第10章

第10章marmeladovstoppedshort,asthoughhisvoicehadfailedhim.thenhehurriedlyfilledhisglass,drank,andclearedhisthroat.

“sincethen,sir,”hewentonafterabriefpause—“sincethen,owingtoanunfortunateoccurrenceandthroughinformationgivenbyevil-intentionedpersons—inallwhichdaryafrantsovnatookaleadingpartonthepretextthatshehadbeentreatedwithwantofrespect—sincethenmydaughtersofyasemyonovnahasbeenforcedtotakeayellowticket,andowingtothatsheisunabletogoonlivingwithus.forourlandlady,amaliafyodorovnawouldnothearofit(thoughshehadbackedupdaryafrantsovnabefore)andmr.lebeziatnikovtoo…hm.…allthetroublebetweenhimandkaterinaivanovnawasonsonia’saccount.atfirsthewasformakinguptosoniahimselfandthenallofasuddenhestoodonhisdignity:‘how,’saidhe,‘canahighlyeducatedmanlikemeliveinthesameroomswithagirllikethat?’andkaterinaivanovnawouldnotletitpass,shestoodupforher…andsothat’showithappened.andsoniacomestousnow,mostlyafterdark;shecomfortskaterinaivanovnaandgivesherallshecan.…shehasaroomatthekapernaumovs’thetailors,shelodgeswiththem;kapernaumovisalamemanwithacleftpalateandallofhisnumerousfamilyhavecleftpalatestoo.andhiswife,too,hasacleftpalate.theyallliveinoneroom,butsoniahasherown,partitionedoff.…hm…yes…verypoorpeopleandallwithcleftpalates…yes.thenigotupinthemorning,andputonmyrags,liftedupmyhandstoheavenandsetofftohisexcellencyivanafanasyvitch.hisexcellencyivanafanasyvitch,doyouknowhim?no?well,then,it’samanofgodyoudon’tknow.heiswax…waxbeforethefaceofthelord;evenaswaxmelteth!…hiseyesweredimwhenheheardmystory.‘marmeladov,oncealreadyyouhavedeceivedmyexpectations…i’lltakeyouoncemoreonmyownresponsibility’—that’swhathesaid,‘remember,’hesaid,‘andnowyoucango.’ikissedthedustathisfeet—inthoughtonly,forinrealityhewouldnothaveallowedmetodoit,beingastatesmanandamanofmodernpoliticalandenlightenedideas.ireturnedhome,andwheniannouncedthati’dbeentakenbackintotheserviceandshouldreceiveasalary,heavens,whatato-dotherewas…!”

marmeladovstoppedagaininviolentexcitement.atthatmomentawholepartyofrevellersalreadydrunkcameinfromthestreet,andthesoundsofahiredconcertinaandthecrackedpipingvoiceofachildofsevensinging“thehamlet”wereheardintheentry.theroomwasfilledwithnoise.thetavern-keeperandtheboyswerebusywiththenew-comers.marmeladovpayingnoattentiontothenewarrivalscontinuedhisstory.heappearedbynowtobeextremelyweak,butashebecamemoreandmoredrunk,hebecamemoreandmoretalkative.therecollectionofhisrecentessingettingthesituationseemedtorevivehim,andwaspositivelyreflectedinasortofradianceonhisface.raskolnikovlistenedattentively.

“thatwasfiveweeksago,sir.yes.…assoonaskaterinaivanovnaandsoniaheardofit,mercyonus,itwasasthoughisteppedintothekingdomofheaven.itusedtobe:youcanlielikeabeast,nothingbutabuse.nowtheywerewalkingontiptoe,hushingthechildren.‘semyonzaharovitchistiredwithhisworkattheoffice,heisresting,shh!’theymademecoffeebeforeiwenttoworkandboiledcreamforme!theybegantogetrealcreamforme,doyouhearthat?andhowtheymanagedtogettogetherthemoneyforadecentoutfit—elevenroubles,fiftycopecks,ican’tguess.boots,cottonshirt-fronts—mostmagnificent,auniform,theygotupallinsplendidstyle,forelevenroublesandahalf.thefirstmorningicamebackfromtheofficeifoundkaterinaivanovnahadcookedtwocoursesfordinner—soupandsaltmeatwithhorseradish—whichwehadneverdreamedoftillthen.shehadnotanydresses…noneatall,butshegotherselfupasthoughsheweregoingonavisit;andnotthatshe’danythingtodoitwith,shesmartenedherselfupwithnothingatall,she’ddoneherhairnicely,putonacleancollarofsomesort,cuffs,andthereshewas,quiteadifferentperson,shewasyoungerandbetterlooking.sonia,mylittledarling,hadonlyhelpedwithmoney‘forthetime,’shesaid,‘itwon’tdoformetocomeandseeyoutoooften.afterdarkmaybewhennoonecansee.’doyouhear,doyouhear?ilaydownforanapafterdinnerandwhatdoyouthink:thoughkaterinaivanovnahadquarrelledtothelastdegreewithourlandladyamaliafyodorovnaonlyaweekbefore,shecouldnotresistthenaskingherintocoffee.fortwohourstheyweresitting,whisperingtogether.‘semyonzaharovitchisintheserviceagain,now,andreceivingasalary,’saysshe,‘andhewenthimselftohisexcellencyandhisexcellencyhimselfcameouttohim,madealltheotherswaitandledsemyonzaharovitchbythehandbeforeeverybodyintohisstudy.’doyouhear,doyouhear?‘tobesure,’sayshe,‘semyonzaharovitch,rememberingyourpastservices,’sayshe,‘andinspiteofyourpropensitytothatfoolishweakness,sinceyoupromisenowandsincemoreoverwe’vegotonbadlywithoutyou,’(doyouhear,doyouhear;)‘andso,’sayshe,‘irelynowonyourwordasagentleman.’andallthat,letmetellyou,shehassimplymadeupforherself,andnotsimplyoutofwantonness,forthesakeofing;no,shebelievesitallherself,sheamusesherselfwithherownfancies,uponmywordshedoes!andidon’tblameherforit,no,idon’tblameher!…sixdaysagowhenibroughthermyfirstearningsinfull—twenty-threeroublesfortycopecksaltogether—shecalledmeherpoppet:‘poppet,’saidshe,‘mylittlepoppet.’andwhenwewerebyourselves,youunderstand?youwouldnotthinkmeabeauty,youwouldnotthinkmuchofmeasahusband,wouldyou?…well,shepinchedmycheek,‘mylittlepoppet,’saidshe.”