeendeceived,that’sasurething.seehowherdresshasbeentorntoo.…ah,theviceoneseesnowadays!andaslikelyasnotshebelongstogentlefolktoo,pooronesmaybe.…therearemanylikethatnowadays.shelooksrefined,too,asthoughshewerealady,”andhebentoverheroncemore.

perhapshehaddaughtersgrowinguplikethat,“lookinglikeladiesandrefined”withpretensionstogentilityandsmartness.…

“thechiefthingis,”raskolnikovpersisted,“tokeepheroutofthisscoundrel’shands!whyshouldheoutrageher!it’sasclearasdaywhatheisafter;ah,thebrute,heisnotmovingoff!”

raskolnikovspokealoudandpointedtohim.thegentlemanheardhim,andseemedabouttoflyintoarageagain,butthoughtbetterofit,andconfinedhimselftoacontemptuouslook.hethenwalkedslowlyanothertenpacesawayandagainhalted.

“keepheroutofhishandswecan,”saidtheconstablethoughtfully,“ifonlyshe’dtelluswheretotakeher,butasitis.…missy,hey,missy!”hebentoverheroncemore.

sheopenedhereyesfullyallofasudden,lookedathimintently,asthoughrealisingsomething,gotupfromtheseatandwalkedawayinthedirectionfromwhichshehadcome.“ohshamefulwretches,theywon’tletmealone!”shesaid,wavingherhandagain.shewalkedquickly,thougheringasbefore.thedandyfollowedher,butalonganotheravenue,keepinghiseyeonher.

“don’tbeanxious,iwon’tlethimhaveher,”thepolicemansaidresolutely,andhesetoffafterthem.

“ah,theviceoneseesnowadays!”herepeatedaloud,sighing.

atthatmomentsomethingseemedtostingraskolnikov;inaninstantacompleterevulsionoffeelingcameoverhim.

“hey,here!”heshoutedafterthepoliceman.

thelatterturnedround.

“letthembe!whatisittodowithyou?lethergo!lethimamusehimself.”hepointedatthedandy,“whatisittodowithyou?”

thepolicemanwasbewildered,andstaredathimopen-eyed.raskolnikovlaughed.

“well!”ejaculatedthepoliceman,withagestureofcontempt,andhewalkedafterthedandyandthegirl,probablytakingraskolnikovforamadmanorsomethingevenworse.