INTRODUCTION

Thedecadeofthe1860swasoneofthemostturbulentinRussianhistory.

Russia’signominiousdefeatintheCrimeanWarhadexposedthedeficienciesof
theautocracy;theaccessionofAlexanderIItothethronein1855promised
significantchanges.Hisreignisknownas“theeraofgreatreforms.”Organsfor
localself-government( zemstvos)wereestablishedtodealwithlocaleconomic
needs;judicialreformswereinstitutedtopromotethespeedyandequitable
administrationofjustice;andmilitaryreformswereenactedtomodernizethe
Russianarmy.ThegreatestandbestknownofAlexander’s“greatreforms”was,
ofcourse,thelong-awaitedemancipationoftheserfsin1861(twoyearsbefore
Lincoln’sEmancipationProclamationfreeingtheslaves).

FyodorDostoevsky’s CrimeandPunishment wasfirstpublishedinthe

literaryjournalthe RussianMessenger intwelvemonthlyinstallmentsduring
1866,inthemiddleofthisturbulentdecade.Thenovelreflectsthesocial
upheavalandthemajorchangesinRussiansocietyaftercenturiesofserfdom.

Withgrowingmigrationtothecities,povertybecameaconstanthardshipfor
newurbandwellers.Therewasanincreaseinviolenceasaresultofdifficult
economicconditions.Themurderraterose,andtheRussianpressreportedon
horrendouscrimesingraphicdetail.Drunkenness,prostitution,disease,
unemployment,familybreakups,andabandonedchildrenallcametotypifythe
natureofRussianrealityinthe1860s.

Anewgenerationofyoungpeopleadvancedavarietyofradicalnewideas.

Theliberal“menofthe’40s”weregraduallyreplacedbytheradical“menofthe

’60s.”IvanTurgenev’snovel FathersandChildren(1862)popularizedthe
figureofthe“nihilist”(apersonwhorejectsallestablishedreligiousandmoral
principles)inhisheroBazarov.NikolaiChernyshevsky,inhiscontroversial work
WhatIstoBeDone? (1863),developedatheoryofrationalegoismbased
ontheideasofEnglishutilitariansandFrenchutopiansocialists.Active
polemicsbetweentheoldergenerationandthe“newpeople”werecarriedonin
thepress.Dostoevskywasstronglyopposedtotheseradicalnewideasand
challengedtheminconsiderabledepthinhisjournalisticwritingsandinhis fiction.

FyodorMikhailovichDostoevskywasbornin1821atSt.Mary’sHospitalfor
theMoscowpoor,wherehisfatherservedonthestaffafteracareerinthe

theMoscowpoor,wherehisfatherservedonthestaffafteracareerinthe
Russianarmymedicalservice.HisgrandfatherhadbeenaUniatepriest,andthe
familyclaimedtohavedescendedfromseventeenth-centurynobility.

Dostoevsky’smotherwasthedaughterofMoscowmerchants.

From1837to1843,theyoungmanattendedtheMilitaryEngineeringSchool
inSt.Petersburg,followedbyabriefperiodofgovernmentservice.In1839,
whilestillatschool,Dostoevskylearnedthathisfatherhadbeenmurderedby
peasantsonthesmallestatehehadrecentlypurchasedjustsouthofMoscow.

Theexactcircumstanceswereunclear,buttheeventmadeanenormous
impressionontheyoungmanandwasreflectedinhislaterwriting.

Duringthistime,DostoevskyreadwidelyinRussianandWesternliteratures.

AmongRussianwriters,hereadtheworksofKaramzin,Pushkin,and
Lermontov.HeespeciallyadmiredGogol,whoseintenselyimaginativewritings
emphasizedtheplightofthedowntrodden“littlepeople”ofthecapital.Among
Europeanauthors,DostoevskyreadHomer,Shakespeare,theFrenchdramatists,
Diderot,Voltaire,Hugo,Zola,Balzac,Goethe,Schiller,andDickens.In1844,
Dostoevskyresignedhispositionintheserviceanddecidedtotryhisluckinthe
literaryworldofSt.Petersburg.HisfirstendeavorwasatranslationofBalzac’s
EugénieGrandet, anovelfocusedongreed,money,love,obsession,andself-
sacrifice.

Dostoevsky’sfirstoriginalworkwasanepistolarynovelentitled PoorFolk
(1846)aboutanimpoverishedcopyclerkwhoishopelesslyinlovewithayoung
womanhecanneverpossess.ThepreeminentRussiancriticVissarionBelinsky
wasdelightedwiththeworkandproclaimedthata“newGogol”hadarrivedon
theliteraryscene.Unfortunately,hissecondwork,publishedthesameyear,was
muchlesswellreceived. TheDouble, apsychologicaltaleoffantasy,obsession,
andmadness,wasdismissedbythecriticsbecausetheauthorappearedtohave
abandonedthesocialandpoliticalthemesthatcharacterized PoorFolk.

Someyearsearlier,Dostoevskyhadbegunattendingmeetingsofthe
PetrashevskyCircle,aliterarydiscussiongroupinSt.Petersburgorganizedby
MikhailPetrashevsky,afolloweroftheFrenchutopiansocialistCharlesFourier.

Themembersofthecircleincludedwriters,teachers,students,minor
governmentofficials,andarmyofficers.Whiledifferingintheirpoliticalviews,
mostofthemwereopponentsofthetsaristautocracyandRussianserfdom.At
onemeetingin1847,DostoevskyreadaloudBelinsky’sforbidden“Letterto
Gogol,”inwhichGogolwaspilloriedforgivingupprogressivesocialthemesin
favorofreligiousconservatism.Themeetingwasinterruptedbythepoliceand
theparticipantsarrested.Dostoevskywasinterrogated,jailed,andcondemnedto
death.Hewasledouttoaparadegroundtobeshot,butatthelastminutea
reprievearrivedandhewassparedexecutioninagestureepitomizingTsar

reprievearrivedandhewassparedexecutioninagestureepitomizingTsar
NicholasI’scruelflairformelodrama.

Dostoevsky’ssentencewascommutedtohardlaborandhespentthe1850s
firstinaprisonlaborcampandtheninexileasanarmyprivate.Hewas
permittedtoreturntoSt.Petersburgsometenyearslaterunderthemore
enlightenedreignofAlexanderII.

Uponhisreturn,hewroteandpublishedaprisonmemoirentitled Notesfrom
theHouseoftheDead(1860–62),inwhichhedescribedhisownexperienceas
wellasthelivesofthevarietyofprisonershe’dencounteredinSiberia.Oneyear
afterthat,hepublishedhis NotesfromUnderground(1864),thefirstpartof
whichwasaspiritedpolemicagainstChernyshevsky’srationalegoismand
utilitarianismasexpressedin WhatIstoBeDone? Thesecondpartofthis
deeplyprobingwork,anefforttoexplainhowandwhytheherohastakenrefuge
intheunderground,revealstheundergroundman’scharacterinthreedistinct
novelisticepisodes.Thisstrangeworkhasbeendescribedasa“prologue”tothe
author’s“five-acttragedy”—thatis,asanintroductiontoDostoevsky’sfive
majornovelswrittenbetween1866and1880: CrimeandPunishment(1866),
TheIdiot(1868–69), Devils(or Demons or ThePossessed, 1871–72), TheRaw
Youth(or TheAdolescent, 1875),and TheBrothersKaramazov(1880).

CrimeandPunishment(1866)haslongbeenconsideredthequintessential
Russiannovel.WhenitwastranslatedintoEnglishin1886,thecriticalreaction
toitwasmixed:ontheonehand,itwasgreetedasa“workofextraordinary
excellence,asanovelofahithertounknownstirringrealism”;ontheotherhand,
thebookwascondemnedas“incoherentandinartistic.” *

Thereisnodoubtthat CrimeandPunishment remainsthesinglemostwidely

knownRussiannovel.Inadditiontocapturingtheattentionofalargegeneral
readershipsincethetimeofitsappearance,itcontinuestobeincludedeveryyear
innumerouscollegeanduniversitycourses,notonlyonRussianliterature,but
alsoonRussianhistoryandculture,andinsurveysoftheEuropeannoveland
worldliterature.Thebookhasalsobeenwidelyadoptedforuseinsecondary
schools.Studentsofallagesandbackgroundsrespondwithpassionate
attentivenesstothisclassictext;itsliterary,historical,cultural,andspiritual
valuesstillspeaktothemandprovokevigorous,wide-rangingdiscussions.The
novelisalsoapopularchoiceofbookclubs,readinggroups,andstudycircles.

Inacurioustwistoffateforthenovel’sreputation,whentheyoung

“hacker/whistleblower”EdwardSnowdenwasrestrictedtothetransitareaofthe

Moscowairport,hislawyerthoughtfullyprovidedhimwithappropriatereading
materialtooccupyhistimeandpreparehimforwhatmightturnouttobea
longerstayinRussia.Tothatend,hepresentedSnowdenwithworksbythree
Russianwriters,includingonlyonenovel:Dostoevsky’s CrimeandPunishment.

AtranslatorofDostoevskyfacesmanychallengesandchoices.Modernliterary
RussianconsistsofasplendidamalgamationofthespokendialectoftheEastern
Slavs(theso-calledOldRussian)andtheancientwrittenlanguageofthe
RussianOrthodoxChurch(knownasOldChurchSlavonic).Thislinguistic
blendhas,sincethetimeofPushkin,providedanexceptionallyrichsourceof
imagesanddictionforRussianwriters.Forexample,earlyinDostoevsky’s
novel(partI,chapter2),hishero,Raskolnikov,stumblesintoatavernand
encounterstheextravagantlymorosefigureofMarmeladov,whoimmediately
sensesasympatheticlistenerandpromptlylaunchesintohislong,patheticlife
story.Tauntedbyruderemarksfromthetavernkeeperandsomeinebriated
patrons,Marmeladovconcludeswithwhatcanonlybecalleda“sermon,”ina
proclamatorybiblicalstylethatweavesquotationsfromtheGospelintohisown
speech,andthatbeforeourveryeyesimprobablybuteffectivelytransformshim
intohisownliteraryversionofChrist.Marmeladovgoessofarastoimpersonate
ChristandtospeakinwhathetakestobeHisvoice.Thiscombinationofsolemn
rhetoricaleloquenceandgrotesquecomedyisunparalleledinliterature.It
introducestheprincipalreligiousthemeofthework,onethatwillappearin
Raskolnikov’sfirstdream,inallofhisepiphanicmoments(usuallyashe
wandersaroundSt.Petersburg),andreachitsfinalforminthefrequently
misunderstood,muchmaligned,butclearlyindispensableEpiloguetothenovel.

Inthistranslation,Iattempttoexpresstherichnessofregistersortones—and
thustheextraordinarypoignancy—ofsuchdecisivemoments.

Dostoevsky’scharactersmustbeseenasunmistakablydistinctindividuals—

notonlythemainfigures(Raskolnikov,Sonya,Svidrigaylov,andPorfiry
Petrovich),butalsothesecondaryones(Marmeladov,Razumikhin,Dunya,
Luzhin,etc.).EachcharacterspeaksinhisorherownRussianidiolect.Itisthe
translator’stasktocapturethedistinctcharacteristicsoftheirindividualspeech.

Eventheleastimportantfiguresprovetobealtogetheruniqueandengaging;for
example,thedrunkenpeasantsinRaskolnikov’sfirstdream,thoughtotally
illiterate,aremadevividlyandhilariouslypresentbyvirtueofthequirkinessof
theirspeech,whichisrude,abusive,andriotous.

Inaddition,thisversionattemptstoconveyDostoevsky’sfineandsubtle
senseofhumor.Hisdescriptionsanddialoguesbrimoverwithwit,irony,and

senseofhumor.Hisdescriptionsanddialoguesbrimoverwithwit,irony,and
sarcasm.TheplayfulreparteebetweentheheroRaskolnikovandtheexamining
magistratePorfiryPetrovichprovidesnumerousopportunitiesfortheauthorto
display,andthetranslatortoconvey,thatcunninghumor.However,inorderto
doso,thetranslatorneedstodevelopagenuinefeelforthesubtletoneanda
senseofthedelicatetiming,andalsobeabletoexpresstheauthor’squickand
unexpectedshiftsindiction.

Therearenumerouswaystoread CrimeandPunishment andendlessrichesto

bediscoveredwhenrereadingthebook.Iwouldliketocallthereader’sattention
tojustafewofthese.Duringthecourseofthenovel,Raskolnikovhasaseriesof
disturbingdreams.Theseepisodesareofcrucialimportanceincharacterizingthe
hero,exploringhismotives,revealinghisconscience,anddevelopingthebook’s
definingthemes.FromthefirstdreamofthebeatenmareinpartItothefinal
dreamoftheAsianplagueintheEpilogue,Raskolnikov’s“subconscious”is
sendingtheheroandthereaderimportantcommunications,reportsfromhidden
dimensionsofhisexperiencethatmustnotbeignored. †

Iwouldalsoliketodrawthereader’sattentiontowhatIwouldrefertoasthe many“-
cides”ofDostoevsky.ThecriticMikhailBakhtinremindsusthatwhile
Tolstoywritesatlengthinhisfictionaboutthesubjectofdeath,Dostoevsky
writesnovelsaboutmurders. CrimeandPunishment beginswithadouble
homicide;itcontainsallegoricalsuicides(“Ikilledmyself,”saysRaskolnikovto
Sonya,“nottheoldwoman”),aswellasanactualsuicideandanattempted
suicide;onecriticevendevelopsthethemeofRaskolnikov’sdisplaced,
allegorical“matricide”inkillingthepawnbroker,aswellashisculpabilityinhis
ownmother’sdeathasdescribedintheEpilogue. ‡

ThatEpiloguecontinuestopuzzlemanyreaders.Doesitrepresenta
significantdeparturefromthetext?Isitmerelyanartificialwaytoendthenovel
andthehero’ssuffering?Orisitjustifiedbythehero’sstrivingforsome
ultimateillumination,movingbeyondthepartialilluminationprovidedbythe
numerousepiphanicmomentsheexperiencesduringthecourseoftheaction?In
theauthor’s Notebooks containingplansanddraftsofthenovel,wefindthe
fascinatinghintofanalternativeconclusion:“TheEndoftheNovel:
Raskolnikovgoestoshoothimself.” §Inviewofthisdarkerpossibility,the
readerisfreetomakeuphisorherownmindaboutthemeaningoftheEpilogue
anditsappropriatenessasthelastwordinthisextraordinarynovel.

Aworkpreoccupiedwithmurderanditsimplications, Crimeand Punishment

isfirstandforemostafascinatingdetectivenovel—butoneinwhich
weknowfromtheverybeginningwhocommittedtheheinouscrime.Asone
criticwittilyobserved,thenovelisnota“whodunnit?”butrathera“whyhe
dunnit?”Onthis,the150thanniversaryofthework’spublication,itisaltogether
fittingtopresentanewtranslationasanactofcelebration.Iofferthisversionto
thereaderinthehopesofhelpingextendthelifeofthisirreplaceablebookasfar
intothefutureascanbeimagined.

MichaelR.Katz

MiddleburyCollege

December2016

*HelenMuchnic, Dostoevsky’sEnglishReputation, 1881–

1936(NewYork:OctagonBooks,1969),10.

† Foradetaileddiscussion,seemy DreamsandtheUnconsciousin
NineteenthCentury RussianFiction
(Hanover,NH:UniversityPressofNewEngland,1984),95–105.

‡EdwardWasiolek,“Raskolnikov’sMotives:LoveandMurder,” AmericanImago
31(Fall1974):252–69.

§ TheNotebooksfor“CrimeandPunishment,
”editedandtranslatedbyEdwardWasiolek(Chicago:
UniversityofChicagoPress,1967),243.

NOTEONTHETRANSLATION

Theeditionusedforthistranslationisvolume6ofDostoevsky’s Polnoe
sobraniesochineniivtridtsatitomakh(CompleteCollectedWorksinThirty
Volumes)publishedinLeningradbyNaukain1973.

Iamindebtedtomypredecessorsandtotheirversionsof Crimeand
Punishment:wealllearnfromeachother,andtranslationbecomesa
collaborativeenterprise.

Iwishtoexpressmysinceregratitudetomycolleaguesandstudentsat
MiddleburyCollege:inparticular,ProfessorStephenDonadioforhisunflagging
encouragementandwiseadvice,lectureremeritaAlyaBakerforherinvaluable
helpwiththeoriginaltext,ChristopherRossforhisexcellenteditingand
proofreading,andMatthewBlakeforhisnumerousquestionsandsuggestions;
andtomywife,MaryDodge,andourdaughter,RebeccaEsko,fortheir
continuedloveandsupport.

IamalsogratefultoCarolBemis,myeditoratNorton,andherstafffor
guidingthisworkthroughtocompletion.

NAMESOFPRINCIPALCHARACTERS

Raskólnikov,RodiónRománovichorRománych

(Ródya,Ródenka,Ródka)PulkhériyaAleksándrovna—hismotherAvdótya
Románovna(Dúnya,Dúnechka)—hissisterRazumíkhinorVrazumíkhin,
DmítryProkófich—hisfriendAlyónaIvánovna—thepawnbroker
LizavétaIvánovna—hersister

Marmeládov,SemyónZakhárovichorZakhárych—formercivilservantKaterína
Ivánovna—hiswife

SófiyaSemyónovna(Sónya,Sónechka)—hisdaughterThreeother
children:Polína(Pólya,Pólenka,Pólechka)Lénya(Lída,Lídochka) Kólya(Kólka)

Svidrigáylov,ArkádyIvánovich—landlord;Dunya’sformeremployerMárfa
Petróvna—hiswife

Lúzhin,PétrPetróvich—Dunya’sfiancéLebezyátnikov,AndréySemyónovich
orSemyónych—hisfriendPorfíryPetróvich—examiningmagistrate;distant
relativeofRazumikhin’sLippevékhsel,AmáliyaIvánovna—Marmeladov’s
landladyZosímov—adoctor

Zamétov,AleksándrGrigórevich—chiefpoliceclerkIlyáPetróvich—nicknamed

“Pórokh”(gunpowder)—policelieutenant

NOTEONTHECHARACTERS’NAMES
Raskolnikov
raskól=schism; raskólnik=schismaticordissenter Razumikhin

rázum=reason,goodsense
Marmeladov
marmelád=jam,jelly
Sofiya
“wisdom”(Greek)
Luzhin
lúzha=puddle,pool
Lebezyatnikov
lebezít’=tofawn,cringe

InthebeginningofJuly,duringanextremelyhotspell,towardevening,ayoung
manlefthistinyroom,whichhesubletfromsometenantswholivedin
StolyarnyiLane,steppedoutontothestreet,andslowly,asifindecisively,set
offtowardstheKokushkinBridge.

Hehadsuccessfullymanagedtoavoidmeetinghislandladyonthestaircase.

Hissmallroom,morelikeaclosetthananapartment,wastuckedundertheroof
ofatallfive-storybuilding.Thelandladyoftheapartment,whorentedhimthis
roomandprovidedbothdinnerandaservant,livedbelowinaseparate
apartmentonthesamestaircase;everytimehelefttogoout,hehadtopassthe
landlady’skitchendoor,whichwasalmostalwaysleftopenontothelanding.

Everytimetheyoungmanpassed,hefeltapainfulandfearfulsensation,one
thathewasashamedofandthatmadehimwince.Hewasdeeplyindebttothe
landladyandwasafraidtofaceher.

Itwasn’tthathewassofearfulandcowed;infact,itwasjusttheopposite;
butforsometimehehadbeeninanirritableandanxiousstate,similarto
hypochondria.Hehadbecomesoabsorbedinhimselfandsoisolatedfrom
othersthathewasafraidofmeetinganyone,notonlyhislandlady.Hewas
crushedbypoverty,butevenhisconstrainedcircumstanceshadceasedtoburden
himoflate.Hehadcompletelystoppedhandlinghisowneverydayaffairsand
didn’twishtodealwiththem.Hewasnotactuallyafraidofhislandlady,no
matterwhatsheintendedtodotohim.Buttostoponthestaircase,putupwith
allsortsofnonsenseaboutordinaryrubbishthatdidn’tconcernhimatall,her
constantpesteringaboutpayment,herthreatsandcomplaints,and,inthefaceof
itall,tohavetododgeher,makeexcuses,telllies—nothankyou;itwasbetter
toslippastsomehow,likeacatonastaircase,andstealawayunnoticed.

However,thistimethefearofmeetinghiscreditorsurprisedevenhimashe
madehiswayouttothestreet.

“WhatsortoffeatamIabouttoattempt,yetatthesametimeI’mafraidof
suchnonsense!”hethoughtwithastrangesmile.“Hmm...yes...everything
liesinaman’shands,andstillheletsitslipby,solelyoutofcowardice...that’s
anaxiom....Itwouldbeinterestingtoknowwhatpeoplefearthemost.Mostof
alltheyfeartakinganewstep,utteringanewwordoftheirown....ButI’m
babblingtoomuch.It’sbecauseI’mnotdoinganythingthatI’mbabbling.That
maybethecase:I’mbabblingbecauseI’mnotdoinganything.Andit’sinthe

lastmonthI’velearnedtoprattle,lyingfordaysandnightsinmycorner,
thinkingabout...‘onceuponatime....’Well,whyamIgoingoutnow?CanI
reallybecapableofdoing that?Is that reallyserious?No,it’snotseriousatall.

So,I’mamusingmyselfforthesakeoffantasy:games!Yes,that’sit,games!”
Itwasstiflinglyhotoutside;moreover,thestuffiness,thecrushofpeople,
limeplastereverywhere,scaffolding,bricks,dust,andthatparticularsummer
stench,sofamiliartoeveryPetersburgresidentlackingthemeanstorenta
summerdacha—allthissuddenlyandoffensivelystrucktheyoungman’s
alreadydistraughtnerves.Theunbearablestenchofcheaptaverns,whichwere
particularlynumerousinthispartofthecity,andthedrunkardsencountered
constantly,despiteitsbeingaweekday,completedtherepulsiveandgrimscene.

Foramoment,afeelingofthedeepestloathingflashedacrosstheyoungman’s
delicatefeatures.Incidentally,hewasremarkablyhandsome,withsplendiddark
eyesanddarkbrownhair;hewastallerthanaverage,slender,andwellbuilt.But
soonheseemedtoslipintoprofoundpensiveness,even,itwouldbemore
accuratetosay,intoastateofoblivion.Hewalkedalongnotnoticinghis
surroundings,notevenwantingtotakenoticeofthem.Fromtimetotimehe
merelymutteredsomethingtohimself,fromhispenchantformonologues,which
heimmediatelyacknowledgedtohimself.Atthatmomenthehimselfwasaware
thatattimeshisthoughtswereconfusedandthathewasfeelingveryweak:it
wastheseconddayhe’deatenhardlyanythingatall.

Hewassopoorlydressedthatsomeoneelse,evensomeoneusedtoseeing
such,wouldbeashamedtoappearonthestreetduringthedaywearingsuch
raggedclothes.However,thedistrictwasonewhereitwasdifficulttoshock
anyonewithone’sapparel.TheproximityoftheHaymarket,theabundanceof
certainestablishments,and,primarily,thepopulationoftradesmenand
craftsmen,allcrowdedintothesestreetsandlanesofcentralPetersburg,
sometimesfilledthegeneralpanoramawithsuchsubjectsthatitwouldbe
strangetobesurprisedatallonmeetinganothersuchfigure.Butsomuch
maliciouscontempthadalreadyaccumulatedintheyoungman’ssoulthat,in
spiteofallhisownsometimesveryimmaturesqueamishness,whenhewasout
onthestreethewasnotintheleastembarrassedbyhistatteredclothes.Itwas
anothermatteraltogetherwhenhemetsomeofhisacquaintancesorformer
comrades,whom,ingeneral,hedidn’tmuchlikeseeing....However,whenone
drunkard,whoforsomeunknownreasonwasbeingtransportedsomewhere
alongthestreetinanenormouscartharnessedtoahugedrayhorse,suddenly
shoutedtohim,inpassing,“Hey,you,youGermanhatmaker!”androaredas
loudashecould,pointinghisfingerathim—theyoungmansuddenlystopped
andviolentlygrabbedhisownhat.Itwasatall,roundtophatboughtat
Zimmerman’sshop,butalreadywornout,andnowofacompletelyfaded reddish-
browncolor,withmanyholesandstains,lackingabrim,andleaningto
onesideatamostunattractiveangle.However,itwasnotshamethatseizedhim
butacompletelydifferentfeeling,moreresemblingfear.

“Iknewit!”hemutteredinconfusion.“That’sexactlywhatIthought!Thisis
themostdisgracefulpart!It’sjustthiskindoffoolishthing,areallytrivialdetail
thatcanspoilthewholeplan!Yes,ahatthat’stoonoticeable....It’sfunny-
looking,andthereforenoticeable....WithmytatteredclothesIreallyneeda
peakedcap,evenanoldone,flatasapancake,notthismonstrosity.Noone
wearshatslikethis;itcanberecognizedamileawayandremembered...that’s
themainthing,rememberedafterward,andthere’syourevidence.Onehastobe
asinconspicuousaspossible....Details,detailsarethemainthing!It’sthe
detailsthatalwaysruineverything...”

Hehadonlyalittlewaytogo;heevenknewexactlyhowmanypacesitwas
fromthegateofhisownbuilding:sevenhundredandthirty.Once,whenentirely
lostinhisdaydreams,he’dhappenedtocountthem.Atthetimehehimselfstill
didn’tbelieveinhisdreamsandwasmerelyirritatinghimselfwiththeir
repugnant,thoughseductiveaudacity.Now,however,amonthlater,he’dbegun
toregardtheminadifferentlight,andinspiteofallhismockingmonologues
abouthisownpowerlessnessandindecisiveness,he’dgrownaccustomed,even
againsthiswill,toconsideringthis“repulsive”dreamsomethingofafeat,
althoughhestilldidn’tbelieveinithimself.Nowhewasevenonhiswayto
carryoutatrialrunofhisendeavor;witheverystephisagitationgrewstronger
andstronger.

Withasinkingheartandnervoustrembling,heapproachedanimmense
building,onewallofwhichopenedontoanarrowcanal,theotheronto
SadovayaStreet.Thisbuildingconsistedofsmallapartmentsinhabitedbyall
sortsoftradesmen—tailors,locksmiths,cooks,variousGermans,streetwalkers,
low-rankingcivilservants,andothers.Peopleenteringandleavingthebuilding
keptdartingunderbothgatesandacrossbothcourtyards.Threeorfourdoormen
workedthere.Theyoungmanwasverypleasedwhenhedidn’tencounteranyof
themandmanagedtoslipunnoticedrightthroughthegatesanddirectlyontothe
staircase.Thestaircasewasdarkandnarrow,“abackentrance,”butheknew
thatalready,havingstudiedit,andhelikedthiswholesetting:insuchdarkness
evencastingacuriousglancewouldn’tbedangerous.“IfI’msoafraidnow,
whatwouldhappenifIsomehowmanagedtocommittheactual deed?”he
thoughtinadvertentlyasheclimbeduptothefourthfloor.Someex-military
portersblockedhiswayastheycarriedsomefurnitureoutofoneapartment.He
alreadyknewthataGerman,acivilservant,hadbeenlivingtherewithhis

family:“ItmustbethattheGerman’smovingoutnowand,consequently,onthe
fourthfloor,onthisstaircase,onthislandingonlytheoldwoman’sapartment
willbeoccupiedforacertaintime.That’sgood...justincase,”hethought
againandrangtheoldwoman’sbell.Thebelljingledfeebly,asifitweremade
oftinandnotcopper.Suchbellscouldbefoundinalmostallsimilarsmall
buildings.He’dalreadyforgottentheringofthisbell,andnowthisparticular
soundsuddenlyseemedtoremindhimofsomethingandsummonitclearlyinto
mind....Heevenshuddered,sincehisnerveshadbeensofrayedoflate.Afew
momentslater,thedooropenedatinycrack:theinhabitantpeeredoutatthe
callerwithvisibledistrust,andallthatcouldbeseeninthedarknesswereher
flashingbeadyeyes.But,seeingsomanypeopleonthelanding,shefelt
emboldenedandopenedthedoorwide.Theyoungmansteppedacrossthe
thresholdintoadarkvestibuledividedbyapartitionfromatinykitchen.Theold
womanstoodbeforehimsilently,regardinghiminquisitively.Shewasasmall,
dried-upmiserableoldwoman,aboutsixtyyearsold,withpiercing,malicious
littleeyes,asmallsharpnose,andherbarehead.Herlightblond,slightlygrayed
hairwasthicklysmearedwithgrease.Aroundherlong,thinneck,resemblinga
chickenleg,wasdrapedsomesortofflannelrag,andoverhershoulders,inspite
oftheheat,aworn-out,fadedfur-trimmedjackethungloosely.Theoldwoman
keptcoughingandwheezing.Itmusthavebeenthattheyoungmanglancedat
herwithsomespecialsortoflook,becauseherformerdistrustsuddenlyflashed
inhereyesagain.

“Raskolnikov,astudent.Iwashereaboutamonthago,”theyoungman
hastenedtomumblewithaslightbow,recallingthatheshouldbemore courteous.

“Iremember,dearie,Irememberverywellthatyouwerehere,”theold
womanreplieddistinctly,asbeforenottakingherinquisitiveeyesfromhisface.

“So,ma’am,hereIamagainaboutthesamesortofthing,”Raskolnikov
continued,alittleflusteredandsurprisedbytheoldwoman’sdistrust.
“Butmaybeshe’salwayslikethis,andIjustdidn’tnoticeitlasttime,”he
thoughtwithanunpleasantfeeling.

Theoldwomanwassilent,asiflostinthought;thenshesteppedtooneside
and,pointingatthedoorintoherroom,shesaid,allowinghimtopass:

“Goin,dearie.”

Thesmallroom,intowhichtheyoungmanstepped,withitsyellow
wallpaper,geraniums,andmuslincurtainsonthewindows,wasatthatmoment
brightlyilluminatedbythesettingsun.“Then, ofcourse,thesunwillbeshining
thesameway!”flashedthroughRaskolnikov’smind,andhecastaswiftglance
ateverythingintheroomtotakeitallinandrememberitsarrangement.But

therewasnothingspecialinthere.Thefurniture,allveryoldandmadeofyellow
wood,consistedofasofawithanenormouscarvedwoodenback,anovaltable
infrontofit,adressingtablewithapiermirrorstandingbetweenthewindows,
chairsalongthewalls,andtwoorthreecheappicturesinyellowframes
depictingyoungGermanladieswithbirdsintheirhands—that’sallthefurniture
therewas.Alampwasburninginthecornerinfrontofasmallicon.Everything
intheroomwasveryclean:thefurnitureandfloorshadbeenpolishedtoahigh
gloss;everythinggleamed.“Lizaveta’swork,”thoughttheyoungman.Itwas
impossibletofindevenonespeckofdustinthewholeplace.“Thisisthekindof
cleanlinessthatcanbefoundintheapartmentsofwickedoldwidows,”

Raskolnikovthoughttohimself,andwithcuriosityhecastasidelongglanceat
thecottoncurtainhanginginfrontofthedoorintoasecondlittleroom,which
containedtheoldwoman’sbedanddresser,andintowhichhe’dneverlooked.

Thewholeapartmentconsistedofthesetworooms.

“Whatdoyouwant?”theoldwomanaskedsternlyassheenteredtheroom;
asbefore,shestoppedinfrontofhimsoshecouldpeerdirectlyintohisface.

“I’vebroughtsomethingtopawn—here,ma’am!”Hetookfromhispocket
anoldflatsilverwatch.Therewasaglobedepictedonthebackofthecase.The
chainwasmadeofsteel.

“Time’supforthelastpledgeyoubrought.Themonthendedtwodaysago.”
“I’llpayyoutheinterestforanothermonth;havepatience.”

“It’suptome,dearie,whetherIhavepatienceordecidetosellyouritem now.”

“Howmuchforthiswatch,AlyonaIvanovna?”

“Youcomeherewithrubbish,dearie;it’sworthalmostnothing.LasttimeI
gaveyoutworublesforthatring,butyoucanbuyanewoneatthejeweler’sfor
arubleandahalf.”

“Givemefourrubles.I’llredeemit;itwasmyfather’s.I’llbegettingsome
moneysoon.”

“Onerubleandahalf,sir,withinterestinadvance,ifyouwantit.”

“Arubleandahalf!”criedtheyoungman.

“Asyouwish.”Andtheoldwomanhandedhimbackthewatch.Theyoung
mantookitandwassoangrythathewasjustabouttoleave;butthenhe
reconsidered,rememberingthathehadnowhereelsetogo,andthathe’dcome
foradifferentreason.

“Allright!”hesaidrudely.

Theoldwomandugintoherpocketforherkeysandwentintotheother
roombehindthecurtain.Theyoungman,leftaloneinthemiddleoftheroom,
listenedcarefullyandtriedtoimaginewhatshewasdoing.Hecouldhearher

unlockingthedresser.“Itmustbethetopmostdrawer,”hethought.“Shemust
carryherkeysinherrightpocket....Allofthemasonebunch,onasteel
ring....Andthere’sonekeythat’sbiggerthanalltheothers,threetimesbigger,
withanotchedtip;it’snotforthedresser,ofcourse....Therefore,theremust
besomekindofboxorchest....That’sodd.Allchestshavethatkindof
key....Butthisisallsovulgar...”

Theoldwomancameback.

“Hereyouare,dearie:ifItaketenkopecksperruble*permonth,thatcomes
tofifteenkopecksforoneandhalfrublesforthemonthahead.So,atthesame
rateforthelasttworubles,youstillowemetwentykopecksinadvance.Inall,
then,itcomestothirty-fivekopecks.Sonow,inexchangeforthewatch,youget
oneruble,fifteenkopecks.Here,takeit.”

“What?Onlyonerubleandfifteenkopecksnow?”

“Exactly.”

Theyoungmandidn’targueandtookthemoney.Helookedattheold
womanandwasinnorushtoleave,justasifhewantedtosayordosomething
else,butitseemedasifhehimselfdidn’tknowpreciselywhat...

“Inafewdays,AlyonaIvanovna,perhapsI’llbringyousomethingelse...a
fine...little...silver...cigarettecase....AssoonasIgetitbackfroma
friend...”Hebecameflusteredandfellsilent.

“Well,dearie,we’lltalkaboutitthen.”

“Good-bye....Areyoualwayshomealone?Yoursister’sneverhere?”he
inquiredascasuallyaspossible,passingthoughthehall.

“Whatbusinessdoyouhavewithher,dearie?”

“Nothingspecial.Imerelyasked.Andnowyou’re....Good-bye,Alyona Ivanovna.”

Raskolnikovleftinanabsoluteconfusionthatkeptgrowingmoreandmore
intense.Ashewentdownthestaircase,heevenpausedseveraltimes,asif
suddenlystruckbysomething.Finally,nowoutonthestreet,heexclaimed:

“Oh,God!Howrepulsivethisallis!CanIreally,really...no,it’srubbish,
absurdity!”headdedconclusively.“Howcouldsuchahorriblethingentermy mind?
Yetmyheartseemscapableofsuchfilth!Themainthingis:it’sfilthy,
foul,vile,vile!YetforthelastmonthI’vebeen...”

Buthecouldn’texpresshisagitation,eitherinwordsorexclamations.The
feelingofinfiniterevulsionthathadbeguntooppressandtormenthisheartas
he’dbeencomingtoseetheoldwomanhadnowreachedsuchproportionsand
wassopalpablethathedidn’tknowwheretohidefromhisanguish.Hewalked
alongthesidewalklikeadrunk,withoutnoticingthepassersby,andbumping
intothem;hecametohissensesonlyatthenextstreet.Afterlookingaround,he
sawthathewasstandingnexttoatavern,theentrancetowhichwasdowna
staircaseleadingfromthestreetlevel,intothecellar.Justatthatmoment,two
drunksemergedfromthedoor,supportingeachotherandcursing,andclimbed
uptothestreet.Withoutmuchthought,Raskolnikovwentrightdownthestairs.

He’dneverfrequentedtavernsbefore,butnowhisheadwasspinning;besides,
hewassufferingfromaburningthirst.Hefeltlikedrinkingacoldbeer,allthe
moresosinceheattributedhissuddenweaknesstothefactthathewashungry.

Hesatdownatastickytableinadark,dirtycorner,orderedabeer,andgulped
downthefirstglass.Everythingrecededimmediately,andhisthoughtsbecame
clear.“It’sallrubbish,”hesaidhopefully.“There’snoreasontogetso
distraught!Itwasmerelyphysicalupset!Oneglassofbeer,apieceofrusk, † and
then,inaminute,mymindgrowsstrong,mythoughtsgrowclear,andmy
intentionsarereinforced!Ugh,whatnonsenseitallis!”Inspiteofthis
contemptuousdisdain,heseemedcheerfulalready,asifsuddenlyliberatedfrom
someterribleburden,andhecasthiseyesamicablyoverthosepresent.Buteven
atthatmomenthehadadistantpremonitionthatallhisassuranceofbettertimes
wasalsomorbid.

Notmanypeoplewereleftinthetavernatthattime.Besidesthosetwo
drunkshemetonthestaircase,awholegroupleftrightafterthem,aboutfive
menwithanaccordionandayounggirl.Afterwarditbecamequietand
spacious.Theresat:onefellowwholookedlikeatradesman,drunk,butnottoo,
nursinghisbeer;hislarge,fatpal,wearingashortjacket,sportingagraybeard,
veryintoxicated,dozingonthebench;fromtimetotimethisfellowwould
suddenly,asifhalfasleep,startsnappinghisfingers,flinghisarmsoutwide,
andjerkthetophalfofhisbodyaroundwithoutgettingupfromthebench,
meanwhilewarblingsomenonsenseashetriedtorecallafewlines,something like:

Ilovedmywifeforonewholeyear,

Foronewho-oleyearIlov-vedmywife...

Or,suddenlyrousinghimself,hewouldbeginagain:

AsIwalkedalongPodyacheskyLane,
Ifoundmyformerwife...

Butnoonesharedhismerriment;histaciturncompanionevenregardedall
theseoutburstswithhostilityanddistrust.Therewasoneothermanthere;from
hislookshemighthavebeenaformercivilservant.Hesatapartwithhisglass

hislookshemighthavebeenaformercivilservant.Hesatapartwithhisglass
ofvodka,occasionallytakingadrinkandglancingaround.Hewasalsoinastate
ofsomeagitation.

*Onerublewasequivalentto100kopecks.

†Ahard,drybiscuit.

II

Raskolnikovwasnotaccustomedtothecrowd,andashasalreadybeensaid,
he’dbeenavoidinganysocialcontact,especiallyoflate.Butnow,forsome
reason,hewassuddenlydrawntopeople.Somethingwashappeningwithinhim,
somethingnew,andatthesametimehefeltakindofyearningforpeople.He
wassoexhaustedfromhiswholemonthofconcentratedmelancholyandgloomy
agitationthathefeltliketakingabreathinanotherworld,whereveritwas,and
inspiteofthefilthofhissurroundings,henowremainedinthetavernwith pleasure.

Theowneroftheestablishmentwasinanotherroombutfrequentlyentered
themainroom,comingdownthestairsfromsomewhereabove,indicatedfirst
bytheappearanceofhisfashionableshinyboots,withtheirlargeredtops.He
waswearingalightcoatandaterriblystainedblacksatinvestwithoutatie,and
hisentirefaceseemedsmearedwithoilasifitwereanironlock.Behindthebar
stoodaladaboutfourteenyearsold,andtherewasanother,youngerboywho
servedfoodifanyoneorderedsomething.Therewereslicedpickles,blackrusks,
andpiecesoffish;itallsmelledverybad.Itwassostuffythatitwaseven
unbearabletositthere;everythingwassosaturatedbythesmellofalcoholthatit
seemedapersoncouldbecomedrunkinaboutfiveminutesjustinhalingtheair.

Sometimesmeetingsoccur,evenwithcompletelyunfamiliarpeopleinwhom
webegintotakeaninterestrightfromthefirstglance,somehowsuddenly,
unexpectedly,beforeonewordisspoken.Thatwaspreciselytheimpression
madeonRaskolnikovbythepatronwhowassittingaloneandwholookedlikea
formercivilservant.Severaltimesafterwardtheyoungmanrecalledthisfirst
impressionandevenascribedittoapremonition.Raskolnikovkeptglancing
overattheman,particularly,ofcourse,becausethemanwasstaringpersistently
athim;itwasobviousthatthemanverymuchwantedtostrikeupa
conversation.Thecivilservantregardedtheothersinthetavern,eventheowner,
assomehowordinary;hewasevenboredbythem;atthesametime,hefelta
traceofhaughtyscorn,asiftheywerepeopleofalowerorderoralowercultural
level,towhomtherewasnothingtosay.Hewasamanalreadypastfifty,of
averageheightandsolidbuild,withgrayinghairandalargebaldspot,ayellow,
evengreenishfaceswollenbyconstantdrunkenness,puffyeyelidsunderwhich
shone,likelittleslits,tinybutanimatedsmallreddisheyes.Buttherewas
somethingabouthimthatwasverystrange,evensomekindofenthusiasm

glowinginhiseyes—perhapsalsomeaningandintelligence—andatthesame
timetherealsoseemedtobeatraceofmadness.Hewasdressedinanold,
completelyworn-outtailcoat,missingmostofitsbuttons.Onlyonewasstill
holdingonsomehow,butthatwashowhefastenedit,apparentlyhopingto
maintainsomeshredofdignity.Hisshirtfrontprotrudedfromunderhisheavy
cottonvest,allwrinkled,soiled,andstained.Hisfacehadbeenshaved,likea
civilservant’s,butalongtimeago,andhisgraywhiskershadalreadybegunto
growbackdensely.Therewasindeedinhisbearingsomethingtosuggestasolid
civilservant.Buthewasanxious,rakedhisfingersthroughhishair,and
sometimessupportedhisheadwithbothhands,restinghiselbows,intheir
frayedsleeves,onthesoiled,stickytable.Atlasthelookeddirectlyat
Raskolnikovandsaid,inaloud,firmvoice:

“DoIdare,mykindsir,addressyouwithadecentquestion?Eventhough
youdon’tappeartobeapersonofconsequence,myexperiencetellsmethat
you’reaneducatedmanandnotaccustomedtodrink.Imyselfhavealways
respectededucationcombinedwithheartfeltfeelings,andinaddition,I’ma
titularcounselor.*Marmeladov—that’smyname;atitularcounselor.DareIask
ifyou’realsoacivilservant?”

“No,I’mastudent,”theyoungmanreplied,inpartsurprisedbytheman’s
particularlyornatespeech,andbythefactthathe’dbeenaddressedsodirectly,
sopoint-blank.Inspiteofhisrecentmomentarydesiretoseeksomeconnection
withotherpeople,atthesefirstwordsdirectedathimhesuddenlysensedhis
usuallyunpleasantandirritatingfeelingofrevulsiontowardanyunknown
personwhointrudeduponormerelywantedtoimposeuponhisperson.

“Astudent,naturally,orformerstudent!”thecivilservantcried.“JustasI
thought!Experience,mydearsir,repeatedexperience!”And,asasignof
boasting,hepointedafingerathisownforehead.“Youwereastudentoryou’ve
studiedattheuniversity!Allowme...”Hestood,nodded,grabbedhiscarafe,
hisglass,andsatdownnexttotheyoungman,ataslightangleaway.Hewas
drunk,butspokevolublyandboldly,losingtrackonlyoccasionallyanddragging
outhiswords.HefelluponRaskolnikovevenwithsomevoraciousness,asifhe
alsohadn’tspokenwithanyoneforawholemonth.

“Kindsir,”hebeganalmostsolemnly,“povertyisnovice;that’saknown
truth.Iknowevenmoresothatdrunkennessisnotavirtue.Butdestitution,dear
sir,destitution—thatisavice.Inpovertyyoucanstillpreservethenobilityof
yourinnatefeelings,whileindestitutionyouneverdoandnoonedoes.For
destitutionyou’renotevendrivenawaywithastick—you’resweptoutof
humancompanywithabroomsothatitwillbeevenmorehumiliating;and
that’sfair,forinmydestitutionI’mthefirstonepreparedtohumiliatemyself.

that’sfair,forinmydestitutionI’mthefirstonepreparedtohumiliatemyself.

Hence,thetavern!Dearsir,amonthagoacertainMr.Lebezyatnikovgavemy
wifeabeating;butmywifeisnotlikeme!Youunderstand,sir?Allowmeto
inquirefurther,justso,evenoutofmerecuriosity:haveyoueverspentanight
sleepingonahaybargeontheNeva?”

“No,Ihaven’t,”repliedRaskolnikov.“Whydoyouask?”

“Well,sir,that’swhereI’mcomingfrom;it’salreadymyfifthnight...”

Hefilledhisglass,drankitdown,andfelltomusing.Anditwastruethat
hereandtheresomesmallstrandsofhaywerestickingtohisclothesandevento
hishair.Itwasverylikelythathehadn’twashedorchangedhisclothesinthose
fivedays.Hishandswereespeciallygrimy,greasy,andreddish,andhis
fingernailswereblack.
Hisconversationseemedtoarousegeneral,thoughlistlessattention.The
boysbehindthecounterstartedgiggling.Thetavernkeeper,itseemed,
purposelycamedownfromtheupperroomtohearthis“amusingfellow,”and
satawaysoff,yawninglazilybutostentatiously.Obviously,Marmeladovhad
beenknownhereforalongtime.Hehadprobablyacquiredthisproclivityfor
ornatespeechasaresultoffrequentconversationsintavernswithvarious
strangers.Insomedrunkardsthishabitbecomesanecessity,primarilyamong
thosewhoreceiveharshtreatmentathomeandwhoareorderedabout.That’s
whyindrunkencompanytheyalwaysseemtocravejustification,andif
possible,evenrespect.

“Whatanamusingfellow!”thetavernkeepersaidloudly.“Howcomeyou
don’twork,huh,ifyou’reacivilservant?Whydon’tyouserve?”

“Whydon’tIserve,mydearsir?”Marmeladovseizedonthequestion,
turningexclusivelytoRaskolnikovasifhe’dposedit.“Whydon’tIserve?

Don’tyouthinkmyheartachesoverthefactthatIgroveltonoavail?When,
onemonthago,Mr.Lebezyatnikovbeatmywifewithhisownhands,asIlay
theredrunk,don’tyouthinkIsuffered?Allowmetoaskyou,youngman,hasit
everhappenedthatyouhadto...hmm...begforaloanofmoneywithout hope?”

“Ithas...butwhatdoyoumeanwithouthope?”

“Imeancompletelyhopelessly,knowinginadvancethatnothingwillcome
ofit.Forexample,youknowbeforehand,absolutely,thatthismostwell-
intentionedandmostusefulcitizenwon’tgiveyoumoneyunderany
circumstancesbecausewhy,Iask,whyshouldhe?Afterall,heknowsIwon’t
payitback.Outofcompassion?ButMr.Lebezyatnikov,who’safollowerofthe
latestideas,wasexplainingtomejusttheotherdaythatinoureracompassion
hasevenbeenprohibitedbyscienceandthatthisisalreadybeingdonein

England,wherethey’vedevelopedpoliticaleconomy.Whythen,Iask,should
hegivemeanything?Yet,knowingbeforehandthathewon’t,youstillsetoffon
yourwayand...”

“Whydoyousetoff?”addedRaskolnikov.
“Whatifthere’snooneelsetosee,nowhereelsetogo?Everyonehasto
havesomewheretogo.Becausetherecomesatimewhenit’sabsolutely
essentialtogosomewhere.Whenmyonlydaughterwentoutforthefirsttime
withastreetwalker’syellowticket, † thenIwentout,too.(Mydaughtermakes
herlivingbystreetwalking,sir...),”headdedinparentheses,regardingthe
youngmanwithsomeanxiety.“Nevermind,mydearsir,nevermind!”he
hastenedtodeclareimmediately,evenwithapparentcalm,whenthetwolads
standingatthebarchuckledandthetavernkeepersmiled.“Nevermind,sir!I
don’ttakeoffenseattheirheadsnodding,becauseeveryoneknowseverything
already;nothing’ssecret,thatshallnotbemademanifest;Iregardallthisnot
withcontempt,butwithhumility.Letitgo!Letit!‘Beholdtheman! ’ ‡ Allow
me,youngman,canyou....Butno,itshouldbeexplainedmorepowerfullyand
imaginatively:lookingatmeatthisverymoment,it’snotamatterof can you,
ratherit’s dare youstatepositivelythatIamnotaswine?”

Theyoungmanutterednotonewordinreply.

“Well,sir,”thespeakercontinuedsteadfastly,evenwithareinforcedsense ofself-
respect,havingpausedtoletanotheroutburstoflaughterintheroomdie
down.“Well,sir,Imaybeaswine,butsheisalady!Iammadeintheimageof
abeast,butmywife,KaterinaIvanovna,isaneducatedperson,bornthe
daughterofafieldofficer.Imaybeascoundrel,butshe’sbeenraisedwitha
nobleheartandbroughtupwithmagnanimousfeelings.Meanwhile...oh,if
onlyshepitiedme!Mydear,dearsir,everymanneedstohaveatleastoneplace
wherehe’spitied!AndwhileKaterinaIvanovnaisagenerouswoman,she’s
unjust....WhileImyselfunderstandthatwhenshepullstuftsofmyhair,she’s
doingsofromafeelingofpityinherheart(for,Irepeatwithoutembarrassment,
shedoespulltuftsofmyhair,youngman),”heconfirmedinadignifiedtone
afterhearinglaughteronceagain,“but,myGod,whatifevenonceshe....But
no!No!It’sallinvain,andthere’snothingmoretobesaid!Nothingatall!For
morethanoncehaveIgotwhatIwanted,morethanoncehaveIbeenpitied,
but...butsuchismynature,I’mabornbeast!”

“That’sforsure!”observedthetavernkeeper,withayawn.

Marmeladovresolutelybangedhisfistonthetable.
“Suchismynature!Doyouknow,sir,doyouknow,thatIevenpawnedher stockings?
Nothershoes,sir,sincethatwouldhaveresembledthenormalcourse

ofevents,butherstockings,Ipawnedherstockings,sir!Ialsohockedher
mohairshawl,agift,anearlierone,herown,notfromme.Weliveinachilly
corner,andthispastwintershecaughtacoldandbegancoughing,evenspitting
upblood.Wehavethreesmallchildren,andKaterinaIvanovnaworksfrom
morningtonight,scrubbingandwashingandbathingthechildren,sinceshe’s
usedtocleanlinessfromearlychildhood,butshehasaweakchestandis
predisposedtoconsumption—thatIfeel.HowcanInotfeelit?AndthemoreI
drink,themoreIfeelit.That’swhyIdrink,becauseI’mseekingcompassion
andfeelinginthisdrinking....It’snotjoyIseek,onlysorrow....Idrink
becauseIgenuinelywanttosuffer!”Andthen,asifindespair,herestedhishead
onthetable.

“Youngman,”hecontinued,raisinghisheadagain,“Icanreadsomesorrow
inyourface.Isawitwhenyouentered,andthat’swhyIturnedtoyouright
away.Intellingyouthestoryofmylife,Idon’twishtoparademydisgrace
beforetheseidlershere,whoknowitallalready;I’mseekingasensitive,
educatedman.Doyouknowthatmywifewaseducatedinaprovincialschool
forchildrenofthenobility,andattheawardceremonyshewaschosento
performtheshawldance§inthepresenceofthegovernorandother
distinguishedguests,forwhichshereceivedagoldmedalandacertificateof merit?
Amedal...well,wesoldthatmedal...alongtimeago...hmm...the
certificate’sstillinhertrunk,andsherecentlyshowedittoourlandlady.Even
thoughshehasendlessquarrelswiththelandlady,shewantedtoshowoffto
someoneandtellheraboutthosehappydaysinthepast.Idon’tcondemnher,I
don’t,becausethesethingsarepreservedinhermemory,andalltheresthas
turnedtodust!Yes,yes;she’sahot-temperedwoman,proudandobstinate.She
washesthefloorherselfandhasonlyblackbreadtoeat,butshewon’ttolerate
anydisrespect.That’swhyshewouldn’ttolerateMr.Lebezyatnikov’srudeness,
andwhenhegaveherabeating,shetooktoherbedmoreasaresultofher
feelingthanfromtheactualblows.ShewasalreadyawidowwhenImarriedher,
withthreechildren,eachsmallerthantheother.Herfirsthusbandwasacavalry
officer,andshemarriedhimforloveandranawayfromherparents’housewith
him.Shelovedherhusbanddearly,buthetooktogambling,endedupincourt,
andsoondied.He’dbegunbeatinghertowardtheend;althoughshedidn’tlet
himgetawaywithit,aboutwhichIhavedetaileddocumentaryevidence;she
weepstothisdaywhensheremembershimandreproachesme.I’mglad,very
gladthateveninherimaginationshecanseeherselfasbeinghappyfora
while....Afterhisdeathshewasleftwiththreeyoungchildreninadistantand
dreadfulprovincialtown,whereIwasalsostayingatthetime;shewaslivingin

suchhopelesspoverty—eventhoughI’vehadmanydifferentexperiences,I
can’tevenbegintodescribehersituation.Herfamilyrefusedtohelpher.

Besides,shewasproud,extremelyproud....Andthen,mydearsir,then,being
awidowermyself,andhavingafourteen-year-olddaughter,Iproposedtoher
becauseIcouldn’tbeartoseesuchsuffering.Youcanjudgeforyourselfthe
degreeofhermisfortune,thatshe,aneducatedandwell-brought-upwoman
fromaneminentfamily,agreedtomarrythelikesofme!Butshedid!Weeping
andwailing,wringingherhands,shedid!Becauseshehadnowhereelsetogo.

Doyouunderstand,doyoureallyunderstand,dearsir,whatitmeanswhena
personhasnowhereelsetogo?No!Youdon’tunderstandityet....Forone
wholeyearIfulfilledmyobligationdevotedlyanddevoutlyandnevertouched
thebottle”—hepointedtothebottle—“becauseIdohavefeelings.Buteventhen
Icouldn’tpleaseher,evenwiththat;itwasafterward,whenIlostmyjob,which
wasn’tmyfault,butithappenedbecauseofchangesinthedepartmentthatI
turnedtodrink!It’salreadybeenabouthalfayear,afterourwanderingsand
numerousmisfortunes,sincewefinallyturnedupinthissplendidcapitalwithall
ofitsmanymonuments.AndIfoundajobhere....IfoundoneandthenIlost
it.Doyouunderstand,sir?Thistimeitwasmyownfault,becauseIhadreached
theendofmyrope....Nowweliveinalittlecorner,atourlandlady’s,Amaliya
FedorovnaLippevekhsel,butIdon’tknowhowwemanagetoliveandpayher.

Manyotherslivetherebesidesus....It’sSodom,sir,ofthemosthideous
kind...hmm...yes....Meanwhilemydaughterfrommyfirstmarriagehas
grownup;Iwon’tdescribewhatshehadtosufferwhilegrowingup,my
daughter,fromherstepmother.BecausealthoughKaterinaIvanovnaisfilled
withkindlyfeelings,she’sahot-temperedandirritablelady,andshecan
snap....Yes,sir!There’snoreasontorecallit!Asyoucanwellimagine,Sonya
receivednoeducation.Aboutfouryearsago,Itriedtoreadsomegeographyand
worldhistorywithher;butsinceImyselfwasweakinthoseareasandwehadno
suitabletextbooks,andthebookswedidhave...hmm...well,wedon’teven
havethosebooksnow,allourreadingendedthenandthere.Westoppedatthe
PersiankingCyrustheGreat. ¶Then,onceshewasolder,shereadsomebooks
ofromanticcontentaswellasseveralothers,giventoherbyMr.Lebezyatnikov.

OnewasLewes’s Physiology.#Doyouhappentoknowit,sir?Shereaditwith
greatinterestandevenreadsomepassagesaloudtous:andthatwasherentire
education.NowI’mturningtoyou,mydearsir,onmyownbehalf,witha
confidentialquestionofmyown:inyouropinion,canapoorbuthonestgirlearn
alivingbyhonestwork?Shecan’tearnevenfifteenkopecksaday,sir,ifshe’s
honest,sinceshepossessesnospecialskills,andthat’sevenifsheworksallthe

time!Besides,thestatecouncillorIvanIvanovichKlopshtok—haveyouever
heardofhim?Notonlyhasn’thepaidheryetforthehalfdozenfinecottonshirts
shemadehim,butheevendroveheroutwithinsults,stampinghisfeetand
callinghernames,claimingthatthecollarswerethewrongsizeandhadbeen
sewnincrooked.Meanwhilethechildrengohungry....AndthenKaterina
Ivanovna,wringingherhands,pacestheroom,herfaceflushedwiththered
blotchesthatalwaysaccompanythatillness:‘Youliveherewithus,’shesays,

‘likeasponger;youeatanddrinkandenjoythewarmth,butwhat’stheretoeat
anddrinkwhentheselittleoneshaven’tseenacrustofbreadforthreedays?’I
waslyingthereatthetime...whynotsayit?Iwasalittledrunk,sir,andI
heardmySonya(she’sverymeekandhassuchasoftvoice...she’sfair-haired
andherfaceisalwayssopaleandthin),say:‘Oh,KaterinaIvanovna,mustI
reallygooutanddothat?’Meanwhile,DaryaFrantsevna,amalevolentwoman
wellknowntothepolice,hadreportedhertothelandladyseveraltimes.‘So
what?’repliedKaterinaIvanovna,withamockinglaugh,‘Whatareyousaving
yourselffor?Whatatreasure!’Butdon’tblameher,don’t,dearsir,don’tblame
her!Shewasn’tinherrightmindwhenshesaidit;shewasagitated,sick,and
thechildrenwerecryingbecausetheyhadn’teaten,andshesaiditmoreasan
insultthanaswhatshereallymeant....BecauseKaterinaIvanovnaisthesortof
personwho,assoonasthechildrenbegincrying,evenwhenthey’rehungry,
beginstobeatthemrightaway.AndthenIsawhowSonechka,aroundsix
o’clock,gotup,putonakerchief,herhoodedcloak,andlefttheapartment;she
camebackatnine.ShewalkedinandwentstraightuptoKaterinaIvanovnaand
silentlyputthirtysilverrublesdownonthetableinfrontofher.Shedidn’tutter
onewordasshedid,didn’tevenlookather,butmerelypickedupourlarge
greenshawl(wehaveonethatweuse),coveredherheadandfacecompletely,
andlaydownonthebed,facingthewall,butherwholebodyandherlittle
shouldersweretrembling....Meanwhile,sir,Ilaythere,inthesamecondition
asbefore....AndthenIsaw,youngman,IsawhowKaterinaIvanovna,also
withoutsayingaword,wentuptoSonechka’sbedandkneltthereallevening,
kissingherfeet;shewasunabletostand,andthen,embracing,theybothfell
asleeptogether...bothofthem...bothofthem...yes,sir...whileI...Ilay
theredrunk,sir.”

Marmeladovfellsilent,asifhisvoicehadbrokenoff.Thenhesuddenly
filledhisglass,drankitdownquickly,andgrunted.

“Sincethen,sir,”hecontinuedafterabriefpause,“sincethen,asaresultof
oneunfortunateincidentandthefactthatsomeill-intentionedpeopleinformed
theauthorities,whichDaryaFrantsevnahadencouragedbecauseshefeltasif
shehadn’tbeentreatedwithappropriaterespect,sincethenmydaughter,Sofiya

Semyonovna,wascompelledtoobtaintheyellowcardofaprostitute,andasa
resulthasnolongerbeenabletoresidewithus.Itwasthelandlady,Amaliya
Fedorovna,whowouldn’tallowit(DaryaFrantsevnahadpreviouslyencouraged
herinthis),aswellasMr.Lebezyatnikov...hmm....Thatentireepisodewith
KaterinaIvanovnaoccurredbecauseofSonya.Atfirsthehimselftriedtohave
hiswaywithher,andthenhesuddenlybecameverytouchy:‘HowcanI,sucha
culturedperson,’hesays,‘continuetoliveinthesameapartmentwithaperson
likeher?’KaterinaIvanovnawouldn’ttolerateitandgotinvolved...andthus
theincidentoccurred....AndnowSonechkastopsbymostlyafterdark,
comfortsKaterinaIvanovna,andleaveswhatevermoneyshecan....Shelives
intheapartmentofthetailorKapernaumov,rentingaroomfromthem;he’s
lameandafflictedwithaspeechdefectandhisentirelargefamilyhasthesame
defect.Hiswifehasit,too....Theyalllivetogetherinoneroom;Sonyahasher
ownroom,withapartition....Hmm,yes....Thesepeopleareverypoorand
allafflictedwiththisspeechdefect...yes....OnemorningI’djustwokenup,
sir,putonmyraggedclothes,raisedmyhandstoheaven,andsetofftoseeHis
Excellency,IvanAfanasevich.DoyouhappentoknowHisExcellency,Ivan
Afanasevich?No?Thenyoudon’tknowsuchavirtuousman!He’slike
wax...waxbeforethefaceoftheLord;hemeltslikewax!Afterhearingme
out,heevengrewtearful.‘Well,Marmeladov,’hesays,‘you’vedisappointed
myexpectationsoncebefore....I’lltakeyouonagainasmyown
responsibility,’that’swhathesaid.‘Rememberthis,’hesaid,‘andnowgo
away!’Ikissedthedustathisfeet,mentally,becausehewouldn’thaveallowed
it,beingapersonofsuchhighrankandmodernideasaboutpublicservice;I
returnedhome,andwhenIannouncedthatI’dbeenreinstatedinmyjoband
wouldbereceivingasalary,Lord,whatacommotionitcaused!”

Marmeladovpausedagain,overcomewithstrongemotion.Justthenawhole
groupofmenenteredfromoutside,alreadyquitedrunk,withthesoundofa
rentedaccordionandthesoft,crackedvoiceofaseven-year-oldchildsinging

“TheLittleFarm.”Itgrewloud.Thetavernkeeperandthewaitersattendedto
thenewarrivals.Marmeladov,whodidn’tpayanyattentiontothesepeople,
continuedhisstory.Healreadyseemedveryweak,butthemoreintoxicatedhe
grew,themoretalkativehebecame.Hisrecollectionsofhisrecentsuccessesat
workseemedtoinvigoratehim,andsomewereevenreflectedinhisfacebya
sortofradiance.Raskolnikovlistenedattentively.

“Thistookplace,goodsir,aboutfiveweeksago.Yes....They’dbothjust
foundout,KaterinaIvanovnaandSonechka,goodLord,anditwasasifI’dbeen
admittedtotheheavenlykingdom.ItusedtobethatI’dliearoundlikeabeast,
andreceiveonlyabuse!Butthatday:theywalkedaroundontiptoeandkeptthe

childrenquiet:‘SemyonZakharychistiredfromhiswork;he’sresting:shh!’

They’dservemecoffeebeforeIwentofftowork,andthey’devenheatupsome
cream!Theybegantobuyrealcream,doyouhear?Ihavenoideahowthey
scrapedthemoneytogethertoprovidemewithadecentuniform,elevenrubles
andfiftykopecks.Boots,thefinestcalicoshirtfronts,andauniform:theythrew
italltogethersplendidlyforelevenandahalfrubles.Thefirstday,Iarrived
homefromworkinthemorningandsawthatKaterinaIvanovnahadprepared
twocourses,soupandsaltedbeefwithhorseradish,somethingwe’dnevereven
dreamtofbefore.Shedoesn’townadress...thatis,noneatall,sir,andnow
shelookedasifsheweregoingoutvisiting;shewasalldressedup;itwasn’tas
ifshehadanythingtouse,shediditallfromnothing;herhairwasdoneup,she
hadacleanwhitecollarandsleevecovers;shelookedlikeacompletelydifferent
person,muchyoungerandprettier.Sonechka,mylittlesweetheart,hadmerely
providedthemoney,whileforthetimebeing,shesaid,shethoughtitwouldn’t
beproperforhertovisitustoooften,exceptafterdark,sonoonewouldseeher.
Youhear,doyouhear?Icamehomeafterdinnertohavealittlerest,andwhat
doyouthink?KaterinaIvanovnasimplycouldn’tresist:aweekbeforeshe’dhad
areallyterriblequarrelwiththelandlady,AmaliyaFedorovna,andnowshe’d
invitedhertocomeforacupofcoffee.Theysattherefortwohourswhispering
allthetime:‘Now,’Katerinasays,‘sinceSemyonZakharychisbackatwork
andreceivingasalary,andhe’sevenbeentoseeHisExcellency;HisExcellency
cameouthimself,toldeveryoneelsetowait,whilehetookSemyonZakharych
bythearmandescortedhimintohisoffice.Youhear,doyouhear?“Ofcourse,”

hesaystohim,“Irememberyourservice,SemyonZakharych,andalthoughyou
displayedafondnessforthattrivialfrailty,now,sinceyou’vemadeapromise,
andbesides,withoutyouthingshadstartedtogobadly.”(Youhear,doyou
hear?)“Ihope,”hesays,“nowonyourwordofhonor,”—thatis,allofit,Itell
you,shemadeupthewholestory,notasaresultofthoughtlessness,sir,butso
shecouldboastabit!No,sir,sheherselfbelievedthewholething;shewas
consolingherselfusingherownimagination,sohelpmeGod!Idon’tcondemn
her;no,Idon’tcondemnherforthisatall!When,sixdayslater,Ibroughtmy
firstwageshome—twenty-threerublesandfortykopecks—whenIbroughtitall
home,shecalledmeasweetie:‘You’resuchasweetie,’shesaid!Wewereall
alone,sir,doyouunderstand?Well,it’snotformylooks,andbesides,whatsort
ofhusbandamI?No,shepinchedmycheek:‘You’resuchasweetie!’shesaid.”

Marmeladovpaused,wasabouttosmile,butsuddenlyhischinbeganto
quiver,thoughherestrainedhimself.Thistavern,hisdebauchedappearance,his
fivenightsonahaybarge,hisbottle,and,atthesametime,thispainfullovefor
hiswifeandfamilydisconcertedhislistener.Raskolnikovattendedintensely,but
withpainfulemotion.Hewasannoyedwithhimselfthathe’ddroppedintothe

withpainfulemotion.Hewasannoyedwithhimselfthathe’ddroppedintothe tavern.

“Dearsir,dearsir!”Marmeladovexclaimedafterrecovering.“Oh,sir,you
mayfindallthisamusing,asdotheothers,sinceI’monlyupsettingyouwiththe
foolishnessofallthesepettydetailsofmydomesticlife,butIdon’tfindit
amusingintheleast!That’sbecauseIcanfeelitall....Ispenttherestofthat
entireheavenlydayofmylifeandallthateveninginfleetingdreams:thatis,
howI’darrangeeverything,outfitthechildren,providepeaceofmindtomy
wife,andreturnmyonlybegottendaughtertothebosomofthefamilyfromher
disgrace....Andmore,muchmore....It’spermitted,sir.Well,sir,mygood sir”—
Marmeladovsuddenlyseemedtoshudder,raisehishead,andstareathis listener
—“well,sir,thenextday,afterallthesedaydreams,thatis,exactlyfive
daysago,towardevening,bycleverstealth,likeathiefinthenight,Istolethe
keyfromKaterinaIvanovna’sbox,tookoutwhatwasleftofthemoneyI’d
broughthome,Idon’trecallhowmuchitwas,andnow,lookatme,allofyou!

I’vebeenawayfromhomefivedays;they’relookingforme,it’stheendofmy
job,andmyuniformisleftinsometavernneartheEgyptianBridge;Itradedit
fortheseclothes...andit’stheendofeverything!”

Marmeladovstruckhisfistonhisforehead,clenchedhisteeth,closedhis
eyes,andplacedhiselbowfirmlyonthetable.Butinamomenthisface
suddenlychanged;heglancedatRaskolnikovwithsomesortofassumed
cunningandfeignedinsolence,startedlaughing,andsaid:

“IvisitedSonyatoday.IwenttoaskherforsomemoneytobuyadrinksoI
couldgetridofmyhangover!Tee-hee!”

“Didshereallygiveyouany?”someonewho’djustcomeincried,thenburst
outlaughing.

“Thisbottlewasboughtwithhermoney,sir,”Marmeladovuttered,
addressingRaskolnikovexclusively.“Shegavemethirtykopecks,withherown
hands,herlastcoins,alltherewas,Icouldseeformyself....Shedidn’tsaya
word,merelylookedatmeinsilence....Thatdoesn’thappenhereonearth,but
upthere...theygrieveoverpeople,theyweep,buttheydonotreproachthem,
theydon’t!Butthathurtsmore,sir,muchmore,sir,whentheydon’treproach
them!Thirtykopecks,yes,sir.Butsheneedsthemherselfnow,doesn’tshe?

Whatdoyouthink,mydearsir?Nowshehastokeepherselfclean.Thisextra
cleanlinesscostsmoney,doyouunderstand?Doyou?Well,shealsohastobuy
makeup,doesn’tshe?Starchedpetticoats,thekindofstylishshoesthatdisplay
herlittlefeetwhenshehastostepoverapuddle.Doyouunderstand,doyou,sir,
whatthiscleanlinessmeans?Well,sir,I,herownfather,tookthosethirty
kopeckstoeasemyhangover!AndI’mdrinking,sir!I’vealreadyspentitallon

drink,sir!Well,whowouldfeelsorryforthelikesofme?Eh?Doyoufeelsorry
formenow,sir,ornot?Tellme,sir,doyoufeelsorryornot?Ha,ha,ha!”
Hewantedtorefillhisglass,buttherewasnothingleft.Thebottlewas empty.

“Whyshouldanyonefeelsorryforyou?”demandedthetavernkeeper,
who’dturnedupnexttothemonceagain.

Therewasaburstoflaughterandevensomecursing.Thelistenerslaughed
andcursed,andeventhosewhoweren’tlisteningjoinedin,simplylookingatthe
sorrysightoftheformercivilservant.

“Sorry?Whyfeelsorryforme?”Marmeladovcriedsuddenly,standingup,
hisarmoutstretched,nowgenuinelyinspired,asifhe’dbeenwaitingforthose
words.“Whyfeelsorry?youask.No,there’snoreasontofeelsorryforme!I
shouldbecrucified,nailedtoacross,notpitied.Butcrucifyme,ohJudge,
crucifyme,andafterhavingcrucifiedme,thenfeelsorryforme!Imyselfwill
comeandasktobecrucified,forit’snotjoyIseek,butsorrowandtears!Do
youthink,oh,shopkeeper,thatyourbottlehasaffordedmeanypleasure?

Sorrow,sorrowiswhatIsoughtinitsdepths,sorrowandtears,andIfoundthem
andtastedofthem;butHewhohaspitiedallmenandwhohasunderstood
everyoneandeverything,Hewilltakepityonus;Heandnooneelse;Heisthe
judge.HewillcomeonthatdayandHewillask:‘Whereisthydaughterwho
sacrificedherselfforherwickedandconsumptivestepmotherandfora
stranger’slittlechildren?Whereisthydaughterwhopitiedherearthlyfather,a
uselessdrunkard,andwhowasnotdismayedbyhisbeastliness?’AndHewill
say:‘Comeforth!Ihavealreadyforgiventhee....Ihaveforgiventhee
once....Thymanysinsarenowalsoforgiven,forthouhastlovedmuch....’

AndHewillforgivemySonya,Hewill;IknowthatHewillforgiveher....Just
alittlewhileagowhenIwaswithher,Ifeltthisinmyheart!AndHewilljudge
andforgiveeveryone,boththegoodandtheevil,thewisemenandthe
humble....AndwhenHehasfinishedwitheveryone,thenHewillsummonus,
too:‘Comeforth,’Hewillsay,‘evenye!Comeforth,yedrunkards,comeforth,
yeweaklings,comeforth,yeshamelessones!’Andwewillallcomeforth,
withoutshame,andwewillstandbeforeHim.AndHewillsay,‘Yeareswine!

Yearemadeintheimageofthebeastandyebearhismark;butyealsoshall
comeforth!’Andthewisemenandthelearnedmenwillexclaim,‘Lord!
WhereforedoYoureceivethesepeople?’AndHewillsay,‘Ireceivethem,oh,
yewisemen,Ireceivethem,oh,yelearnedmen,becausenotoneofthemhath
everconsideredhimselfworthy....’AndHewillstretchforthHisarmstous,
andwewillkissHishands...andwewillweep...andwewillunderstandall
things!Thenwillweunderstandallthings!Andeveryonewill

understand...evenKaterinaIvanovna...she,too,willunderstand....Oh,
Lord,Thykingdomcome!”

Deepinthought,hesankdownonthebench,weakandexhausted,lookingat
noone,obliviousofhissurroundings.Hiswordsmadequiteanimpression;
silencereignedforamoment,butsoonthepreviouslaughterandcurses resumed.

“Know-it-all!”

“Damnedliar!”

“Bureaucrat!”

Andsoonandsoforth.

“Let’sgo,sir,”Marmeladovsaidsuddenly,raisinghisheadandturningto
Raskolnikov.“Takemehome...toKozel’shouse,inthecourtyard.It’s
time...toKaterinaIvanovna...”

Raskolnikovhadbeenwantingtoleaveforsometime;hehimselfhadeven
thoughtabouthelpingtheothermangethome.Marmeladov’slegsweremuch
weakerthanhiswords,andheleanedheavilyontheyoungman.Theyhadonly
abouttwoorthreehundredpacestowalk.Theclosertheygottohishouse,the
moreandmorethedrunkenmanwasovercomebyembarrassmentandfear.

“I’mnotafraidofKaterinaIvanovnanow,”hemutteredinagitation.“It’snot
thatshe’llbegintearingoutmyhair.WhatdoIcareaboutmyhair?It’snothing!

That’swhatIsay!It’llevenbebetterifshebeginstearingitout!That’snotwhat
I’mafraidof....I’m...afraidofhereyes...yes...hereyes....I’malso
afraidoftheredblotchesonhercheeks...andthen—I’mafraidofher
breathing....Haveyoueverheardhowpeoplewiththisillness
breathe...whenthey’redistraught?I’malsoafraidofthechildren’s
crying....BecauseifSonyahasn’tfedthem,then...Idon’tknowwhat!Ijust
don’t!ButI’mnotafraidofabeating.Youshouldknow,sir,notonlyaresuch
beatingsnotpainful,Ievenenjoythem....ForImyselfcouldn’tdowithout
them.It’sbetterthatway.Letherbeatme;itrelieveshersoul....It’sbetterthat
way....Here’sthehouse.Kozel’shouse.He’salocksmith,aGerman,he’s
rich...leadon.”

Theyenteredfromthecourtyardandwentuptothefourthfloor.Thefarther
theyclimbed,thedarkerthestairsbecame.Itwasalmosteleveno’clock,and
eventhoughatthattimeofyearthere’snorealnightinPetersburg,itwasvery
darkatthetopofthestairs.

Thesmallsootydoorattheendofthestairway,attheverytop,wasopen.A
candlestublitthepoorestofrooms,onlytenpaceslong;itwasentirelyvisible
fromthehallway.Everythingwasthrownaboutandindisarray,especiallythe
children’sclothing.Abedsheetwithholesinithadbeenhungacrosstheback

corner.Behindit,mostlikely,stoodabed.Therewereonlytwochairsinthe
roomitselfandaverytatteredoilclothsofa,infrontofwhichstoodanold
kitchentablemadeofpine,unpaintedanduncovered.Attheedgeofthetable
wasapartiallyburnedtallowcandlestubinanironcandlestick.Itturnedoutthat
Marmeladovlivedinaseparateroom,notinthatcorner;hisroomwasone
throughwhichpeoplehadtopass.Thedoortothefarthestroomsorcells,into
whichAmaliyaLippevekhsel’sapartmenthadbeendivided,stoodslightlyajar.

Therewasagreatdealofnoiseandshouting.Therewasloudlaughter.Itseemed
thatpeoplewereplayingcardsandhavingtea.Sometimesthemostindecorous
wordsemerged.

RaskolnikovrecognizedKaterinaIvanovnaimmediately.Shewasaterribly
emaciatedwoman,thin,rathertallandelegant,withlovelydarkbrownhairstill,
andrealredblotchesonhercheeks.Shepacedbackandforthinherlittleroom,
armsfoldedacrossherchest,lipsparched,gaspingunevenlyforbreath.Hereyes
wereshiningasifshehadafever,butherglancewassharpandsteady,andher
consumptiveandagitatedfacemadeamorbidimpressioninthelastlightofthe
flickeringcandleendquiveringonherface.SheseemedtoRaskolnikovtobe
aboutthirtyyearsoldandwascertainlynomatchforMarmeladov....She
didn’thearanddidn’tseethemenentering;sheseemedtobeinsomesortof
stuporinwhichsheneithersawnorheardanything.Itwasstuffyintheroom,
butshehadn’topenedthewindow;therewasastenchemanatingfromthe
staircase,butthedoorstoodopen;wavesoftobaccosmokewaftedinfromthe
innerroomsthroughtheopendoor;shewascoughingbuthadn’tclosedthedoor.

Theyoungestgirl,aroundsixyearsold,wasasleeponthefloor,sittingup
somehow,hunchedover,herheadrestingonthesofa.Thelittleboy,ayearolder
thanher,wastremblinginthecornerandcrying.He’dprobablyjustbeenbeaten.

Theeldestdaughter,aroundnineyearsold,wasastallandslimasamatchstick,
wearingonlyawretched,verytatteredblouse,anddrapedoverherbare
shouldersadecrepitcottonshawlthathadprobablybeenmadeforherabouttwo
yearsago,becausenowitdidn’tevenreachherknees;shestoodinthecorner
nexttoheryoungerbrother,embracinghisneckwithonelongarm,desiccated
asamatchstick.Sheseemedtobecomfortinghim,whisperingsomethingto
him,doingallshecouldsohewouldn’tstartwhimperingagain,whileatthe
sametimeshefollowedhermotherwithhervery,verylargedarkeyes,which
seemedevenlargeronheremaciatedandfrightenedlittleface.Marmeladov,
beforeenteringtheroom,sanktohiskneesinthedoorway,whilehepushed
Raskolnikovforward.Thewoman,noticingastranger,pauseddistractedlyin
frontofhim;havingreturnedtohersensesmomentarily,sheseemedtobe
wonderingwhyhe’dcomein.Butmostlikelysheimaginedthathewasheading

intotheotherrooms,sincetheirsservedasthepassageway.Realizingthisand
notpayinganymoreattention,shewenttothehalldoortocloseit;then,
catchingsightofherhusbandkneelingonthethreshold,shesuddenlyscreamed.

“Ah!”shecriedinarage.“Soyou’vecomeback!Youcrook!Youmonster!

Where’sthemoney?What’sleftinyourpocket?Showme!Andyourclothes?

Whereareyourclothes?Where’sthemoney?Tellme...”

Sherushedathimtobeginsearching.Marmeladovobedientlyandcalmly
raisedbothhisarmstothesidestomakeiteasiertosearchhispockets.There
wasn’takopeckleft.

“Where’sthemoney?”shescreamed.“Oh,Lord,didhereallyspenditallon drink?
Thereweretwelvesilverrublesleftinthebox!”Suddenly,inarage,she
grabbedholdofhishairanddraggedhimintotheroom.Marmeladovhimself
madeiteasierforher,crawlingonhiskneesmeeklybehindher.

“Eventhisgivesmeenjoyment!Eventhisisn’tpainful,buten-joy-ab-le,my dear-
estkindsir,”hecried,beingshakenbyhishairandevenbumpinghis
foreheadonceonthefloor.Thechildwhowasasleeponthefloorwokeupand
begancrying.Thelittleboyinthecornercouldn’trestrainhimself,began
shaking,burstintotears,and,inaterriblefright,almostafit,rushedtohissister.

Theoldergirl,halfawake,trembledlikealeaf.

“Drankitup!Allofit,hedrankitallup!”thepoorwomanshoutedin
despair.“Andthosearen’thisclothes!They’rehungry,hungry!”(Wringingher
hands,shepointedtothechildren.)“Oh,whatacursedlife!Andyou,aren’tyou
ashamed?”shesaid,turningsuddenlyonRaskolnikov.“Fromthetavern!Were
youdrinkingwithhim?Wereyoudrinkingwithhim,too?Getout!”

Theyoungmanhastenedtoleavewithoutsayingaword.Besides,the
interiordoorswungopen,andseveralcuriousonlookerspeekedin.Impudent
peopleinskullcapswerestretchingtheirheadsforward,laughingandsmoking
cigarettesorpipes.Therewerepeoplewearingbathrobes,someleftcompletely
unfastened,orwearingalmostindecentsummerclothes;othersheldcardsin
theirhands.TheylaughedespeciallyheartilywhenMarmeladov,beingdragged
byhishair,criedthathefounditenjoyable.Theyevenbegancomingintothe
room;atlastonecouldhearasinisterscreech:itwasAmaliyaLippevekhsel
forcingherwaythroughtoimposeasortoforderandtofrightenthepoor
womanforthehundredthtimewithherinsultingcommandtovacatethe
apartmentbythefollowingday.Asheleft,Raskolnikovmanagedtoshovehis
handintohispocket,grabthechangeleftfromtherublehe’dcashedatthe
tavern,andplaceitonthewindowsillunobserved.Then,onceonthestaircase,
hereconsideredandwantedtoreturn.

“WhatafoolishthingIjustdid,”hethought.“TheyhaveSonya,andIneed

themoneymyself.”Butaftersomethought,herealizedthatitwasalready
impossibletotakeitbackandhewouldn’tdoit,anyway;hegaveupand
returnedtohisownapartment.“Sonyaalsohastobuymakeup,”hewenton,
grinningsarcasticallyashewalkedalongthestreet.“Thiscleanlinesscosts
money....Hmm.ButmaybeSonechkawon’tmakeanymoneytoday,because
there’salwaysriskinvolved,huntingforvaluablegame,prospectingfor
gold....Withoutmymoney,theymightstillhavenothingatall
tomorrow....Ah,thatSonya!Whatagoldminethey’vediscovered!Andthey
mineit!I’llsaytheydo!Andthey’vegottenusedtoit.Theyshedafewtears
andthentheygotusedtoit.Man’sascoundrel:hecangetusedtoanything!”

Hestartedmusing.

“ButwhatifI’mwrong?”hesuddenlycriedinadvertently.“Whatifman’s reallynota
scoundrel, ingeneral—thatis,thewholehumanrace;thatwould
meanthatalltherestisprejudice,merelyimaginedfears,andthereareno
boundaries,andthat’showitshouldbe!”

*AfairlylowrankintheRussiancivilservice,correspondingtothatofacaptaininthea
rmy.

† ProstitutesinRussiawereregisteredwiththepoliceandrequiredtocarryyellowid
entitycards.

‡PontiusPilate’swordsinJohn19:5whenpresentingJesustothecrowd.

§Adanceassociatedwithupper-
classyoungladies,especiallythoseeducatedinsociallydesirablefinishing
schools.

¶CyruswasaPersianrulerinthesixthcenturyB.C.E.

#GeorgeLewes(1817–1878)wrote
ThePhysiologyofEverydayLife(1859);itwastranslatedintoRussian
in1861andbecameverypopularamongRussianprogressives.

III

Itwasalreadylateinthedaywhenheawokeafteradisturbedsleep,butthe
sleephadn’tfortifiedhim.Hewokeupfeelingaggravated,irritable,andspiteful
andlookedaroundhissmallspacewithcontempt.Itwasatinyclosetofaroom,
somesixpaceslong,andithadthemostpitifulappearance,withdustyyellowish
wallpaperpeelingawayinmanyplaces.Theceilingwassolowthatevena
slightlytallmanwouldfinditunnerving,anditalwaysseemedtohimthatatany
momenthemightbumphisheadagainstit.Thefurnituresuitedtheroom:there
werethreeoldchairs,notingoodcondition,andapaintedtableinthecorner
holdingafewbooksandnotebooks.Aglanceatevenonevolume,allcoveredin
dust,wouldmakeitclearthatithadbeenawhilesinceanyone’shandhad
touchedthesebooks.Finally,alarge,ungainlysofatookupalmosttheentire
wallandabouthalfthewidthofthewholeroom;atonetimeithadbeencovered
inchintz,butnowitwasintattersandservedasRaskolnikov’sbed.Heoften
sleptonitjustashewas,withoutundressing,withoutasheet,coveringhimself
withhisoldshabbystudent’sovercoat,withonesmallpillowattheheadofthe
bed,underwhichhewouldplaceallthelinenheowned,bothcleananddirty,so
thathisheadwasraisedabit.Asmalltablestoodinfrontofthesofa.

Itwashardtosinklowerorbecomemoreslovenly,butRaskolnikovfound
thisaspectevenpleasantinhiscurrentframeofmind.Hehaddefinitely
withdrawnfromeveryone,likeaturtleintoitsshell,andeventhefaceofthe
servant,whowasobligedtowaitonhimandwhowouldsometimesenterhis
room,arousedhisbileandoccasionedtremors.Thatsometimeshappenswith
thosemonomaniacswhoaretoofocusedonsomething.Thelandladyhad
stoppedprovidinghimwithfoodabouttwoweeksago,anduptothepresenthe
hadn’ttakenituponhimselftohaveitoutwithher,eventhoughhewentwithout
hisdinner.ThecookNastasya,thelandlady’sonlyservant,welcomedthe
lodger’smoodandhadcompletelystoppedsweepingandstraighteninghisroom,
exceptthataboutonceaweekshewouldsometimestakeabroomtoit,asifby
accident.Itwasshewhohadjustawakenedhim.

“Getup!Whyareyousleeping?”sheyelledathim.“It’spastnineo’clock.I
broughtyousometea.Doyouwantit?You’rewastingaway!”

Thelodgeropenedhiseyes,shuddered,andrecognizedNastasya.

“Isthatteafromthelandladyorwhat?”heasked,slowlyandpainfully
raisinghimselfupabitonthesofa.

“Thelandlady!Ha!”

“Thelandlady!Ha!”
Sheplacedherowncrackedteapotinfrontofhim,withitsdilutedteaand
twoyellowlumpsofsugar.

“Here,Nastasya,takethis,please,”hesaid,fumblinginhispocket(he’d
beensleepinginhisclothes),andhepulledoutahandfulofcoppercoins.“Go
buymearoll.Andgetmealittlesausagefromthesausagemaker,thecheapest sort.”

“I’llbringyouarollinamoment,butwouldn’tyoulikesomecabbagesoup
insteadofsausage?It’sfromyesterdayandit’sgood.Isavedyousome,butyou
camehomelate.It’sgoodcabbagesoup.”

Whenshe’dbroughtinthesoupandhe’dsetabouteatingit,Nastasyasat
downonthesofanexttohimandstartedchatting.Shewasapeasantwomanand
verytalkative.

“PraskovyaPavlovnawantstocomplaintothepoliceaboutyou,”shesaid.

Hewinceddeeply.

“Tothepolice?Whatdoesshewant?”

“Youdon’tpayheranymoneyandyouwon’tvacatetheroom.It’sclear
whatshewants.”

“Oh,hell,that’sallIneeded,”hemuttered,grindinghisteeth.“No,that’s
not...agoodthingrightnow....She’safool,”hesaidaloud.“I’llgoseeher
today.I’lltalktoher.”

“Shemaybeafool,justlikeIam,butwhataboutyou?Areyouclever,lying
herelikeasack,withnothingtoshowforit?Before,yousaid,youusedtoteach
children;whydon’tyoudoanythingnow?”

“Ido...”Raskolnikovsaidreluctantlyandharshly.

“Whatdoyoudo?”

“Iwork...”

“Whatkindofwork?”
“Ithink,”herepliedseriouslyafteralittlepause.

Nastasyasimplycollapsedinlaughter.Shewaseasilyamused,andwhenshe
foundsomethingfunny,shelaughedinaudibly,herwholebodyrockingand
shakinguntilshefeltsick.

“Haveyouthoughtupalotofmoney?”shewasfinallyabletoutter.

“Withoutboots,youcan’tgoteach.Besides,Ispitonthem.”

“Don’tspitintothewellyoudrinkfrom.”

“Theypaymealmostnothingtoteachchildren.Whatcanyoudowith
kopecks?”hecontinuedreluctantly,asifreplyingtohisownthoughts.

“Youwantallyourcapitalatonce?”

Heregardedherwithastrangelook.

“Yes,allmycapital,”herepliedfirmly,afteraslightpause.

“Yes,allmycapital,”herepliedfirmly,afteraslightpause.

“Well,bettertogoslowly,oryou’llscareme;I’malreadyveryfrightened.

ShouldIgetyouaroll,ornot?”

“Asyoulike.”

“Oh,Iforgot!Alettercameforyouyesterdaywhileyouwereout.”

“Aletter!Forme?Fromwhom?”

“Idon’tknowfromwhom.Ipaidthemailmanthreekopecks.Willyoupay meback?”

“Bringittome,forheaven’ssake,bringit!”Raskolnikovcriedingreat excitement.

Aminutelater,theletterappeared.Justashethought:itwasfromhis
mother,inRyazanProvince.Heeventurnedpaleashetookit.Hehadn’t
receivedanylettersinsometime;butnowsomethingelsesuddenlytookholdof
hisheart.

“Nastasya,goaway,forheaven’ssake;here’syourthreekopecks,onlygo
awayrightnow,forheaven’ssake!”

Thelettertrembledinhishands:hedidn’twanttoopenitinherpresence:he
wantedtobe alone withtheletter.AfterNastasyaleft,hequicklyraisedthe
lettertohislipsandkissedit;thenforalongtimehegazedatthehandwritingof
theaddress,athismother’sfamiliar,beloved,tinyslantedwriting,shewho’d
oncetaughthimhowtoreadandwrite.Hetookhistime;heevenseemedafraid
ofsomething.Hefinallyopenedit:theletterwaslong,thick,andweighed
almostafullounce;twolargepiecesofwritingpaperwerecoveredwithtiny script.

“MydearRodya,”hismotherwrote.“It’sbeenmorethantwomonthssince
I’vewrittenyoualetter,asaresultofwhichI’vesuffered,attimesevenlost
sleep,wonderingaboutyou.Butmostlikelyyouwon’tblamemeformy
unintendedsilence.YouknowhowIloveyou;you’reallwehave,DunyaandI,
youmeaneverythingtous,allourhope,allouraspiration.IwassoupsetwhenI
learnedthatyou’dlefttheuniversityseveralmonthsagobecauseyouwere
unabletosupportyourself,andthatyourlessonsandothersourceshadended!

HowcouldIhelpyouwithmypensionofonlyonehundredandtwentyrublesa year?
Asyouwellknow,I’dborrowedthosefifteenrublesIsentyoufour
monthsagofromourlocalmerchantAfanasyIvanovichVakhrushin,onthe
promiseofmypension.He’sagoodmanandwasyourfather’sacquaintance.

Butingivinghimtherighttoreceivemypensionforme,Iwasobligedtowait
untilIrepaidmydebt,andthat’sonlyjusthappened,soallthistimeIhaven’t
beenabletosendyouanything.Butnow,thankGod,itseemsIcansendyou
somemore;ingeneral,wecanevenboastofgoodfortunenowaboutwhichI

hastentoinformyou.Inthefirstplace,couldyouguess,dearRodya,thatyour
dearsisterhasbeenlivingwithmeforthelastmonthandahalf,andwe’llno
longerbeseparatedinthefuture.PraisetheLord,hertormentshaveended,but
I’lltellyoueverythinginorder,soyou’llknowwhat’shappenedandwhatwe’ve
beenkeepingfromyouuptonow.Whenyouwrotetomeabouttwomonthsago
thatyou’dheardfromsomeoneorotherthatDunyahadtoenduremuch
rudenessinMr.Svidrigaylov’shouseandyouaskedmeforamoredetailed
explanation—whatcouldIwritetoyouatthattime?IfI’dtoldyouthewhole
truth,you’dprobablyhavedroppedeverythingandrushedtoseeus,evencome
onfoot,becauseIknowyourcharacterandyourfeelings,andyouwouldn’thave
allowedyoursistertobeinsulted.Imyselfwasindespair,butwhatcouldIdo?

EvenIdidn’tknowthewholetruththen.ThemaindifficultywasthatDunya,
who’denteredtheirhouseholdlastyearasagoverness,hadreceivedanadvance
ofonehundredrubles,ontheconditionthatacertainamountwouldbededucted
fromhersalaryeachmonth;therefore,shecouldn’tleaveherpositionuntilshe’d
repaidherdebt.Thisamount(Icannowexplainitalltoyou,preciousRodya)
she’dacceptedmostlysoshecouldsendyousixtyrubles,whichyouneeded
thenandwhichyoureceivedfromuslastyear.Atthetimewedeceivedyou,
writingthatithadcomefromDunya’ssavings,butthatwasn’tso.NowI’m
tellingyouthewholetruthbecauseeverything’ssuddenlychanged,bythewill
ofGod,forthebetter,andsoyou’llknowhowmuchDunyalovesyouandwhat
apreciousheartshehas.Asamatteroffact,rightfromthestartMr.

Svidrigaylovtreatedherveryrudelyandmadevariousimpoliteremarksand
insultstoheratthetable....ButIdon’twanttodwellontheseagonizing
difficultiesandupsetyoufornoreason,sinceallofthat’sstopped.Inbrief,in
spiteofthekindandgeneroustreatmentbyMarfaPetrovna,Mr.Svidrigaylov’s
wife,andalltheservants,Dunechkahadaverydifficulttime,especiallywhen
Mr.Svidrigaylov,followingoldregimentalcustom,wasundertheinfluenceof
Bacchus.Butwhathappenedafterward?Justimaginethatthismadmanhad
conceivedapassionforDunyasometimeearlier,buthadbeenconcealingit
undertheguiseofrudenessandcontemptforher.Perhapshehimselfwas
ashamedandhorrifiedtoseethathehimself,athisageandasthefatherofa
family,harboredsuchfrivoloushopes;therefore,heinadvertentlytookhisanger
outonDunya.Perhapsbyhisrudetreatmentandmockeryhewantedtohidethe
wholetruthfromotherpeople.But,intheend,hecouldn’trestrainhimselfand
daredmakeanopenandvilepropositiontoDunya,promisinghervarious
rewards;moreover,hesaidhewouldforsakeeverythingandgotoanother
villagewithheror,perhaps,evenabroad.Youcanimaginehersuffering!Itwas
impossibleforhertoleaveherpositionatthattime,notonlybecauseofher

financialobligation,butbecauseshewantedtospareMarfaPetrovna,whomight
suddenlyconceiveahatredforher,andconsequentlyarousediscordinthe
household.ItwouldcreateahugescandalforDunechka;she’dneverbeableto
escapeit.ThereweremanyotherreasonswhyDunyacouldn’tconsider
removingherselffromthishorriblehouseearlierthansixweeks.Ofcourse,you
knowDunya,youknowhowcleversheisandwhatastrongcharactershehas.

Shecantoleratemanythingsandfindsomuchgenerositywithinherselfevenin
themostextremecircumstances,soasnottoloseherstrength.Shedidn’teven
writetomeaboutallthissoasnottoupsetme,thoughweoftenexchanged
news.Thefinalewasunexpected.MarfaPetrovnaaccidentallyoverheardher
husbandimploringDunechkainthegarden.Misinterpretingthewholeaffair,she
blamedDunyaforeverything,thinkingthatshewasthecauseofitall.It
occasionedaterriblescenerightthereinthegarden:MarfaPetrovnaevenstruck
her,anddidn’twanttolistentoreason.Sheshoutedforawholehourandfinally
orderedthatDunyabesentbacktomeintownonasimplepeasant’scart,onto
whichtheytossedallherthings,linens,dresses,inanywhichway,untiedand
unpacked.Thenitbegantopourdownrain;Dunya,insultedanddisgraced,had
tomakethetrip,allelevenmiles,withapeasantinanopencart.Nowjust
imagine,howandwhatcouldIwriteinreplytoyourletterthatI’dreceivedtwo
monthsago?Imyselfwasindespair.Idarednottellyouthetruthbecauseyou’d
besounhappy,bitter,andangry.Andwhatcouldyoudo?Youmighthave
gottenyourselfintotrouble;besides,Dunyawouldn’tallowit.Icouldn’tjustfill
myletterwithnonsenseaboutthisandthat,whenIfeltsuchsorrowinmysoul.

Rumorsaboutthisepisodecirculatedthroughthewholetownforanentire
month,anditreachedthepointwhereDunyaandIcouldn’tevengotochurch
becauseofallthecontemptuouslooksandwhispers.Remarkswereevenuttered
aloudinourpresence.Allofouracquaintancesshunnedus,andeveryone
stoppedgreetingus.Ilearnedforcertainthatsomemerchants’shopassistants
andsomeofficeclerkswantedtoinsultusintheworstpossiblewaybytarring
thegatesofourhousesothatthelandlordwoulddemandthatwevacateour
apartment.ThecauseofallthiswasMarfaPetrovna,who’dmanagedto
denounceandslanderDunyaineveryhousehold.Shewasacquaintedwith
everyoneintown,andduringthatmonthshevisitedtowncontinually.She’s
somewhattalkativeandlovestogoonaboutfamilymatters,especially
complainingaboutherhusbandtoeachandeveryperson,whichisnotagood
thing;soshespreadthewholestoryinaveryshorttime,notonlyintown,but
throughoutthedistrict.Ifellill,butDunyawasstrongerthanIwas;ifyou’d
onlyseenhowsheendureditallandhowsheconsoledandreassuredme!She’s
anangel!But,byGod’sgrace,ourtormentsended.Mr.Svidrigaylovthought

betterofit,repented,probablytakingpityonDunya,andpresentedtoMarfa
PetrovnaclearandcompleteevidenceofDunya’sinnocence,namelythis:a
letterthatDunyahadfeltcompelledtowriteandconveytohim,evenbefore
MarfaPetrovnacameupontheminthegarden,onethatremainedinhis
possessionafterDunya’sdeparture.Thenoteaskedhimtoceasethesepersonal
declarationsandsecretmeetingsthathe’dinsistedon.Inthislettershe
reproachedhiminthemostimpassionedwayandwithtotalindignationforhis
dishonorabletreatmentofMarfaPetrovna.Sheremindedhimthathewasa
fatherandtheheadofahousehold,and,finally,shesaidhowvileitwasforhim
totormentanddistressayoungwomanwhowasalreadyindistressand
defenseless.Inaword,dearRodya,thisletterwassonoblyandpoignantly
writtenthatIsobbedwhilereadingitandtothisdaycan’tdosowithout
sheddingtears.ContributingtoDunya’sexonerationcamethetestimonyofthose
servantswhosawandknewmuchmorethanMr.Svidrigaylovsupposed,as
alwayshappens.MarfaPetrovnawascompletelyastoundedand‘onceagain
crushed,’assheherselfacknowledged;ontheotherhand,shewasfully
convincedofDunechka’sinnocence.Theverynextday,Sunday,heading
directlytochurch,shetearfullyimploredOurLadytogiveherthestrengthto
bearthisnewordealandcarryoutherduty.Then,rightafterchurch,without
makinganystops,shecametousandtolduseverything.Sheweptbitterlyand,
withfullrepentance,embracedDunyaandbeggedherforgiveness.Thatsame
morning,withouttarrying,shesetoffrightfromourhousetoallthehouseholds
intown,andineachone,sheddingtears,sherestoredDunya’sinnocenceandthe
nobilityofherfeelingsandbehaviorinthemostflatteringterms.Sheshowed
everyoneDunechka’shandwrittenlettertoMr.Svidrigaylov,readitaloud,and
evenallowedpeopletomakecopiesofit(which,itseemstome,wasgoingtoo
far).Inthiswayittookherseveraldaystovisiteveryoneintown,sothatsome
peoplefeltoffendedthatshewaspartialtoothers.Lineswereformedsinceshe
wasexpectedinadvanceateveryhouseholdandeveryoneknewthatonsuch
andsuchadayMarfaPetrovnawouldreadtheletterthere.Ateachreading,
peoplewouldlineupwho’dalreadyheardtheletterreadseveraltimesintheir
ownhomesandinthoseoftheirotheracquaintances.Inmyopinion,muchof
this,verymuch,wasunnecessary;butsuchwasMarfaPetrovna’scharacter.At
leastshefullyrestoredDunechka’shonor.Allthevilenessofthisaffairleftan
indelibledisgraceonherhusbandasthemainculprit,sothatIevenbegantofeel
sorryforhim.Peopledealttooseverelywiththatmadman.SoonDunyawas
invitedtogivelessonsinseveralhouseholds,butsherefused.Ingeneral,people
suddenlybegantreatingherwithspecialrespect.Allofthisservedprincipallyto
furthertheunexpectedcircumstancebywhich,onecansay,ourentirefateis

nowbeingaltered.Youshouldknow,dearRodya,thatasuitorhasproposedto
Dunyaandshe’salreadygivenherconsent,whichI’mwritingtoinformyou
aboutimmediately.Eventhoughthismatterwasconductedwithoutyouradvice,
youprobablywon’tbearanygrudgeeitheragainstmeoryoursister,sinceyou
yourselfwillsee,fromthefacts,thatitwasimpossibletodelayorwaitforyour
answertoarrive.Besides,youyourselfcouldn’thavejudgeditaccurately
withoutbeinghere.Thisishowithappened.He’salreadyacourtcouncillor,this
PetrPetrovichLuzhin,adistantrelativeofMarfaPetrovna’s,whoherselfhelped
agreatdealinthisaffair.Itallbeganwithhisexpressingadesirethroughher
thathewishedtomakeouracquaintance;hewasreceivedproperly,hadsome
coffee,andthenextdaysentaletterinwhichheverypolitelystatedhisproposal
andaskedforaswiftanddefinitiveanswer.He’sapractical,busyman,just
abouttoleaveforPetersburg,sohevalueseveryminute.Ofcourse,atfirstwe
wereverysurprised,sinceallthistookplacesoswiftlyandunexpectedly.All
thatdayweponderedandconsideredittogether.He’sareliable,well-to-do
person,worksintwoplaces,andhasalreadyamassedsomecapital.It’struethat
he’sforty-five,buthehasaratherpleasantappearanceandcanstillbeattractive
towomen;he’salsoanextremelysolidanddecentman,onlyalittlegloomyand
abitarrogant.Butperhapsitonlyseemsthatway,atfirstglance.Iadviseyou,
dearRodya,whenyoumeethiminPetersburg,whichwillhappenquitesoon,
nottojudgehimtooquicklyandheatedly,asyousometimesdo,ifatfirstglance
youthinksomethingabouthimisnotquiteright.Isaythisjustincase,although
I’msurethathe’llmakeapleasantimpressiononyou.Besides,inorderto
determinewhatsortofpersonheis,onemustdealwithhimgraduallyand
carefully,soasnottofallintoerrororprejudice,whichisdifficulttocorrector
smoothoverafterward.AndPetrPetrovich,atleastfrommanyindications,isan
extremelyrespectableman.Onhisfirstvisit,hestatedthathewasapositive
person;hesharestoalargeextent,ashehimselfexplainedit,‘theconvictionsof
ouryoungergeneration,’andheisanenemyofallprejudices.Hesaidagreat
manyotherthingsbecauseheseemsabitvainandverymuchlikestobelistened
to,butthat’salmostnotafault.Ofcourse,Iunderstoodverylittle,butDunya
explainedtomethatalthoughheisnotawell-educatedman,heiscleverand,it
seems,kind.Youknowyoursister’scharacter,Rodya.She’sastrongyoung
woman,sensible,patient,andgenerous,althoughshehasanimpassionedheart,
asI’vecometoknowwell.Ofcourse,there’snoparticularloveinvolved,either
onhersideoronhis,butDunya,inadditiontobeingacleveryoungwoman,is
alsoaloftycreature—anangel.She’llconsideritherdutytomakeherhusband
happy,andhe,inturn,willconcernhimselfwithhiswife’shappiness,which,for
thetimebeing,wehavenomajorreasontodoubt,eventhough,Imustadmit,

thiswholeaffairwasconcludedratherquickly.Besides,he’saveryprudentman
andofcoursewillrealizethathisownconjugalhappinesswillbemoreassured
thehappierDunechkaiswithhim.Asforthefactthattherearesome
irregularitiesinhischaracter,someoldhabits,evensomedisagreementintheir
views(whichcan’tbeavoidedeveninthehappiestofmarriages),onthatcount
Dunechkatoldmethatshe’srelyingonherselfandthere’snoreasontobe
concerned,thatshecantolerateagreatdealontheconditionthattheirfuture
relationswillbefairandhonest.Forexample,heseemedabitharshtomeat
first;butthatcouldbepreciselybecausehe’ssuchastraightforwardman,and
it’sabsolutelyso.Forexample,duringhissecondvisit,afterhe’dalready
receivedherconsent,heexpressedinourconversationthatpreviously,even
beforeheknewDunya,he’dintendedtomarryanhonestyoungwoman,butone
withoutadowry,andcertainlyonewho’dalreadyexperiencedpoverty;because,
asheexplained,ahusbandshouldinnowaybeobligatedtohiswife,andthat
it’smuchbetterifthewifeconsidersherhusbandtobeherbenefactor.I’lladd
thatheexpressedhimselfalittlemoregentlyandaffectionatelythanIdescribed,
butI’veforgottenhisexactwords,andrecallonlytheidea;besides,hesaidit
withoutanypremeditation.Obviouslyitjustslippedoutintheheatof
conversation,sothatafterwardheeventriedtocorrecthimselfandsoftenit.But
itstillseemedsomewhatharshtome,andIconveyedthistoDunyalater.But
shereplied,evensomewhatannoyed,that‘wordsarenotthesameasdeeds,’and
ofcoursethat’sfair.Beforedeciding,Dunechkadidn’tsleepthewholenight;
supposingthatIwasalreadyasleep,shegotoutofbedandspentthewholenight
pacingbackandforthintheroom.Finallyshekneltdownandprayedfervently
infrontoftheiconforalongtime;inthemorning,sheannouncedtomethat
she’dmadeadecision.

“I’vealreadymentionedthatPetrPetrovichisnowheadingtoPetersburg.He
hasimportantbusinessthere,sincehewantstoopenapubliclawyer’sofficein
thecapital.He’sbeenengagedforawhileinvariouslegalactionsandlawsuits,
andafewdaysagohewonanimportantcase.HehastogotoPetersburg
becausehehasanimportantmatterpendingintheSenate.Thus,dearRodya,he
mightproveextremelyusefulforyouinallsortsofways;DunyaandIhave
alreadysupposedthatyou,evenfromthisdayforward,mightdefinitelylaunch
yourfuturecareerandconsideryourfatenowclearlydetermined.Oh,ifonly
thisweretocometopass!Itwouldbesuchabenefitthatonewouldhaveto
regarditasnothingotherthanagifttousdirectlyfromtheAlmighty.Dunya
dreamsonlyaboutthis.Weevendaredmentionafewwordsonthisaccountto
PetrPetrovich.Heexpressedhimselfcautiouslyandsaidthatofcourse,sincehe
wouldn’tbeabletogetalongwithoutasecretary,naturallyitwouldbebetterto

payasalarytoarelative,ratherthantoastranger,ifthatpersonturnsouttobe
competenttocarryouthisduties(asifyoucouldturnouttobeincompetent!).

Thenheexpressedhisdoubtthatyourstudiesattheuniversitywouldallowyou
timetoworkinhisoffice.Thematterwasleftthereforthemoment,butnow
Dunyacanthinkaboutnothingbutthis.Forthelastfewdays,she’ssimplybeen
inasortofexcitedstateandhasdevisedanentireschemeabouthowyoucould
becomePetrPetrovich’scomradeandevenhispartnerinhislegalaffairs,allthe
moresosinceyouyourselfarestudyinglaw.I’mincompleteagreementwith
her,Rodya,andshareallherplansandhopes,seeingtheircompletelikelihood.

InspiteofPetrPetrovich’spresent,extremelyunderstandableevasiveness
(becausehedoesn’tknowyouyet),Dunya’squitesurethatshe’llmanageitall
bymeansofhergoodinfluenceoverherfuturehusband,andshe’sconvincedof
that.Ofcourse,wewerecarefulnottoletanythingslipoutaboutthesefuture
dreamsofours,especiallyaboutyourbecominghispartner.He’sapragmatic
personandmighttakeitverycoolly,sinceallthismightseemtohimtobeonly
dreams.Similarly,neitherDunyanorIhavesaidawordtohimaboutourstrong
hopethathewouldhelpussupportyoufinanciallywhileyou’reatthe
university.Wedidn’ttalkaboutit,firstbecauseitmighthappenlaterofitsown
accord;probably,hehimself,withoutunnecessarywords,willproposeit(asif
hecouldrefusethistoDunya),allthemoresosinceyouyourselfmightbecome
hisright-handmanintheofficeandthenyouwouldreceivethisassistancenotin
theformofcharity,butasearnedincome.That’swhatDunyawantstoarrange
andIagreewithhercompletely.Thesecondreasonwedidn’tsayanythingwas
becauseIparticularlywantedtoputyouonanequalfootingwithhimatour
impendingmeetingwithhim.WhenDunyatoldhimaboutyouwithsuch
enthusiasm,herepliedthatonemustfirsttakeacloselookatanyonetoforma
judgmentabouthim,andthathewouldreserveforhimselftherighttoformhis
ownopinionofyouuntilhemadeyouracquaintance.Youknow,myprecious
Rodya,itseemstome,forseveralreasons(however,bynomeansrelatedtoPetr
Petrovich,butjustso,forsomeofmyveryown,personal,perhapsevenold-
womanishwhims)—itseemstomethatperhapsI’dbebetteroffif,aftertheir
wedding,Iweretoliveonmyown,asIdonow,andnotwiththem.I’m
absolutelysurethathe’dbesogenerousandconsiderateastoinvitemeand
proposethatInotbeseparatedfrommydaughter.Ifhehasn’tsaidsouptonow,
naturallyit’sbecausethat’swhatheintendsevenwithoutwords;butI’llrefuse.

I’venoticedmorethanonceinlifethathusbandsarenotveryfondoftheir mothers-in-
law;notonlydoInotwanttobetheslightestburdentoanyone,butI
myselfwanttobecompletelyfree,whileIstillhavemyowncrustofbreadto
eatandchildrensuchasyouandDunechka.Ifpossible,I’llsettlesomewhere

nearbothofyou,because,Rodya,Isavedthemostpleasantnewsfortheendof
myletter:youshouldknow,mydear,thatverysoonwemayallbetogether
againandthethreeofuswillembraceafterourseparationofalmostthreeyears!

It’s definitely beendecidedthatDunyaandIwillleaveforPetersburg,Idon’t

knowexactlywhen,but,inanycase,very,verysoon,perhapseveninaweek.

EverythingdependsontheinstructionsofPetrPetrovich,whowillletusknow
assoonashegetshisbearingsinPetersburg.Forseveralreasonshewantsto
hastenthemarriageceremonyandeven,ifpossible,holdtheweddingbeforethe
nextchurchfast,andifthatdoesn’twork,thenassoonaspossibleaftertheFast
oftheAssumption.Oh,I’lltakeyoutomyheartwithsuchhappiness!Dunya’s
excitedandelatedattheprospectofseeingyou,andonceshesaid,asajoke,that
she’dmarryPetrPetrovichforthatreasonalone.She’sanangel!Shehasnothing
toaddforyounow,butshetoldmetowriteonlythatshehassomanythingsto
talkoverwithyou,soverymanythings,thatshewon’tevenpickupapennow
becauseshecouldn’tconveyitallinjustafewlines,andshe’donlyupset
herself;shetoldmetosendyouherwarmestembraceandcountlesskisses.But,
inspiteofthefactthatwemayverysoonbemeetinginperson,I’llstillbe
sendingyousomemoneyinafewdays,asmuchasIcan.Nowthateveryone
haslearnedthatshe’llbemarryingPetrPetrovich,mycredithassuddenly
improved,andIknowforsurethatAfanasyIvanovichwilltrustme,onaccount
ofmypension,evenuptoseventy-fiverubles,soImaybeabletosendyou twenty-
fiveorthirtyrubles.I’dsendyoumore,butI’mconcernedaboutour
expensesforthetrip.AlthoughPetrPetrovichwaskindenoughtotakeupon
himselfaportionofthecostofourjourneytothecapital,namely,heofferedto
conveyathisexpenseourbaggageandalargetrunk(somehowthroughhis
acquaintancesthere),westillhavetoconsiderourarrivalinPetersburg,where
wecan’tshowupwithoutakopeck,ifonlyforthefirstfewdays.Meanwhile,
DunechkaandIhavecalculatedeverythingprecisely,anditturnsoutthatthe
tripwillcostusverylittle.We’reonlysixtymilesfromtherailroadstation,so
justincase,we’vemadeanagreementwithapeasantdriverherewhomwe
know.Andafterthat,DunechkaandIwillhappilytravelinathird-classrailway
car.Thus,Imaymanagetosendyounottwenty-fiverubles,butmorelikely
thirty.Enough:I’vecompletelyfilledtwoentiresheets,andthere’snospaceleft;
it’sourwholestory:somanyeventshaveaccumulated!Andnow,myprecious
Rodya,IembraceyouuntilourupcomingmeetingandIgiveyoumymaternal
blessing.LoveDunya,yoursister,Rodya;loveherasshelovesyou,andknow
thatshelovesyouwithoutlimit,morethanshelovesherself.She’sanangel;and
you,Rodya,youmeaneverythingtous,allourhope,allouraspiration.Ifonly
you’rehappy,thenwe’llbehappy,too.AreyoustillsayingyourprayerstoGod,

Rodya,asyoudidbefore,anddoyoustillbelieveinthegoodnessofourCreator
andSavior?I’mafraidinmyheartthatyoumayhavebeenvisitedbythelatest
fashionabledisbelief.Ifthat’sso,thenIprayforyou.Remember,mydear,how
inyourchildhood,whenyourfatherwasstillalive,youmumbledyourprayers
onmylapandhowhappyweallwerethen!Good-bye,or,rather, tillwemeet! I
embraceyouvery,verywarmlyandkissyouendlessly.

Yourstillthegrave,

Pulkheriya

Raskolnikova”

AlmostallthewhileRaskolnikovwasreading,fromtheverybeginningof
theletter,hisfacewasbathedintears.However,afterhe’dfinished,hisfacewas
pale,distortedbyaspasm,andapainful,angry,spitefulsmilecurledonhislips.

Helayhisheaddownonhismeager,worn-outpillow,andhethought;he
thoughtforalongtime.Hisheartwaspounding,andhisthoughtswereviolently
agitated.Atlasthefeltstifledandcrampedinthatlittleyellowroomofhis,
whichresembledacupboardoratrunk.Hisgazeandhisthoughtsdemanded
space.Hegrabbedhishatandleft,thistimenolongerafraidofmeetinganyone
onthestaircase;he’dforgottenallaboutthat.Hetookarouteacross
VoznesenskyProspecttowardVasilievskyIsland,asifhasteningthereon
business,but,aswashiscustom,hewalkedwithoutnoticingthestreet,
whisperingandeventalkingaloudtohimself,whichfactgreatlyastonishedthe
passersby.Manypeoplethoughthewasdrunk.

IV

Hismother’slettertormentedhim.Butasfarasthebasic,mostimportantpoint
wasconcerned,hehadnodoubtsevenforonemoment,evenwhilehewas
readingtheletter.Theveryheartofthematterwasresolvedinhismind,
resolvedonceandforall:“ThismarriagewillnevertakeplaceaslongasIlive,
andtohellwithMr.Luzhin!”

“Becausethismatterisobvious,”hemutteredtohimself,smirkingand
maliciouslycelebratinginadvancethetriumphofhisdecision.“No,Mama,no
Dunya,youcan’tdeceiveme!Andwhatmakesitevenworse,theyapologizefor
notaskingmyadviceandfordecidingthematterwithoutme!I’llsay!They
thinkit’simpossibletobreakitoffnow;we’llseeifit’spossibleornot!Whata
splendidexcuse:‘PetrPetrovich,theysay,issuchabusinesslikemanthathe
can’tpossiblygetmarriedinanyotherwaythaninahurry,almostenrouteona
train.’No,Dunya,Icanseeeverything,andIknowwhatthose manythings are
thatyouwanttotalkoverwithme;Ialsoknowwhatyouworriedaboutall
night,pacingtheroom,andwhatyouprayedaboutbeforetheiconofOurLady
ofKazan, *theonethatMamahasinherbedroom.It’sasteepclimbto Golgotha.
† Hmm...so,inotherwords,it’sbeendecidedonceandforall:
you’repleased,AvdotyaRomanovna,tomarrythatpractical,rationalmanwho’s
amassedhiscapital(who’s already amassedhiscapital;that’smoreimpressive,
moreimposing),who’sworkingintwoplaces,whosharestheconvictionsofour
youngergeneration(asMamawrites),andwho‘ seems tobeakindman,’as
Dunyaherselfsays.Thatword seems isthemostsplendidofall!Andthissame
Dunechkaisplanningtomarrythat seems!Splendid!Splendid!

“...However,I’mcurious:whydidMamawritetomeabout‘ouryounger
generation’?Simplytocharacterizethatmanorwithsomefuturegoalinmind:
topersuademetolookkindlyonMr.Luzhin?Oh,howcunning!I’mcuriousto
resolveonemoreaspect:towhatextentweretheybothopenwitheachotherthat
dayandnight,andthenduringthefollowingdays?Wereallthe words spoken
honestlybetweenthem,ordidtheybothunderstandthateachofthemfeltthe
samethinginherheartandmind,andtherewasnoreasontoutteritaloudorto
talkaboutit.Mostlikely,that’spartofwhathappened;it’sclearfromtheletter:
heseemed abit harsh,andnaïveMamaletherviewsslipouttoDunya,while
she,ofcourse,gotangryand‘repliedsomewhatannoyed.’I’llsay!Who

wouldn’tbeenragedwhenthematter’ssoclearevenwithoutsuchnaïve
questions,whenit’sallbeendecided,andthere’snothingmoretosay?Thenshe
writestome,‘LoveDunya,Rodya;shelovesyoumorethanshelovesherself’;
isn’tthatafeelingofremorsesecretlytormentingherforhavingagreedto
sacrificeherdaughterforherson?‘You’reourhope,you’reoureverything!’Oh,
Mama!”Spitewasseethinginhimmoreandmoreintensely,andifhe’d
encounteredMr.Luzhinatthatverymoment,hemightjusthavekilledhim!

“Hmm,it’strue,”hecontinued,pursuingthevortexofthoughtsspinningin
hishead.“It’struethat‘onemustdealwithhimgraduallyandcarefullyto
determinewhatsortofpersonheis,’butMr.Luzhin’scharacterisobvious.The
mainthingis‘he’sabusinesslikeman’and‘ seems tobekind’:whatajokethat
hetooktheconveyanceoftheirbaggageuponhimselfandthathe’sshippinga
largetrunkathisownexpense!Howcouldhebeunkind?Meanwhile,bothof
them,hisfiancéeandhermother,hireapeasantandwillrideinhiscart,covered
withbastmatting!(I’vegonelikethatmyself.)Nevermind!It’sonlysixtymiles
andthen‘we’llhappilytravelinathird-classrailwaycar’anothersixhundred
miles.That’ssensible:youmustcutyourcoattofityourcloth;andyou,Mr.

Luzhin,whataboutit?Afterall,she’syourfiancée....Howcouldyounot
knowthathermother’sborrowingmoneyinadvanceagainstherpensionto
coverthecostoftheirjourney?Ofcourse,hereyouhaveacommoncommercial
transaction,anundertakingformutualprofitwithequalshares;inotherwords,
he’ssplittingtheirexpensesinhalf;‘breadandsaltincommon,butbringyour
owntobacco,’astheproverbsays.Butherethatefficientmanhashoodwinked
themabit:thebaggagecostslessthantheirpassageandmightevengoforfree.

Whydon’ttheybothseeit,ordotheytakenonoticeofitonpurpose?But
they’recontent,content!Justthink,thesearetheflowers:therealfruitlies
ahead!It’snothisstinginessormiserlinessthat’simportanthere,butthe tone of
itall.It’llbecomethetoneoftheirfuturemarriage,it’saprophecy....And
Mama,why’sshesplurginganyway?What’llshehaveleftaftershearrivesin
Petersburg?Threesilverrublesortwo‘littlepaperbills,’asthat...thatold
pawnbrokersays?HowdoessheplantoliveinPetersburgafterward?Why,
she’salreadymanagedtoguessforwhateverreasonsthatit’llbe impossible for
herandDunyatolivetogetherafterthemarriage,evenatfirst.Thatniceman,
mostlikely,somehowletit slip, hegavehimselfaway,eventhoughMama
brushesitoffcompletely,‘I,’shesays,‘I’llrefuse.’Wellthen,whatwillsherely
upon:onherhundredandtwentyrublepension,aftershedeductsthemoneyshe
owesAfanasyIvanovich?She’llknitlittlewinterscarvesorsewlittlesleeve
covers,andruinheragingeyes.Butthoselittlescarveswilladdonlytwenty
rublesayeartoherhundredandtwenty,thatmuchIknow.Thatmeansthey’ll

stillhavetorelyonMr.Luzhin’snoblegenerosity:‘Hehimself,’shesays,‘he’ll
proposeit,he’llentreatme.’Notachance!It’salwaysthesamewiththese
Schilleresquebeautifulsouls: ‡ uptothelastmomenttheydressapersonin
peacockfeathers,untilthelastmomenttheyhopeforthegood,notthebad;and
althoughtheyhaveafeelingabouttheothersideofthecoin,theywon’tuttera
singlewordaboutittothemselvesforanyreason.Thethoughtaloneoffends
them;theybrushawaythetruthuntilthepersonthey’vesoembellishedrubs
theirnosesinitwithhisownhands.I’mcuriousastowhetherMr.Luzhinhas
receivedanyofficialdecorations;I’llbethehastheOrderofSaintAnna§and
thathewearsitatdinnerswithcontractorsandmerchants.Hemightevenputit
onforhiswedding.Buttohellwithhim!

“Well,nevermindMama,shecanthinkwhatshewants—that’swhosheis;
butwhataboutDunya?DearDunechka,Iknowyousowell!Youwerealmost
twentythelasttimewesaweachother:Iunderstoodyourcharacteralready.

Mamawritesthat‘youcantoleratemanythings.’ThatmuchIknew.Iknewthat
twoandahalfyearsagoandhavebeenthinkingaboutitsincethen,precisely
aboutthis,that‘Dunyacantoleratemanythings.’IfshecanbearMr.

Svidrigaylovandalltheaftermath,thatmeansshereallyhasahightolerance.

Nowsheimagines,togetherwithMama,thatshecaneventolerateMr.Luzhin,
expoundinghistheoryregardingtheadvantageofwivesrescuedfrompoverty
andhusbandswhodothemsuchagreathonorandmakeitclearattheirvery
firstmeeting.Well,then,let’ssupposehedid‘letitslip,’eventhoughhe’sa
rationalman(soperhapshedidn’tletitslipatall,butintendedtospellitoutas
earlyaspossible);butDunya,whataboutDunya?Itmusthavebeencleartoher
whatsortofpersonhewasandwithwhomshe’dhavetolive.Shewouldeat
onlyblackbreadanddrinkonlywaterratherthansellhersoulorgiveupher
moralfreedominexchangeforcomfort;shewouldn’ttradeitforallof Schleswig-
Holstein,¶letaloneforMr.Luzhin.No,thatwasn’ttheDunyaI
knew,and...andshecan’thavechangedthatmuchnow!That’sforsure!

ThoseSvidrigaylovsaretough!It’shardtospendyourwholelifeasagoverness
earningonlytwohundredrublesandtraipsingaroundtheprovinces;butstillI
knowmysisterwouldsoonergoworkwithNegroesonaplantationorwith
LatvianpeasantsforaBalticGerman#thandefileherspiritandhermoral
feelingsbyarelationshipwithamanshedoesn’trespectandwithwhomshehas
nothingincommon—forever,merelyforpersonalgain!EvenifMr.Luzhin
weremadeofthepurestgoldorsoliddiamond,eventhenshewouldn’tagreeto
becomeMr.Luzhin’slegalconcubine!Whyissheagreeingnow?What’sthe

point?What’stheanswer?It’sclear:shewouldn’tsellherselfonherown,for
herowncomfort,eventosaveherselffromdeath,butshewouldsellherselffor
someoneelse!She’dsellherselfforadear,belovedperson!That’sthecruxof
thematter:she’ssellingherselfforherbrotherandforhermother!She’llsell
everything!Oh,withsuchanopportunitywe’llsuppressmoralfeeling;we’ll
bringourfreedom,serenity,evenourconscience,everything,everythingtothe
fleamarket.Tohellwithlife!Aslongasourbelovedcreaturesarehappy.

Moreover,we’lldeviseourowncasuistry,we’lllearnfromtheJesuits,and
perhapswe’llreassureourselvesforawhile,persuadeourselvesthatit’s
necessary,reallynecessaryforagoodcause.That’sjusthowweareandit’s
clearasday.It’sclearthere’snooneelseinvolvedexceptRodionRomanovich
Raskolnikov,standingfrontandcenter.Yes,indeed,wecanarrangeforhis
happiness,supporthimattheuniversity,makehimapartnerinthelawoffice,
guaranteehisentirefuture;perhapsafterwardhe’llbecomewealthy,honored,
andrespected,maybeendupfamous.AndMother?Whyhere’sherRodya,her
preciousRodya,herfirstborn!Howcouldshenotsacrificeadaughterforsucha
firstbornson?Oh,loving,unjusthearts!Whatofit?Perhapswewouldn’teven
rejectSonechka’sfate!Sonechka,SonechkaMarmeladova,eternalSonechka,as
longastheworldlasts!Thesacrifice,haveyoubothmeasuredtheenormous
sacrifice?Really?Areyoustrongenough?Willitsucceed?Isitsensible?Do
yourealize,Dunya,thatSonechka’sfateisnoworsethanyourswouldbewith
Mr.Luzhin?‘There’snoparticularloveinvolved,’Mamawrites.Butwhatif
there’sdisgust,contempt,loathing—thenwhat?Thenitturnsout,oncemore,of
course,thatyouhaveto‘ keepyourselfclean.’Isn’tthatright?Doyou
understand,doyoureallyunderstandwhatthatcleanlinessentails?Doyou
understandthatLuzhin’sideaofcleanlinessisjustthesameasSonechka’s,
perhapsevenworse,nastier,filthier,becauseyou,Dunechka,cancountonalife
ofluxury,whereaswithSonya,it’ssimplyamatteroflifeanddeath!‘This
cleanlinessiscostly,Dunechka,verycostly!’Well,andifyou’renotuptoit,
willyourepent?Somuchsorrow,grief,curses,andtearshiddenfromeveryone,
somuch,becauseyou’renoMarfaPetrovna,areyou?Andwhat’llhappentoour
motherthen?Why,evennowshe’sdistraught,she’ssuffering;butwhatabout
then,whensheseeseverythingasitreallyis?Whataboutme?Whatdidyou
reallythinkofme?Idon’twantyoursacrifice,Dunya;Idon’twantit,Mama!It
won’ttakeplaceaslongasIlive,itwon’t,itwon’t!Iwon’tacceptit!”

Hesuddenlycametohissensesandstopped.

“Itwon’ttakeplace?What’llyoudosothatitwon’t?Forbidit?Whatright
doyouhave?Whatcanyoupromisetheminreturntohavesucharight?To
devoteyourwholedestinytothem,yourfuture, whenyoucompleteyourcourse

ofstudiesandattainaposition?We’veheardallthatbefore,andit’sjustan
attempttofrightenus,butnow?Youhavetodosomethingrightnow,doyou
understand?Whatareyoudoinginthemeantime?You’rerobbingthem.They
gettheirmoneyascreditagainstthathundred-rublepensionorasanadvance
fromtheSvidrigaylovs!HowwillyouprotectthemfromthoseSvidrigaylovsor
fromAfanasyIvanovichVakhrushin,youfuturemillionaire,you,youZeus,
disposingoftheirfates?Intenyears?Butintenyears,Motherwillhave
managedtogoblindfromknittingscarvesandperhapsfromsheddingtears;
she’llwasteawayfromfasting;andmysister?Well,justthinkwhatcanhappen
toherintenyearsorduringthattime?Canyouguess?”

That’showRaskolnikovtorturedandteasedhimselfwiththesequestions,
evenderivingsomeenjoymentfromit.Besides,allthesequestionsweren’tnew
orunexpected,butoldones,painful,andpersistent.They’dbeguntormenting
himalongtimeagoandhadrenthishearttopieces.Allthiscurrentanguishhad
takenrootinhimagesago;ithadgrown,accumulated,andoflatematuredand
intensified,havingassumedtheformofaterrible,wild,fantasticquestionthat
tormentedhisheartandmind,irresistiblydemandingasolution.Nowtheletter
fromhismotherhadsuddenlystruckhimlikeathunderbolt.Clearlyitwas
unnecessarytobedejectednowortosufferpassively,merelyconsideringthese
questionsinsoluble;instead,itwasabsolutelynecessarytodosomethingright
now,assoonaspossible.Nomatterwhat,hehadtodecidetodosomething,or else...

“Orrenouncelifealtogether!”hecriedsuddenlyinafrenzy.“Submittofate
asitis,onceandforall,andstifleeverythinginme,rejectinganyrighttoact,
live,orlove!”

“‘Doyouunderstand,doyoureallyunderstand,dearsir,whatitmeanswhen
apersonhasnowhereelsetogo?’”AllofasuddenherecalledMarmeladov’s
questionfromthedaybefore.‘Becauseeveryonehastohavesomewhereto go...’”

Hesuddenlyshuddered:onethought,alsofromthedaybefore,flashed
throughhismindagain.Buthehadn’tshudderedbecauseofthatthought.He’d
known,he’dhada premonition, thatitwould“flashthrough”hismindandhe’d
alreadybeenexpectingit;andthisthoughtwasnotfromthedaybeforeatall.

Butthedifferencewasthatamonthago,evenasrecentlyasyesterday,ithad
beenonlyadaydream,butnow...nowitsuddenlyappearednotasadaydream,
butinsomenew,awe-inspiring,completelyunfamiliarform,andallofasudden
hehimselfbecameawareofit....Hisheadthrobbed,andthingsgrewdark
beforehiseyes.

Heglancedaroundhurriedly;hewaslookingforsomething.Hewantedtosit
downandwassearchingforabench.Justthenhewasmakinghiswayalong

downandwassearchingforabench.Justthenhewasmakinghiswayalong
KonnogvardeiskyBoulevard.Abenchwasvisibleinthedistance,abouta
hundredpacesahead.Hewalkedasquicklyashecould,butalongthewayhe
hadalittleadventurethatattractedallhisattentionforafewminutes.

Lookingforabench,henoticedjustinfrontofhimself,sometwentypaces
ahead,awomanwalkingalongthestreet.Atfirst,hepaidhernoattention,just
ashehadn’tfocusedonotherthingsappearingbeforehimuptonow.Many
timesithadhappenedthathewaswalkinghomeanddidn’trecalltheroutehe’d
taken;he’dgrownusedtothat.Buttherewassomethingstrangeaboutthis
womanthatcaughthiseyefromthefirstglance,sothatgraduallyhisattention
begantobefocusedonher—reluctantlyatfirst,asifwithannoyance,butthenit
grewstrongerandstronger.Suddenlyhewantedtounderstandpreciselywhat
wassostrangeabouther.Firstofall,shemusthavebeenaveryyoungwoman;
shewaswalkingalongbareheadedintheheat,withoutparasolorgloves,waving
herarmsinaludicrousmanner.Shewaswearingasilkdressmadeofsomelight
fabric(“somekindofcloth”),butinaveryoddway,scarcelyfastened,andtorn
atthewaistintheback,alargepieceofmaterialdetachedandhangingloose;a
littlescarfhadbeentossedoverherbareneck,butitprotrudedcrookedlytoone
side.Totopitalloff,theyoungwomanwaswalkingunsteadily,stumbling,even
swayingfromsidetoside.Intheend,thisencounterattractedallof
Raskolnikov’sattention.Hecaughtupwiththeyoungwomanatthebench,but,
uponreachingit,shecollapsedintoonecorner,threwherheadagainsttheback
ofthebench,andclosedhereyes,obviouslyfromextremeexhaustion.

Examiningherclosely,heguessedatoncethatshewascompletelydrunk.Itwas
astrangeandabsurdsighttobehold.Heevenwonderedwhetherhemightbe
mistaken.Beforehimwasanextremelyyoungface,aboutsixteen,perhapseven
onlyfifteen—alittleface,underfairhair,pretty,butquiteflushedandseemingly
swollen.Theyoungwomanseemedtounderstandverylittle;shehadcrossed
onelegovertheotherandwasdisplayingmoreofitthanwasproper,and,byall
indications,shehadverylittleawarenessthatshewasoutsideonthestreet.

Raskolnikovdidn’tsitdownanddidn’twanttowalkaway;hestoodinfront
ofherinaquandary.Thisboulevardwasalwaysdeserted,andnow,afterone
o’clockandinsuchheat,therewasalmostnoonethereatall.However,justto
oneside,aboutfifteenpacesaway,attheedgeofthestreet,stoodagentleman,
who,byallappearances,alsoverymuchwantedtoapproachtheyoungwoman
forsomepurpose.He,too,hadprobablyseenherfromadistanceandwastrying
tocatchupwithher,butRaskolnikovhadhinderedhim.Thegentlemancast
angryglancesathim,trying,however,nottomakethemtooobvious,waitinghis
turnimpatientlyuntiltheannoyingvagabondleft.Thematterwasclear.This

gentlemanwasaboutthirty,stout,plump,haleandhearty,withpinklips,alittle
mustache,andveryfoppishlydressed.Raskolnikovgotveryangry;hesuddenly
wantedtoinsultthisfatdandy.Foramoment,helefttheyoungwomanand
approachedthegentleman.

“Heyyou,youSvidrigaylov!Whatdoyouwanthere?”hecried,clenching
hisfistsandlaughing,hislipsfoamingwithrage.

“What’sthemeaningofthis?”thegentlemanaskedsternly,frowningin
haughtyastonishment.

“Clearoff,that’swhat!”

“Howdareyou,youscum!”

Hebrandishedhisswitch.Raskolnikovthrewhimselfatthemanwithhis
fists,withoutevenconsideringthattheplumpgentlemancouldeasilygetthe
betteroftwomenhissize.Butjustatthatmomentsomeonegrabbedhim
forcefullyfrombehind:apolicemannowstoodbetweenthem.

“Enough,gentlemen,we’llhavenofightinginpublicplaces,ifyouplease.

Whatdoyouwant?Whoareyou?”heaskedRaskolnikovsternly,noticinghis
tatteredclothes.

Raskolnikovlookedathimattentively.Hehadamanlysoldier’sface,witha
graymustache,sideburns,andanintelligentexpression.

“You’reexactlywhatIwant,”hecried,grabbinghimbythearm.“I’ma
formerstudent,Raskolnikov....Youshouldknowthat,too,”hesaid,turningto
thegentleman.“Pleasecomealongwithme;I’llshowyousomething...”

Aftertakingthepolicemanbythearm,hepulledhimovertothebench.

“Here,look,she’scompletelydrunkandwasjustwalkingalongthe
boulevard;heavenknowswhosheisorwhereshe’sfrom,butshedoesn’tlook
likethat’sherprofession.Mostlikelysomeonegotherdrunkandtricked
her...forthefirsttime...youunderstand?Thentheyturnedherlooseontothe
street.Look,herdressistorn;youcanseehowitwasputon:someoneelse
dressedher,shedidn’tdoitherself,anditwasbysomeone’sclumsyhands,
men’shands.That’sobvious.Andnowlookoverhereatthisdandy,withwhom
Iwasjustabouttofight;I’mnotacquaintedwithhim;thisisthefirsttimeI’ve
seenhim.He,too,musthavenoticedalonghiswaythatshewasdrunkand
unawareofwhereshewasandnowheverymuchwantstogoupandgrabher—

sinceshe’sinsuchastate—andtakeheroffsomewhere....That’sprobably
what’shappening;believeme,I’mnotmistaken.Imyselfsawhimobserving
andfollowingher,butIinterfered,andnowhe’swaitinguntilIleave.He’sjust
withdrawnalittle,asiftorollacigarette....Howcanwegetherawayfrom him?
Howcanwegetherhome?Thinkhard!”

Thepolicemanunderstoodeverythinginaninstantandthoughtaboutit.The
fatgentleman’sintention,ofcourse,waseasilyexplicable,buttherewasthegirl.

fatgentleman’sintention,ofcourse,waseasilyexplicable,buttherewasthegirl.

Theofficerbentovertogetacloserlookather,hisfeaturesreflectinggenuine
compassion.

“Ah,whatashame!”hesaid,shakinghishead.“She’sstilljustachild.They
trickedher,that’sforsure.Listenhere,miss,”hesaidtoher.“Wheremightyou
live?”Theyoungwomanopenedhertired,blearyeyes,regardedher
interrogatorsdully,andwavedthemawaywithherarm.

“Listen,”saidRaskolnikov,“here.”(Hefumbledinhispocketandpulledout
twentykopeckshefoundthere.)“Here,callacabandhavehimtakeherhome.If
onlywecouldfindoutheraddress!”

“Younglady,hey,younglady,”thepolicemanbeganagain,aftertakingthe
money.“I’llcallyouacabandgetyouhomemyself.Whereto?Huh?Where
mightyoubeliving?”

“G’way!Wha’pests!”mutteredthegirl,wavingherarmagain.

“Ah,dearme,thisisbad!Ah,aren’tyouashamed,younglady?Whata
shame!”hesaid,shakinghisheadagain,feelingembarrassed,compassionate,
andindignant.“Whatadilemma!”hesaid,turningtoRaskolnikov,rightthere
andthenlookinghimoverrapidlyfromheadtotoe.Raskolnikovmusthave
appearedabitstrangetothepoliceman:hewasintatters,yetwasgivingaway
hisownmoney!
“Didyoucomeuponthemfarfromhere?”heasked.

“Itellyou,shewaswalkingaheadofme,swaying,rightherealongthe
boulevard.Whenshereachedthisbench,shecollapsed.”

“Ah,whatshamefulthingsoccurnowadaysinthisworld,ohLord!Sucha
simplegirl,anddrunkalready!She’sbeentricked,that’sforsure.Andherdress
istorn....Ah,there’ssuchdepravityinthisdayandage!She’sprobablyfroma
goodfamily,butwithoutmuchmoney....Therearemanyyoungwomenjust
likehernowadays.Shelooksdelicate,too,asifshemightbealady.”Hebent
overheroncemore.

Perhapshehaddaughtersofhisownlikeher—“asifshemightbealadyand
looksdelicate,”wellmanneredandalreadyimitatingallthelatestfashions...

“Themainthingis,”Raskolnikoventreated,“togetherawayfromthat
scoundrel!Whyishestillhere,threateningtocommitsomeoutrage?It’s
absolutelyclearwhathewants.Whatascoundrel,andhewon’tgoaway!”

Raskolnikovspokeloudlyandpointeddirectlyathim.Themanheardhim
andwasabouttogetangryagain,butreconsideredandlimitedhimselfmerelyto
acontemptuousglance.Thenheslowlywithdrewtenpacesorsofartherand
stoppedagain.

“Wemaybeabletogetherawayfromhim,sir,”repliedthepoliceofficer

thoughtfully.“Ifonlyshe’dtelluswheretotakeher,otherwise....Younglady,
younglady!”hesaid,leaningoverher.

Allofasuddensheopenedhereyeswide,lookedattentively,asifshe
understoodsomethingorother,stoodupfromthebench,andwalkedbackinthe
directionshe’dcomefrom.

“Phew,theseshamelessbeasts,alwayspesterin’me!”shemuttered,waving
herarmonceagain.Shewalkedquickly,swayingviolentlyasshehadbefore.

Thedandyfollowedher,butalongtheoppositesideoftheboulevard,anddidn’t
takehiseyesoffher.
“Don’tworry,Iwon’tlethimgether,sir,”saidthemustachioedpoliceman
andsetoffafterthem.

“Hey,suchdepravitythesedays!”herepeatedaloudwithasigh.

Atthatmoment,itwasasifsomethingstungRaskolnikovandseemedto
transformhiminaninstant.

“Hey,listen!”heyelledafterthemustachioedpoliceman.

Heturnedaround.

“Forgetit!What’sittoyou?Letitbe!Lethimamusehimself.”(Hepointed
atthedandy.)“What’sitmattertoyou?”

Thepolicemandidn’tunderstandandstaredathimwide-eyed.Raskolnikov
burstintolaughter.

“Hey!”saidtheofficer,wavinghisarm,andfollowedthedandyandthegirl,
probablythinkingthatRaskolnikovwasinsaneorsomethingfarworse.

“He’smadeoffwithmytwentykopecks,”Raskolnikovmutteredspitefully
whenleftalone.“Well,lethimgetsomemoneyfromthatfellow,too,andthen
he’llletthegirlgooffwithhim,andthat’llbetheendofit....WhyamI
gettinginvolvedhere,tryingtohelp?WhyshouldIhelp?WhatrightdoIhaveto help?
Letthemdevoureachotheralive—what’sittome?HowdidIdarepart
withthosetwentykopecks?Weretheyreallyminetogiveaway?”

Inspiteofthesestrangewords,hefeltverywretched.Hesatdownonthe
desertedbench.Histhoughtswerescattered....Ingeneral,itwashardforhim
atthatmomenttothinkaboutanythingatall.Hewantedtosinkinto
forgetfulness,toforgeteverything,thenwakeupandstartalloveragain.

“Thepoorgirl!”hesaid,lookingatthedesertedcornerofthebench.“She’ll
cometohersenses,weepforawhile,andthenhermotherwillfindout....At
firstshe’llbeather,thenwhipher,severelyandshamefully,andthen,perhaps,
driveheraway....Andifshedoesn’tdriveheraway,DaryaFrantsevnawillget
windofit,andthenmylittlegirlwillstartscurryingfromplaceto
place....Thenrighttothehospital:that’salwayshowitiswiththosegirlswho
livewiththeirvirtuousmothersandwhofoolaroundonthesly;well,andthento

thehospitalagain...thenvodka...andtaverns...backtothehospital...in
twoorthreeyears—she’llbeacripple,andallinallshe’llgettoliveonlyto
eighteenornineteen....AsifIhaven’tseenthelikesofher?Howhavetheyall
turnedout?Justlikethat....Phew!Lether!That’sthewayithastobe,they
say.Acertainpercentage,theysay,hastogoawayeveryyear...goaway
somewhere...probablytothedevil,soastoinvigoratetherestandnotinterfere
withthem.Apercentage!**Theyreallyhavesuchfinewords:they’reso
comfortinganderudite.Oncestated,apercentage,there’snothingmoretoworry
about.Ifithadbeensomeotherword,wellthen...itmightbemore
troubling....WhatifDunechkasomehowwindsupinthatpercentage?Ifnot
thatone,thenadifferentone?

“WhereamIgoing?”hewonderedtohimself.“It’sstrange.Iwentoutfor
somereason.AssoonasIreadtheletter,Iwentout....ToVasilievskyIsland,
I’mgoingtoRazumikhin,that’swhere,rightnow...Iremember.Butwhyon earth?
WhyexactlydidthethoughtentermymindtovisitRazumikhinnow?

That’sremarkable!”

Hewassurprisedathimself.Razumikhinwasoneofhisformercomradesat
theuniversity.ItwasremarkablethatRaskolnikov,who’dbeenattheuniversity,
hadhardlyanycomrades,avoidedeveryone,visitednoone,andreceivedthem
onlyunwillingly.Sooneveryoneturnedawayfromhim.Somehowhetookno
partwhatsoeveringeneralgatherings,conversations,amusements,anything.He
studieddiligently,unsparingly,andforthattheyrespectedhim,butnooneliked
him.Hewasverypoorandsomehowarrogantlyproudanduncommunicative;it
wasasifhewereconcealingsomethinginside.Tosomeofhiscomradesit
seemedthatheregardedthem,everyone,fromonhigh,aschildren,asifhe’d
surpassedtheminhisdevelopment,knowledge,andconvictions,andregarded
theirconvictionsandinterestsasbeneathhim.

Forsomereason,he’dbecomefriendswithRazumikhin—thatis,notexactly
friends,buthewasmoresociablewithhim,morehonest.Butitwasimpossible
tobeinanyotherrelationshipwithRazumikhin.Hewasanunusuallycheerful
andsociablefellow,good-naturedtothepointofinnocence.Nevertheless,
beneaththisinnocencewereconcealedbothdepthanddignity.Hisbestfriends
realizedthis,andeveryonelikedhim.Hewasveryclever,althoughsometimes
reallynaïve.Hisappearancewasexpressive—tall,thin,alwaysbadlyshaven,
andhehadblackhair.Sometimeshegotintobrawls,andhewasreputedtobea
verystrongman.Onenight,inagroup,heflooredallsixandahalffeetofan
officerofthelawwithoneblow.Hecoulddrinkwithoutlimit,butcouldalso
abstaintotally;attimeshecouldbeunacceptablymischievous,buthecouldalso

refrainfrommischiefcompletely.Razumikhinwasalsoremarkableinthatno
failuresevertroubledhimandnoadversecircumstancescouldeverseemto
weighhimdown.Hecouldbelodgedevenonarooftopandendureintolerable
hungerandextraordinarycold.Hewasverypoorandhealonesupportedhimself
completely,earningmoneybysomesortofwork.Heknewanenormousnumber
ofsourcesthathecoulddrawupon,naturally,forextrawork.Oneyearhedidn’t
heathisroomallwinterandmaintainedthatitwasevenmorepleasantbecausea
personcansleepbetterinthecold.Atthepresenttime,hehadalsobeenforced
toleavetheuniversity,butnotforlong;withallhismighthewashasteningto
improvehiscircumstancessothathecouldcontinuehisstudies.Raskolnikov
hadn’tbeentoseehimforthelastfourmonthsorso,andRazumikhindidn’t
evenknowwherehisfriend’sapartmentwas.Oncesomehow,abouttwomonths
ago,theywereabouttomeetonthestreet,butRaskolnikovturnedawayand
evencrossedovertotheothersideofthestreetsohewouldn’tbenoticed.But
Razumikhin,eventhoughhedidnoticehim,passedhimby,notwishingto disturbhis
friend.

*AfamousRussianicondepictingtheVirginandkeptintheKazanCathedralinPeters
burg.

† AccordingtotheGospels,asiteimmediatelyoutsideJerusalem’swallswhereJesu
swascrucified.

‡ AnironicreferencetotheloftyidealismoftheGermanRomanticwriterFriedrichSc
hiller(1759–1805).

§Adecorationawardedforcivilianservicetothegovernment.

¶Denmark,Austria,andPrussiawereengagedinawarovertheseduchiesin1864.
#TheplightofLatvianpeasantswasmuchinthenewsinthe1850sand1860s;theywer
efrequently comparedtoblackAmericanslavesandtoRussianserfs.

**Areferencetopositivisticandutilitarianethics.

“Asamatteroffact,forsometimeI’vebeenwantingtoaskRazumikhinfor
work,toarrangesomelessonsorsomethingelseforme...”Raskolnikov
thought,havinghituponthisidea,“buthowcanhehelpmenow?Supposehe
doesarrangesomelessons,supposeheevenshareshislastkopeckswithme,if
hehasanytoshare,sothatIcouldevenbuysomeboots,havemyclothes
mended,andoffersomelessons...hmm.Well,andthenwhat?WhatcanIdo
withafewfive-kopeckpieces?DoIreallyneedthatnow?Intruth,it’s
ridiculousthatI’vesetouttoseeRazumikhin...”

Thequestionofwhyhe’djustsetoutforRazumikhin’sagitatedhimmore
thanhehimselfevenrealized;hesearchedanxiouslyforsomesinistermeaning
forhimselfinthisseeminglymostordinaryaction.

“So,didIreallywanttoresolvethiswholematterwithRazumikhinalone
andfindawayoutthroughhim?”heaskedhimselfinastonishment.

Hereflected,rubbedhisforehead,andthen,strangetosay,afterconsiderable
thought,averycuriousideasomehowunexpectedly,suddenly,almostofitsown
accord,enteredhishead.

“Hmm...toRazumikhin,”heutteredsuddenlywithtotalcomposure,asifa
definitivesolutionwascontainedwithinthisidea,“I’llgotoRazumikhin,of
courseIwill...but—butnotnow....I’llgoseehim...onanotherday,I’llgo after
that,when that’s alreadybeendoneandeverythingwillbeginanew...”

Allofasudden,hecametohissenses.

“After that, ”hecried,jumpingupfromthebench.“Will that actually happen?Will

that reallyandtrulyoccur?”

Heabandonedthebenchandsetoffwalking,almostrunning;hewantedto
turnback,headhome,butsuddenlyfeltterriblyrepulsedbytheideaofgoing
home:itwasthere,inhiscorner,inthatawfulcupboardofaroom,that that had
beenripeningformorethanamonth;hesetoffwhereverhislegswouldcarry him.

Hisnervoustremblinghadbecomesomewhatfeverish;heevenstarted
shivering;hefeltachill,inspiteofthegreatheat.Hebegan,withakindof
effort,almostunconsciously,accordingtosomeinnernecessity,toexamineall
thethingshewasencountering,asifurgentlyseekingdiversion,buthedidn’t
succeedverywellandcontinuallylapsedintothought.When,shuddering,he
onceagainliftedhisheadandglancedaround,heimmediatelyforgotwhathe’d

beenthinkingaboutandevenwherehe’dbeengoing.Inthatway,hewalkedall
acrossVasilievskyIslandandcameouttotheLittleNeva,crossedabridge,and
turnedtowardtheIslands.*Atfirsthistiredeyes,accustomedtothedustofthe
city,thelimeplaster,andthehuge,crowded,oppressivebuildings,tookpleasure
intheverdureandfreshness.Therewasnostuffiness,nostench,notaverns.But
soonthesenew,pleasantsensationsalsobecamepainfulandannoying.Attimes
hestoppedinfrontofsomedachaadornedwithgreenery,lookedthroughthe
fence,andinthedistance,onthebalconiesandterraces,glimpsedfashionably
dressedwomenandchildrenrunningaroundinthegarden.Theflowers
interestedhimparticularly;helookedatthemlongestofall.Healsoencountered
luxuriouscarriagesandmenandwomenonhorseback;hefollowedthem
attentivelywithhiseyesandforgotaboutthembeforetheyhadvanishedfrom
sight.Oncehestoppedandcountedhismoney:itturnedoutthathehadabout
thirtykopecks.“IgavetwentytothepolicemanandthreetoNastasyaforthe letter—
soyesterdayImusthavegiventheMarmeladovsforty-sevenorfifty
kopecks,”hethought,calculatingforsomereason,butsoonevenforgotwhy
he’dtakenthemoneyoutofhispocket.Herememberedwhyashewaspassing
anestablishment,somethinglikeaneatinghouse,andfeltthathewantedtohave
abitetoeat.Uponenteringthebuilding,hedownedashotofvodkaandatea
littlepiewithsomesortoffilling.Hefinisheditalongtheway.Hehadn’thad
anyvodkaforalongtimeandithadanimmediateeffect,althoughhehadonly
oneshot.Hislegssuddenlygrewheavy,andhebegantofeelastrongurgeto
sleep.Hestartedforhome;butwhenhereachedPetrovskyIsland,hepausedin
completeexhaustion,turnedofftheroad,walkedovertosomebushes,dropped
downonthegrass,andimmediatelyfellsoundasleep.

Inamorbidcondition,ourdreamsareoftendistinguishedbytheir
extraordinaryclarity,intensity,andaheightenedresemblancetoreality.
Sometimesanoutrageousscenetakesshape,yetitssettinganditsentirecourse
ofdevelopmentaresoplausibleandpossesssuchsubtle,unexpecteddetails
artisticallycorrespondingtothetotalpicture,thatthedreamercouldn’tpossibly
conceiveofthemwhileawake,evenifhewereanartistlikePushkinor
Turgenev.Suchdreams,morbiddreams,arealwaysrememberedlongafterward
andproduceapowerfulimpressiononaperson’sdistraughtandalready
overwroughtorganism.

Raskolnikovhadaterribledream.Hedreamtofhischildhood,whilethey
werestilllivingintheirlittletown.Hewasaboyofaboutsevenandwas
walkingalongwithhisfatheroutsidetownlateoneholidayafternoon.Itwasa
grayday;theweatherwasstifling,andtheplacelookedexactlyashe

rememberedit:whencompared,itwasmuchmoreobscureeveninhismemory
thanitnowappearedinhisdream.Hecouldseethetownveryclearly,asifhe
helditinthepalmofhishand;therewerenotreesnearby;somewhereveryfar
away,ontheedgeofthehorizon,wasasmall,darkthicket.Atavernstoodafew
pacesbeyondthelastgardenofthetown;itwasalargebuildingandalways
madeaveryunpleasantimpressiononhim;itevenfrightenedhimwheneverhe
happenedtowalkpastitwithhisfather.Therewasalwayssuchalargecrowdof
peopleinfrontofit,shouting,laughing,cursing,howlinginsuchdreadful,
hoarsevoices,andoftenbrawling;peoplewithsuchdrunkenanddreadfulmugs
werealwayslingeringoutside....Wheneverheencounteredthem,healways
pressedupagainsthisfatherandtrembled.Thecountryroadthatranpastthe
tavernwasalwayssodustyandblack.Itwasawindingroad;afteraboutthree
hundredpacesitcurvedtotheright,towardthecemetery.Astonechurchwitha
greencupolastoodinthemiddleofthiscemetery;heusedtogothereonceor
twiceayearwithhisfatherandmotherwhenarequiemwasbeingsungforhis
grandmotherwho’ddiedalongtimeagoandwhomhe’dneverknown.They
alwaysbroughtalongaspecialdishonawhiteplateunderanapkin;itwasmade
ofsweetenedricewithraisinsarrangedontopintheshapeofacross.Heloved
thischurchanditsancienticons,mostofwhichwerelackingframes,andtheold
priest,withhisquiveringhead.Nexttohisgrandmother’sgrave,markedbya
stone,wasthesmallgraveofhisyoungerbrother,who’ddiedattheageofsix
months,andwhomhealsohadn’tknownandcouldn’tremember;buthe’dbeen
toldthathe’dhadayoungerbrother,andeverytimehevisitedthecemetery,he
crossedhimselfdevoutlyandrespectfullyoverthegrave,bowingandkissingit.
Andthisiswhathedreamt:he’swalkingalongtheroadwithhisfathertoward
thecemeteryandgoingpastthetavern;he’sholdinghisfather’shandand
glancingoveratitfearfully.Thistimesomethinginparticulardrawshis
attention:itseemstobesomespecialoccasionwithamotleycrowdof
townsfolk,peasantwomenandtheirhusbands,andallsortsofriffraff.They’re
alldrunkandsingingsongs;nexttothetavernporchstandsastrangekindof
cart.It’soneofthoselargeonestowhichtheyharnessbigdrafthorsestopull
waresandbarrelsofwine.He’salwayslikedlookingattheseenormoushorses,
withtheirlongmanes,theirheavylegsclompingalongcalmlyatasteadypace,
pullingmountainousloads,neverstraining,asifitwereeveneasierforthemto
pullaloadthananemptycart.Butnow,strangeasitseems,apeasant’ssmall,
scrawny,lightbrownnagisharnessedtosuchalargecart,oneofthosehorses—

he’sseenitoften—thatsometimesstraintopullsomehugeloadoffirewoodor
hay,especiallyifthecarthasgottenstuckinthemudorarut.Thepeasants
alwayswhipthehorsesoterribly,soverypainfully,sometimesevenacrossits

muzzleandeyes,andhewouldalwaysfeelsosorry,soverysorrytowitnessit
thathewouldfeellikecrying,andhismotherwouldalwaysleadhimawayfrom
thewindow.Nowthingsaregettingextremelyboisterous:someverylargeand
extremelydrunkenpeasantsinredandblueshirts,theirheavycoatsslungover
theirshoulders,comeoutofthetavernshouting,singing,andplayingbalalaikas.

“Gitin,everyonegitin!”shoutsonepeasant,ayoungladwithathickneckanda
fleshyface,redasabeet,“I’lltakeyaall.Gitin!”Butthereisaburstoflaughter
andshouting:

“Thatol’nagain’tgoodfornothin’!”

“Hey,Mikolka,youmustbeouttayerheadtohitchthatol’maretoyer cart!”

“Thatpoorol’horsemustbetwentyifshe’saday,lads!”

“Gitin,I’lltakeyaall!”Mikolkashoutsagain,jumpinginfirst,takinghold
ofthereins,andstandingupstraightinthefrontofthecart.“Matveiwentoff
withthebay,”hecriesfromthecart,“andasforthisol’marehere,lads,she’s
onlybreakin’myheart:Idon’tgiveadamnifitkills’er;sheain’tworthhersalt.
Gitin,Itellya!I’llmake’ergallop!She’llgallop,allright!”Andhetakesthe
whipinhishand,gettingreadytothrashthehorsewithdelight.

“Whatthehell,gitin!”laughseveralpeopleinthecrowd.“Youheard’im,
she’llgallop!”

“Ibetsheain’tgallopedintenyears.”

“Shewillnow!”

“Don’tpity’er,lads;everyone,bringyerwhips,gitready!”

“That’sit!Thrash’er!”

TheyallclamberintoMikolka’scartwithguffawsandwisecracks.Thereare
sixladsandroomformore.Theytakealongapeasantwoman,fatandruddy.

She’swearingredcalico,aheaddresstrimmedwithbeads,andfurslippers;she’s
crackingnutsandcackling.Thecrowd’salsolaughing;asamatteroffact,how
couldonekeepfromlaughingattheideaofabroken-downoldmareaboutto
gallop,tryingtopullsuchaheavyload!Twoladsinthecartgrabtheirwhipsto
helpMikolka.Theshoutringsout:“Pull!”Themarestrainswithallhermight,
butnotonlycan’tshegallop,shecanbarelytakeastepforward;shemerely
scrapesherhooves,grunts,andcowersfromtheblowsofthethreewhipsraining
downonherlikehail.Laughterredoublesinthecartandamongthecrowd,but
Mikolkagrowsangryandinhisragestrikesthelittlemarewithmoreblows,as
ifhereallythinksshe’llbeabletogallop.

“Takemealong,too,lads!”shoutssomeonefromthecrowdwho’sgottena
tasteofthefun.

“Gitin!Everyone,gitin!”criesMikolka.“She’lltakeeveryone.I’llflog

’er!”Andhewhipsherandwhipsheragain;inhisfrenzy,henolongerknows

’er!”Andhewhipsherandwhipsheragain;inhisfrenzy,henolongerknows
whathe’sdoing.
“Papa,papa,”theboycriestohisfather.“Papa,whataretheydoing?Papa,
they’rebeatingthepoorhorse!”

“Let’sgo,let’sgo!”hisfathersays.“They’redrunk,misbehaving,those
fools:let’sgo.Don’tlook!”Hetriestoleadhissonaway,buttheboybreaks
fromhisfather’sarms;besidehimself,herunstowardthehorse.Butthepoor
horseisonherlastlegs.Gaspingforbreath,shestops,andthentriestopull
again,abouttodrop.

“Beat’ertodeath!”criesMikolka.“That’swhatit’scometo.I’llflog’er!”

“Aren’tyouaChristian,youdevil?”shoutsoneoldmanfromthecrowd.

“Justimagine,askinganol’horselikethattopullsuchaheavyload,”adds another.

“You’lldo’erin!”shoutsathird.

“Leavemealone!She’smine! † IcandowhatIwantwith’er!Gitin,allof
ya!Everyonegitin!I’mgonnamake’ergallop!”

Suddenlyaroaroflaughterringsforthanddrownsouteverything:thelittle
marecouldn’tbearthehailofblowsandhadbegunkickingfeebly.Eventheold
mancan’tresist,andhestartslaughing.Indeed:suchabroken-downoldmare,
stillkicking!

Twoladsfromthecrowdgrabwhipsandrunuptothelittlehorsetostart
beatingherflanks.Onestandsoneachside.

“On’ermuzzle,lash’ereyes,’ereyes!”Mikolkascreams.

“Let’shaveasong,lads!”someonecriesfromthecart,andeveryonejoins
in.Ariotoussongburstsforth,tambourinesjingle,andwhistlessoundinthe
chorus.Thepeasantwoman’sstillcrackingnutsandlaughing.

...Theboyrunsalongthehorse’sside,rushesahead,andseeshowthey’re
beatingheracrosstheeyes,rightacrosshereyes!Hestartstocry.Hisheartrises
upinhischest,andhistearsbegintoflow.Oneofthemenholdingawhiplashes
theboyacrosstheface;hedoesn’tfeelit;he’swringinghishands,shouting,and
thenhurlshimselfatthegray-hairedoldmanwiththegraybeard,theonewho’d
beenshakinghisheadbeforeandcondemningitall.Onepeasantwomantakes
himbythehandandtriestoleadhimaway;buthebreaksfreefromherandruns
uptothehorseagain.Themare’salmostatherlastgaspbutbeginskicking again.

“Tohellwithya!”screamsMikolkainafury.Hethrowshiswhipaway,
bendsdown,andpullsalong,thickwoodenshaftfromthebottomofhiscart;he
grabsholdofoneendwithbothhandsandraisesitominouslyabovethemare.

“He’llcrush’er!”severalpeopleshout.

“He’llcrush’er!”severalpeopleshout.

“He’llkill’er!”

“She’smine!”screamsMikolka,andswingstheshaftwithallhismight.

Thereisthesoundofaheavythud.

“Thrash’er,goon!Why’dyastop?”voicescryoutfromthecrowd.

Mikolkaswingsasecondtime,andanothermightyblowlandsonthe
unfortunatemare’sback.Herhindendsinksdowncompletely,butshejerksand
tugs,pullswithherlastounceofstrengthindifferentdirections,tryingtoget
away;butsixwhipslashatherfromallsides,andonceagaintheshaftisswung
andcomescrashingdownathirdtime,thenafourth,evenly,withallofthe
man’smight.Mikolka’ssofuriousthathecan’tfinishheroffwithoneblow.

“She’satoughone!”cryseveralinthecrowd.

“She’sabouttogodown,lads,this’lldo’erin!”oneenthusiastshoutsfrom thecrowd.

“Takeanaxeto’er,that’swhat!Finish’eroffnow!”shoutsathird.

“Mosquitoesshouldeatyoualive!Makeway!”Mikolkashoutsferociously;
hetossestheshaftaside,bendsoverthecartagain,andpullsoutaniron
crowbar.“Watchout!”hecries,andwithallhisstrengthhebattershispoorlittle
horse.Theblowcomescrashingdown;themarestaggers,drops,triestopull,but
thecrowbarcomescrashingdownagain,fullforceacrossherback,andshe
sinkstotheground,asifallfourlegshadbeencutoutfromunderherwithone
fellswoop.

“Finish’eroff!”yellsMikolka,andnow,asifbesidehimself,hejumps
downfromthecart.Afewlads,alsored-facedanddrunk,grabwhatevercomes
tohand—whips,sticks,theshaft—andrunuptothedyingmare.Mikolkastands
ononesideandbeginstostrikeherbackfornoreason.Theoldnagstretchesout
hermuzzle,gaspsforbreath,anddies.

“Hefinished’eroff!”shoutseveralvoicesinthecrowd.

“Still,shedidn’tgallop!”

“She’smine!”yellsMikolka,thecrowbarstillinhishands,hiseyes
bloodshot.Hestandsthereasiffeelingsorrythatthere’snothingmoretostrike.

“It’sreallytrue:you’renotaChristian!”voicescryfromthemob.

Butthepoorboy’snowbesidehimself.Withashouthepusheshisway
throughthecrowdandrunstothemare,embracesherbloody,lifelessmuzzle,
andkissesher,kisseshereyes,herlips....Thenhesuddenlyspringsupandina
ragehurlshimselfatMikolkatopummelhimwithhislittlefists.Atthatmoment
hisfather,who’dbeenchasinghim,finallygrabsholdofhimandleadshim
awayfromthecrowd.

“Let’sgo!Let’sgo!”hesaystotheboy.“Let’sgohome!”

“Papa!Whydidthey...kill...thepoorlittlehorse?”hesobs,buthis

breathfalters,andhiswordsemergeasscreamsfromhisconstrictedchest.

“They’redrunk,actingup;it’snoneofourbusiness.Let’sgo!”sayshis
father.Theboyputshisarmsaroundhim,buthischestfeelstight.Hewantsto
catchhisbreath,criesout,andwakesup.

Raskolnikovawokeinasweat,hishairdrenchedfromperspiration;hewas
pantingandraisedhimselfuponhiselbowsinhorror.
“Thankheavens,itwasonlyadream!”hesaid,sittingupunderthetreeand
takinginadeepbreath.“Butwhat’sthisallabout?Isitafeverbeginning?Such
ahideousdream!”

Hefeltasifhiswholebodyhadenduredabeating;hissoulseemedconfused
andwretched.Hesatupandrestedhiselbowsonhisknees,supportinghishead
withbothhands.

“Oh,God!”heexclaimed.“WillIreallydoit,willIreallytakeanaxe,hit
herovertheheadwithit,crushherskull?I’llslipinthewarm,stickyblood,
breakthelock,steal,andtremble;thenI’llhide,allcoveredinblood...withan
axe....Oh,Lord,willIreallydoit?”

Ashesaidthis,hetrembledlikealeaf.

“ButwhatamIthinking?”hecontinued,exclaimingagainasifindeep
amazement.“IknewthatIwouldn’tendureit,sowhyamIstilltormenting myself?
Whyjustyesterday,yesterday,whenIwenttoconductthat... test,
eventhenIunderstoodperfectlywellthatIwouldn’tendureit....SowhatamI
doingnow?WhyamIstillindoubt?Onlyyesterday,goingdownthestairs,I
realizedhowmean,vile,base,howbaseitallis...whenIlay awake Ifelt
nauseousandhorrifiedbytheideaalone.

“No,Ican’tgothroughit,Ican’t!Evenifthere’snodoubtwhatsoeverinall
mycalculations,evenifeverythingI’vedecidedthispastmonthisclearasday,
ascorrectasarithmetic.Oh,Lord!Istillcan’tdoit!Ican’tendureit,Ican’t!

Why,whyhaveIbeentormentingmyself?”

Hestoodup,lookedaroundinastonishment,asifwonderingwhyhehad
comehere,andsetoffforTuchkovBridge.Hewaspale,hiseyesburning,allhis
limbsexhausted,buthesuddenlyseemedabletobreathemoreeasily.Hefelt
thathehadgottenridofaterribleburden,onethathadbeenoppressinghimfor
solongatime,andhissoulsuddenlyseemedlightandpeaceful.“Oh,Lord!”he
prayed.“Showmetheway,andIwillrenouncethiscursed...schemeofmine!”

Crossingthebridge,hecalmlyandpeacefullylookedattheNeva,atthe
brightsettingoftheburningredsun.Inspiteofhisweakness,hedidn’tevenfeel
theleasttiredness.Itwasasifanabscessonhisheartthathadbeencomingtoa
headallmonthhadsuddenlyburst.Freedom,freedom!Nowhewasfreefromall
thoseevilcharms,sorcery,witchcraft,anddelusions.

Afterward,whenherecalledthismomentandeverythingthathappenedto

Afterward,whenherecalledthismomentandeverythingthathappenedto
himduringthesedays,minutebyminute,pointbypoint,piecebypiece,one
circumstancealwaysstruckhimasasuperstitiousoccurrence,eventhoughin
essenceitwasn’tallthatunusual,butlateritconstantlyseemedtobeakindof
premonitionofhisfate.

Namely:hecouldneverunderstandorexplaintohimselfwhy,sotiredand
wornout,whenitwouldhavebeenmostadvantageousforhimtogohomeby
theshortest,mostdirectroute,insteadheheadedhomeacrossHaymarket
Square,whichwascompletelyunnecessary.Thedetourwasnotlong,but
obviousandtotallyunneeded.Ofcoursehehadreturnedhomedozensoftimes
withoutrecallingtheroutehetook.Butwhy,healwaysaskedhimself,whydid
suchanimportant,suchadecisivemeetingand,atthesametime,suchan
extremelyaccidentalmeetingontheHaymarket(wherehehadnoreasonatallto
be),whydidittakeplacethen,atthathour,atthatmomentofhislife,precisely
whenhewasinthatmood,preciselyinthosecircumstances,whenonlyit,that
meeting,couldhavehadthemostcrucial,mostdecisiveimpactonhisentire fate?
Itwasasifithadbeenwaitingtoambushhim!

Itwasalmostnineo’clockwhenhepassedthroughtheHaymarket.Allthe
merchantsattheirtables,stands,shops,andstallswerelockinguptheir
establishments,removingandpackinguptheirwares,anddispersingtotheir
homes,justastheircustomerswere.Aroundtheeatinghousesonthefilthy,
stinkinglowerfloorsofthebuildingsonHaymarketSquare,andespeciallyin
thetaverns,weregatheredallsortsofcraftsmenandragpickers.Raskolnikov
lovedtheseplacesprimarily,justashedidallthenearestlanes,whenhewould
walkthestreetsaimlessly.Herehistatteredclothesattractednounwarranted
attentionandhecouldmakehiswayinanyapparelwithoutcreatingascandal.

AtKonnyiLane,onthecorner,stoodatradesmanandhiswife,apeasant
woman,attwotableswithwarestheywereselling:threads,braids,calicohead
scarves,andsoon.Theywerealsopackingtogohome,butlingeredasthey
chattedwithapassingacquaintance.ThisacquaintancewasLizavetaIvanovna,
orsimplyLizaveta,aseveryonecalledher,theyoungersisterofthatverysame
oldwoman,AlyonaIvanovna,thewidowofacollegiateregistrarand
moneylender,whereRaskolnikovhadbeenthedaybeforewhenhehadgoneto
pawnhiswatchandconducthis test....Hehadknowneverythingaboutthis
Lizavetaforsometimenowandwasevenslightlyacquaintedwithher.Shewas
atall,awkward,timid,humbleunmarriedwoman,almostfeebleminded,thirty-
fiveyearsold,livingasacompleteslaveinhersister’shouse,workingforher
dayandnight,tremblinginherpresence,evenenduringbeatingsfromher.She
wasstandingdeepinthoughtwithabundleinfrontofthetradesmanandthe

peasantwoman,listeningtothemattentively.Theywereexplainingsomething
toherwithparticularpassion.WhenRaskolnikovsuddenlycaughtsightofher,
somesortofstrangefeeling,similartodeepestastonishment,seizedhim,even
thoughtherewasnothingastonishingaboutthemeeting.

“Youreallyshoulddecideonyourown,LizavetaIvanovna,”thetradesman
wassayingloudly.“Comebacktomorrow,aroundseveno’clock.They’llbe
here,too.”

“Tomorrow?”Lizavetarepliedslowlyandpensively,asifunabletomakeup
hermind.

“ThatAlyonaIvanovna’sreallyterrifiedyou!”yammeredthetradesman’s
wife,abrashwench.“Ilookatyouandseethatyou’rejustlikealittlechild.

She’snotevenyourrealsister,butyourhalfsister,andshe’sgotyouunderher thumb.”

“Thistimedon’tsayanythingtoAlyonaIvanovna,”herhusbandinterrupted
her.“That’smyadvice.Comeseeuswithoutaskingher.It’sagooddeal.Then
yoursisterwillfigureitout,too.”

“ShouldIcome?”

“Seveno’clocktomorrow;they’llbehere,too,andyou’lldecideonyour own.”

“We’llputupthesamovar,”thewifeadded.

“Allright,I’llcome,”saidLizavetaIvanovna,stillpondering,andslowly
startedonherway.
Raskolnikovpassedbyjustthenanddidn’toverhearanymore.Hewalked
byquietly,unnoticed,tryingnottomissasingleword.Hisinitialamazement
wasgraduallyreplacedbyterror,asifachillwererunningupanddownhis
spine.Hehadfoundout,hehadsuddenly,abruptly,andcompletely
unexpectedlyfoundoutthattomorrow,atpreciselyseveno’clockintheevening,
Lizaveta,theoldwoman’ssisterandtheonlypersonwholivedwithher,would
beawayfromhome,and,asaresult,theoldwoman,atpreciselyseveno’clock
intheevening, wouldbeathomealone.

Therewereonlyafewpaceslefttohisapartment.Heenteredlikeaperson
condemnedtodeath.Hewasn’tthinkingaboutanything,norcouldheeven
think;hesuddenlyfeltwithhisentirebeingthathenolongerpossessedany
freedomofthoughtorwillpower,andthateverythinghadbeendecidedonceand
forall.

Ofcourse,evenifhe’dhadtowaityearsforaconvenientopportunity,even
then,havingaplan,itwouldmostlikelyhavebeenimpossibletoreckonona
moreapparentsteptowardfulfillinghisplanthanthatwhichhadsuddenlybeen
presentednow.Inanycase,itwouldbedifficulttodiscoverthedaybeforeand
forcertain,withgreaterprecisionandtheleastamountofrisk,withoutany

forcertain,withgreaterprecisionandtheleastamountofrisk,withoutany
dangerousinquiriesorinvestigations,thattomorrow,atsuchandsuchatime,
suchandsuchanoldwoman,onwhoselifeanattemptwouldbemade,wouldbe
athomealone,absolutelyalone.

*St.PetersburgissituatedalongtheshoresoftheNevaBayoftheGulfofFinlandandon
islandsinthe riverdelta.

† TheRussianwordis
dobro,whichmeans“propertyorgoods”aswellas“good”(asopposedtoevil).

VI

AfterwardRaskolnikovhappenedtolearnsomehowpreciselywhythe
tradesmanandhiswifehadinvitedLizavetatovisit.Thematterwasmost
ordinaryanddidn’tinvolveanythingunusualatall.Animpoverishedfamilythat
hadrecentlyarrivedwassellingsomeitems,dressesandsoon,allwomen’s
goods.Sinceitwasunprofitabletosellthematthemarket,theywerelookingfor
atrader,andLizavetaengagedinthatkindofcommerce.Shetooka
commission,wentaboutonbusiness,andhadalargeclientelebecauseshewas
sohonestandalwayssetthebestprice:whateverpriceshestated,shestucktoit.

Ingeneralshesaidverylittleand,asalreadyindicated,shewasveryhumbleand
timid...

ButlatelyRaskolnikovhadbecomesuperstitious.Heretainedtracesofitfor
alongtimeafterward,almostindelibly.Andinthisentireaffairhewasalways
inclinedsubsequentlytoseesomestrangeness,asitwere,somemystery,as
thoughparticularinfluencesorcoincidenceswereinevidence.Lastwinter,
Pokorev,astudentheknew,hadbeenabouttoleaveforKharkovand
mentioned,inpassing,theaddressofanoldwoman,AlyonaIvanovna,incase
heneededtopawnsomething.Hedidn’tlookherupforalongtimebecausehe
wasgivinglessonsandmanagingsomehow.Aboutamonthandahalfago,he
rememberedheraddress;hehadtwoitemssuitableforpawning:hisfather’sold
silverwatchandasmallgoldringwiththreelittleredstones,giventohimbyhis
sisterasagift,akeepsake,attheirparting.Hedecidedtotakethering;after
locatingtheoldwoman,rightfromthefirstglance,withoutknowinganythingin
particularabouther,heconceivedaninsurmountableloathingforher;he
receivedtwo“smallnotes”fromherandonhiswayhomedroppedbyashabby
littletavern.Heorderedtea,satdown,andlapsedintodeepthought.Astrange
ideahademergedinhishead,likeababychickpeckingitswayoutofitsegg,
anditinterestedhimgreatly.

Atanothertableclosetohissatayoungofficerandastudentwithwhomhe
wasnotacquaintedandwhomhewasunabletorecalllater.Theyhadbeen
playingbilliardsandwerenowdrinkingtea.Allofasuddenheheardthestudent
saysomethingtotheofficeraboutthemoneylender,AlyonaIvanovna,the
widowofthecollegiateregistrar,andhementionedheraddresstohim.That
aloneseemedsomehowstrangetoRaskolnikov:he’djustcomefromthere,and
heretheyweretalkingabouther.Ofcourseitwasacoincidence,buthecouldn’t
shakeofftheextremelyextraordinaryimpression,andnowitseemedthat

shakeofftheextremelyextraordinaryimpression,andnowitseemedthat
someonewastryingtonudgehiminthatdirection:thestudentsuddenlybegan
tellinghiscomradevariousdetailsaboutthisAlyonaIvanovna.

“She’swellknown,”hesaid.“Youcanalwaysgetsomemoneyfromher.

SheasrichasaYid,*canlendyoufivethousandjustlikethat,butshedoesn’t
balkattakingapledgeworthasingleruble,either.Manyofourstudentshave
beentoseeher.Butshe’sanawfulbitch...”

Hestarteddescribinghownastyshewas,howwillful,andsaidthatifyou
wereevenonedaylateinredeemingyourpledge,theitemwouldbegone.She
givesyoufourtimeslessthanthepledgeisworth,hesaid,deductsfiveoreven
sevenpercentinterestamonth,soonandsoforth.Thestudentgotcarriedaway
blabbingand,inaddition,saidthattheoldwomanhasasister,Lizaveta,whom
shebeatsconstantlyandkeepstotallyenslaved,likealittlechild,eventhough
sheherselfissmallandvile,whileLizaveta’satleastsixfeettall...

“She’squiteaphenomenon!”exclaimedthestudentandburstintolaughter.

TheybegantalkingaboutLizaveta.Thestudentdidsowithsomeparticular
enjoymentandkeptlaughing,whiletheofficerlistenedwithgreatinterestand
askedthestudenttosendthisLizavetaaroundtohimtomendsomelinen.

Raskolnikovdidn’tutterawordduringthisconversation,yethelearned
everythingallatonce:Lizavetawastheoldwoman’syoungerhalfsister(they
haddifferentmothers)andwasalreadythirty-fiveyearsold.Sheworkedforher
sisterdayandnightandservedathomeinplaceofacookandalaundress;she
alsosewedtoorder,washedotherpeople’sfloors,andturnedallthemoneyover
tohersister.Shedarednotacceptanyordersorworkwithouttheolderwoman’s
permission.Theoldwomanhadalreadydrawnupherwill,whichLizaveta
herselfknew,aswellasthefactthatshewouldn’treceiveevenhalfakopeck,
exceptforpersonalproperty,chairs,andsoforth.Allthemoneywastobeleftto
amonasteryintheNovgorodProvince,fortheeternalremembranceofhersoul.

Lizavetawasawomanofthelowermiddleclass,notlikehersister,whohad
marriedanofficial;shewasterriblyunattractive,extremelytall,withlong,large,
apparentlyturned-outfeet,alwaysworeworn-outgoatskinshoes,andkept
herselfneatandclean.Themainthing,however,thatastonishedandamusedthe
studentwasthatLizavetawascontinuallypregnant...
“Butdidn’tyousayshe’safreak?”remarkedtheofficer.

“Yes,sodark-skinned,asifshe’sadisguisedsoldier,butyouknow,she’s
notreallyafreak.Shehassuchakindfaceandeyes.Evenverykind.Theproof
isthatmanymenfindherattractive.She’squiet,gentle,meek,andagreeable,
agreeabletoeverything.Sheevenhasaverynicesmile.”

“Iseethatyoufancyher,too,don’tyou?”theofficeraskedwithalaugh.

“Becauseofherstrangeness.No,buthere’swhatIcantellyou.Icouldkill

“Becauseofherstrangeness.No,buthere’swhatIcantellyou.Icouldkill
androbthatcursedoldwoman,andcanassureyou,feelnopangsof
conscience,”thestudentaddedpassionately.

Theofficerburstoutlaughingonceagain,butRaskolnikovshuddered.This
wassostrange!

“Allowmetoposeaseriousquestiontoyou,”thestudentsaid,growing
excited.“Iwasjokingjustnow,ofcourse,butlook:ontheonehand,here’sa
stupid,mindless,worthless,spiteful,sickoldhag,neededbynoone—onthe
contrary,causingharmtoeveryone;sheherselfdoesn’tknowwhatshe’sliving
for,andshe’lldieofherownaccordtomorrow.Doyouunderstand?Doyou?”

“Well,Ido,”repliedtheofficer,staringattentivelyathisimpassioned comrade.

“Listenfurther.Ontheotherhand,thereareyoung,freshforces,goingto
wasteforlackofsupport,bythethousands,allovertheplace.Ahundred,evena
thousandgooddeedsandundertakingscouldbeplannedandperformedwiththe
oldwoman’smoneythat’sbeingleftinherwilltoamonastery!Hundreds,
maybethousandsofbeingscouldbesetontherightpath;dozensoffamilies
couldberescuedfrompoverty,keptfromdissolution,fromruin,debauchery,
andvenerealhospitals—allthiswithherwealth.Murderherandtakehermoney
andthenuseittodedicateyourselftotheserviceofallhumanityandtothe
commongood:whatdoyouthink,wouldn’tthousandsofgooddeedsmakeup
foronelittle,tinycrime?Thousandsoflivessavedfromwrackandruin—for
onelife?Onedeathandahundredlivesinexchange—it’samatterofarithmetic!
What’sthelifeofthatconsumptive,stupid,spitefuloldwomanworthonthe
commonscale?Nomorethanthatofalouse,acockroach—noteventhatmuch,
becausetheoldwoman’sharmful.Sheconsumesotherpeople’slives:justthe
otherdayshebitLizaveta’sfingeroutofspite;theyalmosthadtoamputate!”

“Ofcourseshedoesn’tdeservetolive,”observedtheofficer,“butthat’s nature.”

“Hey,friend,naturecanberectifiedanddirected;withoutthat,onewould
drowninprejudices.Withoutthat,therewouldn’tbeevenonegreatman.They
say,‘duty,conscience.’Idon’twanttospeakagainstdutyandconscience—but
howarewetounderstandthem?Wait,I’llposeonemorequestiontoyou.

Listen!”

“No,youwait;I’llposeaquestiontoyou.Youlisten!”

“Goon!”

“Nowyou’rerantingandraving,buttellmethis:wouldyou yourself killthe

oldwomanornot?”

“Ofcoursenot!I’mtalkingaboutjustice....Thishasnothingtodowith

me...”

“Inmyopinion,ifyouwon’tdaretodoityourself,it’snotamatterof
justice!Let’splayanotherround!”

Raskolnikovwasinastateofextremeagitation.Ofcourse,allthiswasthe
mostordinary,mostcommonrunofideasandconversationofyoungpeople,the
sorthehadheardmanytimesbeforeinotherformsandwithotherthemes.But
whypreciselynowdidhehappentooverhearjustsuchaconversationandsuch
ideaswheninhisownmind... exactlythesameideas hadrecentlyarisen?And
whypreciselyatthismoment,justashewascarryingthegermofthisideaaway
fromtheoldwoman’sapartment,hadhejusthappeneduponthisconversation
abouther?Thiscoincidencealwaysseemedstrangetohim.Thisinsignificant
conversationinthetavernhadanextraordinaryimpactonhimduringthefurther
developmentofthisaffair:itwasasifitreallywasapremonition,asign...
AfterreturningfromtheHaymarket,hethrewhimselfdownonhissofaandsat
theremotionlessforawholehour.Meanwhile,itgrewdark;hedidn’thaveany
candles,anditneverevenoccurredtohimtolightone.Hecouldn’trecalla
thing:washereallythinkingaboutanythingatthattime?Finallyhefeltthe
returnofhisrecentfeverandchills,andsurmisedwithpleasurethathecould
alsoliedownonthesofa.Soonaheavy,leadensleepsettleduponhim,asif
oppressinghim.

Hesleptforanunusuallylongtimeandhadnodreams.Nastasya,whocame
inatteno’clockthenextmorning,rousedhimwithdifficulty.Shebroughthim
someteaandbread.Theteawasweakonceagainandsuppliedinherown teapot.

“Lookathim,he’sasleep!”shecriedwithindignation.“He’sconstantly sleeping!”

Heraisedhimselfupwitheffort.Hisheadached;hetriedtostandup,turned
aroundinhislittleroom,andfellbackdownonthesofa.

“Goingbacktosleep!”Nastasyacried.“Areyouill,orwhat?”

Hemadenoreply.

“Wantsometea?”

“Later,”hesaidwitheffort,closinghiseyesoncemoreandturningtoward
thewall.Nastasyastoodoverhimforawhile.

“Maybehereallyisill,”shesaid,turnedaway,andleft.

Shecameinagainattwoo’clockwithsomesoup.Hewaslyingtherejustas
before.Theteawasuntouched.Nastasyawasoffendedandbeganshakinghim
angrily.

angrily.

“Stillsnoozing!”shecried,regardinghimwithdisgust.Heraisedhimself
andsatup,butsaidnothingtoherandlookedatthefloor.

“Areyousickorwhat?”Nastasyaaskedandonceagainreceivednoreply.
“Atleastyououghttogooutside,”shesaidafterabriefpause,“andget
somefreshair.Areyougoingtoeatsomething?”

“Later,”hesaidweakly.“Goaway!”headded,wavinghisarm.

Shestoodtherealittlewhilelonger,regardedhimwithcompassion,andleft theroom.

Afewminuteslater,heraisedhisheadandstaredattheteaandsoupfora
longtime.Thenhepickedupthebread,pickedupaspoon,andstartedtoeat.

Heatealittle,withoutmuchappetite,threeorfourspoonfuls,asif
automatically.Hisheadachedless.Afterthis,hestretchedoutagainonthesofa,
butcouldn’tfallasleep;helaytherewithoutmoving,facedown,buriedinhis
pillow.Hekepthavingdaydreams,andtheywereverystrange,indeed:most
oftenheimaginedthathewassomewhereinAfrica,inEgypt,onsomesortof
oasis.Acaravanwastakingarest;camelswerelyingdownpeacefully;all
around,palmtreesgrewinacompletecircle;everyonewashavingdinner.He
keptdrinkingwater,rightfromthestreamthatwastherebesidehim,flowing
andmurmuring.Itwascoolthereandthewaterwassomarvelouslyblueand
cold,runningovermulticoloredstonesandoversuchpure,golden,glistening
sand....Suddenlyheheardaclockclearlychiming.Heshuddered,cameto,
raisedhishead,lookedoutthewindow,guessedthetime,andjumpedup,having
cometohissensescompletely,asifsomeonehadtornhimawayfromthesofa.

Heapproachedthedoorontiptoe,openeditveryquietly,andlistenedforany
noiseonthestaircasebelow.Hisheartwaspoundingdreadfully.Butallwas
quietonthestaircase,asifeveryonewasasleep....Itseemedrecklessand
bizarrethathecouldhavebeensleepinginsuchoblivionsinceyesterday,and
thathehadn’tyetdoneanything,madeanypreparations....Meanwhile,
perhapstheclockwaschimingsixo’clock....Anunusual,feverish,
bewilderingburstofactivitysuddenlyovertookhim,replacinghissleepand
stupor.However,therewasn’tmuchpreparationtobedone.Hemadeevery
efforttoremembereverythingandforgetnothing;hisheartwasstillpounding,
thumpingsohardthatitbecamehardforhimtobreathe.First,hehadtomakea
loopandsewitintohiscoat—thatwouldtakeonlyaminuteorso.Hegroped
underhispillowandfoundamongthelinenstuffedthereanold,ragged,
unwashedshirt.Hetoreoffastripfromitstatters,abouttwoincheswideand
aboutfourteenincheslong.Hefoldedthestripintwo,tookoffhisloose,sturdy
summercoatmadeoutofathickcottonmaterial(itwashisonlyoutsidecoat),

andbegansewingbothendsofthestriptogetherundertheleftsleeve.Hishands
shookashesewed,butheovercamethat,sothatnothingwouldbevisiblefrom
theoutsidewhenheputhiscoatonagain.Hehadlongagopreparedaneedle
andthread,andtheyhadlainwrappedinpaperinthelittletable.Asfortheloop,
thatwashisownverycleveridea:itwasdesignedtoholdtheaxe.Afterall,he
couldn’twalkalongthestreetcarryinganaxeinhishands.Andifhewereto
hideitunderhiscoat,he’dstillhavetoholditwithhishand,butthatwouldbe
noticeable.Now,withaloop,hemerelyhadtoinserttheheadoftheaxeandit
couldhangtherecomfortably,insideunderhisarmpit,forthewholewaythere.

Ifheputhishandintohissidepocket,hecouldgraspthehandletomakesureit
didn’tswing;andsincethecoatwasveryloose,agenuinesack,thefactthathe
waskeepingholdofitwiththehandinhispocketwouldn’tbenoticedfrom
outside.Hehadconceivedofthislooptwoweeksago.

Afterfinishinghissewing,hethrusthisfingersintoasmallopeningbetween
his“Turkish”sofaandthefloor,gropedaroundinsidetheleftcorner,andpulled
outthe pledge he’dpreparedlongagoandhiddenthere.Thispledge,however,
wasn’treallyapledgeatall,butsimplyasmoothlyfashionedwoodenblock,no
largerthanasilvercigarettecaseinsizeandthickness.He’dcomeuponthis
blockbychanceononeofhiswalks,inacertaincourtyardwhereaworkshop
waslocatedinonewingofthebuilding.Thenhe’daddedasmooththinmetal
striptotheblock,mostlikelybrokenofffromsomething,whichhe’dalsofound
onthestreetatthesametime.Afterputtingthetwopiecestogether,themetal
smallerthanthewoodenone,he’dtiedthemtogetherwithstring,fastened
tightlycrosswise;thenhe’dwrappedthemneatlyandsmartlyincleanwhite
paperandtiedthemwithathinribbon,alsocrosswise,andmadetheknotsothat
itwouldbedifficulttountie.Thiswasdoneinordertodiverttheoldwoman’s
attentionforawhile,sinceshewouldbegintostrugglewiththeknotandthushe
couldseizethemoment.Theironplatehadbeenaddedtogivethepledge
weight,sothatatfirsttheoldwomanwouldn’tguessthatthe“object”wasmade
ofwood.Allofthishadbeenkepthiddenunderthesofainhisroomuntilthe
rightmoment.Suddenly,justashe’dpickedupthepledge,heheardavoice
comingfromsomewhereinthecourtyardbelowshouting:
“It’swaypastsix!”

“Waypast!MyGod!”

Herushedtothedoor,listenedcautiously,grabbedhishat,andstarteddown
thethirteensteps,carefully,inaudibly,likeacat.Themostimportantmatterlay ahead
—stealinganaxefromthekitchen.Hehadlongagodecidedthathehadto
useanaxetodothedeed.Healsohadafoldinggardenknife,buthecouldn’t
relyonaknifeor,particularly,onhisownstrength;therefore,hehadsettled
definitivelyonanaxe.Letusnote,bytheway,onepeculiarityregardingallhis

definitivelyonanaxe.Letusnote,bytheway,onepeculiarityregardingallhis
definitivedecisionsalreadyreachedinthisaffair.Theysharedonestrangetrait:
themoredefinitivetheywere,themoreoutrageous,themoreabsurdthey
immediatelybecameinhisowneyes.Inspiteofallhistormentinginnerconflict,
henever,evenforonemoment,couldbelieveinthefeasibilityofhisplans
duringallthistime.

Andevenifitsometimeshappenedthateverythingwasunderstoodand
definitivelyresolvedandthatnofurtherdoubtsremained—inthatcase,itseems,
hewouldhaverenouncedallofitasanabsurdity,amonstrosity,andan
impossibility.Anenormousnumberofunresolvedpointsanddoubtsstill
remained.Asforwherehecouldacquireanaxe,thatdetaildidn’tfazehiminthe
least,sincetherewasnothingeasier.Especiallyintheevenings,Nastasyawas
frequentlyawayfromthehouse:eithersheranofftotheneighborsortoashop,
andthedoorwasalwaysleftwideopen.Thelandladyquarreledwithheronly
aboutthisoversight.Andso,whenthetimecame,allonehadtodowasenterthe
kitchenontheslyandgrabtheaxe,thenlater,anhourlater(wheneverything
wasfinished),goinandputitback.Butdoubtsstillremained:let’ssupposehe
returnedanhourlatertoputitback,butNastasyawasalsothere.Ofcourse,he’d
havetopassbyandwaituntilsheleftagain.Whatifduringthattimetheaxe
wasneeded,shebeganlookingforit,andstartedyelling—thatwouldarouse
suspicionor,atleast,groundsforsuspicion.

Butallofthesewerejusttrifleshehadn’tevenbeguntoworryabout,and
therewasnotimetodoso.Hethoughtaboutthemainpointandputoffthe
detailsuntilsuchtimeashehimself wouldbe sureofeverything.Butthat
seemeddecidedlyunrealizable.Atleast,thatwashowhesawit.Hecouldn’t,for
example,imaginethatatsometimehewouldstopthinking,getup,and—simply
gothere....Evenhisrecenttest(thatis,hisvisitwiththeintentionof
definitivelyscopingouttheplace)hadbeennomorethanan attemptatatest, far
fromtherealthing,merely:“Letmego,”hesays,“andattemptit;whyjust
dreamaboutit?”Andrightawayhecouldn’tstandit,spatindisgust,andran
away,furiouswithhimself.Meanwhile,itwouldseem,hehadalready
completedhisentireanalysis,inthesenseofresolvingthequestionmorally:his
casuistryhadbeensharpenedlikearazor,andhehimselfcouldnolongerfind
anyconsciousobjections.Inthelastinstance,hesimplynolongertrusted
himselfandstubbornly,slavishly,lookedforobjectionseverywhere,gropingly,
asifsomeonewereforcinghimtodoitanddragginghimthere.Thislastday,
whichhaddawnedsounexpectedlyandresolvedeverythingallatonce,actedon
himalmostcompletelymechanically:itwasasifsomeonetookhimbythehand
andpulledhimalongbehind,irresistibly,blindly,withunnaturalstrength,

withoutresistance.Itwasexactlyasifacornerofhisclotheshadbecome
enmeshedinthecogwheelofamachineandithadbeguntopullhimin.

Fromthebeginning—or,rather,foralongtimebefore—he’dbeen
preoccupiedbyonequestion:whyarealmostallcrimessoconspicuous,so
easilydiscovered,andthetracesofalmostallcriminalsrevealedsoobviously?

Littlebylittlehearrivedatdiverseandcuriousconclusions;inhisopinion,the
mainreasonwascontainednotsomuchinthematerialimpossibilityof
concealingthecrime,butinthecriminalhimself:thecriminalhimself,almost
everyoneofthem,attheverymomentofthecrime,issubjecttosomefailureof
willpowerandreason,whicharereplaced,instead,byphenomenalchildish
thoughtlessness,preciselyatthemomentwhenreasonandcautionaremost
needed.Accordingtohisconviction,itturnedoutthatthiseclipseofreasonand
failureofwillpowerseizeapersonjustlikeanillness,developgradually,and
reachtheirclimaxnotlongbeforetheexecutionofthecrime;theycontinuein
thesameformattheverymomentofthecrimeandstillforsometimeafterward,
dependingontheindividual;thentheypassaway,asdoesanyillness.The
questionremains:doestheillnessgivebirthtothecrimeitself,oristhecrime,
somehowbyitsownnature,alwaysaccompaniedbysomethinglikeanillness?

Hestillfeltitwasbeyondhispowertoresolvethisquestion.
Afterarrivingattheseconclusions,hedecidedthatinhisowncase,inthis
affair,therecouldbenosuchmorbidreversals,thathewouldretainhisreason
andhiswillpower,essentially,allduringtheimplementationofhisplan,forthe
solereasonthatwhathehadplanned—was“notreallyacrime...”Wewillomit
thelongprocessbywhichhearrivedatthislastconclusion;evenwithoutthat,
wehaveracedtoofarahead....Wewillmerelyaddthatingeneralthefactual,
purelymaterialdifficultiesofthisaffairplayedaverysecondaryroleinhis
mind.“Onemustsimplyexerciseone’swillpowerandallone’sreasonover
thesedifficulties,andtheywillallbeovercomeintheirtime,whenonebecomes
familiarwithallthedetailsofthisaffairinallofitsprecision.”Buttheaffair
hadn’tbegun.Hecontinuedtobelieveleastofallinhisfinaldecisions,and
whenthetimecame,everythingturnedoutdifferently,somehowunintentionally,
almostunexpectedly.

Oneextremelyinsignificantcircumstancelandedhiminanimpasse,even
beforehewentdownthestairs.Havingreachedthelandlady’skitchen,itsdoor
wideopenasusual,hecarefullypeekedintohavealookaroundbeforehand:by
anychancewasthelandladyherselfinthereduringNastasya’sabsence,andif
not,wasthedoortoherroomfirmlyclosedsothatshecouldn’tlookoutwhen
heenteredtotaketheaxe?Imaginehisastonishmentwhenhesuddenlysawthat
notonlywasNastasyahomethistime,andinthekitchen,butthatshewasbusy

working:shewastakingthelaundryoutofabasketandpinningituptodry!

Seeinghim,shestoppedhangingthelinens,turnedtohim,andregardedhimall
thewhilehewaspassing.Helookedawayandwalkedby,asifnotnoticing
anything.Butthatspelledtheendofthewholeaffair:hehadnoaxe!Hefelt
utterlydefeated.

“Whatonearthgavemetheidea,”hewonderedasheapproachedthe
entranceway,“whatgavemetheideathatshewouldn’tbehomepreciselyatthis
moment?Why,why,whydidIdecidethiswithsuchcertainty?”Hewas
crushed,evensomehowhumiliated.Hefeltlikemockinghimself
spitefully....Heseethedwithblind,brutalrage.

Hepausedintheentrywaytoreflect.Tosetoffalongthestreet,justso,asif
totakeastroll,justforappearance’ssake,wasrepulsive;togobackhomewas
evenmorerepulsive.“Whatanopportunityhasbeenlostforever!”hemuttered,
standingaimlesslyintheentrance,directlyoppositethedoortothecaretaker’s
smalldarklodgings,alsoleftopen.Allofasuddenheshuddered.Fromthe
caretaker’sroom,onlytwopacesaway,underabenchontheright,something
gleamedbeforehiseyes....Helookedaroundcautiously—noonewasthere.

Heapproachedthelodgeontiptoes,wentdowntwosteps,andinalowvoice
calledthecaretaker.“JustasIthought,he’snothome!Hemustbecloseby,
however,inthecourtyard,becausethedoor’swideopen.”Herushedattheaxe
(itwasanaxe)andpulleditoutfromunderthebench,whereithadbeenlying
betweentwologs;rightthere,beforeheleft,hesecuredtheaxeintheloop,
thrustbothhandsintohispockets,andleftthelodge;noonenoticedhim!“Ifnot
byreason,thenwiththedevil’shelp,”hethought,chucklingstrangely.This
chanceoccurrencebolsteredhimenormously.

Hewalkedalongthestreetquietlyand steadily, withouthurrying,soasnot

toarouseanysuspicions.Hedidn’tlookatanypassersby,eventryingnotto
glanceintotheirfacesatall,andtobeasunnoticeableaspossible.Thenhe
suddenlyrememberedhishat!“MyGod!Ievenhadsomemoneyafewdaysago
andcouldhaveboughtmyselfacap!”Acurseburstforthfromhissoul.

Glancingbychancewithoneeyeintoashop,henoticedthatthere,onthe
wallclock,itwasalreadytenminutespastseven.Heneededtohurryand,atthe
sametime,tomakeadetour:hewantedtoapproachthebuildinginaroundabout
way,fromtheotherside...

Previously,whenhehadimaginedallthis,he’dsometimesthoughthe’dfeel
veryafraid.Butnowhedidn’tfeelveryafraid;infact,hedidn’tevenfeelafraid
intheleast.Hewasevenpreoccupiedatthetimebysomeextraneousthoughts,
butnotforverylong.PassingtheYusupovGarden,hewasabouttoconsiderthe
ideaofplacingtallfountainsthere,thinkinghowwelltheywouldrefreshtheair
inallthesquares.LittlebylittlehecametotheconvictionthatiftheSummer

inallthesquares.LittlebylittlehecametotheconvictionthatiftheSummer
GardencouldbeextendedtoincludetheentireFieldofMarsandevenconnectit
withthegardensattheMikhailovskyPalace,thatitwouldbeasplendidand
mostusefulthingforthecity.Thensuddenlysomethingcaughthisinterest:why
exactlywasitthatinalllargecitiespeopleweresomehowinclinedtoliveand
settle,notoutofnecessityalone,preciselyinthosepartsoftownwherethere
werenogardens,nofountains,andwherefilthandstenchprevailed,aswellas
allsortsofvileness.ThenherecalledhisownstrollsthroughtheHaymarket,and
amomentlaterhecamebacktohissenses.“Whatnonsense,”hethought.“No,
it’sbetternottothinkatall!”

“That’sprobablythewaymenbeingledtotheirexecutionslideintothinking
aboutallthethingstheyencounteralongtheirway,”flashedthroughhismind,
butitmerelyflashed,likeaboltoflightning;hehimselfextinguishedthis
thoughtasquicklyaspossible....Nowhewasgettingveryclose;here’sthe
house,here’sthegate.Suddenlyaclockstruckoncefromsomewhere.“What’s that?
Coulditreallybehalfpastseven?Itcouldn’tbe;theclockmustbefast!”

Tohisgoodfortune,onceagainhemanagedtogetthroughthegates
successfully.Moreover,asifonpurpose,atthatverymomentjustbeforehima
hugeloadofhaywasenteringthegate,completelyshieldinghimwhilehewas
walkingthroughthegateway;justasthecartwaspassingintothecourtyard,he
managedtoslipintoitsright.There,ontheothersideofthecart,hecouldhear
severalvoicesshoutingandarguing.Butnoonehadnoticedhim,andhedidn’t
happentorunintoanyone.Manywindowslookingoutontothishugesquare
courtyardwereopenatthistime,buthedidn’traisehishead—hedidn’thavethe
strength.Thestaircaseleadingtotheoldwoman’sapartmentwascloseby,just
totherightofthegate.Hewasalreadyonthefirststep...

Catchinghisbreathandpressinghishandagainsthispoundingheart,feeling
andadjustingtheaxeagain,hebeganclimbingthestairscautiouslyandquietly,
constantlylisteningforanysounds.Butthistimethestaircasewascompletely
empty;allthedoorswereclosed;hedidn’tencounteranyoneatall.However,on
thesecondfloor,thedoortooneemptyapartmentstoodwideopenandpainters
wereworkinginsideit,buttheydidn’tevennoticehim.Hestoodthereawhile,
thoughtabit,andwalkedon.“Ofcourse,itwouldbebetterifnoonewerehere
atall,but...therearetwomorefloorsabovethem.”

Buthere’sthefourthfloor,here’sthedoor,andhere’stheapartmentdirectly
opposite;thatone’salsoempty.Onthethirdfloor,byallindications,the
apartmentrightundertheoldwoman’swasunoccupiedaswell:thenameplate,
nailedtothedoor,hadbeenremoved—theymusthavemovedaway!Hegasped
forbreath.Foronemoment,athoughtflashedthroughhismind:“ShouldI
leave?”Buthedidn’theeditandbeganlisteningatthedoortotheoldwoman’s
apartment:deadsilence.Thenhelistenedagainforsoundsonthestaircase,
listeningattentively,foralongtime....Thenheglancedaroundforthelast
time,creptuptothedoor,straightenedhisclothes,andadjustedtheaxeinits
loopagain.“DoIlookpale...verypale?”hewondered.“AmImuchtoo agitated?
She’ssomistrustful....Shouldn’tIwaitalittlelonger...untilmy
heartstopspounding?”

Buthisheartdidn’tstop.Onthecontrary,asifintentionally,itpoundedeven
harderandharderandharder....Hecouldn’tstanditanymore,stretchedouthis
handslowly,andrangthedoorbell.Amomentlaterherangitagain,louder.

Noanswer.Therewasnoreasontoringinvain,anditwasn’tinhisnature.

Theoldwoman,ofcourse,wasathome,butshewassuspiciousandalone.He
knewherhabitsinpart...andonceagainheleanedhisearrightagainsther
door.Whetherhisfeelingsweresoattuned(which,ingeneral,ishardto
assume),orwhetherthesoundreallywasaudible,allofasuddenhedetected
whatseemedlikethecautiousmovementofahandonthelockhandleandwhat
struckhimastherustleofclothesagainstthedoor.Someonestood
imperceptiblynexttothelockand,preciselythewayhewasdoingoutside,was
listening,hidinginside,apparently,alsopressingoneeartothedoor...

Heshiftedhispositiononpurposeandmutteredsomethingabitloudersoas
nottoappearasifheweresneakingup;thenherangathirdtime,butsoftly,
firmly,withoutanyimpatience.Recallingitalllater,plainlyandclearly—this
momentwasetchedinhismindforever—hecouldn’tunderstandwherehe’d
acquiredsomuchcunning,allthemoresosincehismindseemedtocloudover
attimes,whilehewashardlyawareofhisbody....Amomentlaterheheardthe
boltbeingthrown.

*DostoevskyusesthederogatorytermforJew( zhid),ratherthantheneutralword(
evrei).

VII
Justasbefore,thedooropenedalittletinycrack;onceagain,twosharp,
distrustfuleyesstaredoutathimfromthedarkness.AtthispointRaskolnikov
becameconfusedandwasabouttomakeasignificantmistake.

Fearingthattheoldwomanwouldgetfrightenedthattheywouldbeall
alone,anddoubtingthathisappearancewouldreassureher,hegrabbedthedoor
andtuggedittowardhimsoshewouldn’tfeeltheurgetopullitclosedagain.

Seeingthis,sheneitherpulledthedoorbacknorletgoofthehandle,theresult
beingthathealmostyankedheroutontothelandingalongwiththedoor.Seeing
thatshenowstoodblockingthedoorwayandwouldn’tlethimpass,headvanced
directlyonher.Shejumpedbackinfright,triedtosaysomething,butseemed
unabletospeak;shestaredathim,hereyesopenwide.

“Hello,AlyonaIvanovna,”hebeganascasuallyaspossible,buthisvoice
didn’tobey,brokeoff,andbegantrembling.“I’vebrought

you...something...let’sgooverthere...tothelight...”And,movingaway
fromher,heenteredtheroomdirectly,withoutinvitation.Theoldwomanranin
afterhimandrecoveredherpowersofspeech.

“GoodLord!What’sallthis?Whoareyou?Whatdoyouwant?”

“Forpity’ssake,AlyonaIvanovna...youknow

me...Raskolnikov....Here,I’vebroughtthepledgeIpromisedafewdays
ago...”Hehandedherthepacket.

Theoldwomanwasabouttoexaminethepledge,butinsteadstareddirectly
intotheeyesofheruninvitedguest.Sheregardedhimcarefully,spitefully,and
suspiciously.Aminutepassed;itevenseemedasifhereyesreflectedsomething
likeasmirk,asifshe’dalreadyguessedhiswholeplan.Hefeltthathewas
becomingconfused,almostfrightened,sofrightenedthatifshekeptstaringat
himlikethatwithoutsayinganythingforanotherminuteorso,he’drunaway fromher.

“Whyareyoulookingatmelikethat,asifyoudon’trecognizeme?”he
askedsuddenly,alsowithanger.“Ifyouwantit,takeit;ifnot,I’llgoelsewhere;
Idon’thavemuchtime.”
Hehadn’tplannedtosaythis,butitwasutteredjustso,allbyitself.

Theoldwomancametohersenses;herguest’sdecisivetone,apparently,
reassuredher.

“Whyareyouinsuchahurry,sir?Whatisit?”sheasked,regardingthe pledge.

pledge.

“Asilvercigarettecase.Itoldyoulasttime.”

Shereachedoutherhandtotakeit.

“Butwhyareyousopale?Evenyourhandsaretrembling!Haveyoujust
comefromthebaths?”

“It’safever,”herepliedabruptly.“Yougrowpale,likeitornot...ifyou
don’teatanything,”headded,barelyabletoutterthewords.Hisstrengthwas
desertinghimagain.Buthisreplyseemedcredible;theoldwomantookthe pledge.

“Whatisit?”sheasked,staringatRaskolnikovonceagain,weighingthe
pledgeinherhand.

“It’sanitem...acigarettecase...silver....Havealook.”

“Butitdoesn’tseemtobesilver....Lookathowtightlyit’swrapped.”

Tryingtountietheknotandturningtowardthelightfromthewindow(allof
herwindowswerelocked,inspiteofthestuffiness),shelefthimaloneforafew
secondsandstoodwithherbacktohim.Heunbuttonedhiscoatandfreedthe
axefromitsloopbutdidn’tremoveityet,merelykeepingholdofitwithhis
righthandunderhiscoat.Hishandswereterriblyweak;hefelthowwitheach
momenttheygrewnumberandmorewooden.Hewasafraidthathemightletgo
oftheaxeanddropit...allofasudden,hisheadseemedtobespinning.

“Youcertainlywrappedittightly!”criedtheoldwomaninannoyance,
movingbackinhisdirection.
Therewasnotamomenttospare.Hewithdrewtheaxecompletely,raisedit
withbothhisarms,hardlyawareofhimself,andalmostwithnoeffort,almost
mechanically,broughtthebuttenddownontoherhead.Itwasasifhehadno
strength.Butassoonashelettheaxefallonce,hefeltanewstrengthinhimself.

Theoldwomanwasbareheaded,asalways.Herlight-coloredhair,sparse
andwithgraypatches,smearedgenerouslywithgreaseasusual,wasbraided
intoathinpigtailtuckedunderacombofhornthatstuckoutatthenapeofher
neck.Asaresultofhersmallsize,theblowcamedownonthecrownofher
head.Shecriedout,butveryweakly,andsuddenlycollapsedcompletelyonto
thefloor,althoughshe’dmanagedtoraisebothhandstoherhead.Inoneshe
keptholdofthe“pledge.”Thenhestruckherasecondtimeandathirdwithall
hismight,stillusingthebuttoftheaxeandhittinghercrown.Bloodgushed
forthasiffromanoverturnedglass,andherbodytumbledbackward.Hestepped
away,letherfall,andthenbentdowntopeerintoherface;shewasalready
dead.Hereyeswerewideopenasiftheywantedtojumpout,andherforehead
andentirefacewerewrinkledanddistortedbyaspasm.

Heplacedtheaxeonthefloornexttothedeadwomanandimmediately

reachedintoherpocket,tryingnottogetcoveredwithherspurtingblood—into
thatsamerightpocketfromwhichshe’dtakenherkeysthelasttime.Hewasin
fullpossessionofhisfaculties;therewasnodizzinessorblackout,buthishands
werestillshaking.Herememberedafterwardthathewasveryfocused,careful,
tryinghardnottogetsmeared....Hepulledoutthekeysrightaway;asbefore,
theywereallinonebunch,ononesteelring.Heranintothebedroomatonce.It
wasaverysmallroomwithanenormousglasscasefilledwithicons.Alarge
bedstoodagainsttheoppositewall,extremelytidy,coveredbyasilkpatchwork
quilt.Therewasadresseragainstthethirdwall.Itwasodd:assoonashetriedto
selectakeytothedresser,assoonasheheardthejingling,ashudderseemedto
passthroughhim.Hesuddenlywantedtoabandonthewholethingagainand
escape.Butthisfeelinglastedforonlyamoment;itwastoolatetoleave.He
evenchuckledtohimself,asanotherdistressingideasuddenlyrushedintohis
head.Allofasuddenitseemedtohimthattheoldwomanmightstillbealive
andmightrevive.Tossingawaythekeysandleavingthedresser,heranbackto
thebody,grabbedtheaxe,andbrandisheditonceagainovertheoldwoman,but
hedidn’tlowerit.Therewasnodoubtthatshewasdead.Bendingdownand
peeringatheroncemore,hesawclearlythatherskullwasbrokenandeven
dislodgedslightlytooneside.Hewantedtoinserthisfingerstofeelit,but
pulledhishandback;itwasobviousevenwithoutthat.Meanwhile,alargepool
ofbloodhadformed.Suddenlyhenoticedacordaroundherneck;hepulledit,
butthecordwasstronganddidn’tbreak;besides,itwassoakedinblood.He
triedtoyankitfromherchest,butsomethinggotintheway,anditwouldn’t
budge.Inhisimpatience,hewasabouttoswingtheaxeagaintobreakthecord
rightthere,onherbody,fromabove,buthedidn’tdare;withdifficulty,soiling
bothhishandsandtheaxe,afterastrugglelastingafewmoments,heusedthe
axetobreakthecordwithouttouchingthebodyandremovedit;hewasn’t mistaken—
itheldapurse.Thereweretwocrosseshangingfromthecord,one
madeofcypressandtheotherofcopperand,inaddition,asmallenameledicon;
there,togetherwiththem,hungasmallgreasysuedepursewithasteelframe
andclasp.Thepursewascrammedfull;Raskolnikovstuffeditintohispocket
withoutexaminingitandtossedthecrossesbackontotheoldwoman’schest;
thistimehealsograbbedtheaxeandrushedbackintothebedroom.

Heseizedthekeysinaterriblehurryandoncemorebeganfiddlingwith
them.Butsomehowhefailedtoopenthedresser:noneofthekeysfitthelocks.

Itwasn’tthathishandsweretremblingsomuch,buthekeptmakingmistakes:
hewouldsee,forexample,thatakeywasn’ttherightone,itdidn’twork,buthe
keptontryingit.Suddenlyherecalledandrealizedthattherewasonelargekey
withabigtooth,togetherwiththeothersmallerkeys,andthatitcertainly

wouldn’tfitthedresser(thisthoughthadoccurredtohimlasttime),but,rather,
wouldbelongtosomesmalltrunkorchestinwhicheverythingmightbehidden.

Heabandonedthedresserandimmediatelycrawledunderthebed,knowingthat
oldwomenusuallystorechestsundertheirbeds.Itwasjustashethought:there
wasagood-sizedchest,morethantwofeetlong,witharoundedtop,coveredin
redleather,decoratedwithsmallsteeltacks.Thekeywiththebigtoothwas
exactlytherightoneandopenedthechest.Ontop,underawhitecloth,laya rabbit-
furcoat,trimmedwithredsilk;underneathwasasilkdress,thenashawl;
deeperinside,thereappearedtobeonlyclothes.Firstofall,hebegantowipehis
bloodstainedhandsontheredtrim.“Redbloodwillbelessnoticeableonred
silk,”hethoughtandsuddenlycametohissenses:“Lord!AmIlosingmymind,
orsomething?”hethoughtinfright.
Butassoonashe’dtouchedtheclothes,agoldwatchslippedoutfromunder
thefurcoat.Hesetaboutriflingthrougheverythinginside.Infact,amongallthe
clotheswerevariousgolditems—probablyallpledges,redeemedand
unredeemed:bracelets,chains,earrings,pins,andsoforth.Somewereincases,
otherssimplywrappedinnewspaper,neatlyandcarefully,indoublesheets,
boundwithribbons.Withouttheleastdelay,hebeganstuffingthemintothe
pocketsofhistrousersandcoatwithoutsortingthemoropeningthewrappingor
thecases;buthedidn’tmanagetogetveryfar...

Suddenlyheheardsomeonemovingintheroomwheretheoldwoman’s
bodylay.Hepausedandfellsilentasacorpse.Buteverythingwasquiet;of
course,hemusthaveonlyimaginedit.Allofasuddenheheardafeeblecry,as
ifsomeonewasemittingquietandintermittentmoans,whichthensubsided.

Deadlysilenceprevailedagainforaminuteortwo.Hewassquattingdownnext
tothechestandwaiting,hardlydrawingabreath;butsuddenlyhejumpedup,
grabbedtheaxe,andranoutofthebedroom.

InthemiddleoftheroomstoodLizaveta,holdingalargebundle;shewas
staringinastuporathermurderedsister,lookingwhiteasasheet,asiflacking
thestrengthtoscream.Seeinghimcomerunningoutofthebedroom,shebegan
tremblinglikealeaf,agentletrembling,andshuddersranacrossherentireface;
sheraisedonearm,wasabouttoopenhermouth,butstilldidn’tcryout;she
beganslowlybackingawayfromhimintothecorner,eyesfixedonhim,butstill
notscreaming,asifshedidn’thaveenoughbreathtoscream.Herushedather
withtheaxe;herlipsbecamesodesperatelydistorted,justlikethoseoflittle
childrenwhentheybegintofeelfrightenedofsomeone,staringatthethingthat
frightensthem,gettingreadytocry.ThisunfortunateLizavetawassosimple,so
helpless,andsoterrifiedonceandforall,thatshedidn’tevenraiseherarmsto
protectherface,althoughthatwouldhavebeenthemostnecessaryandnatural

gestureatthatmoment,becausetheaxewasraisedrightaboveherface.She
merelyliftedherfreeleftarmeversoslightly,nowherenearherface,andslowly
extendedittowardhim,asifpushinghimaway.Theblowstruckherrightonthe
skull,withthebladeoftheaxe,andimmediatelyhackedthroughtheentireupper
partofherforehead,almosttohercrown.Shecollapsedontotheflooratonce.
Raskolnikovwasabouttopanic;hegrabbedherbundle,threwitdownagain,
andranintotheentranceway.

Fearwasovercominghimmoreandmore,especiallyafterthissecond,
completelyunanticipatedmurder.Hewantedtorunawayasquicklyaspossible.

If,atthatmoment,hehadbeeninaconditiontoseeandreasonmoreclearly,if
hecouldonlyhaverealizedthedifficultiesofhisposition,allthedesperation,all
thehideousness,alltheabsurdityofit,andhaveunderstoodhowmany
complications,perhapsevenoutrages,hewouldstillhavetocommitand
surmountinordertoescapeandreachhishome,it’sverypossiblethathe’dhave
givenitallupandproceededimmediatelytoturnhimselfin,notbecausehe
fearedforhimself,butjustasaresultofhishorroranddisgustatwhathe’d
done.Hisfeelingofdisgust,especially,grewwitheverypassingmoment.Not
foranythingintheworldwouldhehavegonebacknowtothechestoreven
enteredthatroom.

Butsomesortofabsentmindedness,asitwere,evenpensiveness,gradually
begantooverwhelmhim;forafewmomentsheseemedeventofallinto
oblivion,or,moreaccurately,hekeptforgettingthemainpointoftheaffairand
focusingondetails.Butthen,glancingintothekitchenandcatchingsightofa
buckethalffullofwatersittingonabench,hedecidedtorinseoffhishandsand
theaxe.Hishandswerecoveredwithbloodandsticky.Heloweredtheaxeblade
intothewater,grabbedapieceofsoapfromachippedsaucersittingonthe
windowsill,andbeganwashinghishandsrightinthebucket.Afterdoingso,he
pulledouttheaxe,wipedofftheironblade,andforalongtime,almostthree
minutes,scrubbedthewoodenhandlewhereitwascoveredinblood,evenusing
soaptowashitaway.Thenhewipedeverythingwithsomelaundrythatwas
dryingonaropestretchedacrossthekitchen;then,foralongtime,hestoodnext
tothewindowandwithgreatattentionexaminedtheaxe.Therewerenotraces
ofbloodleftonit,butthewoodwasstilldamp.Hecarefullyreplacedtheaxein
itsloopunderhiscoat.Then,makinguseofthelimitedlightinthedarkkitchen,
heinspectedhiscoat,trousers,andboots.Atfirstglance,thereappearedtobe
nothingwrong:onlyafewspotsofbloodonhisboots.Hesoakedaragand
wipedthemoff.Heknew,however,thathewasunabletoseeverywell;perhaps
therewassomethinghehadn’tnoticedthatmightstrikesomeone.Hestoodin
themiddleoftheroom,deepinthought.Atormenting,darkideaaroseinhim—
theideathathewasbehavinglikeamadmanandthatatthismomenthewasno
longerabletoreasonordefendhimself,andthatperhapsitwastotally
unnecessarytodowhathewasdoingnow....“MyGod!Imustgetaway,run
away!”hemutteredandrushedintotheentrancehall.Buttheresuchaterror
awaitedhim—one,ofcourse,thathe’dneverexperiencedbefore.

Hestoodthere,stared,anddidn’tbelievehiseyes:thedoor,theouterdoor
fromtheentrancehallontothelanding,theonehe’drungandenterednotthat
longago,stoodopen,openaswideashishand:nolock,nobolt,allthetime,
duringallthistime!Theoldwomanhadn’tlockeditafterhim,perhapsoutof
caution.But,byGod!Thenhe’dseenLizaveta!How,howonearthcouldhe
havefailedtoguessthatshe’dcomefromsomewhere!Shehadn’tcomethrough
thewall.

Herushedtothedoorandthrewthebolt.

“Butno,that’snotrighteither!Imustleave,leave...”

Heundidthebolt,openedthedoor,andlistenedonthestaircase.

Hestoodthere,listening,foralongtime.Somewherefaroff,downbelow,
probablynearthegates,twovoicescouldbeheardshoutingloudlyandshrilly,
arguingandquarreling.“Whataretheydoing?”Hewaitedpatiently.Atlast
everythingquieteddownallatonce,asifcutoff;themendeparted.Hewas
abouttoleave,butallofasuddenadooronefloorbelowopenednoisilyontothe
landing,andsomeonestarteddownthestairs,hummingatune.“They’remaking
somuchnoise!”flashedthroughhishead.Heclosedthedoorbehindhimself
againandwaitedalittlewhile.Atlasteverythingbecamestill;therewasn’ta
soul.Hewasabouttostartdownthestairswhensuddenlyheheardfootsteps again.

Thestepswereveryfaroff,atthebottomofthestairs,buthelaterrecalled
veryclearlyanddistinctlythatfromthefirstsound,forsomereasonorother,he
begantosuspectthatthefootstepsweredefinitelycoming here, thatis,uptothe
fourthfloor,totheoldwoman.Why?Werethesoundssospecial,so
noteworthy,orwhat?Thestepswereheavy,even,unhurried.Now he hadpassed
thefirstfloorandkeptonclimbing;thestepswerebecomingmoreandmore
audible!Hecouldhearaman’sseriousshortnessofbreath.Hewasapproaching
thethirdfloor....Hewascominghere!AllofasuddenRaskolnikovfelt
paralyzed,asifhewereasleep,dreamingthathewasbeingchased;theywere
gettingcloser,wantingtokillhim,whilehewasrootedtothespotandunable
eventomovehisarms.

Atlast,whenthevisitorbeganclimbinguptothefourthfloor,onlythendid
Raskolnikovsuddenlyshudderandmanagetoslipswiftlyandnimblybackfrom
thelandingintotheapartmentandclosethedoorbehindhimself.Thenhe
grabbedtheboltandquietly,inaudiblysliditintoplace.Instincthelpedhim.

grabbedtheboltandquietly,inaudiblysliditintoplace.Instincthelpedhim.

Afterhedidallthis,hestoodstillwithoutbreathing,ontheothersideofthe
door.Theunwelcomeguestwasalreadystandingatthedoor,too.Nowthey
stoodonoppositesides,justashehadbeforewiththeoldwomanwhenthedoor
hadseparatedthem,andhelistenedverycarefully.

Thevisitordrewseveraldeepbreaths.“Hemustbelargeandheavy,”

thoughtRaskolnikov,squeezingtheaxeinhishand.Asamatteroffact,itwas
allhappeningjustlikeinadream.Theguestreachedforthebellandpulledit firmly.

Assoonasthetinnysoundofthebelljingled,itsuddenlyseemedtohimthat
therewassomemovementinsidetheroom.Forafewsecondsheevenlistened
inearnest.Thestrangerrangagain,waitedawhile,andthensuddenly,inhis
impatience,begantuggingatthedoorhandlewithallhismight.Raskolnikov
staredinhorrorastheboltjiggledinitslatch,andhewaitedwithdullfearfor
thebolttopopout.Infact,thatseemedverypossible,thetuggingwassoviolent.

Hequicklythoughtaboutholdingtheboltwithhishand,butthen he would
guesswhatwashappening.Hisheadwasbeginningtospinagain.“I’mgoingto
fall!”flashedintohismind,butthestrangerbeganspeaking,andRaskolnikov
cametohissensesimmediately.

“Whatthehellaretheydoinginthere?Aretheydeadtotheworldordid
someonestranglethem?Goddamnthem!”hebellowedasiffromabarrel.“Hey,
AlyonaIvanovna,youoldwitch!LizavetaIvanovna,youindescribablebeauty!

Openup!Hey,goddammit,areyouasleeporwhat?”
Onceagain,inarage,hepulledthebellwithallhismightadozenormore
times.Hewas,clearly,acommandingpresenceandveryfamiliarwiththisplace.

Suddenly,atthatverymoment,somelight,hurriedfootstepscouldbeheard
notfarawayonthestairs.Someoneelsewasapproaching.Raskolnikovhadn’t
managedtodiscernthatatfirst.

“Isn’tanyonethere?”criedthemandistinctlyandcheerfully,directly
addressingthefirstvisitor,whowasstillcontinuingtopullthedoorbell.“Hello,
Kokh!”

“Judgingbyhisvoice,hemustbeveryyoung,”Raskolnikovreflected suddenly.

“Thedevilonlyknows.I’vealmostbrokenthelock,”repliedKokh.“And
howdoesithappenthatyouknowmyname?”

“Whatdoyoumean?WemetthreedaysagoattheGambrinustavern;Ibeat
youinthreeroundsofbilliards!”

“Ahhh...”

“Sotheyaren’tinthere?That’sstrange.Rather,it’sterriblystupid.Where
couldtheoldwomango?I’vegotbusinesstodo.”

couldtheoldwomango?I’vegotbusinesstodo.”

“SodoI,myfriend.”

“Well,what’stobedone?That’sit,Iguess.Damn!Ihopedtogetsome
cash!”criedtheyoungman.

“That’sit,ofcourse.Whyagreeonameeting?Thatwitch,shesetthetime
herself.Ievenmadeadetour.Whereinhellcouldshegogallivanting,Idon’t
understand.Theoldwitchstaysathomeallyear,mopesaround,herfeetache,
andnow,allofasudden,shepicksupandgoesoutforastroll!”

“Maybeweshouldaskthecaretaker?”

“What?”
“Wheretheywentandwhenthey’llbeback?”

“Hmm...whatthehell...we’llask.Butshedoesn’tgoanywhere...”He
triedthedoorhandleagain.“Damn,there’snothingtobedone—let’sgo!”

“Wait!”theyoungmancriedsuddenly.“Look:youseehowthedoorgivesa
bitwhenyoupullatit?”

“So?”

“Thatmeansit’snotlocked,onlyfastened,Imeanbolted!Doyouhearhow
theboltrattles?”

“So?”

“Whydon’tyouunderstand?Thatmeanssomeone’sathome.Ifthey’dboth
left,thedoorwouldhavebeenlockedwithakeyfromtheoutside,andnotwith
theboltfrominside.Listen—doyouhearhowtheboltrattles?Tofastenitfrom
inside,someonehastobeathome,doyouunderstand?Inotherwords,they’re
home,justnotopeningthedoor.”

“Ah!Indeed!”criedtheastonishedKokh.“Sothey’rereallyinthere!”He
beganrattlingthedoorviolently.

“Wait!”criedtheyoungmanagain.“Don’tyankit!Something’snotright
aboutit.Yourangthebell,pulledit,buttheydidn’topen;thatmeansthey’ve
eitherbothfainted,orelse...”

“What?”

“Here’swhat:let’sgofindthecaretaker;lethimrousethem.”

“Right!”Theybothstarteddownstairs.

“Wait!YoustayherewhileIrundownforthecaretaker.”

“WhyshouldIstay?”

“Whoknowswhatmighthappen?”
“Allright...”

“I’mpreparingtobecomeanexaminingmagistrate! *It’sobvious,ob-vi-ous
thatsomething’snotrighthere,”criedtheyoungman,andhesetoffdownthe
stairsatarun.

Kokhremainedthere,gentlyrangthebellagain,whichjingledonlyonce;
then,asifreflectingandexamining,hetriedthedoorhandleagain,movingitup
anddown,toconvincehimselfoncemorethatitwaslatchedbyonlythebolt.

Then,puffing,hebentoverandbeganpeeringintothekeyhole;butthekeyhad
beeninsertedfrominside,andthereforenothingwasvisible.

Raskolnikovstoodthereclutchinghisaxe.Heseemedtobeinastupor.He
wasevenreadytofightwiththemiftheyenteredtheroom.Whiletheywere
knockingandtalking,theideaoccurredtohimseveraltimesofendingitalland
callingouttothemfromhissideofthedoor.Attimeshewantedtobegin
swearingatthem,tauntingthem,untiltheymanagedtoforcethedooropen.

“Hurryup!”flashedthroughhismind.

“What’shappenedtohim,damnit...”

Timewaspassing,oneminute,thenanother—noonecame.Kokhbeganto stir.

“Damnitall!”hecriedsuddenlyandimpatiently;abandoninghislookout;
he,too,headeddown,hastening,hisbootspoundingonthestairs.Hisfootsteps
receded.

“Lord,whatshouldIdo?”

Raskolnikovslidtheboltandopenedthedoor—heheardnothing;allofa
sudden,completelywithoutthinking,hewentout,closedthedoorbehind
himselfastightlyashecould,andheadeddownstairs.

Hehadalreadydescendedthreefloorswhenhesuddenlyheardaloudnoise below—
wherecouldhego?Therewasnowheretohide.Hestartedtorunback
upstairs,towardtheapartment.
“Hey,damnit,youdevil!Wait!”

Someoneshoutedfromoneoftheapartmentsbelowanddidn’texactlyrun
butseemed,rather,tocatapultdownthestairs,shoutingasloudlyashecould:

“Mitka!Mitka!Mitka!Mitka!Mitka!Thedeviltakeyou!”

Theshoutendedwithashriek;thelastsoundscouldbeheardfromoutsidein
thecourtyard;theneverythingfellsilent.Butjustatthatsamemomentseveral
people,talkingloudlyandquickly,beganclimbingthestairsnoisily.Therewere
threeorfourofthem.Heheardtheclearvoiceoftheyoungman:“It’sthem!”

Incompletedespair,heheadedbackdownstairstoconfrontthem:comewhat
may!Iftheystophim,all’slost;iftheylethimpass,all’sstilllost:they’ll
rememberhim.Theywereabouttomeet;onlyonefloorseparatedthem—then,
allofsudden,deliverance!Ontheright,justafewstepsawayfromhim,wasthe
emptyapartment,itsdoorwideopen,theoneonthesecondfloorinwhichthe
paintershadbeenworking,andnow,asifintentionally,theyhadleft.Theymust
bethemenwho’djustrunoutwithsomuchshouting.Thefloorshadjustbeen

painted;inthemiddleoftheroomstoodasmalltub,acrockofpaint,anda
brush.Inaflash,heduckedthroughtheopendoorwayandconcealedhimself
behindadoor,justintime:theywerenowstandingonthesamelanding.Then
theyturnedandwentuptothefourthfloor,conversingloudly.Hewaited,
tiptoedout,andrandownstairs.

Therewasnooneonthestaircase!Norinthegateway.Hepassedthroughit
andturnedleft,ontothestreet.

Heknewverywell,heknewextremelywell,thatatthisverymoment,they
werealreadyintheapartment;theywereastonishedatseeingitunlocked,when
ithadbeenlockedjustbefore;theywerealreadystaringatthebodies;nomore
thanaminutewouldpassbeforetheywouldbegintoconjectureandrealizethat
themurdererhadjustbeenthereandhadmanagedtohidesomewhere,slippast
them,andescape;perhapstheywouldguessthathehadstoppedintheopen
apartmentwhiletheyweremakingtheirwayupstairs.Meanwhile,underno
pretextdidhedareincreasehispacesignificantly,althoughthereremainedabout
ahundredstepstothefirstturn.“Shouldn’tIslipintosomegatewayandwait
thereinanunfamiliarstaircase?No,badidea!ShouldIgetridoftheaxe?

ShouldItakeacab?Badidea,verybad!”

Finallyhereachedanarrowstreet;halfdead,heturnedintoit;herehewas
somewhatsafeandunderstoodthis:therewouldbelesssuspicion,acrowdof
peoplescurryingabout,andhewouldblendintoitlikeagrainofsand.Butallof
thesetormentshadrenderedhimsoweakthathecouldscarcelymove.Dropsof
sweatpouredoffhim;hisneckwasentirelysoaked.“Drunkasaskunk!”

someoneshoutedathimwhenhecameouttothecanal.

Hewasnowbesidehimself;thefartherhewent,theworsehefelt.He
remembered,however,thatassoonashe’demergedalongthecanal,he’dgrown
afraidthatthereweresofewpeoplethathe’dbemorenoticeable,sohewanted
toturnbackintothenarrowstreet.Inspiteofthefactthathewasalmost
collapsing,hemanagedtomakeadetourandapproachhishousefromthe
oppositeside.

Hewasnotincompletecontrolofhisfacultieswhenheturnedintothegate
ofhisownbuilding;atanyrate,onlywhenhe’dalreadyreachedthestaircasedid
herememberabouttheaxe.Forthemoment,thereremainedaveryimportant
problem:toreturntheaxetoitsplace,attractingaslittleattentionaspossible.Of
course,hewasnolongerabletorealizethatitmightbemuchbetternottoputit
backatallinitsformerplace,buttotossitaway,thoughsomewhatlater,into
someothercourtyard.

Everything,however,turnedoutallright.Thedoortothecaretaker’slodge
wasclosedbutnotlocked;therefore,hewasprobablyathome.Thougheven

beforethathe’dalreadylosttheabilitytoconceiveofsomethingelse,sohewent
straightuptothedoorofthelodgeandopenedit.Ifthecaretakerhadasked,

“Whatdoyouwant?,”perhapshewouldhavehandedovertheaxestraight
away.Butonceagainthecaretakerwasn’tthere,andhemanagedtoreturnitto
itspreviousplaceunderthebench;heevencovereditwithalogasbefore.After
thathemetnoone,notasinglesoul,onhiswayuptohisroom;thelandlady’s
doorwasclosedandlocked.Enteringhisownroom,hethrewhimselfdownon
hissofajustashewas.Hedidn’tsleep,butlaythereinatrance.Ifsomeonehad
comeintohisroomthen,hewouldhavejumpedupandstartedshouting.Shreds
andfragmentsofthoughtsswarmedinhishead;buthecouldn’tseizeonanyof
them,couldn’tfocusonanyofthem,inspiteofallhisefforts...

*AnewpositionintheRussiancivilservicecreatedbythelegalreformsof1864,tocar
ryout investigationsintoallegationsofcriminality.

Helaythereforalongtime.Periodicallyhewouldseemtoawakenandnotice
thatitwasalreadydark,butitneveroccurredtohimtogetup.Atlasthenoticed
thatithadgrownaslightasday.Helaythereonhissofafacedown,stilldazed
fromhisrecentstupor.Terrible,desperate,shrillshrieksreachedhimfromthe
street,soundsheheardeverynightunderhiswindowsometimeaftertwointhe
morning.Thatwaswhatwokehimnowaswell.“Ah!Drunksareleavingthe
taverns,”hethought.“It’saftertwoo’clock.”Suddenlyhejumpedasifsomeone
hadtornhimfromthesofa.“What!Alreadyaftertwo!”Hesatuponthesofa—

andthenrememberedeverything.Allatonceherecalleditallinonemoment.

Atfirsthethoughthewouldlosehismind.Aterriblefeelingofcoldness
seizedhim;butthatwasalsoaresultofthefeverthathadbegunlongbefore,
whilehewasstillasleep.Nowhesuddenlyfeltsuchachillthathisteethbegan
chatteringviolently;hestartedshakingallover.Heopenedthedoorand
listened:everythingwasabsolutelystillinthehouse.Helookedhimselfoverin
astonishmentandthensurveyedeverythingelseinhisroomandcouldn’t
understandhowhecouldhavecomeinyesterdayandfailedtosecurehisown
doorwiththeboltandhowhehadthrownhimselfdownonhissofanotonly
withoutundressing,butevenwithoutremovinghishat:ithadfallenoffandlay
thereonthefloornexttohispillow.“Ifsomeonehadcomein,whatwouldhe
havethought?ThatIwasdrunk,but...”Herushedtothelittlewindow.There
wassufficientlight,andhebeganexamininghimselfhastily,allover,fromhead
totoe,allofhisclothes:werethereperhapsanytraces?Butitwasimpossible;
stilltremblingfromhischill,hebegantakingeverythingoffandexaminingit
again.Heturnedeverythingover,tothelastthreadandshred;nottrusting
himself,herepeatedtheinspectionseveraltimes.Buttherewasnothingtosee;it
seemedthattherewerenotraces.Onlywherehistrouserswerefrayedandthe
fringehungdowndidthereremainsomethickspotsofdriedblood.Hegrabbed
hislargepocketknifeandcutoffthefringe.Thereseemedtobenothingelse.He
suddenlyrecalledthatthepurseandtheitemshe’dtakenfromtheoldwoman’s
chestwerestillinhispockets!Uptothispoint,hehadn’teventhoughtabout
takingthemoutandhidingthem!Hehadn’teventhoughtaboutthemjustnowas
hewasinspectinghisclothes!Whynot?Inaninstant,herushedtotaketheitems
outandtossthemontothetable.Afterremovingeverything,eventurninghis
pocketsinsideouttomakesurenothingwasleft,hecarriedthewholepileover

tothecornerofhisroom.There,downbelow,wasaspotwherethewallpaper
hadbeentornawayfromthewall.Heimmediatelybeganstuffingeverything
intothisholeunderneaththetornwallpaper.“Itfits!Everything’soutofsight—

thepurse,too!”hethoughtelatedly,standingupandregardingthecorner
foolishly,lookingattheholewherethewallpapernowbulgedevenmorethan
before.Suddenlyheshudderedalloverinhorror.“MyGod,”hewhisperedin
despair,“what’sthematterwithme?Isitreallyconcealed?Isthishowonehides
things?”

True,hehadn’tcountedonhavinganyitems;he’dthoughttherewouldbe
onlycash,andthereforehehadn’tpreparedahidingplace.“Butnow,amI
happynow?”hewondered.“Isthishowonehidesthings?I’mreallylosingmy
mind!”Hesatdownonhissofainexhaustion,andrightawayanunbearable
chilltookholdofhimagain.Heautomaticallygrabbedhiswintercoat,theone
he’dwornasastudent;itwaslyingnexttohimonachairandwaswarm,but
alreadyalmostintatters.Hecoveredhimselfwithit;sleepanddelirium
overcamehimatonce.Hesankintosemiconsciousness.

Notmorethanfiveminuteslaterhejumpedupagainand,allatonce,ina
frenzy,flunghimselfathisclothesagain.“HowcouldIfallbacktosleepwhen
nothing’sbeendone?Soitis,soitis:Ihaven’tevenremovedtheloopundermy
arm!Iforgot,Iforgotallaboutit!Whatapieceofevidence!”Herippedoutthe
loopandquicklybegantearingittopieces,stuffingthemunderhispillowwith
hislinen.“Shredsoftorncanvaswon’tarouseanysuspicion;soitseems,soit
seems!”herepeated,standinginthemiddleoftheroom,andwithpainfully
strainedattentionhebeganglancingaroundagain,atthefloorandeverywhere
else,toseeifhemighthaveforgottensomething.Thecertaintythateverything,
evenhismemory,evenhisbasicunderstanding,wasdesertinghimwasstarting
totormenthimunbearably.“What,isitreallystarting,isthisthepunishment
beginning?Sothat’sit,that’swhatitis!”Infact,shredsofthefringehehadcut
offhistrouserswerelyingthereonthefloorinthemiddleoftheroom,sothat
thefirstpersonwhocameinwouldnoticethem!“What’shappeningtome?”he
criedoutonceagain,likealostsoul.

Thenastrangethoughtoccurredtohim:perhapsallofhisclotheswere
bloodstained,perhapsthereweremanyspots,andhemerelydidn’tseethem,
didn’tnoticethembecausehisreasonhadbeenweakened,shattered...hismind
darkened....Suddenlyherecalledthattherewasalsobloodonthepurse.“Bah!

Sotheremustalsobebloodinmypocket,becauseIshovedthedamppurseinto
it!”Heturnedhispocketinsideoutinaninstantand—soitwas—therewere
spots,tracesofbloodonthepocketlining!“Myreasonmustnothavedeserted
meentirely;Imuststillhavemyabilitytoreasonandmymemory,ifI

rememberedandfiguredthatoutmyself!”hethoughtelatedly,takingadeep,
joyfulbreathofair.“It’ssimplyfeverishweakness,momentarydelirium,”he
decidedandhetoreoutthewholeliningofhislefttrouserpocket.Atthat
moment,arayofsunlightlituphisleftboot:onhissock,whichstuckout,there
seemedtobemorespots.Heshookhisbootoffhisfoot.“It’sreallytrue!The
wholeendofmysockissoakedthroughwithblood.”Hemusthavestepped
carelesslyintothatpuddlethen...“WhatcanIdowithitnow?WherecouldI
stashthesock,thefringe,thelining?”
Hegatheredeverythingupinhishandsandstoodinthemiddleoftheroom.

“Intothestove?Butthey’llbeginlookingtherefirst.Burnit?Withwhat?Idon’t
evenhaveanymatches.No,it’sbettertogothrowitallawaysomewhere.Yes!

Bettertothrowitallaway!”herepeated,sittingbackdownonthesofa.“And
rightnow,thisveryminute,withoutdelay!”Butinsteadofthat,hisheadslid
downontothepillowagain;anunbearablechillrenderedhimnumboncemore;
hepulledhiscoatoverhimselfagain.Forseverallonghourshekeptimagining
infitsthat“rightnow,withoutputtingitoff,hemustgosomewhereandthrowit
allaway,getridofit,atonce,assoonaspossible!”Severaltimeshewantedto
tearhimselfawayfromthesofa,triedtostandup,butcouldn’t.Atlonglast,a
firmknockonthedoorrousedhim.

“Openup.Areyoualiveornot?Stilldeadasleep!”criedNastasya,banging
onthedoorwithherfist.“Hesleepsfordaysatatime,justlikeamutt!Whata
muttyouare!Openup,willyou?It’spastten.”

“Maybehe’snothome,”saidamalevoice.

“Bah!It’sthecaretaker....Whatdoeshewant?”Raskolnikovwondered.

Hejumpedupandsatonthesofa.Hisheartwaspoundingsohardthatitwas aching.

“Thenwhofastenedthehook?”Nastasyaretorted,“See,he’sstartedlocking
thedoor!Youthinkthey’llcomeandstealyouaway?Openup,youthinker,
you,wakeup!”

“Whatdotheywant?Why’sthecaretakerhere?It’sallclear.Resistoropen thedoor?
Tohellwithit!”

Hestretchedforward,leanedover,andraisedthehook.

Hisroomwassosmallthathecouldundothehookwithoutevengettingout ofbed.

Justashethought:thecaretakerandNastasyawerestandingthere.

Nastasyalookedhimoversomewhatstrangely.Hecastachallengingand
desperateglanceatthecaretaker,whosilentlyhandedhimagraypieceofpaper
foldedintwo,sealedwithbottlewax.

“It’sanotice,fromtheoffice,”hesaid,handinghimthepaper.

“Fromwhatoffice?”

“Fromwhatoffice?”

“Thepolice.You’rebeingsummonedtotheiroffice.It’sclearwhatofficeit is.”

“Thepolice?Whatfor?”

“HowshouldIknow?Theydemandit,soyougo.”Helookedathim

carefully,glancedallaround,andturnedtogo.

“Areyoureallyill?”Nastasyaasked,withouttakinghereyesoffhim.The
caretakeralsoturnedhisheadtolookforaminute.“He’shadafeversince
yesterday,”sheadded.

Raskolnikovmadenoreplyandheldthepaperinhishandswithoutopening it.

“You’dbetternotgetup,”Nastasyacontinued,feelingsorryforhimand
seeingthathewasloweringhislegsfromthesofa.“Ifyou’resick,thendon’tgo;
it’llwait.What’sthatinyourhands?”

Helookeddown:inhisrighthandheheldthetornscrapsoflining,thesock,
andthetattersofhistorn-outpocket.Hehadsleptwiththeminhishand.Later
on,thinkingaboutit,herememberedthatand,half-awakeningwithhisfever,
claspeditalltightlyinhishandanddozedoffonceagain.

“Justlook,he’sgatheredsomeragsandissleepingwiththem,asiftheywere
atreasure,”Nastasyasaid,thenwentoffintofitsofpainfullynervouslaughter.

Inaninstant,heshovedeverythingunderhiscoatandfixedhiseyesonher.

Eventhoughatthatmomenthecouldunderstandverylittle,hestillfeltthatif
thepolicewerecomingtoarresthim,theywouldn’tbetreatinghimlikethis.
“But...thepolice?”

“Wouldyoulikesometea?Yesorno?I’llbringyousome;there’ssome left...”

“No...I’llgo;I’llgorightnow,”hemuttered,gettingup.

“You’llgo,willyou,butwillyoumakeitdownthestairs?”

“I’llgo...”

“Doasyoulike.”

Sheleft,followingthecaretaker.Herushedtowardthelighttoexaminehis
sockandthefringe:“Therearesomespots,butthey’renottooconspicuous;
everything’ssodirty,wornout,andfaded.Ifsomeonedidn’tknowaboutit
beforehand—hewouldn’tnoticeathing.Nastasyacouldn’tseeanythingfroma
distance,thankGod!”Thenheopenedthenoticewithtrepidationandbegan
reading;hereadforalongtimeandfinallyunderstood.Itwasanordinary
summonsfromthelocalpolicetoappearthatverydayathalfpastnineatthe
districtsuperintendent’soffice.

“Whenhasthiseverhappenedbefore?Ihavenodealingswiththepoliceat

all!Andwhyexactlytoday?”hewonderedinpainfulconfusion.“Oh,Lord,letit
endsoon!”Hewasabouttothrowhimselfontohiskneestopray,butthenhe
startedlaughing,notattheideaofprayer,butathimself.Hebegandressing
hurriedly.Athoughtsuddenlyoccurredtohim:“IfI’mdonefor,thensobeit,it
doesn’tmatter!I’llputonmysock!It’llgetdirtyinthedust,andthetraceswill
vanish.”Butassoonasheputiton,hetoreitoffindisgustandhorror.Whenhe
realizedthathehadnoothersock,heputitbackonagain—andstartedlaughing
oncemore.“Allthisissoordinary,it’sallrelative,allpurelyform.”That
thoughtoccurredtohimjustinpassing,merelyatthefaredgeofhismind,while
hisentirebodywastrembling.“ButIdidputiton!Allthesame,Iputiton!”His
laughter,however,wasimmediatelyreplacedbydespair.“No,thisismorethanI
canbear,”hethought.Hislegswereshaky—“Outoffear,”hemutteredto
himself.Hisheadwasspinningandachingfromthefever.“It’satrick!They
wanttoentrapmewiththeirguileandthen,allofasudden,throwmeoff
guard,”hecontinuedmutteringtohimselfasheheadedoutontothestairs.“The
badthingisthatI’malmostdelirious....Imightuttersomestupidlie...”
Onthestairs,herememberedthathewasleavingallthosethingsjustasthey
wereintheholebehindthewallpaper.“Whatiftheycomeonpurposetosearch
theplacewhileI’mout,”hewondered,hesitating.Butsuchdespairandsucha
cynicalviewofhisdemise,ifonecouldcallitthat,suddenlyovercamehim,and
hewavedhisarmwithindifferenceandcarriedon.

“Ifonlyitwouldendsoon!”

Onceagainitwasunbearablyhotoutside:ifonlythere’dbeenadroportwo
ofraintheselastfewdays.Againdust,bricks,andplaster,againthestenchof
shopsandtaverns,againtheconstantdrunks,theFinnishpeddlers,andtherun-
downcabs.Thesunshonesobrightlyinhiseyesthatitwaspainfulforhimto
seeandhefeltverydizzy—theusualsensationofafeverishpersonwho
suddenlycomesoutsideintotheblindingsunshine.

Reachingtheturninto yesterday’s street,heglancedwithtormenting agitation,at

that house...andimmediatelyturnedaway.

“Iftheyask,perhapsI’lleventellthem,”hethoughtasheapproachedthe
policestation.

Theofficewasaboutthreehundredyardsfromhishouse.Theyhadjust
movedintoanewplace,anewbuilding,onthefourthfloor.Hehadbeentothe
formerlocationoncebriefly,butalongtimeago.Enteringthegates,hesawa
staircaseontheright,whereapeasantwascomingdownwitharegistrationbook
inhand:“Hemustbeacaretaker,sotheofficemustbeinhere.”Hestartedup
thestairsonthishunch.Hedidn’twanttoaskanyoneaboutanything.

“I’llgoin,fallonmyknees,andtellthemeverything,”hethoughtashe
reachedthefourthfloor.

reachedthefourthfloor.

Thestaircasewasnarrow,steep,andcoveredindirtydishwater.Thekitchens
ofalltheapartmentsonallfourfloorsopenedontothisstaircaseandremained
openalmostalldaylong.Asaresult,itwasterriblystuffy.Caretakerswith
registrationbooksundertheirarmsfiledupanddownthestairs,aswellaspolice
messengersandvariouspeopleofbothsexes—visitors.Thedoortotheoffice
itselfwasalsowideopen.Heenteredandstoodinthevestibule.Somepeasants
werewaitinginside.Thestuffinesstherewasalsoextreme;inaddition,therewas
anauseatingsmelloffreshpaint,notyetdry,thathadbeenmixedwithrancidoil
andusedtorepaintthewalls.Afterwaitingalittlewhile,hedecidedtoadvance
intothenextroom.Theroomswerealltinyandhadlowceilings.Terrible
impatiencepulledhimfartherandfartherin.Noonetookanynoticeofhim.

Someclerksweresittingandwritinginthesecondroom,dressedonlyalittlebit
betterthanhewas,andtheywereallstrange-looking.Heturnedtooneofthem.

“Whatdoyouwanthere?”

Heshowedthesummonshe’dreceivedfromtheoffice.

“Areyouastudent?”askedthemanwho’dglancedatthepaper.

“Aformerstudent,yes.”

Theclerklookedhimover,butwithoutanycuriosity.Hewasaparticularly
disheveledfellowwithasteadfastlookinhiseyes.

“Iwon’tlearnanythingfromthisfellowbecausehedoesn’tcareinthe
least,”thoughtRaskolnikov.

“Gooverthere,totheheadclerk,”hesaidanddirectedhimtothelastroom.

Heenteredthatroom(thefourthintherow);itwascrampedandcrowded withpeople
—theyweredressedalittlemoreneatlythanthoseintheother
rooms.Thereweretwoladiesamongthecallers.Onewasinmourningattire,
poorlydressed,sittingatthetableoppositetheheadclerkandwritingdown
somethinghewasdictating.Theotherlady,veryplump,hadadarkred
complexionwithspots;adistinguishedwoman,veryelegantlyattired,witha
broochthesizeofasauceronherbosom,shestoodofftooneside,waiting.

Raskolnikovthrusthissummonsattheheadclerk.Helookedatitfleetinglyand
said,“Wait,”andcontinuedtodealwiththeladyinmourning.

Raskolnikovbreathedmoreeasily.“Itcan’tbethat!”Littlebylittlehebegan
tofeelcalmer;heusedallhisstrengthtourgehimselftocheerupandgatherhis
thoughts.
“Somestupidthing,someveryinsignificantoversight,andImighthave
givenmyselfaway!Hmm...it’sapitythere’snoairinhere,”headded.“It’sso
stuffy....Myhead’sspinningevenmore...andmymind,too...”

Hefeltaterrible,sweepingsenseofdisorder.Hewasafraidoflosinghis self-
control.Hetriedtograbholdofsomethingandfocusonit,something

self-control.Hetriedtograbholdofsomethingandfocusonit,something
completelymarginal,buthewasunabletodoso.Theheadclerk,however,
interestedhimgreatly:hetriedtoguesssomethingabouthimfromhisface,to
penetratetohiscore.Hewasaveryyoungman,abouttwenty-two,withadark
complexionandalivelycountenance,seeminglyolderthanhisyears,dressed
fashionablylikeadandy,hishairpartedtothebackofhishead,wellcombed
andwellgreased,withalargenumberofdifferentringsonhiswhitefingers
scrubbedcleanwithabrush,andwearinggoldchainsonhisvest.Heevenspoke
afewwordsofdecentFrenchwithaforeignerwhowaswaitingthere.

“LuizaIvanovna,whydon’tyoutakeaseat?”hesaidinpassingtothewell-
dressedladywiththedarkredcomplexion,whowasstillstandingthere,asifshe
darednotsitdown,althoughachairwasnearby.

“Ichdanke,” shesaidsoftly,andloweredherselfontothechairwithasound
ofrustlingsilk.Herlightbluedresstrimmedwithwhitelacespreadoutaround
herchairlikeaballoonandfilledalmosthalftheroom.Therewasastrongodor
ofperfume.Theladywasobviouslyembarrassedthatshewasoccupyingso
muchspaceandgivingoffthescentofherperfume,althoughshesmiledina
waythatcombinedbothcowardiceandimpudence,butwithevidentdiscomfort.

Theladyinmourningfinishedatlastandwasabouttostandup.Allofa
sudden,anofficerentered,raucouslystruttingandswaggeringinanextremely
sprightlyway,threwhiscockadedcaponthetable,andsatdowninanarmchair.

Uponseeinghim,theelegantladyimmediatelyjumpedupandcurtsiedtohim
withgreatgusto.Whiletheofficerdidn’tpayhertheleastbitofattention,she
darednotremainseatedinhispresenceanylonger.Hewasalieutenant,the
policesuperintendent’sassistant,andhadareddishmustacheprotruding
horizontallyinbothdirectionsandextremelyfinefacialfeatures,expressing
nothingwhatsoever,however,exceptacertaininsolence.Heregarded
Raskolnikovoutofthecornerofhiseye,inpartwithindignation:hisapparel
wastoodisgracefuland,inspiteofallhiswretchedness,hisbehaviordidn’tfit
hisdress;Raskolnikov,withalackofcare,staredathimsodirectlyandforso
longthattheofficerfeltoffended.

“Whatareyoudoinghere?”heshouted,probablyastonishedthatsucha
raggedfellowhadn’tconsideredeffacinghimselfwhenconfrontedwithhis
scorchinggaze.

“Iwassentfor...bythissummons,”Raskolnikovmanagedtoexplain.

“Itconcernstherecoveryofsomemoneyfromhim,fromthat student, ”the

headclerkhastenedtoreply,tearinghimselfawayfromhispapers.“Hereyou
are,sir!”hesaid,pointingtoaplaceinanotebookandthentossingitat
Raskolnikov.“Readit!”

“Money?Whatmoney?”wonderedRaskolnikov.“But...thismeansit’s
certainlynotabout that!”Heshudderedwithdelight.Suddenlyhefeltterribly,
inexpressiblycarefree.Aburdenhadbeenliftedfromhisshoulders.

“Whattimewereyoutoldtoappear,kindsir?”criedthelieutenant,feeling
moreandmoreoffendedforsomereason.“Youweretoldtocomeatnine
o’clockandit’snowalreadypasteleven!”

“Itwasdeliveredonlyaquarterofanhourago,”Raskolnikovrepliedloudly
andoverhisshoulder,alsosuddenlyandunexpectedlygrowingangry,even
takingacertainpleasureinthisfeeling.“Isn’titenoughthatI’millwithafever,
yetIcameallthesame?”

“Noshouting,ifyouplease!”

“I’mnotshouting;I’mspeakingverycalmly;it’syouwhoisshouting;I’ma
student,andIwon’tallowyoutoshoutatme.”

Thelieutenantwassoincensedthatatfirsthewasunabletoutteraword;
onlysomespitcameflyingoutofhismouth.Hejumpedupfromhisplace.

“Shutyourmouth!You’reinagovernmentoffice.Nor-r-rudeness,sir!”
“You’reinagovernmentoffice,too,”Raskolnikovcried,“andnotonlyare
youshouting,butyou’realsosmokingacigaretteandbeingimpolitetoallof
us.”Afterhesaidthis,Raskolnikovfeltinexpressiblepleasure.

Theheadclerkregardedthemwithasmile.Thehotheadedlieutenantwas
obviouslybewildered.

“That’snoneofyourbusiness,sir!”heshoutedatlastinanunnaturallyloud
voice.“Besogoodastoprovidetherequiredresponse.Showhim,Aleksandr
Grigorevich. *Therearecomplaintsagainstyou.Youdon’tpayyourdebts.What
anupstandingcitizenyouare!”

ButRaskolnikovwasnolongerlistening;hegreedilysnatchedthedocument,
searchingforasolutiontotheriddle.Hereaditonce,thenagain,butstilldidn’t
understand.

“What’sthis?”heaskedtheheadclerk.

“Moneyisbeingdemandedfromyouaccordingtothispromissorynote.You
musteitherpayupwithallcosts,fines,andsoforth,orelseprovideawritten
statementindicatingwhenyouwillbeabletopayand,atthesametime,agree
thatyouwillnotleavethecapitalbeforesettlingthedebt,andthatyouwillnot
sellorconcealyourproperty.Thelenderisfreetosellyourpropertyandto
pursuealllegalstepsagainstyou.”

“ButIdon’toweanyoneanymoney!”

“That’snoneofourbusiness.Wereceivedalegitimateclaimforoverdue
paymentonapromissorynoteforonehundredandfiftyrubles,givenbyyouto

thecollegiateassessor’swidow,Zarnitsyna,approximatelyninemonthsago;it
wastransferredbythewidowZarnitsynaaspaymenttothecourtcouncillor
Chebarov,anditisforthisreasonthatwe’resummoningyoutoprovidea statement.”

“Butshe’smylandlady.”

“Whatifsheis?”
Theheadclerkregardedhimwithacondescendingsmileofpity,together
withacertainexultation,asiflookingatanewrecruitcomingunderfireforthe
firsttime,asthoughsaying,“Well,howdoyoufeelnow?”Howcouldhe
possiblycareaboutapromissorynoteatthistime,oraboutsomeoverdue payment?
Wasitwortheventheslightestconcerninitsturn,eventheleastbitof attention?
Hestoodthere,read,listened,replied,andevenasked,buthediditall
automatically.Thetriumphofself-preservation,deliverancefromthreatening
danger—thatwaswhatfilledhisentirebeingatthismoment,without
apprehension,withoutanalysis,withoutfutureproblemsandsolutions,without
doubtsandquestions.Itwasamomentofcomplete,spontaneous,pureanimal
delight.Butatthisverymomentthereoccurredsomethingintheofficeakintoa
thunderbolt.Thelieutenant,stillentirelyshakenbyhislackofrespect,still
irritated,andapparentlywishingtosoothehisoffendedvanity,began
fulminatingattheunfortunate“elegantlady,”who’dbeenstaringathimwitha
veryfoolishsmilesincehehadenteredtheoffice.

“Andyou,madam,youoldso-and-so,”heshoutedsuddenlyatthetopofhis
lungs(theladyinmourninghadalreadyleft).“Whatonearthwasgoingonat
yourplacelastnight?Huh?Onceagainyou’rebringingdisgraceanddebauchery
tothewholestreet.Oncemore,fightinganddrunkenness.Youwanttowindup injail?
I’vealreadytoldyou,I’vewarnedyouadozentimes,andIwon’tletyou
getawaywithitanymore!Butyoudiditagain,youoldso-and-so!”

ThepaperactuallydroppedfromRaskolnikov’shands,andhelooked
intenselyattheelegantlady,whowasbeingrebukedsounceremoniously.He
soonrealizedwhatitwasallaboutandevenfoundthisepisodeimmediatelyto
hisliking.Helistenedwithpleasureandevenfeltverymuchlikelaughing,and
laughing,andlaughing....Allhisnerveswereonedge.

“IlyaPetrovich!”theheadclerkwasabouttosaysolicitously,buthepaused
becauseheknewfromhisownexperiencethatitwasimpossibletorestrainthe
lieutenantexceptbyforceoncehewassoincensed.

Atfirsttheelegantladytrembledasaresultofthisthunderandlightning.

Butitwasstrange:themorenumerousandtheharsherhiswordsofabuse,the
morecivilherdemeanorbecame,themorecharminghersmiledirectedatthe
fearsomelieutenant.Sheshiftedrestlesslyfromfoottofootandkeptcurtsying
incessantly,bidinghertimeimpatientlyuntilshecouldatlastgetawordin

incessantly,bidinghertimeimpatientlyuntilshecouldatlastgetawordin edgewise.

“Zervasnonoiseundnofightingatminehaus, HerrKapitän, ”sherattled

outallofasudden,asifscatteringpeas,withaheavyGermanaccenteven
thoughshespokeRussianfluently.“Undnoshkandal,nonevatever,undzey
cametrunken,undIvilltellall, HerrKapitän, undI’mnotguilty....Ihaf
respectablehaus, HerrKapitän, undrespectablevayoflife, HerrKapitän, andI
never,nevervantednoshkandalinminehaus.Unddeycamecompletely
trunken,anddendeyaskedfor drei bottlesmore,andzenoneputshizfootsup
undbeginsplayingderpianomithizfoots,undhebreaksmine ganz piano,und
hehasnomanners,none,undIsayzat.Andhetakeseinbottleundhepokes
everyonefrombehindmitdisbottle.UndzenIamsooncallingzecaretakerund
Karlcomes,undheizhittingKarlinhizeyes,undheizalsoHenriettahittingin
hizeyes,undheishittingmeondercheek fünf times.Undzatiznotproperin
einrespectablehaus, HerrKapitän, undI’mshouting.Undheizopeningder
vindowondercanalundbeginssquealingindervindowlikezeleetlepig;und
zisizdisgrace.Foo,foo,foo!Karlpullshimfromdervindowbyzhaket,zisiz true,
HerrKapitän, hetearedhiszhaket.Undzenheshoutszat manmuss pay fine
fünfzehn rubles.UndImineself, HerrKapitän, ampayinghim fünf rubles
onzecoat.Undzisneinrespectableguest, HerrKapitän, makeszebigshkandal!

Hesez,hevilmakebigsatireonmeundvilinallzepaperswriteonme.”

“Isheawriter,then?”

“Ja, HerrKapitän, andhevasaneinrespectableguest, HerrKapitän, in

meinrespectablehaus...”

“Well,well,well!Enough!I’vetoldyoualready,Idid,Itoldyou...”

“IlyaPetrovich!”theheadclerksaidagainimposingly.Thelieutenantshot
himaswiftlook;theheadclerknoddedhisheadslightly.

“Wellthis,myesteemedLavizaIvanovna,ismylastword,andIwon’ttell
youagain,”continuedthelieutenant.“Ifevenonemorescandaltakesplacein
yourrespectablehouse,thenI’llhaveyouhauledofftotheslammer,astheysay
inthehighestcircles.Youhearme?Soaliteraryman,awriter,receivedfive
rublesinyour‘respectablehouse’forhiscoattail?There’sanotheroneofthem,
thosewriters!”HecastacontemptuousglanceatRaskolnikov.“Threedaysago
therewasanotherscandalinthetavern:afellowatehisdinneranddidn’twant
topayforit;‘I’llputyou,’hesays,‘intomysatire.’Therewasanotheroneona
steamerlastweek:someoneabusedthefamilyofastatecouncillor,hiswifeand
daughter,withthefoulestlanguage.Onefellowwasthrownoutofapastryshop
afewdaysago.That’swhatthey’relikethesewriters,literarymen,students,
loudmouths....Damnthem!Offwithyou!I’llcallinatyourplaceoneofthese

days...then,youwatchout!Youhearme?”

LuizaIvanovnahastenedtocurtsyinalldirectionswithhurriedpoliteness,
andasshedid,shemadeherwaybackwardtowardthedoor.Butinthedoorway,
herrearendcollidedwithastatelyofficerwhohadafresh,openfaceandwho
sportedasplendid,thickblondmustache.ItwasnoneotherthanNikodim
Fomichhimself,thedistrictpolicesuperintendent.LuizaIvanovnahastenedto
curtsyverydeeplytohim;hoppingupanddownwithherrapidlittlesteps,she
flewoutoftheoffice.

“Onceagainanuproar,oncemorethunderandlightning,tornadoesand
hurricanes!”NikodimFomichaddressedIlyaPetrovichpolitelyandamicably.

“Onceagaintheyupsetyouandyoulostyourtemper!Icouldhearitoutsideon
thestairs.”

“Whatuvit?”IlyaPetrovichsaidwithmagnanimousnonchalance(hedidn’t
evensay“Whatofit?”butsomehow“Whatuvit?”),movingtoanotherdeskwith
somedocuments,struttingpicturesquelywitheachstepashedidso,swayinghis
shouldersintimewithhissteps.“Hereyouare,sir,ifyou’dcaretosee:Mr.

Writer,thatis,astudent,thatis,aformerstudent,doesn’tpayhisdebt.His
promissorynote’soverdue,hewon’tleavehisapartment,thereareconstant
complaintsagainsthim,andhehasthenervetoobjecttothefactthatIlita
cigaretteinfrontofhim!He’sbehavinglikeascoundrel;here,sir,justhavea
lookathim:he’samostattractivesight!”
“Poverty’snocrime,myfriend,andthat’sthat.You’reknowntobelike
gunpowder:youcan’ttolerateanyinsults.Youtookoffenseatsomethinghesaid
andwereunabletorestrainyourself,”NikodimFomichcontinued,turning
courteouslytoRaskolnikov,“butthatwastonoavail:he’soneofourbestmen, ourver-
r-r-rybestmen,Itellyou,buthe’slikegunpowder,puregunpowder!He
flaredup,losthistemper,exploded—andthat’sthat!All’slost!And,asaresult,
allthat’sleftishisheartofgold!Inhisregimenthewasnicknamed‘Lieutenant
Porokh’...” †

“Andwhataregimentitwas!”criedIlyaPetrovich,extremelypleasedtobe
teasedinthatmanner,butstillsulking.

Raskolnikovsuddenlyfeltlikesayingsomethingparticularlypleasanttoall
assembled.

“Pardonme,Captain,”hebeganverycasually,suddenlyaddressingNikodim
Fomich,“putyourselfinmyplace....I’mevenpreparedtobeghispardon,if
I’vebeenimpolite.I’mapoor,sickstudent,disheartened”—heactuallyusedthe
word“disheartened”—“bypoverty.I’maformerstudentbecauseIcannolonger
supportmyself,butI’llbereceivingsomemoneysoon....Ihaveamotheranda

sisterinacertainprovince.They’llsendmesomemoney,andthenI’ll...I’ll
payup.Mylandlady’sagoodwoman,butshe’ssoangrybecauseI’velostmy
teachingandhaven’tpaidmyrentforthelastthreemonthsthatshewon’teven
sendmeanydinner....Idon’tunderstandwhatpromissorynoteyou’retalking
about!Nowshe’sdemandingpaymentaccordingtothisacknowledgmentof
debt:judgeforyourself!”

“Thisdoesn’tconcernus...”theheadclerkbegantoobserveagain...

“Please,allowme,I’mincompleteagreementwithyou,butpermitmeto
explain,”Raskolnikovbeganagain,addressingnottheheadclerk,butNikodim
Fomich,thoughmakingavalianteffortalsotoincludeIlyaPetrovich,whowas
pretendingtorifflethroughsomepapersandrefusingcontemptuouslytopayany
attentiontohim.“PermitmetoexplainonmypartthatI’vebeenlivingtherefor
almostthreeyears,fromthetimeIfirstarrivedfromtheprovinces,and
previously...previously...whynotacknowledge,inturn,thatfromthevery
beginningImadeapromisetomarrythelandlady’sdaughter,averbalpromise,
ofmyownfreewill....Shewasayoungwoman...infact,Ieventookaliking
toher...althoughIwasn’tinlovewithher...inaword,itwasyouth,thatis,I
wanttostatethatthelandladyaffordedmeagreatdealofcreditand,inpart,I
ledalifeof...Iwasveryfrivolous...”

“We’renotdemandingsuchintimaciesfromyou,mydearsir,andbesides
wehaven’tthetime,”IlyaPetrovichsaid,interruptinghimrudelyandwith
smugness,butRaskolnikovcuthimoffexcitedly,eventhoughitwasvery
painfulforhimtocontinue.

“Butallowme,pleaseallowme,totellitalltosomeextent...howitwas
and...initsturn...althoughIagreewithyouthatit’sunnecessarytorecount.

Ayearagothisyoungwomandiedfromtyphus,while,however,Icontinuedto
beatenantthereasIhadbeen,andthelandlady,asshemovedintothe
apartmentwhereshenowresides,saidtome...andshesaiditamicably...that
shehadeveryconfidenceinmeandsoon...butwouldn’tIliketoprovideher
withanacknowledgmentofdebtforonehundredandfiftyrubles,theamount
she’dcalculatedasthetotalofwhatIowed.Allowmetostate,sir:shesaid
preciselythatonceIgaveherthisdocument,she’dextendasmuchcredittome
asIrequiredonceagain,andnever,never,forherpart—andthesewereher
exactwords—neverwouldsheusethatletterbeforeImyselfpaidmy
debt....Andnow,whenI’velostmyteachingandhavenothingtoeat,she’s
demandingrepayment....WhatcanIsaynow?”

“Noneofthesesentimentaldetails,mydearsir,concernus,”IlyaPetrovich
saidarrogantly.“Youmustrespondandacknowledgeyourobligation,whilethe
factthatyouhappenedtobeinloveandallthosetragicparticulars,allthatis
noneofourbusiness.”

noneofourbusiness.”

“You’rebeing...abitharsh,”mutteredNikodimFomich,sittingdownat
thetable,wherehestartedsigningdocuments.Hewasfeelingsomewhat
embarrassed.

“Sonowwrite,”theheadclerksaidtoRaskolnikov.

“What?”heaskedinsomewhatofarudemanner.
“WhatIdictate.”

ItseemedtoRaskolnikovthattheheadclerkhadbecomeruderandmore
contemptuousofhimafterhisconfession,butstrangetosay—hesuddenlyfelt
thatnooneelse’sopinionmatteredtohimatall,andthischangeseemedtotake
placeinonesingleinstant.Ifhe’dwantedtoconsideritforawhile,thenof
coursehe’dbeastoundedathowhewasabletospeaktothemthatwayjusta
minuteago,andevenimposehisownfeelingsonthem.Wherehadthese
feelingscomefrom?Onthecontrary,now,iftheroomhadsuddenlyfilledup
notwithpoliceofficers,butwithhisclosesttruefriends,eventhen,itseems,he
wouldn’thavebeenabletofindevenonekindwordtosaytothem,becausehis
heartwassuddenlysoemptiedofallemotion.Gloomyfeelingsoftormenting,
unendinglonelinessandalienationsuddenlyandconsciouslytookpossessionof
hissoul.Itwasn’tthedespondencyofhisheartfeltoutpouringsinIlya
Petrovich’spresence,norwasitthissamedespondencyorthelieutenant’s
triumphoverhimthataffectedhisheartsosuddenly.Whatdidhecareabouthis
ownbasenessnow,oralltheseambitions,lieutenants,Germanwomen,
procedures,offices,soonandsoforth?Evenifhehadbeensentencedtobe
burnedaliveatthatverymoment,eventhenhewouldn’thavebattedaneye;it’s
doubtfulthathewould’veevenlistenedattentivelytohissentence.Something
totallyunfamiliarwashappeningtohim,somethingnew,unexpected,never
beforeexperienced.Itwasn’tsomuchthatheunderstood,butthatheclearlyfelt,
withallthestrengthofhisfeeling,thatnotonlywithhisprevioussentimental
expansiveness,butevenwithwhateverresourceshehadavailable,hewasno
longerabletocommunicatewiththesepeopleinthepoliceoffice,evenifinstead
oftheirbeingjustpoliceofficers,theywereallhisownbrothersandsisters,even
thenhewouldhavehadnoreasontocommunicatewiththem,notforanything
inhislife.Neverbefore,uptothisverymoment,hadheexperiencedanyfeeling
sostrangeandsoterrible.Whatwasthemosttormentingofall—wasthatitwas
moreofafeelingthanaconsciousthoughtorperception,aspontaneousfeeling,
themosttormentingofallthosefeelingsexperiencedbyhiminhislifeuptothis point.

Theheadclerkbegandictatingtheformofanordinarystatementinsucha
case,thatis:“Iamunabletopay,Ipromisetodosoatsomefuturedate,Iwill

notleavetown,sellmyproperty,orgiveitaway, etc. etc.”

“Butyoucan’tevenwriteproperly;thepen’sslippingoutofyourhand,”
observedtheheadclerk,staringatRaskolnikovwithcuriosity.“Areyouill?”

“Yes...Ifeeldizzy....Goon!”

“That’sall!Signit.”

Theheadclerktookthepaperandturnedtoothermatters.Raskolnikov
handedthepenbacktohim,butinsteadofgettinguptoleave,placedboth
elbowsonthetableandtookhisheadinhishands.Itwasasifanailwerebeing
drivenintohistemple.Astrangethoughtoccurredtohimsuddenly:togetup
rightthen,goovertoNikodimFomich,andtellhimeverythingthathad
happenedyesterday,everythingtothelastdetail,thengowithhimtohisown
apartmentandshowhimthethingsintheholeinthecorner.Thisimpulsewasso
strongthathe’dalreadystooduptocarryitout.“Shouldn’tItakeatleasta
momenttothinkaboutit?”flashedthroughhismind.“No,it’sbettertodoit
withoutthinking,andgetitoffmyback!”Butallofasuddenhestoppedlike
someonerootedtotheground.NikodimFomichwastalkingheatedlytoIlya
Petrovich,andsomeoftheirwordsreachedhisears:

“Itcan’tbe;they’llreleasebothofthem!Inthefirstplace,itcontradicts
everything.Judgeforyourself:whyshouldtheycallthecaretaker,ifthey’ddone
thedeed?Toimplicatethemselves?Orisitaclevertrick?No,thatwouldbetoo
clever!Moreover,bothcaretakersandthewomantradersawthestudent
Pestryakovnearthegatesjustashewasarriving:hewasouttherewiththree
friends,partedfromthemnearthegate,andaskedthecaretakersaboutresidence
inthebuildinginthepresenceofthesefriends.Well,wouldsomeoneaskabout
residenceifhe’dcomewithsuchanintention?AndKokh,beforehewenttosee
theoldwoman,hadbeensittingdownstairswiththesilversmithforhalfanhour
andatpreciselyquartertoeightwentupstairstoseeher.Nowjustconsider...”

“Butpermitme,lookatthecontradictionthat’semerged:theystatethatthey
knockedandthatthedoorwaslocked,butthreeminuteslater,whentheyarrived
withthecaretaker,itturnsoutthatthedoorwasunlocked.”

“That’spreciselythepoint:withoutfailthemurdererwasstillinsideandhad
lockedthedoor.Withoutfailthey’dhavediscoveredhimthereifKokhhadn’t
beensuchafoolandgonetofetchthecaretaker.Andpreciselyinthisinterval, he’d
managedtoheaddownthestairsandsomehowslippastthem.Kokhshould
thankhisluckystars:‘IfI’dhavestayedthere,’hesaid,‘he’dhavejumpedout
andkilledmewithhisaxe.’Hewantstogivethanksataspecialchurchservice,
ha,ha,ha...”

“Noonesawthemurderer?”

“Howcouldthey?Thebuilding’sascrowdedasNoah’sark,”theheadclerk
observed,overhearingtheconversationfromwherehesat.

observed,overhearingtheconversationfromwherehesat.

“It’sclearasday,clearasday,”NikodimFomichrepeatedexcitedly.

“No,it’snotclearatall,”summedupIlyaPetrovich.

Raskolnikovtookhishatandheadedforthedoor,buthenevermadeitthat far...

Whenhecameto,hesawthathewassittingonachair,thatsomepersonwas
supportinghimontheright,thatanothermanwasstandingonhisleftholdinga
yellowglassfilledwithyellowishwater, ‡ andthatNikodimFomichwas
standinginfrontofhim,staringathimintently;Raskolnikovstoodupfrom
wherehewassitting.

“What’swrong?Areyouill?”NikodimFomichaskedhimratherharshly.

“Whenhewassigning,hecouldscarcelyholdthepen,”observedthehead
clerk,sittingbackdownathisplaceandreturningtohispapers.

“Haveyoubeenillforlong?”criedIlyaPetrovichfromwherehewassitting,
alsoattendingtosomedocuments.He,too,ofcourse,hadscrutinizedthesick
manwhenhe’dfainted,buthe’dwalkedawayassoonasRaskolnikovhadcome to.

“Sinceyesterday,”Raskolnikovmutteredinreply.

“Didyougooutyesterday?”

“Idid.”

“Sick?”
“Yes.”

“Atwhattime?”

“Aftersevenintheevening.”

“Where,ifImayask?”

“Downthestreet.”

“Well,that’sshortandsweet.”

ToallthesequestionsRaskolnikovrepliedsharply,abruptly,whiteasa
sheet,withoutdroppinghisdark,inflamedeyeswhenconfrontedwithIlya
Petrovich’sgaze.

“Hecanhardlystand,whileyouthink...”remarkedNikodimFomich.

“Nevermind!”IlyaPetrovichrepliedstrangely.NikodimFomichwasabout
toaddsomethingmore,but,glancingattheheadclerk,whowasalsostaringat
himintently,hefellsilent.Everyonewassuddenlyquiet.Itwasstrange.

“Well,sir,that’sfine,sir,”concludedIlyaPetrovich.“Wewon’tdetainyou.”

Raskolnikovleft.Hecouldhearhowalivelyconversationresumedassoon
ashe’dgoneout;thequestioningvoiceofNikodimFomichwasheardabovethe
others....Herecoveredcompletelyonceoutside.

“Asearch,asearch,animmediatesearch!”herepeatedtohimself,hastening

“Asearch,asearch,animmediatesearch!”herepeatedtohimself,hastening
home.“Thoserascals!Theysuspectme!”Hisformerfearovercamehimagain
completelyfromheadtotoe.

*Zametov,thechiefpoliceclerk.

† Porokh=gunpowder,hencethelieutenant’snickname.
‡ResidentsofPetersburgtooktheirwaterfromriversandcanals.

II

“Whatifthere’salreadybeenasearch?WhatifIfindthemthererightnow?”

Buttherewashisroom.Nothingandnoone:noonehadbeenthere.Even
Nastasyahadn’ttouchedit.But,Lord!Howcouldhehaveleftallthosethingsin
thatholeunderthewallpaper?

Herushedtothecorner,thrusthishandin,beganpullingthingsoutand
loadingthemintohispockets.Therewereeightitemsinall:twosmallboxes
withearringsorsomethingofthatsort—hedidn’tlookverycarefully—andfour
smallmoroccoleathercases.Onechainwassimplywrappedupinnewspaper.

Therewassomethingelsealsowrappedinnewspaper,probablyamedal...

Hestashedthemallinvariouspocketsinhiscoatandinhisrighttrouser
pocket,tryingtomakeitalllooklessnoticeable.Healsopickedupthepursefull
ofthings.Thenhelefthisroom,thistimeevenleavingthedoorwideopen.

Hewalkedrapidlyanddecisively;althoughhefeltcompletelydevastated,he
stillhadhiswitsabouthim.Hewasafraidofbeingfollowed,afraidthatinhalf
anhour,perhapsevenaquarterofanhour,anorderwouldbeissuedtohavehim
followed;therefore,nomatterwhathappened,hehadtohidealltracesbefore
then.Hehadtoactwhilehestillhadsomestrengthleftandsomepowersof
reasoning....Butwhereshouldhego?

Ithadallbeendecidedlongago:“Throweverythingintothecanal:getridof
alltracesandthatwouldbetheendofit.”Hehadmadethatdecisionatnight,in
hisdelirium,when,asherecalled,hehadtriedseveraltimestostandupand
leave“quickly,quickly,andgetridofitall.”Butitprovedtobeverydifficultto
getridof.

HehadbeenwanderingalongtheembankmentoftheYekaterinskyCanalfor
abouthalfanhour,perhapsevenlonger;severaltimeshelookedatthestaircases
leadingdowntothewater.Buthecouldn’tevenconceiveofcarryingouthis
intention:eithertherewereraftsmooredatthebottomofthestairswherewomen
werewashingtheirlinens,orelseboatsweretiedupandthestairswereteeming
withpeople;inaddition,fromtherealongbothembankmentsonecouldbe
observed,noticed:itwouldlookverysuspiciousifamanintentionallywent
downthestairs,paused,andthrewsomethingintothewater.Whatifthecases
floatedinsteadofsank?Ofcourse,that’swhatwouldhappen.Everyonewould
seethem.Evenwithoutthat,everyonehemetwouldlookup,stareathim,asif
hewasalltheyhadtobeconcernedabout.“Whyisthatthecase?PerhapsI’m
merelyimaginingit?”hewondered.

merelyimaginingit?”hewondered.

Finallyitoccurredtohimthatitmightbebettertogosomewherefarther
alongtheNeva.Therewouldbefewerpeopleandhe’dbelessnoticeable;inany
event,itwouldbemoreconvenient;butthemainthingisthatitwouldbefarther
awayfromwherehewasnow.Hewassuddenlysurprisedtorealizethathe’d
beenwanderingaroundinanguishandanxietyforanentirehalfhour,andin
dangerousplaces,yethehadbeenunabletocomeupwiththisideauntilnow!

Consequently,hehadwastedhalfanhourinafoolishenterprisethathadalready
beendecidedinhissleep,inhisdelirium!Hewasbecomingextremely
absentmindedandforgetful,andheknewthathimself.Hedefinitelyhadto hurry!

HestartedwalkingalongVoznesenskyProspecttowardtheNeva;butonthe
way,anotherideasuddenlyoccurredtohim:“WhytheNeva?Whyintothe water?
Wouldn’titbebettertogosomewherefaraway,maybeeventothe
Islands,andsomewhere,inanisolatedplace,inthewoods,underabush—bury
itallandmarkthespot?”Eventhoughhefeltthathewasinnoconditionto
considerthisideaclearlyandsensiblyatthetime,itseemedflawless.

Buthewasn’tdestinedtoreachtheIslands,either:somethingelseoccurred.

AsheemergedfromVoznesenskyProspectintothesquare,hesuddenlysawon
hisleftanentrancetoacourtyardsurroundedbywindowlesswalls.Directlyto
therightofthegatestretchedthelong,blankunwhitewashedwalloftheadjacent four-
storybuilding.Totheleft,paralleltotheblankwallandalsoclosetothe
gate,awoodenfenceranabouttwentypacesintothecourtyard,thenturnedto
theleft.Itwasadeserted,enclosedspacewherevariousmaterialslayscattered.
Fartheron,inthedepthsofthecourtyard,thecornerofalow,sootystoneshed
peeredoutfrombehindthefence,evidentlypartofaworkshop.Therewas
someonehere,acarriagemakerormetalworker,orsomeoneofthekind;the
entirearea,rightfromthegates,wasblackenedwithagreatdealofcoaldust.

“Thiswouldbeagoodplacetohidethestuffandgetaway,”hethought
suddenly.Afterseeingnooneinthecourtyard,hestrodethroughthegatesand
noticedatonce,rightnexttothegate,atrenchdugalongthefence(thekind
oftenfoundinbuildingswithmanyfactoryworkers,craftsmen,cabdrivers,etc.),
andabovethetrench,onthefence,werethewittywordsscribbledinchalk
regularlyfoundinsuchcircumstances:FORBIDDENTOSTOPPHEAR.

Good:thereforehewouldarousenosuspicionifhewentinandpaused.“Stashit
alltogetherinonepileandgetaway!”

Glancingaroundoncemore,hehadalreadythrusthishandintohispocket
whenhesuddenlynoticedbytheouterwall,betweenthegateandthetrench,
wherethedistancewasaboutayardwide,alargeunworkedblock,weighing
perhapsasmuchasfiftypounds,leaningdirectlyagainstthestonewall.Beyond

perhapsasmuchasfiftypounds,leaningdirectlyagainstthestonewall.Beyond
itlaythestreet,thesidewalk,andthesoundsofhurryingpassersby,ofwhom
therewerealwaysquiteafew;butnoonecouldnoticehimbehindthegate,
exceptifsomeoneturnedinfromthestreet,which,bytheway,couldeasily
happen,andthereforehehadtohurry.

Hebentover,grabbedthetopoftheblockpowerfullywithbothhands,
gatheredallhisstrength,andturneditover.Therewasasmallhollow
underneath;heimmediatelybeganemptyingeverythingfromhispockets.The
pursewoundupontopofthepile,andtherestillremainedsomespaceinthe
hollow.Thenhegrabbedtheblockagainand,withoneturn,shoveditbackinto
itsformerplace,perhapsnowsittingalittlebithigher.Buthescrapedupsome
dirtandpresseditaroundthebottomoftheblockwithhisfoot.Nothingwas
noticeable.

Thenheleftthecourtyardandheadedofftothesquare.Onceagainhewas
momentarilyovercomebyastrongfeelingofjoy,suchashe’dexperienced
beforeinthepolicestation.“Alltraceshavebeenburied!Who,whoonearth
wouldeverthinkofsearchingunderthatstone?Itmayhavebeentheresincethe
housewasbuiltandwillbetherejustaslong.Andifsomeonedidfindthestash:
whowouldsuspectme?It’sallover!There’snoevidence!”Hestartedlaughing.

Laterherecalledthathehadstartedlaughingwithanervous,shallow,inaudible,
long-lastinglaugh,andkeptlaughingallthewhilehewascrossingthesquare.

ButwhenhereachedKonnogvardeiskyBoulevard,wheretwodaysagohehad
encounteredthatyoungwoman,hislaughtersuddenlyvanished.Otherthoughts
floodedhismind.Allofasuddenhefeltthatitwouldbeterriblyunpleasantto
passthatbenchwherehehadsatandthoughtafterthegirl’sdeparture,andthatit
wouldalsobeterriblypainfultoencounterthatpolicemanwiththemustacheto
whomhehadgivenhistwentykopecksatthetime:“Tohellwithhim!”

Hewalkedalong,lookingaroundabsentmindedlyandspitefully.Allhis
thoughtsnowrevolvedaroundonemainpoint—hehimselffeltthatitwasreally
themainpoint,andthatnow,preciselyatthismoment,hewasallalone,face-to-
facewiththismainpoint—andthatitwasevenhappeningfortheveryfirsttime
aftertheselasttwomonths.

“Tohellwithitall!”hethoughtsuddenlyinafitofunlimitedmalice.“Well,
ifit’sbegun,thenit’sbegun.Tohellwiththisnewlife!Lord,howstupiditall
is!I’vetoldsomanyliesanddonenastythingstoday!HowdisgustinglyI
fawnedandflatteredthatdespicableIlyaPetrovich!Butthat’sallnonsense,too!

Idon’tgiveadamnaboutanyofthemorthefactthatIfawnedandflattered
him!That’snotthepoint!That’snotitatall!”

Allofasuddenhestopped;anew,completelyunexpectedandextremely
simplequestiondazedandastoundedhim.

simplequestiondazedandastoundedhim.

“Ifthiswholeaffairwascarriedoutconsciously,andnotinsomefoolish
manner,ifIreallyhadadefiniteanddefinitivegoal,thenhowisitthatuptothis
pointIdidn’tevenpeekintothepurseanddon’tknowhowmuchI’vetaken?

WhydidIconsciouslyassumeallthesetorments?WhydidIundertakethis
mean,vile,baseact?JustnowIwantedtothrowitallintothewater,thepurse,
togetherwithalltheitemsthatIhaven’tevenlookedat....Howcanthisbe?”

Yes,thatwastrue.Thatwasalltrue.Besides,he’dknownallthisbeforeand
itwasnotanewquestionforhim;lastnightwhenhe’ddecidedtothrowitall
intothewater,ithadbeendecidedwithoutanyhesitationorobjection,justasif
thatwashowitoughttobe,asifitcouldn’tbeotherwise....Heknewallthis
andrecalleditall;itwasalldecidedyesterday,whenhewasbendingoverthe
oldwoman’strunk,pullingoutthoseleathercases....Thatwasalltrue!

“It’sallbecauseI’mveryill,”hedecidedgloomilyonceandforall.“I’ve
torturedandtormentedmyself,andIdon’tevenknowwhatI’m

doing....Yesterday,andthedaybefore,andduringallthistimeI’vebeen
tormentingmyself....I’llgetbetterandthen...Iwon’ttorment
myself....WhatifIdon’tgetbetter?Lord!I’msofedupwithallthis!”He
walkedwithoutstopping.Heverymuchwantedtodistracthimself,butdidn’t
knowwhattodoorwhattotry.Anew,insurmountablefeelingwasovertaking
himmoreandmorewitheverypassingminute:itwassomeconstant,almost
physicalrepulsionforeverythingthathewasencounteringandallthat
surroundedhim,astubborn,malicious,hatefulfeeling.Everyonehemetseemed
repulsivetohim—theirfaces,theirwalk,andtheirgestures.Ifsomeonehad
beguntalkingtohim,hefelt,hemightspitatthemorbitethem...

HestoppedsuddenlywhenheemergedontheembankmentoftheLittle
NevaonVasilievskyIsland,nearthebridge.“Here’swherehelives,inthis
building,”hethought.“HowisitthatsomehowIwoundupatRazumikhin’s place?
It’sthesamestoryasbefore....Butit’sveryodd:didIcomehere
intentionallyorwasIsimplywalkingandendeduphere?It’sallthesame;two
daysago...Isaid...I’dgoseehimadayafter that.Well,soIwill!AsifI
couldn’tdropinonhimnow...”

HeclimbeduptoRazumikhin’sroomonthefifthfloor.

Hewasathomeinhislittleroom;atthatmomenthewasbusywriting;he
unlockedthedoorhimself.Theyhadn’tseeneachotherinaboutfourmonths.

Razumikhinhadbeensittingthereinhisdressinggown,whichwaswornto
tatters,withslippersonhisbarefeet;hewasdisheveled,unshaven,and
unwashed.Buthisfaceexpressedsurprise.

“What’sthematterwithyou?”hecried,examininghisfriendfromheadto
foot;thenhefellsilentandwhistledshrilly.

foot;thenhefellsilentandwhistledshrilly.

“Arethingsreallysobad?Myfriend,you’veoutdonepeoplelikeus,”he
added,lookingatRaskolnikov’srags.“Sitdown,youmustbetired!”Whenhis
friendhadcollapsedontheTurkishoilclothsofa,whichwasinevenworse
conditionthanRaskolnikov’sown,Razumikhinsuddenlyrealizedthathisguest
wasill.

“You’rereallysick,youknowthat?”Hereachedouttotakehispulse;
Raskolnikovpulledhisarmaway.

“There’snoneed,”hesaid.“I’vecometo...here’swhat:Ihaveno
lessons....Iwouldliketo...butIreallydon’tneedanylessons...”

“Youknowwhat?You’redelirious!”Razumikhinremarked,observinghim closely.

“No,I’mnotdelirious,”Raskolnikovsaid,standingupfromthesofa.Onhis
waytoseeRazumikhin,hehadn’tthoughtabouthavingtocomeface-to-face
withhim.Now,inonemoment,hesurmised,basedonhisexperience,thathe
wasnotinclinedatthatminutetocomeface-to-facewithanyoneatallonearth.

Allhisbileroseupinhim.Healmostchokedonangerathimselfforhavingjust
crossedRazumikhin’sthreshold.

“Good-bye!”hesaidsuddenlyandheadedforthedoor.

“Waitaminute,youmadman,wait!”

“There’snoneed!”Raskolnikovrepeated,pullinghisarmawayagain.

“Whatthehelldidyoucomehereforinthefirstplace?Areyoucrazy,or what?
Why...thisisalmostinsulting.Iwon’tletyougo.”
“Well,listen:Icametoseeyoubecausebesidesyou,Idon’tknowanyone
elsewhocouldhelp...tostart...becauseyou’rekinderthanallofthem,that
is,you’resmarter,andyoucanjudge....ButnowIseethatIhavenoneed,you
hear,noneedatall...foranyone’sfavorsorconcern....Imyself...all
alone....That’sall!Leavemeinpeace!”

“Waitamoment,youderelict!You’recompletelymad!AsfarasI’m
concerned,youcandoasyoulike.Yousee,Idon’thaveanylessonseither,butI
don’tgiveadamn;there’sabookselleratthefleamarketbythenameof
Kheruvimovwho’sakindoflessoninhimself.Iwouldn’ttradehimforfive
lessonsinanymerchant’shouse.Hedoesalittlepublishingandputsout
bookletsonthenaturalsciences—anddotheysell!Thetitlesaloneareworththe
price!YoualwayssaythatI’mafool;well,friend,Isweartherearebiggerfools
thanme!Nowhe’sturnedtowardprogressivepolitics;hehasn’taclueaboutit,
butIencouragehim,ofcourse.HerearesomefortypagesofaGermantext—in
myopinion,it’sthedumbestcharlatanism:inaword,itexaminesthequestionof
whetherawomancanbeconsideredahumanbeingornot.Well,naturally,it
demonstratessolemnlythatawomanisindeedahumanbeing.Kheruvimovis

planningtopublishitasacontributiontothewomanquestion; *I’mtranslating
it;he’llstretchthosefortypagestoahundred,we’llcomeupwiththemost
splendidtitle,atleasthalfapagelong,andthenwe’llsellitforfiftykopecks.

It’llwork!Igetsixrublesforsixteenpages,whichmeansaboutfifteenrubles
forthewholething,andIgotsixrublesinadvance.Afterwefinishthis,we’ll
starttranslatingapieceonwhales,andthenwe’llpublishthemostboring
scandaloussectionsofthesecondpartof Confessions; † someonetold
KheruvimovthatRousseauislikeourRadishchev. ‡ Ofcourse,Iwon’t
contradicthim—thehellwithhim!Well,howwouldyouliketotranslatethe
secondpartof“AreWomenHumanBeings?”Ifyoudo,thentakethetext,take
somepensandpaper—it’sallbeenprovided—andherearethreerubles.SinceI
gotanadvanceonthewholething,forthefirstandthesecondparts,itwould
cometothreerublesforyourshare.Whenyoufinishthatpart—you’llget
anotherthreerubles.Here’swhatelse:don’tthinkI’mdoingyouanyfavors.On
thecontrary,justwhenyoushowedup,Iwasalreadywonderingabouthowyou
couldhelpme.Inthefirstplace,myspellingisawful;inthesecond,myGerman
issometimessimplynotuptoit,soImakeitupandconsolemyselfbythinking
thattheresultcomesoutevenbetter.Whoknows,perhapsit’snotanybetter,but
evenworse....Willyoutakeitornot?”

Withoutsayingaword,RaskolnikovtookthepagesoftheGermanarticle,
pickedupthethreerubles,andwalkedoutinsilence.Razumikhinfollowedhim
withhiseyesinbewilderment.But,afterhavingreachedtheFirstLine,§

Raskolnikovsuddenlyturnedaround,climbedthestairsbackupto
Razumikhin’s,and,placingboththeGermanpagesandthethreerublesdownon
thetable,leftagain,withoutsayingaword.

“Areyoudelirious,orwhat?”anenragedRazumikhinroaredatlast.“What
sortofcomedyareyouplaying?You’veconfusedmecompletely....Damnit
all,whydidyoucomehere?”

“Idon’tneedany...translations,”mutteredRaskolnikov,startingdownthe stairs.

“Sowhatinhelldoyouneed?”Razumikhinshoutedfromabove.

Raskolnikovcontinueddownthestairs.

“Hey,you!Wheredoyoulive?”

Therewasnoreply.

“Well,then,tohellwithyou!”

ButRaskolnikovwasalreadyonthestreet.OntheNikolaevskyBridgehe
wasforcedbacktohissensesonceagainasaresultofanextremelyunpleasant
episode.Acarriagedriverstruckhisbacksoundlywithawhipbecause

episode.Acarriagedriverstruckhisbacksoundlywithawhipbecause
Raskolnikovhadnearlystumbledandfallenunderthehorsesinspiteofthefact
thatthedriverhadshoutedtohimthreeorfourtimes.Theblowfromthewhip
infuriatedhimsomuchthathejumpedasidetothebridgerailing(it’sunclear
whyhewaswalkingdownthemiddlewherevehiclesgo,notpedestrians);he
gnashedandgroundhisteethfuriously.Allaround,ofcourse,laughter resounded.

“Serveshimright!”
“He’ssomekindofrogue.”

“It’sawell-knowntrick:theypretendtobedrunkandfalldownintentionally
underthecarriagewheels.Thenyou’reresponsibleforthem.”

“That’showtheymaketheirmoney,mydearsir,that’show...”

Butjustthen,ashewasstandingneartherailing,staringfoolishlyandirately
afterthedisappearingcarriage,rubbinghisback,hesuddenlyfeltthatsomeone
wasthrustingmoneyintohishand.Heglancedaround:itwasanelderlywoman
wearingaheadscarfandgoatskinshoes,accompaniedbyayounggirlwearinga
hatandcarryingagreenparasol,probablyherdaughter.“Here,myfriend,for
theloveofChrist.”Hetookit,andtheywalkedonpast.Itwasatwenty-kopeck
piece.Judgingbyhisclothesandappearance,theycouldeasilyhavemistaken
himforabeggar,someoneoutaskingforhalf-kopeckpiecesinthestreets;for
thegiftofatwenty-kopeckpiecehewasprobablyobligatedtotheblowfromthe
whip,whichhadcausedthemtotakepityonhim.

Hesqueezedthecoininhishand,walkedonabouttenpaces,andturnedto
facetheNevainthedirectionofthepalace.Theskyhadnottheslightesttraceof
anycloudandthewaterlookedalmostblue,whichrarelyhappensattheNeva.

Thedomeofthecathedral,theoutlineofwhichcouldnotappearmore
conspicuouslyfromanyotherpointofviewthanthisspotonthebridge,some
twentypacesfromthechapel,wasgleaming;throughtheclearaironecould
discerneverylastdetailofitsdecoration.Thepainfromthewhip’slashhad
eased,andRaskolnikovforgotallabouttheblow;oneanxiousandsomewhat
hazythoughtnowpreoccupiedhimexclusively.Hestoodthereandgazedinto
thedistanceintentlyandforalongtime;thisplacewasveryfamiliartohim.

Whenhe’dbeenattendingclassesattheuniversity,ordinarily—mostoften,on
hiswayhome—perhapsasmanyasahundredtimes,he’dhappenedtopause
preciselyatthisspotandstarefixedlyatthatgenuinelymajesticpanorama;each
andeverytimehewouldmarvelathisownindistinctandinexplicable
impression.Anunaccountablechillalwayscameoverhimasaresultofthis
splendidsight;forhim,thisopulentpicturewasfilledwithadeafandmute
spirit....Hewassurprisedeachtimebythisgloomyandenigmaticimpression;
nottrustinghimself,hewoulddeferitssolutiontothefuture.Allofasudden,he
recalledabruptlyhisformerquestionsandperplexity,anditseemedthatthiswas
allhappeningnowforsomegoodreason.Itwasstrangeandmysteriousthathe
hadpausedattheverysameplaceasbefore,asifhereallyimaginedthathe
couldthinkaboutthesamethingsnowashehadthen,thatthesamesubjectsand
imagescouldinteresthimastheyhadbefore...notsolongago.Itevenstruck
himasalmostamusing,whileatthesametimehefeltsomewhatheartsick.

Somewheredownbelow,inthedepths,visiblejustbeneathhisfeet,heseemed
toseeallofhisrecentpast,hispreviousthoughts,previousproblems,previous
subjects,previousimpressions,thisentirepanorama,evenhimself,and
everythingelse,everything....Heseemedtosoarsomewhereupward,andthen
everythingdisappearedfromsight....Aftermakinganinvoluntarymovement
ofhishand,hesuddenlyfeltthetwenty-kopeckpiecegraspedtightlyinhisfist.

Heopenedhishand,staredintentlyatthecoin,wounduphisarm,andthrewit
intothewater;thenheturnedaroundandwenthome.Itseemedasifatthatvery
momenthehadcuthimselfoffwithapairofscissorsfromeveryoneand everything.

Itwasalreadyeveningwhenhearrivedhome;hehadbeenoutwalkingfor
aboutsixhours.Hedidn’trecallwherehehadbeenorhowhe’dcomeback.

Aftergettingundressed,tremblingalloverlikeahorsedriventoexhaustion,he
laydownonthesofa,pulledhiscoatoverhimself,andimmediatelylost
consciousness...

Itwasdeeptwilightwhenhecameto,uponhearingaterriblescream.Good
Lord,whatascream!Hehadneverbeforeheardsuchunnaturalsounds,such
howling,wailing,gnashing,weeping,beating,andcursing.Hecouldn’teven
imaginesuchbrutality,suchrage.Heraisedhimselfupandsatonhisbed,
renderedimmobileandtormentedateverymoment.Butthestruggle,the
wailing,andthecursingbecamelouderandlouder.Then,tohisenormous
astonishment,hesuddenlyrecognizedhislandlady’svoice.Shewailed,
squealed,andmoaned,hurrying,hastening,emittingwordsinsuchawaythatit
wasimpossibletounderstandwhatshewaspleadingfor—ofcourse,thatthey
wouldstopbeatingherbecauseshewasbeingthrashedmercilesslyonthe
staircase.Thevoiceoftheonebeatingherhadbecomesoterriblefromrageand
furythatitwasnowmerelyraspinghoarsely,butthispersonwasalsosaying
somethingorother,alsorapidly,indecipherably,hastening,andchoking.Allofa
suddenRaskolnikovbegantremblinglikealeaf.Herecognizedthatvoice:itwas
thatofIlyaPetrovich.“IlyaPetrovichishere,andhe’sbeatingthelandlady!

He’skickingher,knockingherheadagainstthestairs—it’sapparentandit’s
audiblefromthesounds,thewails,andtheblows!What’shappening?Hasthe
worldturnedupsidedown,orwhat?”Onecouldhearhowoneveryfloor,upand

downthestaircase,acrowdwasgathering;voicescouldbeheard,exclamations,
aspeoplecameout,knockedondoors,slammedthemshut,andthenclustered.

“Butwhy,whatfor,howisitpossible?”herepeated,thinkinginearnestthathe
hadgonemad.Onlyno,hewashearingitalltoodistinctly!Butifthatwerethe
case,ofcoursethey’dbecomingforhimatanymoment,“because...most
likely,allbecauseofthat...whathappenedyesterday....GoodLord!”He
wantedtolockhisdoor,buthisarmwouldn’tmove...anditwouldhavebeen
tonoavail!Anicyfearseizedhissoul,tormentedhim,andimmobilized
him....Butnow,atlast,allthisuproar,whichhadgoneonforagoodten
minutes,graduallybegantosubside.Thelandladymoanedandgroaned,Ilya
Petrovichstillthreateningherandcursing....Butnow,finally,he,too,seemed
tohavequieteddown;hisvoicecouldnolongerbeheard.“Hashereallygone?

Oh,Lord!”Yes,thelandladywasalsoleaving,stillmoaningand
weeping...nowherdoorslammedshut....Nowthecrowdwasdispersing
fromthestairway,everyonetotheirownapartments—exclaiming,arguing,
callingtooneanother,firstraisingtheirvoicestoshout,thenloweringthemto
whisper.Theremusthavebeenagreatmanyofthem;almosttheentirebuilding
hadcomerunning.“But,myGod,howisitpossible?Whydidhecomehere?

Whatfor?”

Raskolnikovcollapsedweaklyontothesofa,buthecouldnolongerclosehis
eyes;helaythereforabouthalfanhourinastateofsuffering,withan
unbearablefeelingofunendingterrorsuchashehadneverexperiencedbefore.

Suddenlybrightlightilluminatedhisroom:Nastasyacameincarryingacandle
andabowlofsoup.Afterscrutinizinghimcarefullyandseeingthathewasnot
asleep,sheplacedthecandleonthetableandbeganlayingoutthethingsshe’d
brought:bread,salt,thebowl,andaspoon.
“Youprobablyhaven’teatensinceyesterday.Youwereoutgallivantingthe
wholeday;besides,youhadafever.”

“Nastasya...whydidtheybeatthelandlady?”

Shestaredathimintently.

“Whobeatthelandlady?”

“Justnow...halfanhourago,IlyaPetrovich,thepolicesuperintendent’s
assistant,onthestaircase....Whydidhegivehersuchabeating?And...why
didhecomehere?”

Nastasyafrownedandstaredathiminsilenceforalongtime.Hefeltvery
uncomfortableasaresultofherstare,evenfrightened.

“Nastasya,whydon’tyousaysomething?”hefinallyaskedtimidlyina weakvoice.

“It’stheblood,”sherepliedatlast,softlyandasiftalkingtoherself.

“Blood!Whatblood?”hemuttered,growingpaleandmovingtowardthe

“Blood!Whatblood?”hemuttered,growingpaleandmovingtowardthe
wall.Nastasyacontinuedstaringathim.

“Noonebeatthelandlady,”shesaidinasternanddefinitivevoice.He
lookedather,hardlybreathing.

“Ihearditmyself...Iwasn’tasleep...Iwassittinghere,”hesaideven
moretimidly.“Ilistenedforalongtime....Thesuperintendent’sassistant
came....Everyonecamerunningoutontothestaircase,fromallthe apartments...”

“Noonecame.It’sthebloodcryingoutinsideyou.It’swhenithasnoway
ofgettingoutandit’stryingtoclogyourliver;youbeginseeingthings....Will
youeatsomethingornot?”

Hemadenoreply.Nastasyastoodoverhim,staringathim,anddidn’tleave.

“Letmehavesomethingtodrink...Nastasyushka.”
Shewentdownstairsandreturnedafewminuteslaterwithsomewaterina
whiteclaymug;buthewouldnotrememberwhathappenednext.He
rememberedonlythatheswallowedonemouthfulofcoldwaterandspilled
somefromthemugonhischest.Thencameunconsciousness.

*Thediscussionofwomen’srightswasactiveamongprogressivecirclesinthe1860s
.

† Jean-JacquesRousseau’s Confessions(1782–
89)wasoneofthemostfamousautobiographies.ARussian
translationappearedin1865.

‡ AleksandrRadishchev(1749–
1802)wasaleadingliberalwriterwhoopposedserfdomandtheRussian
judicialsystem.

§ThestreetsonVasilievskyIslandarenumberedandreferredtoas“lines.”

III

However,Raskolnikovwasnotcompletelyunconsciousthroughouthisillness;
hehadafeverishconditionwithperiodsofdeliriumandsemiconsciousness.He
rememberedagreatdealafterward.First,thereseemedtobemanypeople
surroundinghim,wantingtopickhimupandcarryhimsomewhere;theystood
overhim,arguingandquarreling.Thenhewassuddenlyallaloneinhisroom;
everyonehadleftandtheywereallafraidofhim;fromtimetotime,theymerely
openedhisdoorslightlytohavealookathim,threatenhim,conferabout
somethingorotheramongthemselves,orlaughandteasehim.Herecalledthat
Nastasyawasoftenathisside;hedistinguishedoneotherperson,someonevery
familiar,butwhothatwasprecisely—hewasunabletodiscern;hewassadabout
thatandevenwept.Sometimesitseemedthathe’dbeenlyingthereforabouta
month;anothertime,thatitwasstillthesamedayhehadfallenill.Butabout that—
hehadcompletelyforgottenabout that; ontheotherhand,heconstantly
recalledthathehadforgottenaboutsomethingthatheshouldnothaveforgotten about
—hesufferedandagonized,tryingtoremember;hemoaned,fellintoa
rageorintohorrible,unbearablefear.Thenhewouldtrytohoisthimselfup,
wantingtorunaway,butsomeonealwaysrestrainedhimforcibly,andhewould
sinkintoweaknessandunconsciousness.Atlastherecoveredconsciousness
completely.

Thisoccurredatteno’clockinthemorning.Atthathour,oncleardays,the
sunalwayspassedoverhisrightwallwithalongstripeoflightandlitupthe
cornernexttothedoor.Nastasyawasstandingnearhisbedalongwithoneother
person,whowascompletelyunfamiliartohimandwhowasexamininghimwith
curiosity.Hewasabeardedyoungmanwearingacaftanwhoresembleda
memberofsomeguild.Thelandladywaspeeringinfromthehalf-openeddoor.

Raskolnikovraisedhimselfup.

“Who’sthat,Nastasya?”heasked,pointingtotheyoungman.

“Lookatthat,he’scometo!”shesaid.

“He’scometo,”echoedthestranger.Realizingthathehadindeedcometo,
thelandlady,whowaspeekinginfromthedoorway,closeditatonceandhid.

Shewasalwaysshyandsufferedconversationsandexplanationswithdifficulty;
shewasaboutforty,quiteplump,withblackbrowsanddarkeyes;shewaskind
asaresultofherstoutnessandslowness;andshewasevenverypretty.Shewas
morebashfulthansheneededtobe.

“Who...areyou?”hecontinuedtoask,addressingthestranger.Butatthat
moment,thedooropenedwideoncemoreandinwalkedRazumikhin,bending
hisheadabitbecausehewassotall.

“It’slikeaship’scabin,”hecrieduponentering.“Ialwaysbangmyhead;
andjustthink,it’salsocalledanapartment!Andyou,myfriend,haveyoucome to?
IjustlearnedaboutitfromPashenka.”

“Hejustcameto,”saidNastasya.

“Justcameto,”echoedthestrangeragain,withaslightsmile.

“Andjustwhomightyoube,sir?”Razumikhinasked,suddenlyturningto
him.“Iam,ifyouplease,Vrazumikhin,notRazumikhin,astheyallcallme,*
butVrazumikhin,astudent,thesonofagentleman,andthisfellowismyfriend.

Well,sir,andwhoareyou?”

“I’managentintheofficeofthemerchantShelopaev,sir,andI’mhereon
business,sir.”

“Besogoodastohaveaseatonthischair,”saidRazumikhin,takingaseat
onthechairattheotherendofthesmalltable.“It’sagoodthingyou’vecome
to,myfriend,”hesaid,turningtoRaskolnikov.“You’vehardlyhadanythingto
eatordrinkinthelastthreedays.True,youweregivenseveralspoonfulsoftea.

IbroughtZosimovheretoseeyoutwice.Doyourememberhim?Heexamined
youcarefullyandsaidimmediatelythatitwassomenonsense—itallwentto
yourhead.Somesortofnervousnonsense,spoiledfood,hesaid,ornotenough
beerandhorseradish,andthat’swhyyoufellill,butitwasnothingserious,it
wouldpass,andyou’dsoonbebackonyourfeet.Zosimov’safinefellow!He
didasplendidjob.Well,sir,Iwon’tkeepyouanylonger,”hesaid,turningto
theagent.“Wouldyoucaretoclarifywhatyouneed?Note,Rodya,thisisthe
secondtimesomeone’scomefromthatoffice,onlythelasttimeitwasn’tthis
man,butanotherone;heandIhadalittletalk.Whowasitwhocamebefore?”

“Thatwould’vebeentwodaysago,sir,exactly,sir.ItwasAleksey
Semyonovich;healsoworksinouroffice.”

“Andishealittlesmarterthanyouare,doyouthink?”

“Yes,sir;he’sdefinitelymorerespectable,sir.”

“Commendable;well,sir,continue.”

“Well,throughAfanasyIvanovichVakhrushin,aboutwhom,Iassume,you
haveheardmorethanonce,andaccordingtoyourmother’srequest,amoney
orderhascomeforyouthroughouroffice,”theagentbegan,addressing
Raskolnikovdirectly.“Ifyou’reincompletecontrolofyourfaculties,sir,Ihave
thirty-fiverublestotransfertoyou,sir,sinceSemyonSemyonovichhasreceived
instructionsfromAfanasyIvanovich,ashehadpreviously,atyourmother’s
request.Mightyoubeknowinghim,sir?”
request.Mightyoubeknowinghim,sir?”

“Yes...Iremember...Vakhrushin,”Raskolnikovsaidpensively.

“Listen:heknowsthemerchantVakhrushin!”criedRazumikhin.“Whosays
he’snotincontrolofhisfaculties?Inowseethatyou’realsoanintelligentman.

Well,sir!It’spleasanttohearsuchcleverwords.”

“It’stheverysameVakhrushin,sir,AfanasyIvanovich,accordingtoyour
mother’srequest,whooncesentyousomemoneyinasimilarmanner;hedidn’t
refusetodoitagainthistime,sir,andseveraldaysagoSemyonSemyonovich
wasinformedthatheshouldtransferthirty-fiverublestoyou,inanticipationof
bettertimes,sir.”

“Thatphrase‘inanticipationofbettertimes’isthebestthingyou’vesaidso
far;andthewordsabout‘yourmother’weren’tbad,either.Wellthen,what’s
youropinion:isheincompletecontrolofhisfacultiesornot?”

“Itseemssotome,sir.Onlythereshouldbeasignedreceipt,sir.”

“He’llscrawlit!Doyouhaveabookforhimtowritein?”

“Yes,sir,Idohaveabook,sir.”

“Handitover.Well,Rodya,situp.I’llsupportyou;justscribble

‘Raskolnikov’forhim;takethepen,because,myfriend,money’snowsweeter
thansyrup.”

“There’snoneed,”saidRaskolnikov,pushingthepenaway.

“Noneedforwhat?”askedRazumikhin.

“Iwon’tsignit.”

“Whatthehell?Howcanhedoitwithoutasignature?”

“Idon’tneedany...money...”
“Youdon’tneedanymoney?You’relying,myfriend,Iswear!Don’tworry,
please,he’ssimplythatway...hismind’swanderingagain.Besides,this
sometimeshappensevenwhenhe’swideawake....You’reareasonableman;
we’lldirecthim—thatis,we’llsimplyguidehishandandhe’llsign.Let’sdo it...”

“Icancomesomeothertime,sir.”

“No,no;whytroubleyourselfagain?You’reareasonableman....Well,
Rodya,let’snotdetainourguest....Yousee,he’swaiting,”hesaid,earnestly
preparingtoguideRaskolnikov’shand.

“Letmealone,I’lldoitmyself,”Raskolnikovsaid;hetookthepenand
signedthebook.Theagenthandedoverthemoneyandwithdrew.

“Bravo!Andnow,myfriend,wouldyoulikesomethingtoeat?”

“Iwould,”repliedRaskolnikov.

“Isthereanysoupleft?”

“It’sleftoverfromyesterday,”repliedNastasya,whohadbeenstanding
thereallthewhile.

thereallthewhile.

“Withpotatoesandrice?”

“Withpotatoesandrice.”

“Iknowitbyheart.Bringsomesoup,andsometea,too.”

“Iwill.”

Raskolnikovregardedeverythingwithprofoundamazementandwithslow-
wittedirrationalterror.Hedecidedtokeepsilentandwait:whatwouldhappen
next?“ItseemsI’mnotdelirious,”hethought,“itseemsthatthisisreally happening...”

Twominuteslater,Nastasyareturnedwithsomesoupanddeclaredthattea
wouldbereadyshortly.Thereweretwosoupspoons,twobowls,andcomplete
settings:asaltcellar,peppershaker,mustardforthebeef,andsoon,thelikesof
whichhehadn’tseeninquitesometime.Therewasevenacleantablecloth.

“Itwouldn’tbebad,Nastasyushka,ifPraskovyaPavlovnaweretoordertwo
bottlesofbeer.We’ddrinkitwithpleasure.”

“Whataslyoneyouare!”mutteredNastasyaandwentouttofulfillthe request.

Raskolnikovcontinuedstaringwildlyandanxiously.Meanwhile,
Razumikhinsatdownnexttohimonthesofa,clumsily,likeabear,andputhis
leftarmaroundRaskolnikov’shead,inspiteofthefactthathecouldhaveraised
hisheadbyhimself;withhisrighthandRazumikhincarriedaspoonfulofsoup
tohismouth,firstblowingonitseveraltimesbeforehandtomakesurehedidn’t
burnhimself.Thoughthesoupwasbarelylukewarm,Raskolnikovgreedily
swallowedaspoonful,thenanother,andathird.Butafterfeedinghimafew
spoons,Razumikhinsuddenlystoppedandannouncedthattheywouldhaveto
consultZosimovaboutwhattodonext.

Nastasyacameincarryingtwobottlesofbeer.

“Wouldyoulikesometea?”

“Iwould,”Raskolnikovreplied.

“Bringussomequickly,Nastasya,becauseIthinkhecanhaveteawithout
consultinganymedicalauthorities.Andhere’sthebeer!”Razumikhinsatdown
onhischair,reachedforhisbowlofsoup,thebeef,andbeganeatingwithsuch
appetiteasifhehadn’teateninthelastthreedays.

“I’vebeenhavingdinnerherelikethisforthelastthreedays,myfriend
Rodya,”hemuttered,asbesthecouldwithhismouthfilledwithbeef,“andit’s
allthankstoyournicelandlady,Pashenka,whodoesmethehonoroffeeding
me.Ofcourse,Idon’tinsist,butneitherdoIobject.Here’sNastasyawiththe
tea.She’ssoquick!Nastenka,wouldyoulikesomebeer?”

“Whatanaughtyboyyouare!”

“Sometea?”
“Tea,yes.”

“Tea,yes.”

“Pourit.Wait,I’llpouritforyou;sitdownatthetable.”

Hetookchargeimmediately,pouredhertea,thenpouredanothercup,
forsookhisownlunch,andsatdownonthesofaagain.Asbefore,heputhisleft
armaroundthepatient’shead,raisedhimup,andbegantofeedhimteaspoonsof
tea,onceagainconstantlyandverydiligentlyblowingonthespoontocoolthe
tea,asiftheprimaryandmostsalutarypointofthehealingprocessconsistedin
thisactofcooling.Raskolnikovkeptsilentanddidn’tresist,eventhoughhefelt
hehadsufficientstrengthtoraisehimselfupandsitonthesofawithoutanyone’s
assistance.Hefeltthathecouldalsocontrolhisownhands,holdaspoonora
cup,andperhapsevenwalkonhisown.Butwithsomestrange,almostanimal
cunning,itsuddenlyoccurredtohimtohidehisstrengthforthetimebeing,to
concealhimself,ifnecessary,topretendthathedidn’tunderstandeverything
completely.Meanwhilehewouldlistenandtrytodeterminewhatwas
happening.Hewasunabletomasterhisrevulsion,however:afterswallowing
downadozenorsospoonsoftea,hesuddenlyfreedhishead,stubbornlypushed
thespoonaway,andthrewhimselfbackonthepillowagain.Underhishead
nowweresomegenuinepillows—downpillowswithcleanpillowcases;he
noticedthat,too,andtookitintoconsideration.

“PashenkashouldalsosendusupsomeraspberryjamtodaysoIcanmake
himaspecialdrink,”saidRazumikhin,sittingbackdowninhisplaceand
returningtohisownsoupandbeer.

“Wherewillshegetraspberryjamforyou?”askedNastasya,holdinga
saucerinheropenhandandsippinghertea“throughalumpofsugar.” †

“Raspberryjam,mydear,shecangetinashop.Yousee,Rodya,awhole
storyhasunfoldedherewithoutyou.Whenyoumadeofflikearascalfromme
anddidn’tsaywhereyoulived,IwassoangrythatIresolvedtofindyouand
punishyou.Ibeganthatsameday.Iwalkedandwalked,askedandasked!I
couldn’trecallthisapartmentbecauseI’dneverknownaboutit.Well,asfor
yourpreviousapartment,IrememberedonlythatitwasatFiveCorners,in
Kharlamov’shouse.Isearchedandsearchedforthatplace—itturnedouttobe
notinKharlamov’s,butBukh’shouse—sometimessoundsgetallconfused!I
wasangry.IwassofuriousthatthenextdayIwenttotheaddressbureautogive
itatry,andwhatdoyouknow,theylocatedyouintwominutes.Youwere
registeredthere.”

“Registered!”

“Indeed!Yettheycouldn’tfindGeneralKobelevforsomeonewhowas
lookingforhim.Well,sir,it’stoolongastory.AssoonasIturneduphere,I

immediatelylearnedaboutallyouraffairs;Iknowitall,myfriend,everything;
Nastasyawitnesseditall.IbecameacquaintedwithNikodimFomich,andthey
pointedoutIlyaPetrovichtome,andthecaretakerandMr.Zametov(Aleksandr
Grigorevich,theclerkinthelocaloffice),and,finally,evenPashenka—thatwas
thecrowningachievement;andevensheknows...”

“Hesweetenedherup,”mutteredNastasya,withacunningsmile.

“Yououghttoputsomesugarinyourteacup,NastasyaNikiforovna.”

“Youdog,you!”Nastasyacriedsuddenlyandburstoutlaughing.“Besides,
I’mPetrovna,notNikiforovna,”sheaddedsuddenly,aftershehadstopped laughing.

“We’llkeepthatinmind,younglady.Sothen,myfriend,soasnottogoon
toolong,atfirstIwantedtounleashanelectriccurrentherethroughout,inorder
torootoutalltheprejudicesinthisplaceatonce;butPashenkawasvictorious.I
neverexpected,myfriend,thatshe’dbeso...charming...eh?Whatdoyou think?”

Raskolnikovkeptsilent,althoughhedidn’tlifthisanxiousgazefromhis
friend’sfaceevenforamoment.Hecontinuedstaringathimfixedly.

“Verycharming,indeed,”continuedRazumikhin,notintheleastflustered
byhisfriend’ssilence,asifassentingtothereplyhereceived,“andevenquite
something,inallrespects.”

“Youbeast!”criedNastasyaagain,obviouslyderivingindescribabledelight
fromthisconversation.
“It’sashame,myfriend,thatyouweren’tabletodealwiththismatterfrom
theverybeginning.Youshouldhavetreatedherdifferently.Sheis,sotospeak,
amostunexpectedcharacter!Well,we’lltalkaboutherlater....But,for
example,tellmehowitcameaboutthatshedaredtowithholdyourdinner?Or,
forexample,thatpromissorynote?Wereyououtofyourmindwhenyousigned it?
Or,forexample,thatmarriageproposal,whenherdaughter,Natalya
Yegorovna,wasstillalive?Iknoweverything!However,Iseethatit’sadelicate
matterandI’manass;forgiveme.Butasfarasstupidity’sconcerned,don’tyou
agree,myfriend,thatPraskovyaPavlovna’snotasfoolishasonemightpresume
atfirstglance,eh?”

“Yes,”mumbledRaskolnikov,lookingtooneside,butunderstandingthatit
wasmoreadvantageoustocontinuethisconversation.

“Isn’tittrue?”criedRazumikhin,apparentlyoverjoyedthathe’dreceivedan
answer.“Butshe’snottooclevereither,isshe?She’sanabsolutely,utterly
unexpectedcharacter!I’mgettingabitflustered,myfriend,Iassure
you....Shemustbearoundfortyyearsold.Sheclaimsshe’sonlythirty-sixand
hasarighttosayso.However,IswearthatI’mjudginghermoreintellectually,

accordingtocertainmetaphysics;yousee,myfriend,we’veestablisheda
symbolicrelationship,somethinglikeyouralgebra!Idon’tunderstandathing!

Well,it’sallnonsense,butwhensherealizedthatyouwerenolongerastudent,
thatyou’dlostallyourpupilsandshedyourdecentappareland,withthedeath
ofherdaughter,thattherewasnolongeranyreasontokeepsupportingyouasa
memberofthefamily,well,shesuddenlygotscared.Then,sinceyoutook
refugeinyourlittleroomanddidn’tkeeponasbefore,shedecidedtothrowyou
outoftheapartment.She’sbeenharboringthisintentionforsometimebut
didn’twanttoforfeitthatpromissorynote.Andbesides,youyourselfalso
assuredherthatyourmotherwouldpayup...”

“Isaidthatasameantrick....Mymother’salmostreducedtobegging
alms....IliedsoIcouldkeepmyroomand...myboard,”Raskolnikovstated
loudlyanddistinctly.

“Yes,youdidthesensiblething.ButthepointisthatacertainMr.Chebarov
turnedup,acourtcouncillorandaverybusinesslikeman.Pashenkacouldn’t
conceiveofanyofthisonherown;she’sveryshy.Butthisbusinesslikeman
wasnotreservedintheleast.Thefirstthinghedidwastoposeaquestion:was
thereanyhopeofpaymentonthatpromissorynote?Theanswerwasyes,
becauseyouhavethesortofmotherwho,withherpensionofonehundredand twenty-
fiverubles,evenifsheherselfdidn’thaveanythingtoeat,wouldstill
sendittoherRodenka.Youalsohavethesortofsisterwhowouldsellherself
intoslaveryforherbrother.Hewascountingonthis....Whyareyougetting restless?
Now,myfriend,I’vefoundoutallthereistoknowaboutyou;itwas
notfornothingthatyouconfidedtoPashenkawhenyouwerestillongoodterms
withher,andnowI’mspeakingoutoflove....Here’sthething:anhonest,
sensitivemanconfidesinafriend,whileabusinesslikemanlistensbutkeepson
eating,andthendevourstheotherperson.Soshehandsthepromissorynoteover
tothisChebarovinpaymentforsomething,andhelodgesaformalclaim,and
won’tbeputoff.WhenIfoundout,Iwantedtounleashacurrentthroughhim,
too,toclearmyconscience,butatthetimeIhadharmoniousrelationswith
Pashenkaandsettledthewholematter,atitsverysource,byguaranteeingthat
you’dpay.Ivouchedforyou,friend,doyouhear?WesummonedChebarov,
shovedtenrublesinhismouth,gotthenoteback,andnowIhavethehonorof
presentingittoyou—they’lltakeyourwordforitnow—here,takeit;I’veeven
tornitabitlikeit’ssupposedtobe.”

Razumikhinplacedtheacknowledgmentofdebtonthetable.When
Raskolnikovlookedatitwithoutsayingawordandthenturnedtowardthewall,
evenRazumikhinwasalittleannoyed.

“Isee,myfriend,”hesaidaminutelater,“thatI’vemadeafoolofmyself
onceagain.IthoughtIcoulddistractyouandentertainyouwithmychatter,but

onceagain.IthoughtIcoulddistractyouandentertainyouwithmychatter,but
itseemsthatImerelyarousedyouranger.”

“WasityouIdidn’trecognizewhenIwasdelirious?”askedRaskolnikov,
afterkeepingsilentforaminuteandnotturninghisheadaround.

“Yes,me,andyouevenbecamefranticbecauseIbroughtZametovherewith
meonce.”
“Zametov?Theclerk?Why?”Raskolnikovturnedaroundquicklyandstared
directlyatRazumikhin.

“What’sthematter?Whatareyousoupsetabout?Hewantedtomakeyour
acquaintance;heandIhadtalkedalotaboutyou....Otherwise,fromwhom
couldIhavefoundoutsomuchaboutyou?He’safineman,myfriend,most
wonderful...inhisownway,ofcourse.We’refriendsnow;weseeeachother
almosteveryday.I’vemovedintothispartoftown.Didyouknowthat?Ijust
moved.I’vebeentoLaviza’splacewithhimafewtimes.Yourememberher,
LavizaIvanovna?”

“DidIsayanythingwhenIwasdelirious?”

“I’llsayyoudid!Youweren’tyourself,sir.”

“WhatdidIsay?”

“GoodLord,whataquestion!Whatdidyousay?It’swellknownwhata
fellowravesaboutinhisdelirium....Well,myfriend,now,soasnottolose
time,let’sgetdowntobusiness.”

Hestoodupfromthechairandgrabbedhiscap.

“WhatdidIsay?”

“You’reharpingonthesamething!Areyouafraidyourevealedsome secret?
Don’tworry:nothingwasdivulgedaboutthecountess. ‡ Butmuchwas
saidaboutabulldog,earrings,somechains,KrestovskyIsland,acourtyard,
NikodimFomich,andIlyaPetrovich,theassistanttothesuperintendent.Besides
that,youwereinterestedinyoursock,verymuchso!Youkeptwhining:giveit
tome,yousaid,that’sallIwant.Zametovlookedinallthecornersofyourroom
tofindyoursocksandgavethemtoyouwithhisownhandsscentedwith
cologneanddeckedoutinrings.Onlythendidyoucalmdown;youclutched
thatjunkinyourhandsdayandnight;itwasimpossibletogetthemawayfrom
you.Theymuststillbelyingsomewhereunderyourblanket.Andyouaskedfor
thefringesfromyourtrousers,insuchatearfulvoice!Wetriedtodetermine
whatsortoffringesyouwanted.Butitwasimpossibletofigurethat
out....Well,sir,let’sgetdowntobusiness!Hereareyourthirty-fiverubles;I’ll
taketenofthemandpresentyouwithanaccountinabouttwohours.Atthe
sametime,I’llletZosimovknow,althoughheshouldhavebeenhereawhile

ago,sinceit’salreadypasteleven.Andyou,Nastenka,lookinonhimmore
ofteninmyabsence,toseeifhewantssomethingmoretodrinkoranything
else...I’llspeakwithPashenkamyselfandtellherwhat’sneeded.Good-bye!”

“HecallsherPashenka!Oh,youslydog,you!”Nastasyasaidashewas
leaving;thensheopenedthedoorandbeganlistening,butcouldn’trefrainfrom
runningdownstairs.Sheverymuchwantedtofindoutwhathewastalkingabout
withthelandladybecauseshewascompletelyenamoredwithRazumikhin.

Assoonasthedoorclosedafterher,thesickmantossedoffhisblanketand
jumpedoutofbedlikeamadman.He’dbeenwaitingwithardent,feverish
impatienceforthemtoleavesohecouldgettoworkinprivate.Butwhatshould
hedo,whatsortofwork?Itwasasifnow,intentionally,hehadforgotten.

“GoodLord!Tellmeonlyonething:dotheyknowabouteverythingornot?

Whatiftheyknowalreadyandthey’remerelypretending,teasingmewhileI’m
lyinghere,andthenallofasuddenthey’llcomeinandsaythatit’sallbeen
knownforsometimeandthattheyweresimplywaiting....WhatshouldIdo now?
Iforgot,asifonpurpose;Irememberedamomentago,butthenI suddenlyforgot!”

Hestoodinthemiddleofhisroomandlookedaroundintormented
bewilderment.Hewenttothedoor,openedit,andlistened;butthatwasn’tit.

Suddenly,asifrecalling,herushedtothecornerwheretherewasaholeinthe
wallpaperandbegantoexamineit;hethrusthishandintothehole,feltaround,
butthatwasn’tit,either.Hewenttothestove,openedit,andbegansearchingin
thecinders:piecesofthetrouserfringesandfragmentsofhistornpocketswere
lyinginside,justastheyhadbeenwhenhe’dthrowntheminthere:thismeant
thatnoonehadlookedinside!Thenherememberedhissock,whichRazumikhin
hadjustmentioned.True,itwasstilllyingonthesofaunderhisblanket,butit
wassowornanddirtythatofcourseZametovcouldn’thavenoticedanythingin
particularaboutit.

“Bah,Zametov!Theoffice!Whydidtheysummonmetotheoffice?
Where’sthesummons?Bah!I’mallmixedup;thatwasthen!ThatwaswhenI
wasexaminingmysock,butnow...nowI’vebeenill.WhydidZametovdrop
intoseeme?WhydidRazumikhinbringhimhere?”hemutteredweakly,sitting
downonhisbedoncemore.“What’sallthis?Isthismydeliriumcontinuingor
isthisreal?Itseemstobereallyhappening....Ah,nowIremember:torun
away!Torunawayquickly,immediately,torunawayimmediately!Yes...but where?
Wherearemyclothes?Ihavenoboots.They’vecarriedthemoff!

Hiddenthem!Iunderstand!Ah,there’smycoat—theyoverlookedit!Here’sthe
moneyonthetable,thankheavens!Here’sthepromissorynote....I’lltakethe
moneyandgoaway;I’llrentanotherapartment,andthey’llneverfindme!Yes,

butwhatabouttheaddressbureau?They’llfindme!Razumikhinwillfindme.

It’sbettertorunawaycompletely...faraway...toAmerica,andthehellwith
them!Andtakethepromissorynote...it’llbeusefulthere.WhatelseshouldI take?
TheythinkI’msick!Theydon’tevenknowIcanwalk,ha,ha,ha!I
guessedfromtheireyesthattheyknoweverything!AllIhavetodoisgodown
thestairs!Whatiftheyhaveapolicemanstandingguard?What’sthis?Tea?And
there’ssomebeerleft,halfabottle,andit’scold.”

Hegrabbedthebottleinwhichtherewasstillaboutaglassleftand
swalloweditinonelargegulpwithpleasure,asifhewereputtingoutafirein
hisbreast.Butaminutehadn’tpassedbeforethebeerhadgonetohisheadanda
slight,evenpleasantchillranupanddownhisspine.Helaydownandpulledthe
blanketoverhimself.Histhoughts,alreadypainfulandincoherent,begantoget
moreandmoreconfused,andsoonalight,pleasantsleepcameoverhim.With
delighthisheadlocatedaplaceonthepillowandhewrappedhimselfuptightly
inthesoftcottonblanket,whichwasnowcoveringhiminsteadofhistorn
overcoat;hesighedsoftlyandfellintoadeep,sound,healingsleep.

Hewokeupwhenheheardthatsomeonehadcomein.Heopenedhiseyes
andhesawRazumikhin,whohadopenedthedoorwideandwasstandingonthe
thresholdtryingtodecidewhethertoenterornot.Raskolnikovsatupquicklyon
thesofaandlookedathim,asiftryingdesperatelytoremembersomething.

“Ah,you’renotasleep;well,hereIam!Nastasya,bringthebundleuphere!”
Razumikhinyelleddownthestairs.“You’llhavetheaccountrightaway...”

“Whattimeisit?”askedRaskolnikov,glancingaroundanxiously.

“Youhadagoodsleep,myfriend:it’seveningnow,almostsixo’clock.You
sleptforoversixhours...”

“GoodLord!HowcouldI?”

“What’stheproblem?It’sgoodforyou!What’sthehurry?Doyouhavea rendezvous?
Wehaveallthetimeintheworld.I’vebeenwaitingforyoufor
aboutthreehours;Ilookedintwice,butyouwereasleep.Iwenttocallon
Zosimovtwice,buthewasn’tinandthat’sthat!Nevermind:he’llcome!Ialso
attendedtomyownaffairs.I’vemovedtoday,completely,withmyuncle.Ihave
anunclelivingwithmenow....Well,thehellwithallthat,let’sgetdownto
business!Givemethatbundle,Nastenka.Wejustnow....Hey,friend,howdo
youfeel?”

“Fine.I’mnotsick....Razumikhin,haveyoubeenherelong?”

“IsaidI’vebeenwaitingthreehours.”

“No,beforethat.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Whendidyoustartcominghere?”

“Itoldyouallthisbefore,don’tyouremember?”

“Itoldyouallthisbefore,don’tyouremember?”

Raskolnikovbecamethoughtful.Whathadhappenedbeforeseemedlikea
dreamtohim.Hecouldn’trememberitonhisown,andhelookedquestioningly
atRazumikhin.

“Hmm,”Razumikhinsaid.“Youforgot!Justalittlewhileagoitoccurredto
methatyoustillweren’tquiteright....Nowyou’refeelingbetterwiththe
sleep....Really,youlookmuchbetter.Splendid!Well,let’sgetdownto
business!You’llrecallitsoon.Lookhere,mydearfriend.”

Hebegantountiethebundle,whichapparentlyinterestedhimgreatly.

“This,myfriend,believeme,issomethingthatliesveryclosetomyheart.

Wemustmakeamanoutofyou.Let’sbegin:we’llstartatthetop.Doyousee
thiscap?”hebegan,takingfromthebundlearathernicebutatthesametime
veryordinaryandinexpensiveservicecap.“Willyoutryiton?”

“Later,afterward,”saidRaskolnikov,wavingitawaypeevishly.

“No,Rodya,mydear,don’tresist,becauseit’llbetoolate;Iwon’tsleepall
night,becauseIboughtitmerelyguessingyoursize.Perfect!”heexclaimed
triumphantly,afterseeingitonRaskolnikov’shead.“Anexcellentfit!

Headwear,myfriend,isthefirstiteminone’sapparel,akindofintroduction.

MyacquaintanceTolstyakov,wheneverheenterssomepublicplacewhere
othersarestandingaroundwearingtheirhatsandcaps,feelscompelledtodoff
hishat.Everyonethinksthathe’sdoingitoutofservility,butit’ssimplybecause
he’sashamedofthebird’snesthehasonhishead:he’seasilyashamed!Well,
Nastenka,herearetwodifferenthats:thisPalmerston”§—heretrievedfromthe
cornerRaskolnikov’smangledroundtophat,which,forsomereason,hecalleda
Palmerston—“andthissplendiditem.Takeaguess,Rodya;howmuchdoyou
thinkIpaidforit?Whataboutyou,Nastasyushka?”heasked,turningtoher,
seeingthatRaskolnikovremainedsilent.

“Ithinkyoupaidtwentykopecksforit,”Nastasyareplied.

“Twentykopecks!Yousillygirl!”hecried,offended.“Icouldn’tevenbuy
youfortwentykopecksthesedays—eightykopecks!Andthat’sonlybecause
it’sbeenwornbefore.True,itcomeswithaguarantee:ifyouwearthisoneout,
theygiveyouanewonenextyearatnocost,sohelpmeGod!Well,sir,now
let’sgototheUnitedSlacksofAmerica,asweusedtosayinschool.Iwarnyou

—I’mproudofthesetrousers!”HelaidoutinfrontofRaskolnikovapairof
grayslacksmadeofalightsummerwool:“Withnoholes,nostains,perfectly
passable,thoughabitworn,withamatchingvestofthesamecolor,asfashion
dictates.Andthatit’sbeenwornmakesitevenbetter:it’ssofter,nicer....You
see,Rodya,tomakeacareerforoneselfinsociety,onemustalwayspay

attentiontotheseason;ifyoudon’torderasparagusinJanuary,thenyoucan
holdontoafewrublesinyourwallet;it’sthesamewithregardtothese
purchases.It’snowthesummerseason,andIboughtsomesummerclothes
becauseautumnwillrequirewarmerclothes,soyou’llhavetodiscard
these...allthemoresosincethesethingswillhavefallentopiecesbythen,if
notfromtheirincreasedsplendor,thenfrominternaldefects.Well,sowhatdo
youthink?HowmuchdidIpay?Tworublesandtwenty-fivekopecks!And
remember,it’swiththesameguarantee:ifyouweartheseout,nextyearyouget
othersfornocharge!That’sthewayitworksinFedyaev’sshop:youpayone
timeonly,andthat’ssufficientfortherestofyourlife,otherwiseyou’dnever
returnthereagain.Well,sir,nowlet’sgettotheboots—whatdoyouthink?You
canseethatthey’vebeenworn,butthey’lldoyouforthenexttwomonthsorso,
becausethematerialandtheworkmanshipareforeign.Thesecretaryofthe
Englishembassysoldthematthefleamarketlastweek;heworethemonlysix
days,buthereallyneededsomecash.Thepricewasonerubleandfiftykopecks.

Good,eh?”

“Maybetheywon’tfit!”remarkedNastasya.

“Won’tfit?Andwhat’sthis?”HetookfromhispocketRaskolnikov’sold,
stiffboot,coveredwithdriedmudandriddledwithholes.“Itookthis
monstrosityalonginreserve,andtheywereabletodeterminethecorrectsize.

Allofthisbusinesswentsmoothly.Butasfarashislinen’sconcerned,Ispoke
withthelandlady.Inthefirstplace,herearethreeshirts,coarsecotton,butwith
fashionablefronts....Andso,inall:eightykopecksforthecap,tworublesand twenty-
fivekopecksfortherestoftheclothes,foratotalofthreerublesandfive
kopecks;onerubleandfiftykopecksfortheboots—becausethey’reveryfine boots
—foratotaloffourrublesandfifty-fivekopecks,plusfiverublesforall thelinen—
Ipaidthewholesaleprice—foragrandtotalofninerublesandfifty-
fivekopecks.Ihaveforty-fivekopeckschange:here,pleasetakethesefive-
kopeckcoins.Thus,Rodya,allyourclotheshavebeenrenewed,because,inmy
opinion,yourovercoatisnotonlystillserviceable,butevenhasakindof
eleganceaboutit:that’swhathappenswhenyouorderyourclothesfrom
Charmeur’stailorshop!Andasforsocksandtheremainingitems,Ileavethatto
you;westillhavetwenty-fiverubles,anddon’tyouworryaboutpaying
Pashenkatherentfortheapartment;Itoldheryourcreditwaslimitless.And
now,myfriend,pleaseletmechangeyourlinen,becausesomeillnessmaystill
belingeringinthatshirtofyours.”

“Leavemealone!Idon’twantto!”Raskolnikovsaid,brushinghimaside,
afterlisteningwithdisgusttothestrainedplayfulnessofhisaccountofthe
purchaseoftheclothes...

“Hey,friend,thisisimpossible;whyhaveIbeenwearingmybootsout?”

“Hey,friend,thisisimpossible;whyhaveIbeenwearingmybootsout?”

Razumikhininsisted.“Nastasyushka,don’tbeembarrassed,helpme;that’s
right!”And,inspiteofRaskolnikov’sresistance,hemanagedtochangehis
linen.Raskolnikovfellbackonhispillowandforabouttwominutessaidnot
oneword.

“Whywon’ttheygoawayandleavemealone?”hethought.“Whatmoney
didyouusetobuyallthis?”heaskedatlast,staringatthewall.

“Money?Howdoyoulikethat?Yourownmoney.Theagentwasherea
whileago,fromVakhrushin’soffice.Yourmamasentittoyou;ordidyou
forgetthat,too?”

“NowIremember,”saidRaskolnikov,aftersomeminutesofsullen
reflection.Razumikhinfrownedandregardedhimuneasily.

Thedooropenedandinwalkedatall,solidlybuiltmanwholooked
somewhatfamiliartoRaskolnikov.

“Zosimov!Atlast!”criedRazumikhinjoyfully.

*SeeNamesofPrincipalCharacters.
† Russiansoftensweetentheirteabyplacingalumpofsugarbetweentheirteethanddri
nkingtea

“through”it.

‡ ProbablyareferencetoAleksandrPushkin’s(1799–
1837)mostfamousshortstory,“TheQueenof Spades”(1834).

§Palmerston(1784–1865)wasaBritishstatesmanandLiberalprimeminister.

IV

Zosimov,atall,plumpman,withapuffy,pale,colorless,smooth-shavenface
andstraightblondhair,woreglassesandhadalargegoldringononeofhisfat,
swollenfingers.Hewasabouttwenty-sevenyearsold.Hewasdressedinalarge,
light,fashionablecoatandlight-coloredsummertrousers.Ingeneral,everything
heworewaslarge,dandyish,andimpeccable;hislinenwasspotlessandhis
watchchainwasmassive.Hismannerwasslow,asifbothsluggishand,atthe
sametime,intentionallyeasygoing;hispretentiousness,thoughcarefully
concealed,wasapparentateverymoment.Everyonewhoknewhimfoundthis
mandifficulttodealwithbutacknowledgedthatheknewhisbusiness.

“Icamebytoseeyoutwice,myfriend....Yousee,he’scometo!”

Razumikhinsaid.

“Isee,Isee;well,andjusthowarewefeelingnow,eh?”Zosimovasked,
addressingRaskolnikov,staringathimdirectlyandseatinghimselfnexttohim
atthefootofthesofa,wherehemadehimselfascomfortableaspossible.

“He’sstillfeelingdown,”Razumikhincontinued.“Wejustchangedhis
linen,andhealmoststartedcrying.”

“Thatmakessense;hislinencould’vebeenchangedlater,ifhedidn’twant
it....Hispulseisstrong.Youstillhavealittleheadache,don’tyou?”

“I’mfine,completelyfine!”Raskolnikovrepliedinsistentlyandirritably,
suddenlyraisinghimselfonthesofa,hiseyesflashing;thenhefellbackontothe
pillowagainandturnedhisfacetothewall.Zosimovobservedhimcarefully.
“Verywell...everything’sinorder,”hesaidsluggishly.“Hashehad anythingtoeat?”

Theytoldhimandthenaskedwhatheshouldbefed.

“Anything....Soup,tea....Nomushroomsorcucumbers,ofcourse,and
heshouldn’thaveanybeef,and...butwhysitherechattinglikethis?”He
exchangedglanceswithRazumikhin.“Nomoremedicineoranything;I’lllook
inagaintomorrow....Perhapsevenlatertoday...well,yes...”

“I’lltakehimoutforawalktomorrowevening!”decidedRazumikhin.“To
theYusupovGarden,andthenwe’lldropbythePalaisdeCristal. ”*

“Iwouldn’tmovehimatalltomorrow,butperhapsyoucan,a

little....We’llseethen.”

“Whatapity,I’mhavingahousewarmingtoday,veryclosetohere;Iwish
hecouldcome.Hecouldliethereonthesofaamongus!Willyoubethere?”

RazumikhinsuddenlyturnedtoaskZosimov.“Don’tforget,youpromised.”

RazumikhinsuddenlyturnedtoaskZosimov.“Don’tforget,youpromised.”

“Perhapslater,ifIcan.Whathaveyouarranged?”

“Nothingmuch:tea,vodka,andherring.We’llserveasavorypie—justa
fewfriends.”

“Who,exactly?”

“They’reallfromaroundhere.True,they’reallnewacquaintances—except
formyolduncle,andhe’sanewacquaintance,too;hejustarrivedinPetersburg
yesterday,onsomesortofbusiness.Weseeeachotheronceeveryfiveyears.”

“Whoishe?”

“He’sbeenvegetatinghiswholelifeasadistrictpostmaster....Hereceives
asmallpension;he’ssixty-fiveandhardlyworthtalkingabout....ButIdolove
him.PorfiryPetrovichwillalsobethere;he’sthelocalexamining
magistrate...atrainedlawyer.Youknowhim...”

“Ishealsoarelativeofyours?”Zosimovinquired.

“Averydistantone;whyareyoumakingsuchaface?Justbecauseyoutwo
hadwordsonce,doesthatmeanyouwon’tcome?”

“Idon’tgiveadamnabouthim...”

“That’sevenbetter.There’llbesomestudents,ateacher,acivilservant,a
musician,anofficer,Zametov...”Razumikhincontinued.

“Tellme,please,whatdoyouhaveincommonordoeshehave”—Zosimov
noddedatRaskolnikov—“withthisZametov?”

“Oh,thesesqueamishpeople!Principles!You’restuckonyourprinciplesas
ifonloadedsprings;youdon’tdareturnaroundonyourown;inmyopinion,
he’sagoodman—that’stheprinciple,andIdon’twanttohearanythingelse.

Zametov’sasplendidman.”

“Hegreaseshispalms.”

“Well,whatifhedoes?Idon’tgiveadamn.Whatofit,anyway?”

Razumikhincriedsuddenly,somehowunusuallyannoyed.“DidIpraisehimfor
greasinghispalms?Imerelysaidthatinhisownwayhewasagoodman!AndI
askyoudirectly,lookaroundateveryone—aretherereallythatmanygoodmen left?
I’msurethatnoonewouldgiveevenabakedonionforme,evenifyou
threwinallmyentrails,andthat’sonlyifyouwereincludedinthebargain, too!”

“That’stoolittle;I’dgivetwoonionsforyou...”

“Well,I’dgiveonlyoneforyou!Goon,bewitty!Zametov’sstillayoung
lad.I’llstillpullhimbythehair,becauseheshouldbedrawninandnotpushed
away.Onceyoupushamanaway,youcan’tmakehimanybetter,allthemore
sowithayoungman.Onehastobetwiceascarefulwithsuchalad.Hey,you
progressiveblockheads,youdon’tunderstandathing!Ifyoudon’trespect
others,youharmyourself....Ifyouwanttoknow,itwasperhapsashared
interestthatbroughtustogether.”

“Iwouldliketoknow.”

“Itallhastodowiththatpainter,thatis,thehousepainter....We’lldrag
himout!However,there’snodifficultynow.Thematter’scompletelyclear!We
havetoturnupthesteam.”

“Whatpainterareyoutalkingabout?”

“What,didn’tItellyou?No?Waitabit,Itoldyouonlythe

beginning...aboutthemurderoftheoldwoman,thepawnbroker,thecivil
servant’swidow....Well,nowthere’sapainterinvolvedinit...”

“Iheardaboutthatmurderbeforeyoutoldme,andI’mveryinterestedin
it...inpart...foronereason...andIreadaboutitinthepapers!But now...”

“TheyalsokilledLizaveta!”Nastasyablurtedoutsuddenly,turningto
Raskolnikov.Shehadremainedintheroom,standingnearthedoor,listening.

“Lizaveta?”mumbledRaskolnikov,inabarelyaudiblevoice.

“Lizaveta,thetrader,ordon’tyouknow?Sheusedtocomeheredownstairs.

Onceshemendedashirtforyou.”

Raskolnikovturnedtowardthewallandthesoiledyellowwallpaperwith
littlewhiteflowers;hechoseoneungainlywhiteflowerwithsomelittlebrown
linesandbeganstaringatit:howmanyleavesdidithave,howmanyserrations
oneachleaf,howmanybrownlines?Hefeltthathisarmsandlegshadgrown
numb,asiftheywereparalyzed,buthedidn’ttrytomove.Hejuststared
intentlyattheflower.

“Sowhataboutthepainter?”ZosimovinterruptedNastasya’schatterwitha
certaindispleasure.Shesighedandfellsilent.

“Theyconsiderhimasuspectinthemurder!”Razumikhincontinued heatedly.
“Whatsortofevidencedotheyhave?”

“Thehellwithevidence!That’sjustit:theevidencetheyhaveisn’treally
evidence;that’swhatwehavetoprove!It’sexactlywhathappenedatfirstwhen
theyroundedupandaccusedthosetwo,whataretheirnames...Kokhand
Pestryakov.Phew!It’sallsostupid,evenloathsometoapersonwhohasnothing
todowithit!ThatPestryakovmaycometoseemetoday....Bytheway,
Rodya,youalreadyknowaboutthis;thishappenedbeforeyoufellill,precisely
thedayyoufaintedintheofficewheretheyweretalkingaboutit...”

ZosimovregardedRaskolnikovwithcuriosity,buthedidn’tstir.

“Youknowwhat,Razumikhin?I’vebeenwatchingyou:whatabusybody
youare,”remarkedZosimov.

“Thatmaybe,butallthesamewe’llgethimoutofit!”criedRazumikhin,
banginghisfistonthetable.“What’stheworstpartofit?It’snotthatthey’re
lying.Onecanalwaysforgivethatkindoflie,becauseitalwaysleadstothe
truth.No,what’ssoannoyingisthatthey’relyingandbelievetheirownlies.I
respectPorfiry,but....Whatwasit,forexample,thatledthemastrayfromthe
verystart?Thedoorwaslocked,butwhentheyarrivedwiththecaretaker,the
doorwasunlocked.Well,thatmeansKokhandPestryakovmurderedthem!

That’stheirlogic!”

“Don’tgetsoupset.They’vesimplydetainedthem,butoneshouldn’t
assume....Bytheway,I’vemetthisfellowKokh.Itturnsouthe’dbeenbuying
upunredeemedpledgesfromtheoldwoman.Eh?”

“Whatascoundrelheis!Healsobuysuppromissorynotes.He’sa
businessman.Tohellwithhim!Doyouunderstandwhatitisthatangersme most?
It’stheirobsolete,vulgar,callousroutine....Yethere,inthiscase,one
couldadoptawholenewapproach.Usingonlypsychologicalfacts,onecould
showhowtofollowtherightpath.‘But,’theysay,‘wehavethefacts.’Butfacts
aren’teverything.Atleasthalfthecaseishowwellonetreatsthefacts!”

“Anddoyouknowhowtotreatfacts?”Zosimovasked.
“It’simpossibletokeepsilentwhenyoufeel—youfeelbyinstinct—thatyou
couldhelpinthiscase,ifonly....Hey!Doyouknowthedetails?”

“I’mwaitingtohearaboutthepainter.”

“Well,ofcourse!Thenlistentothestory:exactlythreedaysafterthe
murder,inthemorning,theywerestillfussingoverKokhandPestryakov,even
thoughthosetwowereabletoaccountfortheireverystep.Theevidencewas
unmistakable!Allofasudden,themostunexpectedfactwasannounced.A
certainpeasantnamedDushkin,thekeeperofatavernoppositethatsame
building,appearsintheofficeandbringsinajewelrycasewithgoldearrings
andtellsawholelongtale:‘Afellowcomesrunnin’intwodaysago,’hesays,

‘towardevenin’,justaftereighto’clock.’Youhear?Thedayandthehour!‘A
painterwho’dcometoseemebeforedurin’theday;hisnameisMikolai,andhe
bringsinthishereboxofgoldearrin’swithlittlegemstones,andasksfortwo
rublesinexchange.WhenIaskhimwherehegot’em,hesayshe’dfound’emin
thestreet.Ididn’taskhimanymoreaboutit’—that’sDushkinspeaking—‘andI
gavehimanote,thatis,aruble,becauseIthoughtifhedidn’tgetitfromme,
he’dgetitfromsomeoneelse,it’sallthesame—he’lldrinkitup,soit’sbetter
forittobeinmyhands:“safefind,fastfind,”astheysay,andifsomethin’

comesoutaboutit,thenIcouldalwaysturnitin.’Well,ofcourse,he’sspinning
anoldwives’tale,lyinglikeadog,becauseIknowthisDushkin.He’sa
pawnbrokerhimselfandishidingstolenproperty.Hedidn’tfilchthisthirty-

rubleitemfromMikolaijustto‘turnitin.’Hesimplylosthisnerve.Well,tohell
withit,youhear.Dushkincontinues:‘IknowthisherepeasantMikolai
Dementevfromhischildhood;he’sfromourdistrictandprovince,Zaraysk,and
I’mfromRyazan.AndthoughMikolaiisn’tadrunkard,hedoesdrink,andI
knewhewasworkin’inthisherehouse,paintin’,togetherwithMitrei,and
they’rebothfromthesameplace.Afterhegetstheruble,hechangesitforsome
coinsrightaway,downstwoglassesofvodka,takeshischange,leaves,butI
didn’tseeMitreiwithhimatthattime.ThenextdaywehearthatAlyona
IvanovnaandhersisterLizavetaIvanovnahadbeenkilledwithanaxe.Weknew
them,sir,andIbeginworryin’aboutthemearrin’sbecauseweknewthatthe
deadwomanlentmoneyforpledges.Iwenttoseetheminthathouseandbegan
askin’questions,carefullyandquietly.TheveryfirstoneIaskedwas‘Is
Mikolaihere?’MitreitoldmethatMikolai’dgoneoffonaspree,hadcome
homedrunkatdawn,stayedforabouttenminutes,andthenleftagain.Mitrei
hadn’tseenhimsinceandwasfinishin’uptheworkalone.Theywereworkin’

onthesecondfloorofthesamestaircaseasthedeceased.Afterhearin’allthis,I
didn’tsaynothingtonobodyatthetime’—that’sDushkinspeaking—‘butI
foundouteverythin’Icouldaboutthemurderandwentbackhomewiththe
sameworries.Thismornin’,ateighto’clock’—thatis,onthethirdday,you
understand—‘IseethatMikolai’scomin’toseeme,notsober,butnotreally
deaddrunk,sohecouldstillunderstandconversation.Hesitsdownonthebench
andkeepssilent.Besideshiminthetavernatthattimetherewasonlyone
stranger,anothermanwasasleeponthebenchwhomIknew,andmytwoboys.

“Didyou,”Iask,“seeMitrei?”“No,”hesays,“Ididn’t.”“Andhewasn’there?”

“No,”hesays,“notinthelasttwodays.”“Wheredidhesleeplastnight?”“In
theSands, ” † hesays,“nearKolomna.”“Andwhere,”Isay,“didyougetthose
earrings?”“Ifound’eminthestreet,”andhesaysthiswithsomeuncertainty,
withoutlookingatme.“Haveyouheard,”Iask,“thatsuchandsuchhappenedat
thatsametimeonthatveryeveningonthatstaircase?”“No,”hesays,“Ididn’t.”

Helistenstome,hiseyeswideopen,andsuddenlygrowspaleasaghost.AsI’m
tellinghimallthis,Iseehimreachforhiscapandgetreadytobolt.Iwantedto
keephimthere;“Wait,Mikolai,”Isay,“won’tyoudrinkup?”Iwinkedtomy
ladsohe’dkeepthedoorclosed,andIcameoutfrombehindthecounter;buthe
gotawayfromme,ranoutontothestreet,downthelane—andthat’sthelastI
sawofhim.Thatsettledallmydoubts;he’stheculprit,nodoubtaboutit...’”

“I’llsay!”criedZosimov.

“Wait!Heartheendofit!Ofcourse,theysetoffasfastaspossibletofind
Mikolai.TheydetainedDushkinandsearchedhisplace,Mitrei’s,too;they

scouredthemeninKolomnaaswell—suddenly,twodaysago,theybringin
Mikolaihimself:he’dbeendetainednearthegateofaninn.He’darrivedthere,
removedhiscross,asilverone,andaskedforaglassofvodkainexchange.

Theygaveittohim.Afterwaitingafewminutes,theoldwomanwentintothe
cowshedandpeekedthroughthecrack.Inthebarnnextdoorhe’dfastenedhis
sashtoabeam,madeanoose,thenhestoodonastumpandwastryingtoputthe
noosearoundhisneck.Theoldwomanshriekedatthetopofherlungsandthey
camerunning:‘So,that’swhatyouare!’‘Takeme,’hesays,‘tosuchandsucha
policestation;I’lladmittoeverything.’Well,theytookhimtothepolicestation,
theonehere,thatis,withalltheappropriatehonors.Thenitwasthis,that,who,
how,howold—‘twenty-two’—soonandsoforth.Question:‘Whenyouwere
workingwithMitrei,didyouseeanyoneonthestaircase,atsuchandsuchan
hour?’Answer:‘Ofcourse,somepeoplemayhavegoneby,butwedidn’tnotice
who.’‘Didyouhearanything,somenoiseoranythingelse?’‘Wedidn’thear
nothin’unusual.’‘Didyouknow,Mikolai,acertainwidowandhersisteronthat
dayandatthattimeweremurderedandrobbed?’‘Idon’tknownothin’and
don’thavenoidea.ThefirstIheardwasfromAfanasyPavlych,thethirdday,in
thetavern.’‘Wheredidyougettheearrings?’‘Ifound’eminthestreet.’‘Why
didn’tyoucometoworkwithMitreithenextday?’‘Iwasonaspree.’‘Where
wasthat?’‘Hereandthere.’‘WhydidyourunawayfromDushkin?’‘’CauseI
wasveryafraid.’‘Afraidofwhat?’‘They’dthinkIdoneit.’‘Howcouldyoube
afraidwhenyouyourselffeltyouwerenotguilty?’Well,Zosimov,believeitor
not,thatquestionwasposed,inthoseexactwords.Iknowitforafact.Theytold
meso.Howdoyoulikethat?”

“Well,no;buttherearecertainlyclues.”

“I’mnottalkingaboutcluesnow.I’mtalkingaboutthatquestion,howthey
themselvesunderstandthings!Tohellwithit!Well,theypressuredhimand
pressuredhim,squeezedhimandsqueezedhim,andhefinallyconfessed.‘I
found’emnotonthestreet,’hesays,‘butinthe’partmentwhereMitreiandI
waspaintin’.’‘Howdidyoufindthem?’‘It’sthatMitreiandIwaspaintin’there
thewholeday,untileighto’clock,andwewasfixin’toleave,andMitreitakesa
brushanddaubssomepaintonmyface,hedoes,hedaubssomepaintonmy
face,andgoesrunnin’outandIrunafterhim.SoIgorunnin’afterhim,yellin’

myheadoff.AsIwascomin’downthestairsandturnin’intothegatewayatfull
speed,Irunrightintothecaretakerwithsomeothergentlemen,Idon’t
rememberexactlyhowmany,andthecaretakerbeginsshoutin’atme,andthe
othergentlemanalsobeginsshoutin’’causemeandMitkaareblockin’theway.

ThenIgrabMitkabythehairandknockhimdownandstartpunchin’him.
Mitka,too,fromunderneath,grabsmebythehairandstartspunchin’me,and

we’refightin’notoutofanger,butoutoflove,playin’.ThenMitkabreaksfree
andgoesrunnin’outintothestreetandIchaseafterhim,butdon’tcatchupwith
him,andgobacktothe’partmentalone—’causeIhavetocleanup.Ibeginto
clearthingsawayandwaitforMitrei,incasehecomes.Bythedoorinthe
entrancewaytotheroom,inthecorneragainstthewall,Isteponasmallbox.I
lookdown,andthere’ssomethin’lyin’there,wrappedinpaper.Ipickitup,and
Iseesometinyhooks,andItakeholdofthesehooksandthere’searrin’sinthe
littlebox...’”

“Behindthedoor?Lyingbehindthedoor?Behindthedoor?”Raskolnikov
criedsuddenly,regardingRazumikhinwithavague,frightenedlook,raising
himselfupslowly,leaningonhisarmonthesofa.

“Whatofit?What’swrongwithyou?Whydoyouask?”Razumikhinalso
rosefromhisplace.

“It’snothing!”Raskolnikovreplied,barelyaudibly,loweringhimselfonto
hispillowagainandturningtofacethewall.Everyonewassilentforalittle while.

“Hemusthavedozedoff;he’sonlyhalfawake,”Razumikhinsaidatlast,
lookinginquisitivelyatZosimov,whoshookhisheadslightlytoindicateno.

“Well,goon,”saidZosimov.“Thenwhat?”

“Thenwhat?Assoonashesawtheearrings,heforgotallaboutthe
apartmentandaboutMitka,grabbedhiscap,ranofftoDushkin,and,asis
known,receivedarublefromhim,lyingtohim,sayingthathefoundtheminthe
street,andthenhewentoffonaspree.Aboutthemurder,heconfirmedwhat
he’dsaidbefore:‘Idon’tknownothinganddon’thavenoidea;Iheardaboutit
onlytwodaysago.’‘Whydidn’tyoucomeinbeforethis?’‘Iwasafraid.’‘Why
didyoutrytohangyourself?’‘Fromthinkin’.’‘Thinkingaboutwhat?’‘They’d
thinkIdoneit.’That’sthewholestory.Now,whatdoyousupposetheymadeof
allthat?”

“What’stothinkabout?There’satrail,notmuchofone,butsomething.

Facts.Don’ttellmetheyshouldreleaseyourpainter?”
“Butnowtheyattributethemurdertohimwithoutquestion.Theyalready
havenodoubtwhatsoever...”

“Nottrue.You’regettingtooexcited.Whatabouttheearrings?Youhaveto
agreethatifonthatverydayandatthattimetheearringsfromtheoldwoman’s
trunkwoundupinNikolai’shands—youhavetoagreethattheyhadtogetthere
somewayorother.Insuchcircumstancesthatmustmeansomething.”

“Howdidtheywindupthere?How?”criedRazumikhin.“Coulditbethat
you,Doctor,you,who,firstofall,areobligedtostudyhumannature,andyou,
whohavetheopportunity,morethanmost,toobservehumannature,coulditbe

thatwithallthisevidence,youdon’tseewhatsortofcreaturethisNikolaiis?

Don’tyouseethatfromtheverybeginningeverythinghesaidduringthe
interrogationswasthesacredtruth?That’spreciselyhowtheearringswoundup
inhishands,justashesaid.Hesteppedontheboxandthenpickedthemup!”

“Sacredtruth?Buthehimselfhasadmittedthatheliedatfirst?”

“Listentome,andlistencarefully:thecaretaker,Kokh,Pestryakov,another
gentleman,thecaretaker’swife,andthewomanwhowassittingwithherinthe
lodgeatthetime,andthecourtcouncillorKryukov,who,atthatverymoment,
gotoutofacabandenteredthroughthegateway,arminarmwithawoman—

everyone,thatiseightortenwitnesses,unanimouslytestifythatNikolaihad
pushedDmitrydownonthegroundandwaslyingontopofhim,punchinghim,
whilehehadgrabbedholdofNikolai’shairandwasalsopunchinghim.They
werestretchedacrossthepath,blockingtheirway;peoplewereswearingatthem
fromallsides;theywereontopofoneanother‘likelittlekids’(theactual
expressionusedbythewitnesses),screeching,fighting,andlaughing,each
tryingtooutdotheotherwithhislaughter,makingthefunniestfaces.Then,just
likechildren,theywentrunningoutintothestreet,eachtryingtocatchtheother.

Youhear?Now,takecarefulnoteofthis:thebodiesupstairswerestillwarm,
youhear,stillwarm,whentheyfoundthem!Iftheyhadkilledthetwowomen,
orifjustNikolaihaddoneit,brokenintoandrobbedthetrunk,ormerelytaken
partsomehowintherobbery,thenletmeposejustonequestiontoyou:does
theirmentaldisposition—thatis,withtheirscreeches,laughter,childishfighting
underthegate—correspondtoaxes,blood,criminalcunning,caution,and robbery?
Theyhadjustmurderedthem,somefiveortenminutesago—because,
itturnsout,thebodieswerestillwarm—andsuddenly,leavingthebodies,the
apartmentunlocked,andknowingthatsomemenhadjustgoneupthere,
abandoningtheirbooty,theyrollaroundintheroadlikelittlekids,laughing,
attractingconsiderableattentionfromthetenwitnesseswhotestifytothis
unanimously!”

“Ofcourse,it’sodd!Naturally,it’simpossible,but...”Zosimovremarked.

“No,myfriend,no but.Iftheearrings,whichturnedupinNikolai’shands
onthatverydayandatthattime,reallyconstitutethemostimportantfactual
evidenceagainsthim—thoughperfectlyexplicableaccordingtohisown
testimony,consequently,still disputableevidence—thenonemustconsiderthe
exculpatoryevidence,allthemoresosincethereare irresistible facts.Whatdo
youthink,judgingbythenatureofourlegalsystem:willtheyacceptsuchfacts,
aretheyevencapableofacceptingthem—basedexclusivelyonapsychological
impossibility,ontheirmentaldisposition—asirresistiblefactsobliteratingall
accusatoryandmaterialevidence,nomatterwhattheyare?No,theywon’t

acceptthem,notforanything,becausetheyfoundtheboxandthemanwantedto
killhimself,‘whichcouldn’thappen,ifhehadn’tfeltthathewasguilty!’That’s
themajorquestion,that’swhyI’msoexcited!Understand?”

“Yes,Icanseeyou’reexcited.Wait,Iforgottoask:hasitbeenproventhat
theboxwiththeearringsreallycamefromtheoldwoman’strunk?”

“Ithasbeen,”Razumikhinreplied,frowning,andadded,asifreluctantly,

“Kokhrecognizedtheitemandpositivelyidentifiedthepersonwho’dpawnedit,
andheverifiedthattheitemwasreallyhis.”

“That’snotgood.Now,onemorething:didanyoneseeNikolaiatthetime
thatKokhandPestryakovwereheadingupstairs?Couldn’tthatprove
something?”Zosimovasked.

“That’sjustit.Noonesawhim,”repliedRazumikhinwithannoyance.
“That’swhat’sbad.EvenKokhandPestryakovdidn’tnoticehimastheywere
passingby,althoughtheirtestimonydoesn’tmeanverymuchnow.‘Wesaw,’

theysaid,‘thattheapartmentwasopen,andthatsomeonemusthavebeen
workingthere,butinpassingwedidn’tpayanyattentionanddon’trecall
preciselywhethertherewereworkersinsideatthetime.’”

“Hmm.Therefore,theonlyexculpatoryevidenceisthattheywerepunching
eachotherandlaughing.Let’ssupposethisisseriousproof,but....Now,how
doyouaccountforallthesefacts?Howdoyouexplainhisfindingtheearrings,
ifhereallyfoundthemashemaintains?”

“How?What’stoexplain:it’sperfectlyclear!Atleastthepaththis
investigationmustfollowisclearandindicated,andit’stheboxthat’sshownthe
way.Therealmurdererdroppedthoseearrings.Themurdererwasupstairswhen
KokhandPestryakovknocked,standingbehindthelockeddoor.Kokhwasa
foolandwentdownstairs.Thenthemurdererslippedoutandrandownstairs,
too,becausehehadnootherwayout.OnthestaircasehehidfromKokh,
Pestryakov,andthecaretakerintheemptyapartmentexactlywhenDmitryand
Nikolaihadrunout.Hestoodbehindthedoorwhilethecaretakerandtheothers
passed.Hewaiteduntilthesoundoftheirfootstepshaddieddown,then
proceededdownstairsonhisownveryquietly,atthesametimethatDmitryand
Nikolairanoutintothestreetandeveryonedispersed,leavingnooneleftunder
thegateway.Theymightevenhaveseenhim,buttheydidn’tnoticehimsince
lotsofpeoplepassbythere.He’ddroppedtheboxfromhispocketwhenhewas
standingbehindthedooranddidn’tnoticethathe’ddoneso.Hehadmore
importantthingsonhismind.Theboxclearlydemonstratesthathestoodright
there.That’sallthereistoit!”

“Clever!No,myfriend,itisclever.Butit’stoocleverbyhalf!”Zosimov exclaimed.

“Whydoyouthinkso,why?”

“Whydoyouthinkso,why?”

“Becauseitallcomestogethertooneatly...anditallworksout...asifin thetheater.”

“Hey!”Razumikhinstartedtoexclaim,butjustatthatmomentthedoor
openedandinwalkedanewperson,unknowntoeveryoneintheroom.
*AtavernnamedaftertheCrystalPalace,astructurebuiltofcastironandplateglassin
HydePark, London,tohousetheGreatExhibitionof1851.

†AnareabetweenNevskyProspectandtheSmolnyInstitute.

Thiswasagentleman,nolongeryoung,butstandoffish,portly,andwitha
cautious,grumpyface,whobeganbypausinginthedoorwayandglancing
aroundasthoughoffendedandwithundisguisedastonishment,asifasking,with
thelookinhiseyes,“WhereonearthhaveIcome?”HesurveyedRaskolnikov’s
crampedandshabby“ship’scabin”withuncertainty,evenwiththepretenseofa
certainfright,almostasthoughtakingoffense.Withthatsameastonishment,he
transferredhisglanceandstaredatRaskolnikovhimself,undressed,disheveled,
unwashed,lyingonhisfilthy,wretchedsofa,alsoexamininghimwithout
stirring.Then,withthesamedeliberation,hebeganscrutinizingthedisheveled,
unshaven,uncombedfigureofRazumikhin,whostareddirectlyintohiseyes
withaboldlyinquisitivelookwithoutstirringfromhisplace.Atensesilence
lastedaminuteorso,untilfinally,ascouldbeexpected,thereoccurredaslight
changeofmood.Itmusthavebeenthataftercertainextremelyharshfacts
causedhimtorealizethathisexaggeratedseverebearinghere,inthis“ship’s
cabin,”wouldnotgethimanywhere,thegentlemansoftenedhisapproachand
politely,thoughnotwithoutsomeseverity,turnedtoZosimovand,enunciating
everysyllableofhisquestion,asked:

“AreyouRodionRomanovichRaskolnikov,astudentorformerstudent?”

Zosimovstirredslowlyandmighthavereplied,hadnotRazumikhin,whom
noonehadaddressed,forestalledhimimmediately:

“Thereheisonthesofa!Whatdoyouwant?”

Thatfamiliar“whatdoyouwant?”broughtthestandoffishgentlemanup
short;healmostturnedtofaceRazumikhin,butmanagedtorestrainhimselfin
timeandturnedbacktoZosimov.
“There’sRaskolnikov,”mutteredZosimov,noddingatthepatient.Thenhe
yawnedand,insodoing,openedhismouthunusuallywideandkeptitthatway
foranunusuallylongtime.Next,heslowlyreachedintohisvestpocket,
extractedanenormousbulginggoldpocketwatchinacase,openedit,glancedat
itslowlyandlethargically,andputitbackinhispocket.

Raskolnikovhimselflayonhisbackinsilenceandstubbornly,though
withoutthinking,studiedthegentlemanwhohadjustentered.Hisface,now
turnedawayfromthatparticularfloweronthewallpaper,wasextremelypale
andexpresseduncommonsuffering,asifhehadjustundergoneapainful
operationorhadsuddenlybeenreleasedfromsometorture.Thegentleman
graduallybeganarousinghisattentionmoreandmore,thenhisbewilderment,

graduallybeganarousinghisattentionmoreandmore,thenhisbewilderment,
thenuncertainty,andevensomefear.WhenZosimov,havingpointedtohim,
hadsaid,“There’sRaskolnikov,”he’dsuddenlyandquicklyraisedhimself,asif
jumpingup,andsatontheedgeofhisbed;inanalmostchallengingvoice,but
alsofalteringandfaint,hesaid:

“Yes.I’mRaskolnikov.Whatdoyouwant?”

Theguestlookedathimintentlyandannouncedimposingly:

“PetrPetrovichLuzhin.Itrustthatmynameisnotcompletelyunfamiliarto you.”

ButRaskolnikov,expectingsomethingcompletelydifferent,regardedhim
vacantlyandpensivelyandmadenoreply,asifheweredefinitelyhearingPetr
Petrovich’snameforthefirsttime.

“What?Canitpossiblybethatyoustillhaven’treceivedanynews?”asked
PetrPetrovich,somewhattakenaback.

Inreply,Raskolnikovslowlysankontohispillow,placedhishandsbehind
hishead,andbeganstaringattheceiling.AnguishwasperceptibleonLuzhin’s
face.ZosimovandRazumikhinbeganscrutinizinghimwithevengreater
attention,andhefinallybecamevisiblyembarrassed.

“Iassumedandreckoned,”hemuttered,“thatthelettersentmorethanten
daysago,almosttwoweeksago,would’ve...”
“Listen,whyareyoustillstandingnexttothedoorway?”Razumikhinasked,
suddenlyinterruptinghim.“Ifyouhavesomethingtosay,thentakeaseat;you
andNastasyaarecrowdingeachotherthere.Nastasyushka,moveaside,lethim
pass!Goon,there’sachair,overhere!Squeezein.”

Hemovedthechairawayfromthetable,leftalittlespacebetweenitandhis
knees,andwaitedintenseanticipationastheguest“squeezed”throughthis
opening.Themomentwaschoseninsuchawaythatitwasimpossibletorefuse,
andtheguest,hurryingandstumbling,slidthroughthisnarrowspace.After
reachingthechair,hesatdownandregardedRazumikhinsuspiciously.

“Don’tbeembarrassed,”Razumikhinrattledon.“Rodya’sbeenillforthe
lastfivedaysandwasdeliriousforthreeofthem.Justnowhe’sreturnedtohis
sensesandhaseveneatenwithgusto.Thisishisdoctor,who’sjustexamined
him.I’mRodya’sfriend,alsoaformerstudent,andnowI’mlookingafterhim.

Don’tpayanyattentiontousanddon’tbeshy.Goonandsaywhatyouhaveto say.”

“Thankyou.ButmightIbedisturbingthepatientbymypresenceandmy
conversation?”PetrPetrovichasked,turningtoZosimov.

“N-no,”mumbledZosimov,yawningagain,“youmayevendistracthim.”

“He’sbeenbackwithusforawhile,sincethismorning!”continued
Razumikhin,whosefamiliarityhadtheairofsuchgenuinesimplicitythatPetr

Razumikhin,whosefamiliarityhadtheairofsuchgenuinesimplicitythatPetr
Petrovichthoughtforabitandbegantotakeheart—inpart,perhapsbecausethis
raggedandimpudentfellowhadintroducedhimselfasastudent.

“Yourmama...”beganLuzhin.

“Hmm!”Razumikhinsaidloudly.Luzhinlookedathiminquisitively.

“Nevermind,justso;goon...”

Luzhinshruggedhisshoulders.“Yourmamabeganwritingalettertoyou
beforeIleft.Aftermyarrivalhere,Iintentionallywaitedafewdaysanddidn’t
cometoseeyouinordertobecompletelycertainthatyou’dhavebeenapprised
ofthewholematter;butnow,tomysurprise...”

“Iknow,Iknow!”Raskolnikovsaidsuddenly,withanexpressionofthe
mostimpatientannoyance.“Soit’syou?Thesuitor?Well,Idoknow!And
that’senough!”

PetrPetrovichwasdownrightoffended,butremainedsilent.Hemadea
concertedefforttounderstandwhatallthismeant.Thesilencecontinuedfora minute.

Meanwhile,Raskolnikov,whohadturnedtowardhimslightlyafterhis
response,suddenlytooktostaringdirectlyathimagainwithsomespecial
curiosity,asifhehadn’thadthechancetoexaminehimfullybefore,orasif
somethingnewabouthisappearancehadstruckhim.Heevenraisedhimselfup
intentionallyfromhispillowtodothis.Asamatteroffact,somethinginPetr
Petrovich’sgeneralappearancedidstrikehimaspeculiar,thatis,somethingthat
seemedtosupporttheterm“suitor,”conveyeduponhimsounceremoniously
justnow.Inthefirstplace,itwasevident,andeventoonoticeable,thatPetr
Petrovichhadmadehastyeffortstousehisfewdaysinthecapitaltogethimself
alldeckedoutandfanciedupinanticipationofmeetinghisfiancée,whichfact,
however,wasextremelyharmlessandacceptable.Evenhisownawareness,
perhapsabittooself-satisfied,hisownawarenessofthispleasantchangeforthe
bettercouldbeforgivenonsuchanoccasion,forPetrPetrovichwascloseto
beingabridegroom.Allofhisapparelhadjustcomefromatailor,anditwasall
veryfine,exceptperhapsthatitwasalltoonewandrevealedhispurposetoo
evidently.Evenhisfoppish,trendyroundhatborewitnesstoit:PetrPetrovich
treatedhishattoorespectfullyandhelditinhishandstoocautiously.Evenhis
splendidpairoflilac-coloredFrenchglovesborewitnesstothesamething,if
onlybecausehewasn’twearingthem,merelyholdingtheminhishandfor
show.Brightandyouthfulcolorspredominatedinhisapparel.Hewaswearinga
finesummerjacketofalightbrownhue,bright,lightweighttrousers,thesame
kindofvest,brand-newrefinedlinen,andalightcottonnecktiewithpink
stripes,andbestofall,thisapparelwasevenbecomingtoPetrPetrovich.His

face,extremelyfreshandevenruddy,seemedyoungerthanhisforty-fiveyears,
evenwithouthisnewclothes.Darkmuttonchopwhiskersshadedhischeeks
pleasantlyandthickenedhandsomelynexttohiscloselyshaved,shiningchin.
Evenhishair,withonlyaslighttraceofgray,hadbeencombedandcurledbya
barber,butthisfactdidn’tmakehimlookcomicalorfoolish,asusuallyhappens
withcurledhair,becauseitinevitablyconveystothefacethelookofaGerman
abouttogetmarried.Iftherewasanythingreallyunpleasantandrepulsiveinhis
ratherhandsomeandrespectableappearance,itwascausedbyotherfactors.

AfterunceremoniouslyexaminingMr.Luzhin,Raskolnikovsmiledmaliciously,
onceagainloweredhimselfontohispillow,andbeganstaringattheceilingas
hehaddonebefore.

ButMr.Luzhingatheredhisstrengthand,itseems,resolvedforthetime
beingnottonoticeanyofthisstrangebehavior.

“IverydeeplyregretthatIfindyouinthissituation,”hebeganagain,ending
thesilencewithsomeeffort.“HadIknownyouwereill,I’dhavecomeby
sooner.But,business,youunderstand!Inaddition,Ihaveextremelyimportant
workpertainingtolegalmattersintheSenate.Iwon’tevenmentionthose
concerns,whichyoucanguess.AndIawaityourfamily,thatis,yourmamaand
sister,atanymoment...”

Raskolnikovstirredandwasabouttosaysomething.Hisfaceexpresseda
certainagitation.PetrPetrovichpausedandwaited,butsincenothingfollowed,
hecontinued:

“...Atanymoment.I’vefoundthemaplacetostayforthetimebeing...”

“Where?”Raskolnikovinquiredfaintly.

“Veryclosetohere.AtBakaleev’shouse.”

“That’sonVoznesenskyProspect,”Razumikhininterrupted.“Therearetwo
floorsrentedoutashotelroomsbythemerchantYushin.I’vebeenthere.”

“Yes,hotelrooms...”

“It’saterriblyfilthyplace:dirt,stench,fullofsuspicioustypes.Thingshave
happenedthere;thedevilknowswhoactuallylivesthere!Imyselfwaspresent
atsomedisgracefulaffair.However,itischeap.”
“Ofcourse,Iwasunabletogathersufficientinformationaboutit,sinceIjust
arrived,”PetrPetrovichobjecteddelicately.“However,Ichosetwovery,very
cleanlittlerooms,andsinceit’sforsuchashortstay....I’vealsofoundareal
apartment,thatis,ourfutureapartment,”hesaid,turningtoRaskolnikov,“and
renovationsarebeingmadetoitnow.Meanwhile,Imyselfhavesqueezedinto
somerooms,notfarfromhere,atMadameLippevekhsel’s,intheapartmentof
myyoungfriendAndreySemyonychLebezyatnikov.He’stheonewhotoldme
aboutBakaleev’shouse...”

“Lebezyatnikov?”Raskolnikovsaidslowly,asifrecallingsomething.

“Lebezyatnikov?”Raskolnikovsaidslowly,asifrecallingsomething.

“Yes,AndreySemyonychLebezyatnikov,anofficeworkerintheministry.

Doyouhappentoknowhim?”

“Yes...no...”Raskolnikovreplied.

“Forgiveme,itseemedyoudidfromyourquestion.Iwashisguardianatone
time...he’saveryniceyoungman...andterriblywellinformed....Iloveto
meetyoungpeople.Youfindoutwhat’snewfromthem.”PetrPetrovich
examinedallthosepresentwithahopefullook.

“Inwhatrespect?”askedRazumikhin.

“Inthemostserious,sotospeak,themostessentialway,”PetrPetrovich
explained,seemingtoenjoythequestion.“Yousee,Ihaven’tbeentoPetersburg
inthelasttenyears.Allthesenewthings,reforms,ideas—allofthishas
managedtoreachusintheprovinces,buttoseeitmoreclearlyandto
understanditall,onemustbeinPetersburg.Well,sir,myideaisthatyounotice
moreandlearnmorewhenobservingouryoungergeneration.IconfessthatI
rejoiced...”

“Inwhat,precisely?”

“Yourquestionisabroadone.Imightbemistaken,butitseemsthatIfind
theyhaveaclearerview,amorecriticalview,sotospeak;they’remore effective...”
“That’strue,”mutteredZosimov.

“Nottrue,they’renotmoreeffective.”Razumikhinseizeduponhiswords.

“It’shardtobeeffective;itdoesn’tjustdescendfromtheheavens.Foralmost
twohundredyears,we’vebeenweanedawayfromanyaction....Wemayhave
plentyofideas,”hesaid,turningtoPetrPetrovich,“andadesireforthegood,
thoughit’schildlike.Onecanevenfindintegrity,inspiteofalltheswindlers
who’veturnedupamongus,butthere’sstillnoefficacy!Effectivepeopleare
nowheretobeseen.”

“Idon’tagreewithyou,”PetrPetrovichobjectedwithvisiblepleasure.“Of
course,thereareenthusiasms,inaccuracies,butonemustbeindulgent:
enthusiasmsbearwitnesstotheirfervorforactionandtoincorrectexternal
circumstancesinwhichthematterisplaced.Iflittlehasbeenachieved,it’s
becausethere’sbeensolittletime.I’mnotevenreferringtothemeans.Inmy
personalview,ifyoulike,onecanevensaythatsomethinghasbeenachieved:
new,usefulideashavebeenwidelycirculated,severalnew,usefulworkshave
beendisseminatedinplaceofthepreviousfantasticandromanticones.

Literaturehasacquiredamorematureoutlook,andmanyharmfulprejudices
havebeenrootedoutandridiculed....Inaword,we’vecutourselvesoffonce
andforallfromthepast,andinmyopinion,that’salreadyanachievement,

sir...”

“He’smemorizedthatspeech!He’sshowingoff,”Raskolnikovmuttered suddenly.

“What,sir?”askedPetrPetrovich,whohadn’tcaughtwhatwassaid,buthe
receivednoreply.

“That’sallfair,”Zosimovhastenedtoinsert.

“Isn’tittrue,sir?”continuedPetrPetrovich,glancingpleasantlyatZosimov.

“You’llagreeyourself,”hecontinued,turningtoRazumikhin,butnowwithan
elementoftriumphandsuperiority,andalmostaddingthephrase“youngman”
ashespoke,“thatthere’sbeennotableadvancement,or,astheysaynow,
progress,atleastinthenameofscienceandeconomictruth...”

“Howbanal!”

“No,itisnotbanal,sir!If,forexample,uptonowIwastoldto‘lovemy
neighbor,’anddidso,whatcameofthat?”continuedPetrPetrovich,perhaps
withexcessivehaste.“WhatcameofitwasthatItoremycloakintwo,gavehalf
tomyneighbor,andwebothwounduphalfnaked,justlikeintheRussian
proverb‘Ifyouchasetwohares,you’llcatchneither.’Sciencetellsustolove
ourselvesfirstofallbecauseeverythingonearthisbasedonpersonalinterest.If
youloveyourselfalone,thenyou’llconductyouraffairsappropriately,andyour
cloakwillremaininonepiece.Economictruthaddsthatthemoreprivate
businesseswehaveinsocietyand,sotospeak,themorecloaksremainintact,
thenthefirmeritsfoundationsandthemorewillbeaccomplishedforthe
commongood.Consequently,inacquiringsolelyandexclusivelyformyself,
I’malsoacquiringforall,andmakingsurethatmyneighborreceivessomewhat
morethanatorncloakandnotbecauseofprivate,solitarygenerosity,butasthe
resultofgeneraladvancement.Theideaissimple,butunfortunately,toolongin
thecoming,hiddenbyapenchantforenthusiasmandfantasy;itseemsthata
littleclevernessisnecessarytosurmisethat...”

“Excuseme,I’mnottooclever,either,”Razumikhincutinabruptly.

“Therefore,let’sstophere.Ibeganwithapurpose,butallofthischatterforself-
amusement,alltheseincessant,endlesscommonplaces,overandoveragain,
havebecomesoloathsometomeoverthelastthreeyears,that,sohelpmeGod,
Iblushwhenotherpeopleuttertheminmypresence,letalonewhenImyselfsay
them.Younaturallyhastenedtoshowoffyourknowledge.That’svery
understandable,andIdon’tcondemnyou.I’donlyliketoknownowwhoyou
are,becausedon’tyousee,somanyopportunistshavelatchedontothese
commonplacesoflateandhavedistortedeverythingtheytouchtosuchan
extent,outoftheirowninterest,thattheyhavedefiledtheentirecause.Well,sir,
that’senough!”

“Mydearsir,”Luzhinbegan,wincingwithasenseofhisownextraordinary
worth,“areyouimplying,sounceremoniously,thatI,too...”
“Oh,forpity’ssake....WouldIdothat?Well,sir,that’senough!”snapped
Razumikhin,thenturnedabruptlytoZosimovtoresumetheirprevious conversation.

PetrPetrovichprovedtobecleverenoughtoacceptthisexplanation
immediately.However,hedecidedtoleaveinafewminutes.

“Itrustthatnowournewlyformedacquaintance,”hesaid,turningto
Raskolnikov,“afteryourrecoveryandinviewofthecircumstancesyouknow
well,willbecomeevenstronger....Iespeciallywishyougoodhealth...”

Raskolnikovdidn’teventurnhishead.PetrPetrovichwasabouttostandup
andtakehisleave.

“Themurdererwasdefinitelysomeonewhopawnedsomething!”Zosimov
declaredfirmly.

“Absolutely!”Razumikhinagreed.“Porfirywon’trevealwhathe’sthinking,
buthe’squestioningthosepeoplewhopawneditems.”

“Aretheyallbeinginterrogated?”Raskolnikovaskedloudly.

“Yes,whatofit?”

“Nothing.”

“Howishefindingthem?”

“Kokhnamedafew.Othernameswerewrittenonthewrappingsofthe
items,andotherpeoplecameforwardontheirown,whentheyheardabout it...”

“Well,themurderermustbeacunningandexperiencedrogue!What
impudence!Whatresolve!”

“That’spreciselywhathe’smissing!”Razumikhininterrupted.“That’s
what’sleadingyouallastray.Imaintainthathewasineptandinexperienced,
andthiswasprobablyhisfirstendeavor!Ifyouassumehewasacalculatingand
cunningrogue,thenthewholethingturnsoutimprobably.Assumean
inexperiencedfellow,anditturnsoutthatitwaschancealonethatsavedhim
fromdisaster,andwhatcan’tchancedo?Hemightnotevenhaveforeseenthe
obstacleshe’dencounter!Howdidthisaffairproceed?Hetookitemsworthten
ortwentyrubles,stuffedthemintohispocket,searchedaroundintheold
woman’strunk,amongherclothes—butlater,inherdresser,inaboxinthetop
drawer,theyfindfifteenhundredrublesincash,plussomenotes!Hedidn’t
knowhowtorob;heonlyknewhowtomurder!Itwashisfirstendeavor,Itell
you,hisfirst.Helosthishead!Itwasn’tcalculation,butchancethatsavedhim.”

“Youseemtobetalkingabouttherecentmurderoftheoldwoman,thecivil
servant’swidow,”PetrPetrovichintervened,addressingZosimov,andwishing
toinsertafewmorecleverwordsbeforeheleft,eventhoughhewasalready

toinsertafewmorecleverwordsbeforeheleft,eventhoughhewasalready
standingwithhishatandglovesinhand.Clearly,hewasconcernedabout
makinganimpressionandhisvanityhadovercomehisgoodsense.

“Yes.You’veheardaboutit?”

“Ofcourse,itoccurredcloseby...”

“Doyouknowthedetails?”

“Ican’tsaythatIdo;butwhatinterestsmeaboutitisanothercircumstance,
thewholeproblem,sotospeak.I’mnottalkingaboutthefactthatinthelastfive
yearsthenumberofcrimesamongthelowerclasshasincreased.I’mnottalking
abouttheconstant,universalrobberiesandarsons.Formethestrangestthingof
allisthatthenumberofcrimesamongtheupperclassisalsoincreasing,in
parallel,sotospeak.Inonetown,welearnthataformerstudenthasrobbedthe
mailalongthemainroad.Elsewhere,somepeopleofrespectablesocialstanding
areengagedinforgingbanknotes;inMoscow,theyapprehendedanentiregang
counterfeitingticketsforthelastpubliclottery—amongtheleadingparticipants
wasonelecturerinworldhistory.Thesecretaryinoneofourembassieswas
murderedforsomeenigmaticfinancialdealings....Now,ifthisoldwoman
pawnbrokerwaskilledbyoneofherclients,itmusthavebeensomeoneof
highersocialstanding,sincepeasantsdon’tpawngolditems—how,then,dowe
explainthisdepravityofthecivilizedpartofoursociety?”

“Therehavebeenmanyeconomicchanges,”Zosimovobserved.
“Howcanthatbeexplained?”Razumikhinlatchedontothequestion.“Itcan
easilybeexplainedbytheirtoodeep-rootedlackofeffectiveness.”

“Whatdoyoumean,sir?”

“HowdidthatlecturerinMoscowreplytoyourquestionofwhyhewas
counterfeitinglotterytickets?‘Everyonegetsrichinhisownway,soIalso
wantedtodosoquickly.’Idon’trecallhisexactwords,buttheideawasthat
he’dbecomewealthyforfree,asquicklyaspossible,withouthavingtoworkfor
it!They’reusedtohavingeverythingdoneforthem,livingoffthecharityof
others,beingspoon-fed.Butwhenthegreathourstruck,theyshowedwhat
they’remadeof...”

“Butwhataboutmorality?And,sotospeak,therulesof...?”

“Whyareyoumakingsuchafuss?”Raskolnikovbrokeinunexpectedly.“It
workedoutaccordingtoyourtheory!”

“How’sthat?”

“Ifyoufollowthetheorythatyouwereadvocatingjustnowtoits
conclusion,itturnsoutthatonecanslaughterpeople...”

“GoodLord!”criedLuzhin.

“No,that’snottrue!”echoedZosimov.

Raskolnikovlaytherepale,hisupperlipquivering,breathingheavily.

Raskolnikovlaytherepale,hisupperlipquivering,breathingheavily.

“Therearelimitstoeverything,”Luzhincontinuedhaughtily.“Theeconomic
ideaisstillnotaninvitationtomurder,andifonecanmerelyassume...”

“Isittruethatyou,”Raskolnikovsuddenlyinterruptedagain,hisvoice
tremblingwithrageandthepleasureofgivingoffense,“isittruethatyoutold
yourfiancée...attheverymomentsheacceptedyourproposal,thatyouwere
extremelypleasedthat...shewaspoor...becauseitwasmoreadvantageous
totakeawifeoutofpovertysothatyoucoulddominateherafterward...and
reproachherforthefavorsyou’dbestowedonher?”

“Mydearsir,”Luzhincriedmaliciouslyandirritably,flushedandflustered,

“mydearsir...you’vedistortedmyidea!Excuseme,butImustsaythatthe
rumorsthathavereachedyou,or,bettertosay,thoseconveyedtoyou,haven’t
theleasttraceofsolidfoundation,andI...Isuspectwho...ina
word...launchedthisarrow...inaword,yourmama....Evenbeforethis,
sheseemed,inspiteofallherexcellentqualities,tohaveasomewhatecstatic
andromanticcasttoherviews....ButIwasstillathousandmilesawayfrom
supposingthatshecouldrepresentthismatterinaformsodistortedbyher
fantasy....Andfinally...finally...”

“Doyouknowwhat?”criedRaskolnikov,raisinghimselfonhispillowand
staringathimwithapiercing,flashingglance.“Doyouknowwhat?”

“What,sir?”Luzhinpausedandwaitedwithanoffendedandchallenging
look.Severalsecondspassedinsilence.

“Ifyoudareonceagain...utterevenoneword...aboutmymother...I
willthrowyoudownthestairsheadoverheels!”

“What’sthematterwithyou?”criedRazumikhin.

“Sothat’showitis!”Luzhinsaid,turningpaleandbitinghislip.“Listento
me,sir,”hebeganinmeasuredtones,usingallhisstrengthtorestrainhimself,
butgaspingforbreathnonetheless.“FromtheverystartIsurmisedyour
hostility,butremainedhereonpurposetolearnevenmore.Icouldforgiveasick
manandarelativeagreatdeal,butnow...you...never,sir...”

“I’mnotill!”criedRaskolnikov.

“Allthemorereason,sir...”

“Gotohell!”

ButLuzhinwasalreadyleavingwithouthavingfinishedhisspeech,
squeezingbetweenthetableandthechairagain.Thistime,Razumikhinstoodup
tolethimpass.Withoutlookingatanyone,andwithoutevennoddingto
Zosimov,whohadalreadyindicatedtohimthatheshouldleavethesickmanin
peace,Luzhinleft,cautiouslyraisinghishattohisshoulderashebentslightly
whenhepassedthroughthedoor.Eventhecurveofhisbackseemedtoexpress

how,onthisoccasion,hewascarryingaterribleinsultawaywithhim.

“Howcanyou,howcanyouactlikethis?”askedtheperplexedRazumikhin,
shakinghishead.

“Leavemealone,allofyou,leavemealone!”Raskolnikovcriedinafrenzy.

“Willyouleavemealoneonceandforall,youtormentors?I’mnotafraidof
you!I’m...notafraidofanyonenow!Goaway!Iwanttobealone,alone, alone,alone!”

“Let’sgo,”saidZosimov,noddingtoRazumikhin.

“Butcanweleavehimlikethis?”

“Let’sgo,”repeatedZosimovinsistently,andthenhewalkedout.

Razumikhinthoughtforamomentandrantocatchupwithhim.

“Itcouldbeworseifwedidn’tlistentohim,”saidZosimov,alreadyonthe
stairs.“Heshouldn’tbecomeaggravated...”

“What’swrongwithhim?”

“Ifonlyhecouldbegivensomesortofbeneficialpush,thatwoulddoit!He
wasfinejustalittlewhileago....Youknow,hehassomethingonhismind.

Somethingimmovable,oppressive....I’mabsolutelyafraidofthat!”

“Thenthere’sthatfellow,perhaps,thisPetrPetrovich!Accordingtotheir
conversation,it’sclearthathe’smarryinghissisterandthatRodyareceiveda
letteraboutthisbeforehisillness...”

“Yes.Thedevilbroughthimherejustnow.Perhapshe’sruinedthewhole
business.Didyounoticethathewasindifferenttoeverything,madenoresponse
toanythingexceptforonepointwhenhelosthisself-control:themurder...”

“Yes,yes!”Razumikhinagreed.“Ididnoticeit!He’sinterestedinitandhe
getsfrightened.That’swhatscaredhimthatdayatthepoliceofficewhenhe fainted.”

“You’lltellmemoreaboutitthisevening,andI’lltellyousomethinglater.

Heinterestsmegreatly!I’llcomebackinhalfanhourtoseehowheis....But
therewon’tbeanypneumonia...”

“Thankyou!MeanwhileI’llwaitatPashenka’sandwillcheckonhim
throughNastasya...”

Raskolnikov,leftalone,regardedNastasya,whowasslowtakingherleave,
withimpatienceandanguish.

“Wouldyoulikesometeanow?”sheasked.

“Later!Iwanttosleep!Leavemealone...”

Heturnedfeverishlytofacethewall.Nastasyaleft.

VI

Butassoonassheleft,Raskolnikovstoodup,fastenedthehookonthedoor,
untiedthebundleofclothesRazumikhinhaddeliveredearlier,whichhe’dtied
upagain,andbegantogetdressed.Itwasstrange:hesuddenlyseemed
completelycalm;therewasnoneofhishalf-crazeddeliriumasbefore,noneof
theoverwhelmingfearhe’dexperiencedpreviously.Forthefirsttime,hefelta
sudden,strangeserenity.Hismovementswerepreciseandassured,hiscertain
intentionsclear.“Today,definitelytoday!”hemutteredtohimself.Yethe
understoodthathewasstillweak,butthestrongestspiritualtensionthathad
resultedinthisserenity,inunwaveringresolution,wasalsoaffordinghim
strengthandself-assurance;hehoped,however,thathewouldn’tkeeloveron
thestreet.Afterhavingchangedcompletelyintohisnewclothes,helookedat
themoneyleftonthetable,thoughtforabit,andthenputitintohispocket.He
hadtwenty-fiverublesincash.Healsopickedupallthefive-kopeckcoins,the
changefromthetenrublesspentonclothesbyRazumikhin.Thenhequietly
unlockedthedoor,walkedoutoftheroom,descendedthestaircase,andpeeked
intotheopendoorofthekitchen:Nastasyawasstandingwithherbacktohim,
stoopingtofanthefireinthelandlady’ssamovar.Shedidn’thearathing.And
who’dsupposethathe’dgoout?Aminutelater,hewasalreadyonthestreet.

Itwasabouteighto’clock,andthesunwassinkinginthesky.Althoughit
wasasstuffyasbefore,hegreedilyinhaledthestinking,dustyaircontaminated
bythecity.Hisheadstartedtospinslightly.Somesortofwildenergysuddenly
shoneinhisinflamedeyesandinhisgaunt,paleyellowface.Hedidn’tknow
anddidn’teventhinkaboutwhatdirectionhewastaking.Heknewonlyone
thing:“thathehadtoputanendtoall this today,onceandforall,immediately;
thatotherwisehewouldn’tgohomebecause hedidn’twanttolivethisway.”

Buthowtoendit?Inwhatway?Hedidn’thavetheslightestidea,andhedidn’t
wanttothinkaboutit.Hedrovethosethoughtsaway:thinkingtormentedhim.

Hemerelyfeltandknewthateverythinghadtochange,onewayoranother,“no
matterhow,”herepeatedwithdesperate,resoluteself-assuranceand decisiveness.

ByforceofhabitheheadedfortheHaymarket,theusualpathofhisprevious
walks.Beforehereachedit,ontheroad,infrontofasmallshop,therestooda
young,black-hairedorgangrinderplayingaverysentimentalsong.Hewas
accompanyingayounggirl,aboutfifteen,standinginfrontofhimonthe
sidewalk,deckedoutasafinelady,wearingacrinoline,amantilla,gloves,anda

sidewalk,deckedoutasafinelady,wearingacrinoline,amantilla,gloves,anda
strawhatwithafieryredfeather;allofherclotheswereoldandwornout.She
wassingingaromanceinacoarse,rough,butratherstrong,pleasantvoice,in
expectationofreceivingatwo-kopeckpiecefromtheshopkeeper.Raskolnikov
stoodalongsidetwoorthreebystanders,listenedforawhile,pulledoutafive-
kopeckpiece,andputitintothegirl’shand.Shesuddenlyendedhersongonthe
mostsentimentalhighnote,asifshehadcutitoff,andshoutedabruptlytothe
organgrinder:“That’lldo!”Theybothmovedontothenextshop.

“Doyoulikestreetsingers?”Raskolnikovsaid,turningsuddenlytoa
gentleman,nolongeryoung,whowasstandingnexttohimneartheorgan
grinderandhadthelookofaflâneur.Thelatterregardedhimwithcuriosityand
greatastonishment.“Ido,”Raskolnikovcontinued,withalookthatseemedto
showthathewasnottalkingaboutstreetsingersatall.“Ilikeitwhentheysing
withanorgangrinderonacold,dark,dampautumnevening,absolutelyona
dampevening,whenallthepassersbyhavepalegreen,sicklyfaces;or,even
better,whenwetsnowisfallingstraightdown,withoutanywind,youknow,and
gaslightsareshiningthroughit...”

“Idon’tknow,sir....Excuseme,”mutteredthegentleman,frightenedby
bothRaskolnikov’squestionandhisstrangelook,andcrossedtotheotherside
ofthestreet.

Raskolnikovcontinuedstraightaheadandcametothatcorneronthe
Haymarketwherethetraderandhiswifehadbeenbuyingandselling,andwhere
they’dstoodchattingthattimewithLizaveta;buttheyweren’ttherenow.After
recognizingthespot,hestopped,lookedaround,andturnedtoayoungladina
redshirt,whowasstandingthereyawningneartheentrancetoaflourshop.

“There’samanwhoengagesintradehereonthiscorner,withawoman,his
wife,right?”

“Allkindsofpeopletradehere,”repliedthelad,takingRaskolnikov’s
measurecondescendingly.

“What’shisname?”

“Justashewaschristened.”

“YoumustbefromZaraysk,right?Whatprovince?”

TheladlookedatRaskolnikovagain.

“Wedon’thaveanyprovinceswhereIcomefrom,YourExcellency,but
districts.Itwasmybrotherwhocamehere,whileIstayedathome,soIdon’t
know,sir....Bekindandforgiveme,YourExcellency.”

“Isthataneatingplaceupstairs?”

“It’satavern,andithasbilliardtables.Youcanevenfind preencesses
there....Finefolks!”

Raskolnikovwalkedacrossthesquare.There,onthecorner,stoodalarge
Raskolnikovwalkedacrossthesquare.There,onthecorner,stoodalarge
crowdofpeople,allpeasants.Hemadehiswayintothecrowd,glancingattheir
faces.Forsomereasonhefeltlikechattingwitheveryone.Butthepeasants
didn’tpayhimanyattentionandwereclusteredinsmallgroups,makinga
racket.Hestoodthereawhile,thoughtforabit,turnedtotheright,and
proceededalongthesidewalk,inthedirectionofVoznesenskyProspect.After
crossingthesquare,hefoundhimselfinalane.

Hefrequentlyusedtopassalongthisshortstreet,whichmadeabendand
thenledfromthesquaretoSadovayaStreet.Lately,whenhe’dbeenfeeling
queasy,he’devenfeltlikereturningtoalltheseplaces,“tomakehimselfeven
queasier.”Now,asheturnedintothestreet,hewasn’tthinkingaboutanything.

Therewasalargebuildingfilledwithtavernsandothereatingplaces;women
constantlycamerunningout,dressedasiftheywere“goingtovisittheir
neighbors”—bareheaded,wearingonlydresses,butnocoats.Intwoorthree
spotstheycrowdedingroupsonthesidewalk,primarilyneartheentrancestothe
lowerfloor,where,afewstepsdown,onecoulddescendintovariousextremely
entertaininginstitutions. *Inoneofthem,atthatmoment,therewasaloudnoise
andacommotionthatfilledthewholestreet;aguitarwasbeingstrummed,songs
werebeingsung,anditwasallverycheerful.Alargegroupofwomenhad
collectednearthedoor;someweresittingonthesteps,othersweregatheredon
thesidewalk,andstillotherswerestandingandchatting.Nearbyonthestreet,a
drunkensoldierwithacigarettewasmakinghisway,cursingloudly;heseemed
towanttogoinsomewherebuthadforgottenwhere.Oneruffianwascursing
another,andaverydrunkenfellowwassprawledoutinthestreet.Raskolnikov
stoppednearalargegroupofwomen.Bareheadedandallwearingcottondresses
andgoatskinshoes,theywerechattinginhoarsevoices.Someofthemwereover
fortyyearsold,butotherswereonlyaboutseventeen;almostallhadblackeyes.

Forsomereasonthesingingandallthatnoiseandcommotiondownstairs
attractedhim....Fromtherehecouldhear,amidthelaughterandsqueals,
underneaththethinfalsettoofthelivelyrefrainandtheaccompanimentofa
guitar,someonedancingforallhewasworth,tappingouttherhythmwithhis
heels.Helistenedintently,gloomily,andbroodingly,leaningforwardatthe
entrance,glancingcuriouslyfromthesidewalkintotheroom.

Oh,youfinepoliceman,you,
Don’tyoubeatmeupfornothing!

Thesinger’sthinvoicewarbled.Raskolnikovdesperatelywantedtohearthe
wordsthatwerebeingsung,asifthatwerethemostimportantthing.

“ShouldIgoin?”hewondered.“They’relaughing!Alldrunk.MaybeI
shouldgetdrunk,too?”

“Areyougoingin,kindsir?”askedoneofthewomeninaratherresonant
voicethatwasnotyethoarse.Shewasyoungandnotunattractive—oneofthe
groupofwomen.

“My,you’reaprettyone!”hereplied,standingupstraightandglancingat her.

Shesmiled:clearly,shereallyappreciatedhiscompliment.

“You’renotsobad-lookingyourself,”shesaid.

“He’ssoskinny!”anotherwomanmutteredinalowvoice.“Didyoujustget
outofthehospital,orwhat?”

“You’realltryingtolooklikegenerals’daughters,yetyouhavesnub
noses!”interruptedapeasantwhohadjustapproached;hewastipsy,wearinga
heavycoatleftopen,withaslygrinonhismug.“Hey,whatmerrymaking!”

“Goonin,ifyou’rehere!”

“Iwill!Whatsweethearts!”

Andhetumbleddownthestairs.

Raskolnikovmovedon.

“Listen,sir,”onegirlcriedafterhim.

“What?”

Shebecameembarrassed.
“I’dalwaysbegladtosharesometimewithyou,kindsir,butnowmy
conscienceisbotheringme.Giveme,myfinegentleman,sixkopecksfora drink!”

Raskolnikovtookoutwhatevercoinshehad:threefive-kopeckpieces.

“Ah,whatagenerousgentleman!”

“What’syourname?”

“AskforDuklida.”

“No,no.What’sallthat?”oneofthewomenremarked,shakingherheadat
Duklida.“Ijustdon’tknowhowshecanasklikethat!I’dcertainlydiefrom shame...”

Raskolnikovlookedwithcuriosityatthewomanwhowasspeaking.Herface
waspockmarked;shewasaboutthirtyyearsold,coveredwithbruises,andhada
swollenupperlip.Shespokeandcriticizedcalmlyandseriously.

“Wherewasit,”Raskolnikovwonderedashemovedfartheralong,“where
wasitthatIreadthatapersonsentencedtodeath,duringhislasthour,saysor
thinksthatifheweremadetolivesomewherehighup,onacliff,onsucha
narrowplatformthatheonlyhadroomforhistwofeet,andhewassurrounded
byanabyss,anocean,eternaldarkness,eternalsolitude,andeternalstorms—

andthatifhecouldremaintherestandingonhissmallbitofspaceforhisentire
life,athousandyears,foreternity—itwouldbebettertolivelikethatthantodie
atonce!

“Onlytolive,tolive,tolive!Tolive,nomatterhow—onlytolive!How
true!Howtrue,ohLord!Man’sascoundrel!Andthepersonwhocallshima
scoundrelforthatisalsoascoundrel,”headdedamomentlater.

Heemergedontoanotherstreet:“Bah!TheCrystalPalace!Razumikhinwas
talkingabouttheCrystalPalacejustalittlewhileago.ButwhatwasitIwanted todo?
Yes,read....Zosimovsaidthathereadinthepapersabout...”

“Doyouhaveanynewspapers?”heaskeduponenteringanextremely
spaciousandevenorderlytavernthatconsistedofseveralrooms,thoughthey
wereratherdeserted.Twoorthreecustomersweredrinkingtea,andinone
distantroomagroupoffourwassitting,sippingchampagne.Itseemedto
RaskolnikovthatZametovwasamongthem,butitwasdifficulttotellfromafar.

“Sowhat!”hethought.

“Wouldyoulikesomevodka,sir?”askedthewaiter.

“I’dlikesometea.Andbringmethenewspapers,olderones,forthelastfive
days,andI’llgiveyousomemoneyforadrink.”

“Yes,sir.Here’stoday’spaper,sir.Andwouldyoulikesomevodka,sir?”

Theolderpapersandteawerebrought.Raskolnikovsatdownandbegan
searchingthroughthem:“Izler—Izler—Aztecs—Aztecs—Izler—Bartola—

Massimo—Aztecs—Izler....Damnitall!Ah,here’sthenews:awomanfell
downthestairs—atradesmanburnedupasaresultofdrink—afireintheSands

—afireonthePetersburgSide—anotherfireonthePetersburgSide—Izler—

Izler—Izler—Izler—Massimo....Ah,hereitis...”

Hefinallyfoundwhathewaslookingforandbeganreading;thelines
jumpedbeforehiseyes;however,hereadtheentire“newsitem”andgreedily
searchedthroughfollowingissuesforthelatestadditions.Hishandswere
tremblingfromfeverishimpatienceasheturnedthepages.Allofasudden
someonesatdownathistable,oppositehim.Heglancedup—itwasZametov,
theverysame,lookingthesame,withringsandchains,hiscurledandpomaded
blackhairpartedinthesameway,wearingafashionablevest,asomewhatworn
jacket,anddirtylinen.Hewascheerful;atleasthewassmilingcheerfullyand good-
naturedly.Hisdarkfacewasalittleflushedfromthechampagne.

“So!You’rehere?”hebeganinapuzzledvoice,withatoneasifthey’d
knowneachotherforever.“Razumikhintoldmeonlyyesterdaythatyouwere
stilldelirious.Howstrange!Icamebytoseeyou,youknow...”

Raskolnikovknewthathehadcomeby.Hepushedthenewspapersawayand
turnedtofaceZametov.Therewasasmileonhislips,andsomesortofnew,
irritatedimpatienceshonethroughhissmile.
irritatedimpatienceshonethroughhissmile.

“Iknowyoucameby,”hereplied.“Ididhearthat,sir.Youweresearching
formysock....Youknow,Razumikhin’sveryfondofyou;hesaysthatyou
andhewenttoseeLavizaIvanovna,theoneyouweretryingtohelpthattime,
winkingatLieutenantPorokh,buthedidn’tgetit,youremember?Howcouldhe not—
thematterwasperfectlyclear,wasn’tit?”

“Whatarowdyfellowheis!”

“Porokh?”

“No,yourfriendRazumikhin...”

“Youliveprettywell,Mr.Zametov;yougetfreeaccesstothebestplaces!

Who’sbeenjustfillingyoufullofchampagne?”

“Wewerejust...havingadrink....Don’texaggerate!”

“Yourreward!Youmakethebestuseofeverything!”Raskolnikovstarted
laughing.“Nevermind,mygoodfellow,nevermind!”headded,slapping
Zametovontheshoulder.“I’mnotbeingmean,but‘it’soutoflove,playing,’

justlikethatworkmansaidwhenhewaspunchingMitka,inthecaseoftheold
woman.”

“Howdoyouknow?”

“PerhapsIknowmorethanyoudo.”

“You’resuchastrangefellow....Youmuststillbeveryill.Youshouldn’t
havegoneout...”

“So,Iseemstrangetoyou?”

“Yes.So,you’rereadingnewspapers?”

“Yes,newspapers.”
“There’salotaboutallthefires...”

“No,I’mnotreadingaboutfires.”AtthispointhelookedatZametov
mysteriously;asarcasticsmilecurledonhislipsagain.“No,I’mnotreading
aboutfires,”hecontinued,winkingatZametov.“Confess,mydearyoungman,
thatyou’dreallyliketoknowwhatI’vebeenreadingabout.”

“Idon’tcareatall;Imerelyasked.Can’tIask?Whydoyoukeep...”

“Listen.You’reaneducatedman,aliteraryman,right?”

“Ifinishedthesixthclassatthegymnasium,”repliedZametovwithacertain dignity.

“Sixthclass!Ah,quitethestarpupil!Withapartinyourhair,ringsonyour fingers—
you’reawealthyman!Phew,whatafineyoungladyouare!”Atthis
momentRaskolnikovburstintonervouslaughter,rightinhisface.Zametov
flinched,andalthoughhedidnotexactlytakeoffense,hewasextremely surprised.

“Phew,you’resuchastrangefellow!”repeatedZametovveryseriously.“It
seemstomethatyoumuststillbedelirious.”

seemstomethatyoumuststillbedelirious.”

“Delirious?You’reallwrong,mydear!So,inyouropinion,Iseemstrange?

Well,amIarousingyourcuriosity,huh?AmI?”

“Youare.”

“Well,youmeanwhatI’vebeenreadingabout,whatI’vebeensearching for?
JustseehowmanyissuesIhadthembringme!Suspicious,isn’tit?”

“Well,tellme.”

“Areyouallears?”

“Whatdoyoumean?”
“I’llexplainthattoyoulater;butnow,mydearfellow,Ideclare...no,even
better,‘Iconfess....’No,that’snotrighteither:‘I’mmakingastatement,and
youtakeitdown,’”that’swhat!SoI’mmakingastatementthatI’vebeen
reading,thatI’vetakenaninterestin...thatIwaslookingfor,thatIwas
searching...”Raskolnikovscreweduphiseyesandwaited.“WhatIfoundout

—andthat’sexactlywhyIcamehere—aboutthemurderoftheoldwoman,the
civilservant’swidow,”hesaidatlast,almostinawhisper,drawinghisface
extremelyclosetoZametov’sface.Zametovstareddirectlyathimwithout
stirring,notmovinghisfaceawayfromRaskolnikov’s.Lateritseemedto
Zametovthatthestrangestthingaboutthatmomentwasthattheirsilencelasted
afullminute,andforthatminutetheystareddirectlyateachother.

“Well,whatdifferencedoesitmakewhatyou’vebeenreading,”hecriedout
suddenly,inperplexityandimpatience.“WhatdoIcare?Whataboutit?”

“It’saboutthatverysameoldwoman,”Raskolnikovcontinuedinthesame
whisper,withoutflinchingafterZametov’sexclamation,“theoneyouwere
talkingaboutattheoffice,yourecall,whenIfainted.Well,nowdoyou understand?”

“What’sallthis?Whatdoyoumean,‘understand’?”askedZametov,almost alarmed.

Raskolnikov’smotionlessandseriousfacewastransformedinonemoment,
andhesuddenlyburstintothesamenervouslaughterasbefore,asifhewere
absolutelyunabletorestrainhimself.Andatthatmoment,herecalledwithan
extraordinarilyclearsensationanotherrecentmomentwhenhehadstoodbehind
thedoor,axeinhand,withtheboltbouncingupanddown;theywerestanding
outsidetheapartmentarguing,tryingtoforcethedooropen,andhehad
suddenlyfeltlikeshoutingatthem,arguingwiththem,stickinghistongueoutat
them,tauntingthem,mockingthem,andlaughing,laughing,laughing!

“You’reeitheroutofyourmind,or...”Zametovremarked,thenpaused,as
ifsuddenlystruckbyathoughtthatpassedthroughhismindlikeaboltof lightning.

“Or?What’sthat‘or’?Well,what?Sayit!”

“Or?What’sthat‘or’?Well,what?Sayit!”

“Nothing!”Zametovrepliedirately.“It’sallnonsense!”
Theybothfellsilent.Afteranabrupt,fitfulburstoflaughter,Raskolnikov
suddenlybecamethoughtfulandglum.Heplacedhiselbowsonthetableand
restedhisheadonhishands.HeseemedtohaveforgottenallaboutZametov.

Thesilencelastedratheralongtime.

“Whydon’tyoudrinkyourtea?It’llbecold,”Zametovsaid.

“Huh?What?Tea?Allright...”Raskolnikovtookaswallowfromtheglass
andputasmallpieceofbreadintohismouth.LookingatZametov,hesuddenly
seemedtorecalleverythingandpulledhimselftogether.Atthatmoment,his
faceassumeditsoriginalsarcasticexpression.Hecontinueddrinkinghistea.

“Thesedaysalargenumberofswindlershaveturnedup,”saidZametov.

“JustrecentlyIreadinthe MoscowNews thatagangofcounterfeitershadbeen

apprehended.Therewasawholesocietyofthem.Theywereforgingbanknotes.”

“Oh,thatwasalongtimeago!Ireadthatamonthago,”Raskolnikovreplied
serenely.“So,youthinktheywerereallyswindlers?”headdedwithalaugh.

“Whatelsecouldtheybe?”

“Whatelse?Theywerechildren,greenhorns,notswindlers!Fiftypeople
gatheredtogetherforthatpurpose!Isthatpossible?Threewouldhavebeentoo
many,andeventhen,itwouldworkonlyiftheytrustedeachothermorethan
theytrustedthemselves!Ifonlyoneofthemgotdrunkandletthecatoutofthe
bag,thewholeschemewouldcollapse!Greenhorns!Theyhireunreliablepeople
tochangebanknotesinoffices:canyoutrustperfectstrangerswithajoblike that?
Well,let’ssupposethosegreenhornssucceeded;let’ssupposeeachonegot
awaywithamillionrubles;well,thenwhat?Fortherestoftheirlives?Eachone
woulddependonalltheothersfortherestoftheirlives!They’dbebetteroff
hangingthemselves!Andtheydidn’tevenknowhowtoexchangethe
counterfeitnotes:oneofthemwalkedintothebankoffice,exchangedfive
thousandrubles,andhishandswereshaking.Hecountedoutfourthousand,but
tookthefifthwithoutevencounting,onfaith,sohecouldstashitinhispocket
andgetawayassoonaspossible.Well,hearousedsuspicionandthewhole
schemecamecrashingdownasaresultofonefool!Isthatthewaytodoit?”
“Hishandswereshaking?”interruptedZametov.“No,that’spossible,sir.

No,I’mabsolutelysureit’spossible.Whatifyoucouldn’tbearthestrain?”

“Ofwhat?”

“Andyou,couldyoubearit?No,Icouldn’t!Confrontsuchterribledanger
forarewardofonehundredrubles!Togo—where?Intoabankofficewith
counterfeitnotes,wheretheyknowallthetricksofthetrade—no,I’dget
frazzled.Wouldn’tyou,too?”

OnceagainRaskolnikovfelttheurgeto“stickouthistongue.”Attimesa

OnceagainRaskolnikovfelttheurgeto“stickouthistongue.”Attimesa
shiverranupanddownhisspine.

“Iwouldn’thavedoneitlikethat,”hebeganinaroundaboutway.“Here’s
howIwouldhavechangedthecounterfeitbanknotes:I’dhavecountedthefirst
thousandverycarefully,fourtimesover,examiningeachnote,andthenmoved
ontothenextthousand;I’dhavebeguncountingthatone,reachedthemiddleof
thepile,andthenpulledoutsomefifty-rublenote,heldituptothelight,turned
itover,andheldthatsideuptothelight,too—checkingtoseeifitwas
counterfeit.‘I’mafraid,’Iwouldsay.‘Severaldaysago,arelativeofminelost
twenty-fiverubles.’AndIwouldhavetoldhimthewholestory.AndwhenI
startedcountingthethirdthousand—‘No,wait,IthinkImiscountedtheseventh
hundredinthesecondthousand.’I’dbeovercomebydoubt;thenI’dputdown
thethirdthousand,returntothesecond,andsoonforallfive.AssoonasI’d
finished,I’dpullonebanknoteoutofthefifththousandandoneoutofthe
second,holdthemuptothelightagain,andIwouldsay,lookingverydoubtful,

‘Pleaseexchangethese,’andthusIwoulddrivetheclerktoutterexasperation,
sothathe’dbelookingforawaytogetridofme!I’dfinishallmybusiness,
starttoleave,openthedoor—butno,excuseme,I’dgobackagain,askabout
somethingelse,andlistentohisexplanation—that’showI’ddoit!”

“Phew!Whatterriblethingsyousay!”Zametovsaidwithalaugh.“But
that’salljusttalk;infact,ifyouwereactuallydoingthedeed,you’dprobably
falter.Itellyou,inmyopinion,notonlyyouandI,butevenanexperienced,
desperatemancouldn’tdependonhimself.Whygosofar?Here’sanexample:
anoldwomanwasmurderedinourneighborhood.Itseemsitwasdonebyareal
blockhead,takingallsortsofrisksinbroaddaylight,savedonlybyamiracle—

andstillhishandswereshaking:hedidn’tknowhowtorobher,couldn’ttakeit;
it’sclearfromthecasethat...”

Raskolnikovseemedtotakeoffense.

“Clear?Well,then,gofindhimnow!”hecried,urgingZametovon maliciously.

“Whatofit?He’llbecaught.”

“Bywhom?Byyou?Willyoucatchhim?You’llwearyourselfout!Here’s
whatyouconsidermostimportant:isthemanspendingthemoneyornot?He
hadnomoneybefore,andthenhesuddenlystartsspending.Itmustbehim!A
childcouldfoolyouwiththatargument,ifonlyhewantedto!”

“Thethingis,that’sexactlywhattheyalldo,”repliedZametov.“They
murdershrewdly,risktheirlives,thengostraighttoatavernandgetdrunk.

They’recaughtwhentheystartspending.They’renotallascleverasyouare.Of
course,youwouldn’tgorighttoatavern,wouldyou?”

Raskolnikovfrownedandstareddirectlyathim.

Raskolnikovfrownedandstareddirectlyathim.

“Itseemsyou’vedevelopedatasteformyapproachandwanttoknowhow
I’dbehaveinthiscase?”Raskolnikovaskedwithdispleasure.

“Iwould,”Zametovrepliedfirmlyandseriously;hebeganspeakingand
staringabittoointensely.

“Verymuch?”

“Verymuch.”

“Allright.ThisishowI’dhavebehaved,”beganRaskolnikov,onceagain
suddenlydrawinghisfaceclosetoZametov’s,staringintentlyathimagain,and
whisperingoncemore,sothatthistimeZametovevenshuddered.“Here’swhat
I’dhavedone:I’dhavetakenthemoneyandtheitemsand,assoonasI’dleft,
immediately,withoutstoppinganywhere,I’dhavegoneoffsomewheretoa
remotespotwheretherewereonlyfences,noonearound—somegardenor
somethinglikethat.I’dhavebeentotheyardbeforehandandhavelookedfora
largerock,weighingsomefortyorfiftypounds,somewhereoverinacorner,
nearafence,thathadperhapsbeentheresincethehousehadbeenbuilt;I’dhave
liftedupthisrock—there’dhavetobeaspaceunderit—andI’dhaveplacedall
theitemsandthemoneyintothatspace.I’dhavereplacedtherockandputit
backthesamewayasitwasbefore,presseditdownwithmyfoot,andthengone
away.Iwouldn’thavetoucheditforayear,ortwo,orthree—well,justtryto
findthatmurderer!Hewashere,buthe’svanished!”

“You’remad,”Zametovmuttered,alsoinawhisper;then,forsomereason,
hemovedawayfromRaskolnikov.Raskolnikov’seyeswereshining;he’d
grownterriblypale;hisupperlipwastremblingandshaking.Heleanedtoward
Zametov,ascloseashecouldget,andbeganmovinghislips,utteringnothingat
all;hestayedlikethatforhalfaminute;heknewwhathewasdoing,butwas
unabletostophimself.Aterribleword,liketheboltontheoldwoman’sdoor,
trembledonhislips:anymomenttheboltwouldgiveway,anymomenthe
wouldletthewordout,anymomenthewouldutterit!

“WhatifitwasmewhomurderedtheoldwomanandLizaveta?”hesaid suddenlyand
—cametohissenses.

Zametovlookedathiminfrightandturnedpaleasaghost.Hisfacewas
distortedbyasmile.

“Isthatpossible?”heasked,barelyaudibly.

Raskolnikovlookedathimspitefully.

“Admitthatyoubelievedme.Eh?Didn’tyou?”

“Notatall!NowIbelieveitevenless!”Zametovsaidhastily.

“You’recaughtatlast!Thestarpupil’sbeencaught.Ifyou‘believeitless,’

thatmeansyoumusthavebelieveditbefore.”
“Notintheleast!”criedZametov,obviouslyflustered.“Wasthatwhyyou

“Notintheleast!”criedZametov,obviouslyflustered.“Wasthatwhyyou
frightenedme,justtoleadmetothis?”

“Soyoudon’tbelieveme?ThenwhatwereyoutalkingaboutafterIleftthe
office,then?AndwhydidLieutenantPorokhinterrogatemeafterIfainted?Hey,
you,”heshoutedtothewaiter,standingandpickinguphiscap.“HowmuchdoI
oweyou?”

“Thirtykopecksinall,sir,”hereplied,runningover.

“Here’sanextratwentykopeckstobuyyourselfadrink.Seehowmuch
moneyIhave!”HestretchedhistremblinghandtowardZametov;itwasfullof
banknotes—ten-rublenotesandfives,twenty-fiverublesinall.“WheredidIget
them?WheredidIgetmynewclothes?YouknowthatIdidn’thaveakopeck
before.You’veprobablyquestionedmylandladyalready....Well,enough.

Assezcausé! †Good-bye....Allthebest!”

Heleft,tremblingfromsomewildhystericalfeelingmixedtogetherwith
unbearablepleasure—hewasfeelinggloomy,however,andhorriblytired.His
facewasdistorted,asifaftersomesortofseizure.Hisexhaustionwasquickly
increasing.Hisstrengthwasarousedandnowcameonsuddenlywiththefirst
stimulus,withthefirstirritatingsensation,andthatwanedjustasquicklyasthe
sensationfadedaway.

MeanwhileZametov,leftalone,satindeepthoughtinthesamespotfor
sometime.Raskolnikovhadunexpectedlyoverturnedallhisthoughtsona
certainpointandforcedhimtoreachadefinitiveconclusion:

“IlyaPetrovichisablockhead!”hedecidedonceandforall.

JustassoonasRaskolnikovhadopenedthedoortothestreet,suddenly,
thereonthestairs,hemetRazumikhin,whowascomingintothetavern.Neither
sawtheother,evenastepaway,andtheyalmostbumpedheads.Forsometime
theymeasuredeachotherwiththeirglances.Razumikhinwasgreatlyastonished,
butallofasudden,rage,genuinerageflashedmenacinglyinhiseyes.
“Sothisiswhereyouare!”hecriedatthetopofhislungs.“Youranaway
fromyourbed!Ievenlookedforyouunderyoursofa!Weevenwentuptothe
atticlookingforyou!IalmostgaveNastasyaabeatingbecauseofyou....And
wherewereyou?Rodka!Whatdoesthismean?Tellmethewholetruth!

Confess!Youhear?”

“ItmeansthatIwasboredtodeathwithallofyouandwanttobealone,”

Raskolnikovrepliedcalmly.

“Alone?Whenyoustillcan’twalk,whenyourmug’sstillpaleasaghost,
andyou’regaspingforbreath!Youfool!WhatwereyoudoingintheCrystal Palace?
Confessatonce!”

“Letmego!”saidRaskolnikov,attemptingtomovepast.Thisdrove
Razumikhinintoarage;hegrabbedhimfirmlybytheshoulder.

Razumikhinintoarage;hegrabbedhimfirmlybytheshoulder.

“Letyougo?Youdaresay,‘Letmego!’DoyouknowwhatI’mgoingtodo
withyounow?I’llgrabholdofyou,tieyouupinabundle,carryyouhome
undermyarm,andlockyouup.”

“Listen,Razumikhin,”Raskolnikovbegansoftly,apparentlyincomplete
calm.“Don’tyouseethatIdon’twantyourkindness?What’sthisdesireof
yourstodogooddeedsforthosewho...whospitonthem?Forthosewho
ultimatelyfindyourkindnessreallydifficulttobear?Whydidyoucomelooking
formewhenIfirstfellill?PerhapsIwould’vebeengladtodie?Well,haven’tI
shownyouclearlytodaythatyou’retormentingme,andthat...I’mfedupwith
you!Whythisdesiretotormentotherpeople?Icanassureyouthatallthis
seriouslyinterfereswithmyrecovery,becauseitconstantlyirritatesme.

Zosimovlefttheotherdaysohewouldn’tannoyme!Wouldyou,too,leaveme
alone,forheaven’ssake?Besides,whatrightdoyouhavetorestrainmeby force?
Don’tyouseethatnowI’mspeakingentirelyinmyrightmind?How,
how,tellmeatlast,howcanIfinallyconvinceyounottokeeppesteringmeand
stopyoufromtryingtobenicetome?SayI’mungrateful,sayI’mvile,but
leavemealone,allofyou,forheaven’ssake,leavemealone!Letmebe!Letme be!”
Hebeganserenely,takingpleasurebeforehandinthevenomhewasaboutto
spew,buthefinishedinafrenzy,gaspingforbreathashehadpreviouslywith Luzhin.

Razumikhinstoodthere,thoughtforawhile,andremovedhishand.

“Gotohell!”hesaidsoftly,almostthoughtfully.“Wait!”heroaredsuddenly
whenRaskolnikovwasabouttostirfromwherehestood.“Listentome.I
declarethatallofyou,tothelastone,areblabberersandbraggarts!Assoonas
youcomeupagainstsomepatheticbitofsuffering,youfussoveritlikeahen
withheregg!Eventhenyoustealfromotherwriters.There’snotatraceof
independentlifeinyou!You’remadefromwaxyspermacetiwhaleoil,andyou
havewaterywheyinyourveinsinsteadofblood!Idon’ttrustanyofyou!The
firstthingyoudoinanycircumstanceistrynottoresembleahumanbeing!

Wait!”hecriedwithredoubledfury,havingnoticedthatRaskolnikovwasabout
totakehisleaveagain.“Hearmeouttotheend!Youknowthatpeopleare
comingtomyhousewarmingtoday;perhapsthey’vegatheredalready.Ileftmy
uncletheretoreceivetheguests—andstoppedinherejustnow.So,ifyouwere
notsuchafool,notsuchavulgarfool,anabsolutefool,atranslationfromthe
original...yousee,Rodya,Iadmit,you’reclever,butyou’restillafool!Well,
ifyouwerenotsuchafool,you’dbebetteroffcomingbymyplacetodayto
spendtheeveningtherethanwearingoutyournewbootsfornothinghere.Since

you’reout,whynot?I’dborrowanice,softarmchairforyou;mylandlordhas
one....You’dhavesometea,somecompany....Orelse,youcouldliedown
onthecouch—you’dstillbeamongus....AndZosimovwillbethere.Perhaps
you’llchangeyourmindandcome?”

“No.”

“You’relying!”criedRazumikhinimpatiently.“Howdoyouknow?You
can’tanswerforyourself!Youdon’tunderstandathing....I’vequarreledwith
othersathousandtimeslikethis,brokenitoff,andthengonerunningbackto
themagain....Youfeelashamed—soyougobacktotheperson!Remember,
it’sPochinkov’shouse,thethirdfloor...”

“Itseemsyou’llletanyonebeatyouup,Mr.Razumikhin,justforthe
enjoymentofbeingnicetohim.”
“Who?Me?I’dtwisthisnoseifhesomuchasdreamtofit!Pochinkov’s
house,number47,theapartmentofthecivilservantBabushkin...”

“Iwon’tcome,Razumikhin!”Raskolnikovsaid,turningandwalkingaway.

“Ibetyouwill!”Razumikhinshoutedafterhim.“Orelseyou...orelseI
won’thaveanythingtodowithyou!Hey,waitamoment!IsZametovinthere?”

“Yes.”

“Didyouseehim?”

“Idid.”

“Andtalktohim?”

“Idid.”

“Aboutwhat?Well,thehellwithyou,thendon’ttellme.Pochinkov’shouse,
number47,Babushkin’sapartment,remember!”

RaskolnikovwentasfarasSadovayaandthenturnedthecorner.

Razumikhinwatchedthoughtfullyashewent.Atlast,hegestured
contemptuously,enteredthebuilding,butstoppedinthemiddleofthestairs.

“Damnitall!”hecontinued,almostaloud.“Hetalkssense,butit’sas
if....WhatafoolIam!Don’tmadmenmakesense?ItseemsthatZosimovwas
afraidofsomethingexactlylikethis.”Hetappedhisforehead.“Well,what
if...howcanIlethimgoawayalonenow?Hemightdrownhimself....Hey,
I’veslippedup!Ican’t!”Heranback,chasingafterRaskolnikov,buthewas
alreadygone.HespatindisgustandhastenedbacktotheCrystalPalaceto
interrogateZametovasquicklyaspossible.

RaskolnikovwentdirectlytotheVoznesenskyBridge,stoodinthemiddle
neartherailing,restedhiselbowsonit,andgazedoffalongthebank.After
partingfromRazumikhin,hefeltsoweakthathe’dscarcelymanagedtoget
there.Hefeltlikesittingorlyingdownsomewhereinthestreet.Leaningout
overthewater,heabsentmindedlyregardedthelastpinkglowofsunset,therow
ofhouses,whichgrewdarkerinthedeepeningtwilight,onedistantlittle
window,somewhereupinanatticalongtheleftbank,shiningwithaflamefrom
thelastrayofsunlightthatstruckitforamoment,andthedarkeningwaterof
thecanal;heseemedtobestaringatthewaterwithparticularattention.Inthe
end,someshapeslikeredcirclesbeganspinningbeforehiseyes,thehouses
beganmoving,passersby,theembankments,carriages—everythingbegan
turninganddancingaround.Suddenlyheshuddered,perhapssavedfromanother
faintingspellbyoneriotous,hideoussight.Hesuddenlyfeltthatsomebodywas
standingnearhim,athisrightside,nexttohim;heglancedupandsawatall
womanwearingakerchief,withayellow,elongated,emaciatedfaceandsunken
reddisheyes.Shestareddirectlyathim,butobviouslydidn’tseeanythingand
couldn’tperceiveanything.Suddenlysherestedherrighthandontherailing,
liftedherrightlegandthrustitover,thenherleftleg,andthrewherselfintothe
canal.Thedirtywaterpartedandswalloweditsvictiminstantly,butinaminute
thedrowningwomansurfacedandwascarriedalonggently,herskirtpuffedup
abovethewaterlikeapillow.

“She’sdrowningherself!Drowning!”shouteddozensofvoices;peoplecame
running,andbothembankmentswerecoveredwithspectators.Acrowdgathered
onthebridgearoundRaskolnikov,surroundinghimandpressinginonhimfrom
behind.

“GoodLord,that’sourAfrosinyushka!”atearfulwoman’svoicecalledout
fromnearby.“Goodheavens,saveher!Kindsirs,pullherout!”

“Aboat!Aboat!”peoplecriedoutfromthecrowd.

Butaboatwasunnecessary:apolicemanrandownthestepstotheedgeof
thecanal,threwoffhisovercoatandboots,andplungedintothewater.Itdidn’t
takemucheffort:thedrowningwomanwascarriedbythecurrenttowithina
fewfeetoftheedge.Hegrabbedherclothingwithhisrighthand,andwithhis
left,hetookholdofapolethathiscomradehadextendedtowardhim.The
drowningwomanwasimmediatelyfishedoutofthewater.Shewasplacedon
thegraniteblocksofthestairs.Shecametoquickly,raisedherself,satup,and
begansneezingandsniffling,senselesslywipingherhandsonherwetdress.She
didn’tsayaword.
“Shedrankherselfsilly,kindsirs,absolutelysilly,”howledthatsame
woman’svoice,nowstandingrightnexttoAfrosinyushka.“Afewdaysagoshe
triedtohangherself,buttheycutherdown.JustnowIwentintoashopandleft
ayounggirltowatchoverher—andhere’swhathappened!She’satrader,dear
sirs,oneofus;welivenearby,thesecondhousefromthecorner,rightover here...”

Thecrowdpartedwhilethepolicemenwerestillfussingovertheyoung

woman;someoneshoutedsomethingaboutthepolicestation....Raskolnikov
regardedeverythingwithastrangesensationofindifferenceandunconcern.He
feltdisgusted.“No,it’svile...water...it’snogood,”hemutteredtohimself.

“Nothingwillcomeofit,”headded,“there’snoreasontowait.What’sthat
aboutthepolicestation?Whyisn’tZametovthere?It’sopentillteno’clock.”He
turnedhisbacktotherailingandlookedaround.

“Well,allright!Whynot?”hesaiddecisively;hemovedawayfromthe
bridgeandheadedinthedirectionofthepolicestation.Hisheartwasemptyand
hollow.Hedidn’twanttothink.Evenhisglummoodhadpassed;therewasno
traceoftheformerenergyhe’dfeltwhenhe’dlefthome“toenditall.”

Completeapathyhadtakenitsplace.

“Wellthen,it’sawayout!”hethought,walkingslowlyandlimplyalongthe
canalembankment.“Still,I’llenditbecauseIwantto....Butisitawayout?It
makesnodifference!There’llbejustasquareyardofspace—ha!Butwhatan
ending!Isitreallytheend?WillItellthemornot?Oh...hell!I’mverytired:it
wouldbegoodtoliedownorsitdownsomewheresoon!Themostembarrassing
thingisthatIdiditverystupidly.Tohellwithallthat!Phew,suchstupid
thoughtsoccurtome...”

Togettothepolicestation,hehadtogostraightandthenturnleftatthe
secondstreet:itwasjustafewstepsaway.Butwhenhereachedthefirststreet,
hestopped,thoughtforabit,turnedintothelane,andwalkedaround,through
twostreets—perhapswithoutanygoal,justtoextendthemomentandgainsome
time.Hewalkedalong,lookingdownattheground.Suddenlyitwasasthough
someonewhisperedsomethinginhisear.Heraisedhisheadandnoticedthathe
wasstandingnextto thatsame house,nearthegates.Hehadn’tbeenbackhere since
thatsame eveningandhadn’tevenpassedby.

Anirresistible,inexplicabledesiredrewhim.Heentered,crossedunderthe
gateway,thenwentintothefirstentranceontheright,andbeganclimbingthe
familiarstaircaseuptothefourthfloor.Itwasverydarkonthenarrow,steep
stairs.Hepausedoneachlandingandlookedaroundwithcuriosity.Onthefirst-
floorlanding,thewindowframehadbeenremovedfromonewindow.“Itwasn’t
likethatthen,”hethought.Nexthecametotheapartmentonthesecondfloor
whereNikolashkaandMitkahadbeenworking:“It’slocked;thedoor’sbeen
freshlypainted;thatmeansit’sforrent.”Here’sthethirdfloor...andthe
fourth...“Here!”Hewasstruckwithbewilderment.Thedoortotheapartment
waswideopen,therewerepeopleinside,andvoicescouldbeheard:hehadn’t
expectedthatatall.Afterhesitatingalittle,heclimbedthelaststairsandentered
theapartment.

Itwasbeingredecorated;therewereworkersinside;thatseemedtoastound
him.Forsomereason,he’dimaginedthathewouldfindtheplacejustashe’d

him.Forsomereason,he’dimaginedthathewouldfindtheplacejustashe’d
leftitthen,perhapsevenwiththebodiesinthesameplaceonthefloor.Butnow
therewerebarewallsandnofurniture;itseemedsostrange!Hecrossedtothe
windowandsatdownonthewindowseat.

Therewereonlytwoworkmen,bothyounglads,oneolder,andtheother
muchyounger.Theywerehangingnewpaperonthewalls,whitewithlilac
flowers,insteadofthepreviousyellow,wornout,fadedwallpaper.Forsome
reason,Raskolnikovdidn’tlikethatatall;heregardedthenewpaperwith
hostility,asifregrettingthatanythinghadchanged.

Theworkmen,apparently,hadlingeredandnowwerehastilyrollingupthe
wallpaper,planningtoleaveforhome.Raskolnikov’sappearanceattracted
almostnoattention.Theywerechattingaboutsomethingorother.Raskolnikov
foldedhisarmsandbeganlistening.

“Soshecomestome,thatonedoes,inthemorning,”saystheeldertothe
younger,“atthecrackofdawn,alldressedup.‘What’sthisabout?’Isay.‘Why
areyouprancin’andstruttin’infrontofme?’Isay.‘’Cause,’shesays,‘from
nowon,TitVasilich,Iwantyoutobemylordandmaster.’That’swhatshe
says!Andshe’salldressedup:justlikeinajournal,arealjournal.”

“What’sajournal,uncle?”askedtheyoungerlad.Obviouslyhewas

“uncle’s”pupil.

“Ajournal,myfriend,isfullo’pictures,coloredones,andtheycometothe
localtailor’severySaturday,inthemail,fromabroad,andtheyshowhowto
dress,bothformenandthesameforwomen.There’sdrawin’s,Imean.Menare
wearin’shortwintercoats,butasforwomen,myfriend,suchtarts,ifyougave
meeverythin’youhave,itstillwouldn’tbeenough.”

“ThethingsyoufindinthisPetersburgofours!”theyoungerladsaid
enthusiastically.“Everythin’youcouldpossiblywishfor!”

“Everythin’,myyoungfriend,absolutelyeverythin’,”theoldermanaffirmed
instructively.

Raskolnikovstoodupandwentintotheotherroom,wherepreviouslythe
trunk,thebed,andthechestofdrawershadbeen:theroomseemedterribly
smallwithnofurniture.Thewallpaperherewasstillthesame.Inthecornerhe
couldseeclearlyoutlinedtheplacewheretheiconcasehadstood.Helooked
aroundandreturnedtohislittlewindow.Theelderworkmanwaskeepinganeye
onhim.

“Whatdoyouwant,sir?”heaskedsuddenly,turningtohim.

Insteadofareply,Raskolnikovstoodupandwenttothepassageway,took
holdofthebellchain,andyankedit.Itwasthesamebell,thesamemetallic
sound!Heyankeditasecondtimeandathird;helistenedandremembered.The
previous,horriblytormenting,hideousfeelingreturnedtohimallthemore

previous,horriblytormenting,hideousfeelingreturnedtohimallthemore
distinctlyandvividly;heshudderedwitheverysound,yetitseemedmoreand
moreenjoyabletohim.

“Whatdoyouwant?Whoareyou?”criedoneworkman,comingouttomeet
him.Raskolnikoventeredthroughthedooragain.
“Iwanttorentthisapartment,”hesaid.“I’mlookingaround.”

“Peopledon’trentapartmentsatnight;besides,youmustcometoseeitwith
thecaretaker.”

“Theywashedthefloor;willtheypaintit?”Raskolnikovcontinued.“There’s
noblood?”

“Whatblood?”

“Theoldwomanandhersisterweremurderedhere.Therewasalargepool.”

“Whatsortofapersonareyou?”criedtheworkmanapprehensively.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Youwanttoknow?Let’sgotothepolicestation.I’lltellyouthere.”

Theworkmenlookedathiminconfusion.

“It’stimeforustogo,sir.We’vestayedtoolong.Let’sgo,Alyoshka.We
havetolockup,”theelderworkmansaid.

“Well,let’sgo!”repliedRaskolnikovapatheticallyandwalkedoutahead,
descendingthestairsslowly.“Hey,caretaker!”hecried,ashewentthroughthe gate.

Severalpeoplestoodattheentrancetothehouse,lookingatpassersbyonthe
street:twocaretakers,apeasantwoman,atradesmaninarobe,andsomeone
else.Raskolnikovwalkedrightuptothem.

“Whatdoyouwant?”oneofthecaretakersasked.

“Haveyoubeentothepolicestation?”

“Iwasjustthere.Whydoyouwanttoknow?”

“Isanyonestillthere?”
“Yes.”

“Istheassistantthere?”

“Hewasforawhile.What’sittoyou?”

Raskolnikovmadenoreplyandstoodnexttohim,deepinthought.

“Hecametoseetheapartment,”saidtheelderworkman,drawingnear.

“Whichone?”

“Wherewe’reworking.‘Why,’hesays,‘didyouwashawaytheblood?

Here,’hesays,‘therewasamurder,andIwanttorenttheapartment.’Hestarts
ringingthedoorbell,almosttoreitoff.‘Let’sgo,’hesays,‘tothepolicestation,
andI’lltellyoueverything.’Helatchedontous.”

ThecaretakerlookedatRaskolnikovinconfusionandscowled.

ThecaretakerlookedatRaskolnikovinconfusionandscowled.

“Andjustwhothehellareyou?”hecriedmorethreateningly.

“IamRodionRomanychRaskolnikov,aformerstudent.IliveatShil’s
house,inthelanenearby,notfarfromhere,apartmentnumber14.Askthe
caretaker...heknowsme,”Raskolnikovutteredallthislazilyanddistractedly,
withoutturningaround,staringintentlyatthedarkenedstreet.

“Why’dyoucometothisapartment?”

“Toseeit.”

“What’stheretosee?”

“Shouldwetakehimtothepolicestation?”thetradesmanventuredandthen
fellsilent.

Raskolnikovglancedathimoverhisshoulder,regardedhimattentively,and
saidjustasquietlyandlazily:
“Let’sgo!”

“Andtakehim!”criedthetradesman,feelingencouraged.“Whywashe
goingonabout that?Doeshehavesomethingonhismind,huh?”

“Drunkornot,Godknows,”mutteredtheworkman.

“Whatdoyouwant?”criedthecaretakeragain,beginningtogrowreally
angry.“Whyareyoubotheringus?”

“Areyouafraidtogotothepolice?”Raskolnikovaskedwithasmirk.

“WhyshouldIbeafraid?Whyareyoupesteringus?”

“Whatarascal!”criedthepeasantwoman.

“Whyeventalktohim?”criedtheothercaretaker,anenormouspeasant
dressedinaheavytunicandcarryingkeysonhisbelt.“Clearout!You’rea
rascal,allright....Clearout!”

GrabbingRaskolnikovbytheshoulder,heshovedhimoutintothestreet.He
almostwentheadoverheels,butdidn’tfall;hemanagedtorighthimself,looked
atallthespectatorsinsilence,andthenwalkedaway.

“Astrangebird,”saidtheworkman.

“Folksisallstrangethesedays,”saidthepeasantwoman.

“Still,weshould’vetakenhimtothepolice,”addedthetradesman.

“There’snoreasontogetmixedupinit,”concludedthelargecaretaker.

“He’sarascal,heis!He’suptosomething,that’sclear,butifwegetmixedup
init,itwon’tbeeasytogetout....Weknowthat!”

“ShouldIgoornot?”Raskolnikovwondered,pausinginthemiddleofthe
streetatthecrossingandlookingaround,asifexpectingthefinalwordtocome
fromsomeone.Buttherewasnoreplyfromanywhere;everythingwassilentand
dead,likethecobblestoneshewalkedon,deadtohim,tohim
alone....Suddenly,faroff,abouttwohundredstepsaway,attheendofthe

street,inthethickeningdarkness,hemadeoutacrowd,voices,
shouting....Somesortofcarriagestoodamidstthethrong....Alightwas
shininginthemiddleofthestreet.“What’sthat?”Raskolnikovwondered;he
turnedtotherightandheadedtowardthecrowd.Heseemedtobegraspingat
anythingandsmiledcoldlywhenherealizedthatfact,becausehehaddefinitely
decidedtogotothepolicestationandknewforsurethateverythingwouldsoon end.

*Aeuphemismforbrothels.

†“Enoughtalk;thatwilldo!”(French).

VII

Agentleman’sfashionablecarriagestoodinthemiddleofthestreet,harnessed
toapairoflivelygrayhorses.Therewerenopassengers,andthecoachman
himself,afterclimbingdownfromthebox,stoodnexttothem,holdingthe
horsesbytheirbridle.Alargecrowdhadgathered,andsomepolicemenwere
standinginfrontofthem.Onewasholdingalitlantern,withwhich,byleaning
over,hewascastinglightonsomethinglyingonthepavementnearthecarriage
wheels.Everyonewastalking,shouting,andexclaiming;thecoachmanseemed
confusedandkeptrepeating,fromtimetotime:

“Whatashame!Lord,whataterribleshame!”

Raskolnikovgotascloseashecouldandfinallysawtheobjectofallthis
commotionandcuriosity.Onthegroundlayamanwhohadjustbeenrunover
bythehorses.Hewasapparentlyunconscious,verybadlydressed,butinwhat
hadoncebeen“respectable”clothes;hewascoveredinblood.Bloodwas
flowingfromhisfaceandhead;hisfacewasallbeaten,battered,andmangled.It
wasclearthathe’dbeenbadlytrampledandwasinverygravecondition.

“GoodLord!”wailedthecoachman.“HowcouldIhaveavoidedit?IfI’d
beenracingorhadn’tcalledouttohim—butIwasn’tgoingfast,onlyata
moderatepace.Everyonesaw:I’mjustrepeatingwhateveryoneelsesays.A
drunkcan’tevenwalkastraightline—that’swellknown!Isawhim;hewas
crossingthestreet,reelingfromsidetoside,andalmostfallingover....I
shoutedtohimonce,thenasecondtime,athird,andIreinedinmyhorses;but
hestumbledrightintothemandfellundertheirhooves!Eitherhediditon
purpose,orelsehewasverydrunk....Thehorsesareyoung,easilystartled;
theyshiedandhescreamed—thenitgotworse...that’showitwas.”

“That’swhathappened!”criedawitness’svoicefromthecrowd.

“Hedidshout,that’strue,heshoutedtohimthreetimes,”echoedanother.

“Exactlythreetimes,everyoneheard!”criedathird.

Thecoachman,however,wasneitherverydisconsolatenorfrightened.Itwas
clearthatthecarriagebelongedtosomewealthyandinfluentialperson,whowas
somewhereawaitingitsarrival;thepolicemen,ofcourse,tookgreatpainsto
expeditethematter.Theywouldhavetotransporttheinjuredmanfirsttothe
policestationandthentothehospital.Nooneknewhisname.

Meanwhile,Raskolnikovhadcrowdedincloserandhadbentoverthe
victim.Suddenlythelanternbrightlylittheunfortunateman’sface:he
recognizedhim.

recognizedhim.

“Iknowhim,Ido!”heshouted,pushingtothefrontofthecrowd.“He’sa
civilservant,aretiredtitularcounselor,Marmeladov!Helivesnearhere,in
Kozel’shouse....Getadoctorimmediately!I’llpay!Here!”Hepulledsome
moneyoutofhispocketandkeptshowingittoapoliceman.Raskolnikovwasin
astateofextremeagitation.

Thepolicemenwerepleasedtolearntheunfortunateman’sidentity.

Raskolnikovidentifiedhimself,providedhisaddress,and,withallhismight,as
ifitconcernedhisownfather,triedtopersuadethemtocarrytheunconscious
Marmeladovhomeasquicklyaspossible.

“It’srighthere,onlythreehousesaway,”hepleaded,“Kozel’shouse,a
German,awealthyman....Hewasjustonhiswayhome,probablydrunk.I
knowhim....He’sadrunkard....Hehasafamily,awife,children,andone
daughter.There’snoneedtotakehimtothehospitalwhenthere’sprobablya
doctorinhisbuilding!I’llpayforit,Iwill!He’llbecaredforbyhisownpeople;
they’llhelprightaway,orelsehe’lldiebeforehegetstothehospital...”

He’devenmanagedtoslipsomethingintothepoliceman’shand.Thematter,
moreover,wasclearandlegal;inanycase,helpwascloser.Helperswerefound
toliftandcarrytheinjuredman.Kozel’shousewasonlyaboutthirtystepsaway.

Raskolnikovwalkedbehind,carefullysupportingMarmeladov’sheadand
showingthemtheway.

“Thisway,overhere!Wehavetoclimbthestairswithhisheadfirst;turn
around...that’stheway!I’llpay,I’llbegrateful,”hemuttered.

KaterinaIvanovna,asalwayswhenshehadafreemoment,hadjustbegun
pacingupanddownintheirsmallroom,fromthewindowtothestoveandback
again,herarmstightlyfoldedacrossherchest,talkingtoherselfandcoughing.

Lately,she’dbegunchattingmoreoftenandatgreaterlengthwithherelderlittle
girl,theten-year-oldPolyenka,who,eventhoughshedidn’tunderstandallthat
much,knewverywellthathermotherneededher,andthereforefollowedher
withherlargeclevereyes,pretendingwithallhermightthatsheunderstood
everything.ThistimePolyenkawasundressingheryoungerbrother,whohad
beensickallday;shewasgettinghimreadyforbed.Whilehisshirtwasbeing
changed,becauseitwasgoingtobewashedthatnight,thelittleboysatupona
chairsilently,straightandmotionless,withaseriouslookonhisface.Hislittle
feetwerestretchedoutinfrontofhim,squeezedtightly,heelstogetherandtoes
turnedoutward.Hewaslisteningtowhathismotherwassayingtohissister,his
lipspouting,hiseyesbulging,sittingstill,justthewayallcleverlittleboys
shouldsitwhentheyarebeingundressedandpreparedforbed.Hisothersister,
whowasevenyoungerandwearingonlyrags,stoodnexttothescreen,waiting
herturn.Thedoortothelandingwasopen,sothatsomeofthewavesoftobacco

herturn.Thedoortothelandingwasopen,sothatsomeofthewavesoftobacco
smokecomingfromtheotherroomscoulddisperse;itwasmakingthepoor
consumptivewomancoughlongandhard.KaterinaIvanovnaseemedtohave
growneventhinnerduringthelastweek;theredblotchesonhercheeksburned
evenbrighterthanbefore.
“Youwon’tbelieve,youcan’timagine,Polyenka,”shesaid,pacingthe
room,“howcheerfullyandsplendidlywelivedathomewithyourpapa,how
thatdrunkarddestroyedme,andhowhe’lldestroyallofyou,too!Yourpapa
wasastatecouncillorandalmostbecameagovernor;therewasonlyonestep
left,soeveryonecametohimandsaid,‘Wealreadythinkofyou,Ivan
Mikhailych,asourgovernor.’WhenI... cough, whenI... cough,cough,
cough...oh,damnit!”shecried,spittingupphlegmandgrabbingherchest.

“WhenI...ah,whenatthelastball...atthehomeofthemarshalofthe
nobility*...PrincessBezzemelnayasawme,Polya,theonewholatergaveme
herblessingwhenImarriedyourpapa,sheaskedatonce,‘Isn’tthatthesweet
girlwhodidtheshawldanceathergraduation?’—thattearshouldbemended;
takeaneedlerightnowandsewitupasItaughtyou,orelse

tomorrow... cough!tomorrow... cough,cough,cough...itwillteareven

more,”shecriedinaviolentoutburst.“AtthattimePrinceShchegolsky,a
GentlemanoftheBedchamber,hadjustarrivedfromPetersburg...hedanced
themazurkawithmeandwantedtoproposemarriagetheverynextday;butI
thankedhiminthemostflatteringtermsandsaidthatmyhearthadbelongedto
anothermanforalongtime.Thatothermanwasyourfather,Polya;Papawas
terriblyangry....Isthewaterready?Well,givemetheshirt;wherearethe stockings?
Lida,”shesaid,addressingheryoungerdaughter,“you’llgotosleep
tonightwithoutyourshirt;somehow...andputyourstockingsnextto
it....Theyhavetobewashedtogether....Whyhasn’tthatgood-for-nothing
comehome,thatdrunkard?He’swornthatshirtofhistoolong,likesomeold
rag,andtornitalltopieces....Iwanttowashitatthesametime,soasnotto
sufferfortwonightsinarow!Lord! Cough,cough,cough,cough! Again!

What’sthat?”shecried,glancingatthecrowdintheentryandatthepeople
carryingsomething,pushingintoherroom.“What’sthis?Whatarethey carrying?
GoodLord!”

“Wheredoweputhim?”askedthepoliceman,lookingaroundafterthey’d
luggedthebloodyandunconsciousMarmeladovintotheroom.

“Onthesofa!Puthimrightonthesofa,withhisheadoverhere,”

Raskolnikovsaid.
“Hewasrunoveronthestreet!Drunk!”criedsomeonefromtheentryway.

KaterinaIvanovnastoodthere,pale,breathingwithdifficulty.Thechildren

werefrightened.LittleLidochkacriedout,rushedtoPolyenka,huggedher,and
startedtremblingallover.

AfterseeingMarmeladovlaidout,RaskolnikovrushedovertoKaterina Ivanovna:

“Forheaven’ssake,calmdown,don’tbeafraid!”hesaidveryquickly.“He
wascrossingthestreetandacarriageranhimover;don’tbeupset;he’llcometo.

Ihadhimbroughthere....I’vebeenherebefore,doyouremember?He’llcome
to.I’llpay!”

“Hegotwhathewanted!”KaterinaIvanovnacriedindesperationandthrew
herselfonherhusband.

Raskolnikovquicklynoticedthatthiswasnotthesortofwomanwhowould
faintimmediately.Inaflash,apillowturnedupundertheunfortunateman’s
head,somethingnooneelsehadthoughtof.KaterinaIvanovnabegantoundress
him,examinehim,fussoverhim;shedidn’tbecomeflustered;sheforgotall
aboutherself,bithertremblinglips,andsuppressedthecriesreadytoescapeher
chest.

MeanwhileRaskolnikovpersuadedsomeonetofetchadoctor.Itturnedout
thatadoctorlivedtwohousesaway.

“I’vesentforadoctor,”hesaidtoKaterinaIvanovna.“Don’tbedistressed,
I’llpay.Doyouhaveanywater?Andgivemeanapkin,atowel,something,
quickly;it’sstillnotclearwherehe’sbeenhurt....He’swounded,buthe’snot
beenkilled,restassured....We’llseewhatthedoctorsays!”

KaterinaIvanovnarushedtothewindow;there,onabrokenchairinthe
corner,stoodalargeclaywashbasinwithwater,readiedforwashingthe
children’sandherhusband’sclothesthatnight.KaterinaIvanovnaherself,with
herownhands,performedthisnighttimechoreatleasttwiceaweek,and
sometimesmorefrequently,becausethingshadreachedthepointthattheyhad
almostnocleanclothestochangeinto.Eachmemberofthefamilyhadonlyone
item,andKaterinaIvanovnacouldnotstandanydirtandthoughtitbetterto
tormentherselfatnightandworkbeyondherstrengthwheneveryoneelsewas
asleepsothatthewetclotheswouldhavetimetodryonalinebeforemorning;
shepreferredtoprovidecleanclothesforeveryone,ratherthantoseedirtinher
house.ShewasabouttograbthewashbasinandhanditovertoRaskolnikov,as
hehadrequested,butshealmoststumbledwiththeheavyload.He’dalready
managedtofindatowel,soakitinwater,andhadbegunwipingthebloodfrom
Marmeladov’sface.KaterinaIvanovnastoodthere,inhalingpainfully,holding
herarmsacrossherchest.Sheherselfneededassistance.Raskolnikovbeganto
thinkthatperhapshehaddonethewrongthing,havingpersuadedthemtobring
thewoundedmanhere.Thepolicemanalsostoodthere,confused.

“Polya!”shoutedKaterinaIvanovna.“GofetchSonya,quickly.Ifshe’snot
home,allthesame,saythatherfather’sbeenrunoverbyhorsesandthatassoon
asshegetshome...sheshouldcomeatonce.Hurry,Polya!Here,wrapyourself
withthisshawl!”

“Runfas’asyoucan!”shoutedthelittleboyfromthechair.Aftersaying
this,hesankoncemoreintohisprevioussilentpostureonthechair,hiseyes
bulging,hisheelstogether,toesturnedoutward.

Meanwhile,theroombecamesofullthattherewasnospaceleftatall.The
policemenhadgone,exceptforonewhostayedalittlelongerandtriedtopush
thespectatorswhohadcomeinfromthestairsbackoutagain.Almostallthe
lodgersatMrs.Lippevekhsel’sapartmenthadspilledoutoftheinnerrooms;at
firsttheycrowdedonlyinthedoorway,butlatertheycameburstingintothe
roomitself.KaterinaIvanovnaflewintoarage.

“Atleastletsomeonedieinpeace!”shescreamedattheentirecrowd.“What
sortofspectaclehaveyoucometowatch?Andsmokingcigarettes! Cough,
cough,cough! Evenwearingyourhats!There’ssomeonewithahat....Out!

Havesomerespectforadyingman!”

Coughschokedher,butherthreatseemedtowork.Apparently,theywere
evensomewhatafraidofKaterinaIvanovna;thelodgers,oneafteranother,
crowdedbacktothedoorwaywiththatsamestrangeinnerfeelingofsatisfaction
thatisalwayspresent,eveninone’snearestanddearest,whensudden
misfortunestrikessomeoneclose;itsparesnooneatall,withoutexception,no
matterhowsincereourfeelingsofpityandsympathy.

Behindthedoor,however,onecouldhearvoicesmurmuringaboutthe
hospitalandsayingthatpeopleshouldn’tbebotheredherefornothing.

“It’snotrighttodie!”criedKaterinaIvanovna.Shewasabouttoyankthe
dooropensoshecouldletlooseastormofabuseatthem,butinthedoorwayshe
bumpedintoMrs.Lippevekhselherself,whohadjustheardabouttheaccident
andcomerunningintorestoreorder.Shewasanextremelyquarrelsomeand
disorderlyGermanwoman.

“Ach,meinGott!” shecried,throwingupherhands.“Yourdrunkenhusband
ahorsetrumpled.Tohospitaltakehim!I’mherelandlady!”

“AmaliyaLyudvigovna!Ibegyoutothinkaboutwhatyou’resaying,”

KaterinaIvanovnabeganhaughtily(shealwaysemployedahaughtytoneof
voicewhenshespokewiththelandlady,sothatshewould“rememberher
place,”andevennowshecouldnotdenyherselfthatpleasure).“Amaliya
Lyudvigovna...”

“ItoldyouonceforallthatyounotdaresaytomeAmalLyudvigovna;I’m Amal-Ivan!”

“You’renotAmal-Ivan,butAmaliyaLyudvigovna,andsinceIdon’tbelong
tothegroupofyourvileflatterers,likeMr.Lebezyatnikov,who’snowlaughing
behindthedoor”—thesoundoflaughterwascomingfrombehindthedoor,as
wellasshoutsof“They’resquabbling!”—“thenIwillalwayscallyouAmaliya
Lyudvigovna,thoughIreallycan’tunderstandwhyyoudon’tlikethatname.

Youcanseeforyourselfwhat’shappenedtoSemyonZakharovich;he’sdying.I
begyoutolockthedoorandnottoadmitanyoneinhere.Lethimdie
peacefully!Otherwise,Icanassureyou,youractionwillbemadeknowntothe
governor-generalhimself.TheprinceknewmewhenIwasyoungand
unmarried,andheremembersSemyonZakharovichverywell,towhomhe
showedhisfavormanytimes.YouknowthatSemyonZakharovichhadmany
friendsandprotectors,whomheabandonedoutofhisownnoblepride,sensing
hisownunfortunateweakness,butnow”—sheindicatedRaskolnikov—“a
generousyoungmanisassistingus.Hehasthemeansandconnections;Semyon
Zakharovichknewhimasachild.Youcanbesure,AmaliyaLyudvigovna...”

Allofthiswasutteredveryquickly;themoreshesaid,thefasteritwent,but
afitofcoughinginterruptedKaterinaIvanovna’seloquence.Atthatmoment,the
dyingmancametoandmoaned:sherushedovertohim.Heopenedhiseyes
and,stillnotrecognizingorunderstandingwherehewas,beganscrutinizing
Raskolnikov,whowasstandingoverhim.Hewasbreathingheavily,deeply,and
infrequently;bloodhadoozedfromthecornersofhismouth;dropsofsweat
stoodonhisforehead.NotrecognizingRaskolnikov,hebeganlookingaround.

KaterinaIvanovnaregardedhimwithagrimbutsternlook;tearsflowedfrom
hereyes.

“MyGod!Hischest’scompletelycrushed!Blood,somuchblood!”shesaid
indesperation.“Wehavetotakeallhisouterclothesoff!Turnoveralittle,
SemyonZakharovich,ifyoucan,”shecriedtohim.

Marmeladovrecognizedher.

“Apriest!”heutteredinahoarsevoice.

KaterinaIvanovnawenttothewindow,leanedherheadagainsttheframe,
andcrieddesperately:

“Damnitall!”

“Apriest!”thedyingmansaidagain,afteramoment’ssilence.

“They’vesentforone!”KaterinaIvanovnashoutedtohim;heheardhercry
andfellsilent.Hesearchedforherwithasad,timidlookinhiseyes;sheturned
backtohimandstoodathishead.Hecalmeddownabit,butnotforlong.Soon
hiseyescametorestonlittleLidochka(hisfavorite).Shewastremblinginthe
cornerasifshewerehavingaseizure,staringathimwithherintense,
astonished,childlikegaze.

“Ah...ah…”hesaid,indicatingherwithunease.Hewantedtosay something.

“Whatelse?”criedKaterinaIvanovna.
“She’sbarefoot!Barefoot!”hemuttered,withhishalf-wittedglancefixedon
thelittlegirl’sbarefeet.

“Bequiet!”KaterinaIvanovnashoutedathimirritably.“Youyourselfknow
whyshe’sbarefoot!”

“ThankGod,thedoctor!”criedRaskolnikov,overjoyed.

Thedoctorentered,aproperoldman,aGerman,lookingaroundwith
uncertainty.Heapproachedthepatient,tookhispulse,carefullyfelthishead,
and,withKaterinaIvanovna’shelp,unbuttonedhisblood-soakedshirtand
uncoveredhischest.Marmeladov’sentirechestwasmangled,crushed,and
mutilated.Severalribsontherightsidewerebroken.Ontheleftside,abovehis
heart,therewasalarge,ominous,yellowish-blackmark,acruelblowfromthe
horse’shoof.Thedoctorfrowned.Thepolicemantoldhimthattheunfortunate
manhadbeencaughtinthewheelanddraggedalongtheroadforsomethirty paces.

“It’sastonishingthathe’scometo,”thedoctorwhisperedsoftlyto Raskolnikov.

“Whatdoyouthink?”Raskolnikovasked.

“He’lldiesoon.”

“Istherereallynohope?”

“Notintheleast!He’sathislastbreath....Hisheadisverybadly
injured....Hmm.Perhapswecouldletsomeblood...but...it’llbeuseless.

He’llcertainlydiewithinfiveortenminutes.”

“Thenletsomeblood.”

“Perhaps....ButIwarnyou,it’llbeabsolutelyuseless.”

Justatthistime,someotherstepswereheard;thecrowdintheentrance
divided,andapriest,anoldmanwithgrayhair,appearedonthethreshold,
carryingthesacraments.Apolicemanfromoutsidefollowedhimin.Thedoctor
immediatelyyieldedhisplaceandexchangedameaningfulglancewithhim.
Raskolnikovaskedthedoctortowaitalittlelonger.Heshruggedhisshoulders
andremainedintheroom.

Everyonebackedaway.Theconfessiondidn’tlastverylong.Thedyingman
hardlyunderstoodanything;hecouldonlyutterdisjointedandinarticulate
sounds.KaterinaIvanovnatookLidochka,liftedthelittleboyfromhischair,
and,movingtothecorneroftheroomnearthestove,wentdownonherknees
andplacedthechildrenontheirkneesinfrontofher.Theyounggirlmerely
trembled;asfortheboy,onhisbarelittleknees,heraisedhislittlehandslowly,
crossedhimself,boweddownandtouchedhisforeheadtothefloor,which,

crossedhimself,boweddownandtouchedhisforeheadtothefloor,which,
apparently,affordedhimparticularpleasure.KaterinaIvanovnabitherlipsand
heldbackhertears;shealsoprayed,attimesadjustingthechild’ssmallshirt,
andmanagingtocoverthelittlegirl’sbareshoulderswithascarfthatshetook
fromthewardrobewithouthavingtogetupfromherkneesorinterrupther
prayers.Meanwhilethedoorsoftheinnerroomswerebeginningtobeopened
againbycuriousonlookers.Moreandmorespectators,lodgersfromtheentire
staircase,werecrowdingintotheentrance;however,theydarednotcrossthe
thresholdorentertheroom.Theentirescenewaslitbyonlyonecandlestub.

Atthatmomentfromtheentrance,Polyenka,whohadgonetofetchher
sister,pushedhastilythroughthecrowd.Sheentered,stillgaspingforbreath
fromracinghome,tookoffhershawl,searchedwithhereyesforhermother,
wentuptoherandsaid,“She’scoming!Ifoundheronthestreet!”Hermother
madeherkneeldownandplacedhernearby.Fromthecrowd,silentlyand
timidly,ayoungwomanforcedherwayin;hersuddenappearanceinthisroom
wasstrange,amidthepoverty,raggedclothes,death,anddesperation.Shewas
alsowearingtatteredclothes;herapparelwasshoddy,butshewasdeckedoutin
themannerofthestreets,withthetasteandstylecharacteristicofherown
particularsphere,withanobviousandshamefulpurpose.Sonyapausedatthe
threshold,butdidn’tcrossitandlookedlikealostsoul.Sheseemedtobe
unawareofeverything,havingforgottenaboutherfourth-handcolorfulsilk
dress,soinappropriatehere,withitslong,comicaltrain,itsenormouscrinoline
blockingthewholedoor,herlight-coloredshoes,herlittleparasol,unnecessary
atnight,butwhichshecarriedwithher,andherridiculousroundstrawhatwith
itsbrightfiery-coloredfeather.Fromunderthishat,whichshewaswearingwith
aboyishtilttooneside,therepeekedathin,pale,frightenedlittlefacewitha
gapingmouthandeyesfixedwithalookofhorror.Sonyawasabouteighteen
yearsoldandnotverytall;shewasthin,butratherpretty,withfairhairand
remarkableblueeyes.Shestaredintentlyatthebedandatthepriest;shewas
alsopantingfromrunningsofast.Atlastthewhispering,somewordsspokenby
someoneinthecrowd,probablyreachedherears.Sheloweredhereyes,stepped
acrossthethreshold,andenteredtheroom,thoughstillremainingnearthe doorway.

Theconfessionandcommunionended.KaterinaIvanovnawentuptoher
husband’sbedagain.Theprieststeppedawayand,ashedid,turnedtosayafew
wordsofpartingandconsolationtoKaterinaIvanovna.

“WhatwillIdowiththem?”sheinterruptedhimshrillyandangrily,pointing
tothelittleones.

“Godismerciful.RelyontheAlmightyforassistance,”thepriestbegan.

“Eh!Merciful,butnottous!”

“Eh!Merciful,butnottous!”

“That’sasin,madam,asin,”thepriestremarked,shakinghishead.

“Isn’tthisasin?”criedKaterinaIvanovna,indicatingthedyingman.

“Perhapsthosewhoweretheinvoluntarycauseofhisdeathwillagreeto
compensateyou,atleastforthelossofincome...”

“Youdon’tunderstandme,”KaterinaIvanovnacriedindignantly,waving
herarm.“Whyshouldtherebeanycompensation?Hewasdrunkandwoundup
underthehorses’hooves!Whatsortofincome?There’snoincomefromhim,
onlytorment.Thatdrunkardspentitallondrink.Herobbedusandwentoffto
thetavernwiththemoney.He’swastedtheirlivesandmineinatavern!Thank
Godhe’sdying!We’llloseless!”

“Youshouldforgiveinthehourofdeath,madam,orelseit’sasin;such
feelingsareagreatsin!”

KaterinaIvanovnawasfussingoverthedyingman,offeringhimsomething
todrink,wipingthesweatandbloodfromhishead,adjustinghispillowsand
chattingwiththepriest,addressinghimfromtimetotimeatoddmoments.But
nowshesuddenlyturnedonhimalmostinarage.

“Hey,Father!That’salljustwords!Forgivehim?Ifhehadn’tbeenrunover,
hewould’vecomehomedrunktonight,hisoneshirtwornoutandtattered,and
gonerighttosleep,deadtotheworld,whileIsplashedaroundinwateruntil
dawn,washinghisandthechildren’sclothes,dryingthemoutthewindow,and
then,assoonasitwaslight,I’dhavetositdownandmendthem—that’showI
spendthenight!Whyeventalkaboutforgiveness?Evenso,Ihaveforgiven him!”

Aterrible,deepcoughdisruptedherwords.Shespatintoherhandkerchief
andthrustitatthepriesttoshowhim,clutchingherchestinpainwithherother
hand.Thehandkerchiefwascoveredinblood...

Thepriestbowedhisheadandsaidnothing.

Marmeladovwasinhislastagony.Hedidn’ttakehiseyesoffKaterina
Ivanovna’sfaceassheleanedoverhimoncemore.Hekeptwantingtosay
something;hewastryingtospeak,movinghistonguewitheffort,uttering
incoherentwords,butKaterinaIvanovnaunderstoodthathewantedtoaskher
forgiveness,andimmediatelyshoutedathimimperiously:

“Quiet!That’sunnecessary!Iknowwhatyouwanttosay!”

Thedyingmanfellsilent,butatthatmomenthiswanderingglancefellon
thedoorandhecaughtsightofSonya...

Uptothispointhehadn’tnoticedher:shestoodinacornerintheshadows.

“Who’sthat?Whoisthat?”hesuddenlyaskedinahoarse,gaspingvoice,
fullofanxiety,lookinginhorroratthedoorwherehisdaughterwasstandingas

hemadeanefforttoraisehimselfup.

“Liedown!Liedownnow!”KaterinaIvanovnastartedshouting.

Butwithunnaturalstrengthhemanagedtoleanonhisarm.Hestaredat
Sonyawildlyandintentlyforsometime,asifnotrecognizingher.Hehadnever
seenherdressedinsuchclothesbefore.Allofasuddenherecognizedher,
humiliated,crushed,deckedout,andembarrassed,humblyawaitingherturnto
bidfarewelltoherdyingfather.Hisfaceexpressedinfinitesuffering.

“Sonya!Mydaughter!Forgiveme!”hecried,wantingtoextendhishandto
her.Butlosinghissupport,hefellfromthesofaandcrashedfacedownontothe
floor.Theyrushedtopickhimup,layhimdown,buthewasbreathinghislast.

Sonyacriedoutweakly,rushedtohim,embracedhim,andalmostfaintedinhis
embrace.Hediedinherarms.

“Hegotwhathewanted!”KaterinaIvanovnacried,seeingherhusband’s
deadbody.“Nowwhatdowedo?HowcanIaffordtoburyhim?Andhow,how
willIfeedthemtomorrow?”

RaskolnikovwentuptoKaterinaIvanovna.

“KaterinaIvanovna,”hebegan,“lastweekyourlatehusbandtoldmethe
storyofhislifeandallthecircumstances....Restassuredthathespokeabout
youwithrapturousrespect.Sincethatevening,whenIlearnedhowdevotedhe
wastoyouall,andespeciallyhowherespectedandlovedyou,Katerina
Ivanovna,inspiteofhisunfortunateweakness,sincethateveningheandI
becamefriends....Allowmenow...tohelpbyrepayingadebttomylate
friend.Here...twentyrubles,Ithink—andifthiscanserveasassistance,
then...I...inaword,I’llcomeby—I’lldefinitelycome...perhapsI’lleven
cometomorrow....Good-bye!”

Helefttheroomquickly,hurriedlypushingthroughthecrowdonthe
staircase;butthereinthecrowdhebumpedintoNikodimFomich,whohad
learnedabouttheaccidentandwishedtodealwithitpersonally.Theyhadn’t
seeneachothersincethesceneatthepolicestation,butNikodimFomich
recognizedhiminstantly.

“Oh,soit’syou?”hesaid.

“He’sdead,”repliedRaskolnikov.“Adoctorwashere,apriest,too,and
everything’sinorder.Don’tdisturbthisveryunfortunatewoman;evenbefore
this,she’dbeensufferingfromconsumption.Encouragehersomehow,ifyou
can....You’reagoodman,Iknowthat,”headdedwithasmile,lookinghim
rightintheeye.
“Buthowisityou’recoveredinblood?”askedNikodimFomich,noticingby
thelightofhislanternseveralfreshspotsonRaskolnikov’svest.

“Yes,coveredinblood...completely!”Raskolnikovsaidwithaparticular

look,andthensmiled,noddedhishead,andwentdownthestairs.

Heleftquietly,withouthurrying,unawareofhisfever,fullofanimmense,
newfeelingoffull,powerfullifesurgingwithinhim.Thisfeelingcouldbe
comparedtothatofamancondemnedtodeathwhoissuddenlyand
unexpectedlypardoned. † Whenhewashalfwaydownthestairs,thepriest,who
wasreturninghome,caughtupwithhim.Aftertheyexchangedaquietbow,
Raskolnikovsilentlylethimpass.Butwhenhereachedthebottom,hesuddenly
heardhurriedfootstepsbehindhim.Someonewastryingtocatchupwithhim.It
wasPolyenka;shewasrunningafterhimandcallingtohim,“Wait!Listen!”

Heturnedtoher.Shecamedowntothelaststepandstoppedrightinfrontof
him,onestephigher.Dimlightshoneinfromthecourtyard.Raskolnikovcould
makeoutthegirl’sthinbutprettylittleface;shesmiledathim,regardinghim
cheerfully,inachildlikemanner.Shehadcomewithacommission,onethat,
apparently,shelikedverymuch.

“Listen!What’syourname?Wheredoyoulive?”sheaskedhurriedly,her
voicebreakingasshegaspedforbreath.

Heplacedhishandsonhershouldersandlookedatherwithspecial
happiness.Hefounditverypleasanttolookather—hedidn’tknowwhy.

“Whosentyou?”

“MysisterSonya,”thelittlegirlreplied,smilingevenmorecheerfully.

“IknewthatitwasyoursisterSonyawhosentyou.”

“Mamaalsosentme.WhenmysisterSonyabeganspeaking,Mamaalso
cameupandsaid,‘Hurryup,Polyenka.’”

“DoyouloveyoursisterSonya?”
“Ilovehermorethananyone!”Polyenkarepliedwithspecialinsistence,and
hersmilesuddenlybecamemoreserious.

“Andwillyoucometoloveme?”

Insteadofananswer,hesawthegirl’sfacedrawnearhis,herfulllips
innocentlyreadytokisshim.Allofasuddenherarms,thinasmatchsticks,
embracedhimverytightly,herheadrestedonhisshoulder,andthelittlegirl
begancryingsoftly,pressingherfacemoreandmoretightlyagainsthim.

“IfeelsorryforPapa!”shesaidaminutelater,raisinghertearstainedlittle
faceandwipinghertearswithherhands.“Suchawfulthingshavebeen
happeninglately,”sheaddedunexpectedly,withaparticularlymaturelookthat
childrenintentionallyacquirewhentheysuddenlywanttotalklike“grownups.”

“Didyourpapaloveyou?”

“HelovedLidochkabestofallofus,”shecontinuedveryseriouslyand
withoutasmile,nowspeakingjustlikeagrown-up.“Helovedherbecauseshe
waslittle,andalsobecauseshewasill.Hewasalwaysbringingherpresents.He

waslittle,andalsobecauseshewasill.Hewasalwaysbringingherpresents.He
taughtustoreadandtaughtmegrammarandreligion,”sheaddedwithdignity.

“Mamadidn’tsayanything,butweknewthatshelikedthat,andPapaknew,and
MamawantstoteachmeFrenchbecauseit’salreadytimeformetobe educated.”

“Anddoyouknowhowtopray?”

“Oh,yes,ofcoursewedo!Wehaveforalongtime.SinceI’malreadyabig
girl,Iprayonmyown,whileKolyaandLidochkaprayaloudwithMama;first
theysayaHailMaryandthenonemoreprayer:‘O,God,forgiveandblessour
sisterSonya.’Thenanother,‘O,God,forgiveandblessourotherpapa,’because
ourolderfatherdied,andhe’sourotherpapa,andwealsoprayforthefirstone.”

“Polechka,mynameisRodion.Prayformesometime,too:‘andThy
servant,Rodion.’That’sallyouneedtosay.”
“Iwillprayforyoufortherestofmylife,”thelittlegirlsaidpassionately
andsuddenlybeganlaughingagain.Sherushedtohimandembracedhimtightly
oncemore.

Raskolnikovtoldherhisnameandaddressandpromisedtostopby
tomorrowwithoutfail.Asaresult,thegirlwentawayincompleteecstasy.It
wasafterteno’clockwhenheemergedontothestreet.Fiveminuteslater,he
stoodonthebridge,attheverysamespotwherethewomanhadthrownherself
intothewaternotlongago.

“Enough!”hepronounceddecisivelyandtriumphantly.“Awaywithmirages,
awaywithpresumedfears,awaywithapparitions!Lifeexists!Didn’tIjustnow
experiencereallife?Mylifedidn’tendtogetherwiththatoldwoman’s!Maythe
kingdomofheavenbehersand—enough,oldwoman,it’stimetorest!Nowit’s
thekingdomofreasonandlight,and...andfreewillandstrength...nowwe’ll
see!Nowwe’llmatchstrengths!”headdedhaughtily,asifaddressingsomedark
forceandcallinguponit.“AndthereIwasagreeingtoliveononesquareyardof
space!”

“...I’mfeelingveryweaknow,but...myillnessseemstohavepassed.I
knewthatitwouldwhenIleftalittlewhileago.Bytheway,Pochinkov’shouse
isonlyafewstepsaway.IshoulddefinitelygotoRazumikhin’s,evenifit’s
fartheraway....Lethimwinhisbet!Lethimmakefunofme—nevermind,let
him!Strength,strengthiswhat’sneeded,becausewithoutityoucan’tdo
anything.Youhavetogainstrengthbymeansofstrength,that’swhattheydon’t
know,”headdedproudlyandself-confidently.Heleftthebridge,scarcelyable
tomovehislegs.Hisprideandself-confidencegrewminutebyminute;bythe
nextmoment,hewasnolongerthesamemanhe’dbeenjustaminuteago.But
whathadoccurredthatwassospecialthatithadtransformedhimso?Hehimself

didn’tknow;asifgraspingforstraws,itsuddenlyseemedtohimthat“hecould
live,therewasstilllifeahead,andithadn’tdiedalongwiththatoldwoman.”

Perhapshehadhastenedtoreachthatconclusion,buthedidn’tthinkaboutthat.

“ButIaskedfor‘ThyservantRodion’toberemembered,”suddenlyflashed
throughhismind.“Well,that’s...justincase!”headded,andthenbegan
laughingathisownchildishtrick.Hewasinanexcellentframeofmind.
HefoundRazumikhineasily,aseveryonealreadyknewthenewlodgerin
Pochinkov’shouse.Thedoormanshowedhimthewayimmediately.Halfwayup
thestairshecouldalreadyhearthenoiseandlivelyconversationofthelarge
gathering.Thedoortothestaircasewasopenwide,andhecouldhearshoutsand
arguments.Razumikhin’sroomwasratherlarge,andtherewereaboutfifteen
peoplegatheredinit.Raskolnikovpausedintheentryway.There,behinda
partition,twoofthelandlord’sservantswereattendingtotwolargesamovars
nexttobottles,plates,anddisheswithpiesandsnacksbroughtupfromthe
landlord’skitchen.RaskolnikovaskedforRazumikhin.Hecamerunningin
ecstasy.Fromthefirstglance,itwasclearthathe’dhadmoretodrinkthan
usual.AlthoughRazumikhincouldrarelydrinkenoughtogetdrunk,thistime
somethingwasamiss.

“Listen,”Raskolnikovhastenedtosay.“I’vecomemerelytosaythatyou
wonthebetandthatnooneknowswhatcanhappen.Ican’tcomein.I’mtoo
weakandwilltoppleoveranyminute.So,greetingsandfarewell.Comeseeme
tomorrow...”

“Youknowwhat?I’llescortyouhome!Ifyouyourselfsaythatyou’reweak, then...”

“Whataboutyourguests?Who’sthatcurly-hairedfellowwhojustlookedin here?”

“Thatone?Thedevilonlyknows!Hemustbeoneofmyuncle’sfriends,or
elsehecameonhisown....I’llleavetheguestswithmyuncle;he’samost
treasuredman;it’sapityyoucan’tmeethim.Buttohellwithallofthem!I
don’tcareaboutthemnow:Ineedtogetsomefreshair,so,myfriend,youcame
atagoodtime.AnothertwominutesandI’dhavegottenintoafight,sohelpme
God!They’retalkingsuchnonsense....Youcan’timaginewhatsortof
whoppingliesapersoncantell!Butwhycan’tyouimagineit?Don’twealltell lies?
Well,letthem.Latertheywon’thavetolie....Sithereforaminute,and
I’llbringZosimovover.”

ZosimovcamerushingovertoseeRaskolnikov,withsomeexcitement.One
couldsenseaspecialkindofcuriosityinhim,andsoonhisfacebrightened.

“Heneedstogetsomesleepimmediately,”hedecided,havingexaminedthe
patientasbesthecould,“andtakeonedosebeforehegoestobed.Willyoudo
it?Iprepareditbefore...onepowder.”

“Eventwoofthem,”repliedRaskolnikov.

Thepowderwasswallowedrightthere.

“It’saverygoodideaforyoutoescorthim,”ZosimovsaidtoRazumikhin.

“We’llseewhattomorrowbrings,buttodayheseemsnotbadatall:asignificant
changefromyesterday.Liveandlearn...”

“DoyouknowwhatZosimovwhisperedtomejustnowaswewere

leaving?”Razumikhinblurtedoutassoonastheyhadreachedthestreet.“I’lltell
youeverything,becausehe’ssuchafool.Zosimovorderedmetochatwithyou
alongthewayandmakeyoutalk,andthentotellhim,becausehehasthis
idea...thatyou’reinsaneorclosetoit.Justimagine!Inthefirstplace,you’re
threetimessmarterthanheis;inthesecondplace,ifyou’renotmad,why
shouldyougiveadamnaboutwhatsortofcrazyideashehas;andinthethird
place,thathunkofmeatisasurgeonbyspecialty,andnowhe’smeddlingin
mentaldiseases.Whatencouragedhiminthatregardwastheconversationyou
hadtodaywithZametov.”

“DidZametovtellyouallthis?”

“Hedid,andagoodthinghedid.NowIunderstandallthereistoknow,and
sodoesZametov....Well,inaword,Rodya...thethingis....I’malittle
tipsyrightnow....Butthatdoesn’tmatter...thepointisthatthisidea...do
youunderstand?Thisideatookholdofthem...doyouunderstand?Thatis,no
oneeverdaredutteritaloudbecauseit’ssuchridiculousnonsense,especially
aftertheyarrestedthatpainter.Allofthisburstlikeabubbleandvanished
forever.Butwhyaretheysuchfools?AtthetimeIpouncedabitonZametov—

thisisjustbetweenus,myfriend;pleasedon’tevenhintthatyouknowaboutit;
I’venoticedthathe’sprickly;itwasatLaviza’s—buttoday,todayit’sall
becomeclear.ThemainthingisIlyaPetrovich!Heexploitedyourfaintingspell
atthepolicestation,andthenhehimselfwasashamed.Iknowthat...”
Raskolnikovlistenedfervently.Razumikhinwaslettingthecatoutofthebag
inhisdrunkenstate.

“Ifaintedthenbecauseitwasstuffyandsmelledofoilpaint,”said Raskolnikov.

“Noneedtoexplain!Anditwasn’tonlythepaint:yourillnesshadbeen
comingonforawholemonth.Zosimovcansweartoit!Youcan’tpossibly
imaginehowdemolishedthatfellowisnow!‘I’mnotevenworththatman’s
littlefinger,’hesaid.Yours,thatis.Sometimes,myfriend,hehasgoodfeelings.

Butthelesson,thelessonyougavehimtodayatthe‘CrystalPalace’wasbeyond
perfection!Atfirstyouscaredhim,drovehimintoafit!Youalmostconvinced
himalloveragainofthathideousnonsenseandthen,allofasudden—youstuck

outyourtongueathim:‘Aha,’yousaid,‘sothere!’Perfection!Nowhe’s
crushed,destroyed!You’reamaster,sohelpmeGod,andserveshimright.Hey,
toobadIwasn’tthere!He’sbeenwaitingeagerlytoseeyou.Porfiryalsowants
tomakeyouracquaintance...”

“Ah...thatone,too....JustwhydidtheythinkIwasinsane?”

“Notinsaneexactly.Itseems,myfriend,I’vesaidtoomuch....Whatstruck
him,don’tyousee,isthatonlyonething’sbeenofanyinteresttoyou
lately...nowit’sclearwhythat’sso...knowingallthecircumstances...and
howmuchthatirritatedyouthenandbecamemixedupwithyourillness....My
friend,I’malittledrunk,but,damnitall,hehasthisideaofhisown....Itell
you,he’sbeenmeddlinginmentalillness.Tohellwithhim!”

Forhalfaminute,bothmenremainedsilent.

“Listen,Razumikhin,”beganRaskolnikov.“Iwanttotellyouhonestly:just
nowIwaswithadyingman,acivilservantwhopassedaway....Igaveaway
allmymoney...inaddition,Iwaskissedbyacreaturewho,ifI’dkilled
someone,wouldalsohave....Inaword,thereIsawanothercreature...witha fiery-
coloredfeather...butI’mgettingalltangledup.I’mveryweak;giveme
yourarm...here’sthestaircase...”

“What’sthematterwithyou?Whatisit?”Razumikhinaskedanxiously.
“Myhead’sspinningabit,butthat’snotthepoint;it’sthatI’mfeelingso
glum,soveryglum.Justlikeawoman...Iswear!Look,what’sthat?Look here,look!”

“Whatisit?”

“Don’tyousee?There’slightinmyroom,don’tyousee?Throughthe crack...”

Theywerenowstandinginfrontofthelaststaircase,nexttothelandlady’s
door,andinfacttherewaslightcomingfromunderneaththedoorto
Raskolnikov’slittleroom.

“That’sodd!Perhapsit’sNastasya,”remarkedRazumikhin.

“Shenevercomestomyroomatthishour.Shemusthavegonetobedsome
timeago.Butitdoesn’tmatter!Good-bye!”

“Whatdoyoumean?I’llescortyou;we’llgointogether!”

“Iknowwe’llgointogether,butIwanttoshakeyourhandhereandsay good-
byetoyou.Well,givemeyourhand.Good-bye!”

“What’sthematterwithyou,Rodya?”

“Nothing.Let’sgo:you’llbeawitness.”

Theybeganclimbingthestairs,andtheideaflashedthroughRazumikhin’s
mindthatperhapsZosimovwasright.“Hey!I’veupsethimwithallmychatter!”

hemutteredtohimself.Suddenly,approachingthedoor,theyheardvoicesinside
theroom.

theroom.

“What’sallthisabout?”criedRazumikhin.

Raskolnikov,thefirsttoreachthedoor,openeditwide.Hestoodonthe
thresholdlikesomeonerootedtotheground.
Hismotherandsisterweresittingonthesofainhisroomandhadbeen
waitingforhimforthelasthourandahalf.Whyhadheexpectedthemleastof
allandthoughtaboutthemleastofall,inspiteofthenewshe’dheardthatvery
daythattheywereleaving,traveling,andweresoontoarrive?Forthelasthour
andahalftheyhadviedwitheachotherininterrogatingNastasya,whowasstill
standingbeforethemandhadalreadymanagedtotellthemalltherewasto
know.Theywerebesidethemselveswithfearbecausetheyhadheardthathehad

“runawaytoday,”thathewasill,and,aswasapparentfromthestory,hewas
certainlydelirious!“MyGod,what’sthematterwithhim?”Theywereboth
weeping,andhadenduredgreatsufferingduringthislasthourandahalfof waiting.

Theirjoyful,ecstaticcrygreetedRaskolnikov’sappearance.Theyboth
rushedtohim.Buthestoodtherelikeadeadman.Asuddenunbearable
awarenessstruckhimlikeaclapofthunder.Hedidn’tevenraisehisarmsto
embracethem:hecouldn’t.Hismotherandsistertookhimintheirembrace,
kissedhim,laughed,andwept....Hetookastep,stumbled,andcollapsedonto
thefloorinafaint.

Alarm,criesoffear,moans....Razumikhin,standingonthethreshold,
rushedintotheroom,grabbedthesickmaninhispowerfularms,andlayhim
downimmediatelyonthesofa.

“It’snothing,nothingatall!”hecriedtothemotherandsister.“It’sonlya
faint.Itdoesn’tmeanathing!Thedoctorjustsaidthathewasmuchbetter,that
he’scompletelywell!Somewater!Therenow,he’salreadycomingto.Well,
nowhe’scomearound!”

GrabbingDunechka’shand,insuchawaythathealmosttoreitoff,he
forcedhertoseethat“he’dalreadycomearound.”Bothmotherandsister
regardedRazumikhinwithtenderemotionandgratitude,asifhehadbeensent
byProvidence.TheyhadalreadyheardfromNastasyawhatthis“capableyoung
man”haddoneforRodyaallduringhisillness;thatphrasewashowPulkheriya
AleksandrovnaRaskolnikovaherselfhaddescribedhiminherintimate
conversationwithDunyathatveryevening.

*Thehighestelectedofficialinaprovince.
† Dostoevskyhimselfenduredsuchanexperiencein1849;hewaspardonedandsenti
ntoexile.

Raskolnikovraisedhimselfandsatuponthesofa.

HemotionedweaklytoRazumikhintoendhisnonstopstreamofincoherent
andpassionatewordsofconsolationaddressedtohismotherandsister,took
thembothbythehand,andforafewmomentsstaredinsilence,firstatone,then
attheother.Hismotherwasfrightenedbyhisgaze.Afeelingakintosuffering
showedthroughit,butatthesametimetherewassomethingimmobile,almost
insane.PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaburstintotears.

AvdotyaRomanovnawaspale,andherhandtrembledinherbrother’shand.

“Gohome...withhim,”hesaidinabrokenvoice,indicatingRazumikhin.

“Untiltomorrow.Tomorroweverythingwill....Whendidyouarrive?”

“Thisevening,Rodya,”repliedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.“Thetrainwas
terriblylate.But,Rodya,Iwon’tleaveyounowunderanycircumstances!I’ll
spendthenightherenextto...”

“Don’ttormentme!”hesaid,wavinghishandirritably.
“I’llstaywithhim!”Razumikhincried.“Iwon’tleavehimforasingle
moment.Tohellwithallmyguests.Letthemclimbthewalls!Ileftmyunclein charge.”

“HowcanIeverthankyou?”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnastartedtosay,
givingRazumikhin’shandsanothersqueeze,butRaskolnikovinterruptedher again.

“Ican’tstandit,Ican’t,”herepeatedirritably.“Don’ttormentme!Enough!

Goaway....Ican’tstandit!”

“Let’sgo,Mama,let’sjustleavetheroomforaminute,”afrightenedDunya
whispered.“Obviouslywe’reupsettinghim.”

“Can’tIhavealookathimaftertheselastthreeyears?”Pulkheriya
Aleksandrovnasaidthroughhertears.

“Wait!”hestoppedthemagain.“Youkeepinterruptingme.Mythoughtsare
gettingallmixedup....HaveyouseenLuzhin?”

“No,Rodya,buthealreadyknowsaboutourarrival.Weheard,Rodya,that
PetrPetrovichwaskindenoughtocallonyoutoday,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovna
addedwithsometimidity.

“Yes...hewaskindenough....Dunya,IsaidtoLuzhinthatI’dthrowhim
downthestairsandIsenthimpacking...”

“Rodya,whatareyousaying?Surely,you...youdon’twanttosay,”

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnastartedagaininafright,thenpaused,lookingat Dunya.

AvdotyaRomanovnastaredintentlyatherbrotherandkeptwaiting.Both
hadbeeninformedaboutthequarrelbyNastasya,asmuchasshecould
understandandrelate,andtheywerewornoutbysufferingfromincredulityand
anticipation.

“Dunya,”Raskolnikovcontinuedwitheffort,“Idon’twantthismarriageto
takeplace;therefore,firstthingtomorrowyoumustrefuseLuzhinandnever
mentionhisnameagain.”
“MyGod!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

“Brother,thinkaboutwhatyou’resaying!”AvdotyaRomanovnabeganto
replyirascibly,butimmediatelyrestrainedherself.“Perhapsyou’renotinagood
state;you’retired,”shesaidgently.

“Delirious?No....You’remarryingLuzhinonmyaccount.ButIwon’t
acceptyoursacrifice.Therefore,bytomorrow,writehimaletter...withyour
refusal....Giveittometoreadinthemorning.Andthat’llbetheendofit!”

“Ican’tdothat!”theoffendedyoungwomancried.“Whatrightdo...”

“Dunechka,you’realsoirascible.Stopit.Tomorrowwe’ll....Can’tyou
see,”saidhermother,rushingovertoDunya.“Ah,it’sbetterifweleave.”

“He’sdelirious,”criedthetipsyRazumikhin.“Howelsecouldhedare?

Tomorrowallthisnonsensewillbeathingofthepast....Buthereallydid
driveLuzhinawaytoday.That’swhathappened.And,ofcourse,thefellowgot
veryangry....Hewentonatlength,tryingtoshowoffhiserudition,andthen
left,tailbetweenhislegs...”

“Sothisistrue?”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

“Untiltomorrow,brother,”saidDunyawithcompassion.“Let’sgo,Mama.

Good-bye,Rodya!”

“Doyouhear,sister?”herepeatedafterthem,gatheringuphislaststrength.

“I’mnotdelirious.Thismarriageisanabomination.Imaybeascoundrel,but
youmustn’tbe....It’senoughthatoneofusis....AndevenifIama
scoundrel,I’llneverconsidersuchasisterasmyown.It’seithermeorLuzhin!

Nowgo...”

“You’velostyourmind!You’readespot!”roaredRazumikhin,but
Raskolnikovmadenoreply.Perhapshedidn’thaveenoughstrengthtoanswer.
Helaydownonthesofaandturnedtofacethewallintotalexhaustion.Avdotya
RomanovnaregardedRazumikhinwithcuriosity,herblackeyesglowing;he
evenshudderedatherexpression.PulkheriyaAleksandrovnastoodthere stunned.

“Ican’tleaveunderanycircumstances!”shewhisperedtoRazumikhin,

almostindespair.“I’llstayhere,somewhere....TakeDunyahome.”

“You’llspoileverything!”Razumikhinsaid,alsoinawhisper,losinghis
temper.“Let’satleastgooutontothelanding.Nastasya,lighttheway!Iswear
toyou,”hecontinuedtowhisper,alreadyonthestairs,“justalittlewhileagohe
cameclosetobeatingusup,thedoctorandme!Doyouunderstand?Thedoctor!

Thedoctorcompliedsoasnottoirritatehimandleft.ButwhileIremainedon
guardbelow,hegotdressedandslippedout.Andnow,ifyouirritatehim,he’ll
slipoutagainatnight,andhemightdosomethingtohimself...”

“Oh,whatareyousaying?”

“Besides,AvdotyaRomanovnacan’tremaininthehotelalonewithoutyou!

Thinkaboutwhereyou’restaying!Whycouldn’tthatscoundrelPetrPetrovich
havefoundyoubetterrooms?But,youknowI’malittledrunkandthat’s
why....Icalledhimnames,butdon’tpayanyattention...”

“I’llgoseethelandladyhere,”insistedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,“andbeg
hertogiveDunyaandmealittleroomforthenight.Ican’tleavehimlikethis,I
justcan’t.”

Whilesayingthis,theystoodonthelanding,rightinfrontofthelandlady’s
door.Nastasyalittheirwayfromalowerstep.Razumikhinwasinastateof
extraordinaryexcitement.Justhalfanhourago,whileescortingRaskolnikov
home,althoughhehadbeenexcessivelytalkative,ashehimselfwouldadmit,
he’dbeenfeelingcompletelyfearlessandalmostrenewed,inspiteofthe
enormousquantityofalcoholhe’dconsumedthatevening.Nowhismood
resembledsomethinglikeecstasyand,atthesametime,allthealcoholhe’d
consumedcamerushingbacktohisheadwithredoubledforce.Hestoodthere
withthetwowomen,holdingthembothbythehand,tryingtoconvincethem,
outlininghisreasonswithastonishingcandor.Mostlikelyforgreater
persuasiveness,almostateveryword,hesqueezedboththeirhandseverso
tightly,asifinavise,almostuntilithurt.Healsoseemedtobedevouring
AvdotyaRomanovnawithhiseyesandwasnotintheleastembarrassedaboutit.

Asaresultoftheirdiscomfort,thewomensometimespulledtheirhandsaway
fromthebonygripofhisenormoushands.Notonlydidhefailtonoticethis,he
drewthemevenclosertohim.Iftheyhadcommandedhimtoservethemby
immediatelycastinghimselfheadlongdownthestairs,hewouldhavedonesoat
once,withoutconsideringorhesitating.AgitatedbythethoughtofherRodya,
PulkheriyaAleksandrovna,stillfeltthatthisyoungmanwassomewhateccentric
andwassqueezingherhandtootightly.Atthesametime,shefeltthathehad
beensentbyProvidence,soshedidn’twanttocommentontheseunusual
details.Inspiteofheralarm,althoughAvdotyaRomanovnawasnota
particularlyfearfulperson,shefeltsomeastonishmentandperhapsevensome

fearwhenshemettheflashing,fierylookinherbrother’sfriend’seyes,andit
wasonlytheinfinitetrustworthinessinspiredbyNastasya’saccountsofthis
strangemanthatkeptherfromthetemptationofescapinganddraggingher
motherafterher.Shealsounderstoodthatperhapsitwasnolongerpossibleto
getawayfromhimnow.Afterabouttenminutes,however,shefeltsignificantly
calmer.Razumikhinpossessedtheabilitytosayeverythinghehadtosayinan
instant,nomatterwhatsortofmoodhewasin,sothatpeoplerealizedvery
quicklywhotheyweredealingwith.

“Youcan’tgotothelandlady!That’stheworstthingyoucoulddo!”he
cried,tryingtoconvincePulkheriyaAleksandrovna.“Eventhoughyou’rehis
mother,ifyoustayhere,you’llmakehimfurious,andthenthedevilonlyknows
whatmighthappen!Listen,here’swhatI’lldo:Nastasyawillstayherefornow,
andI’llescortbothofyoutoyourrooms,becauseyoucan’tgooutaloneonthe
streets.Inthatregard,wehavehereinPetersburg....Well,tohellwithit!Then
I’llrushbackhereand,inaquarterofanhour,mywordofhonor,I’llbringyou
news:howhe’sfeeling,whetherhe’sasleep,andsoon.Now,listen!I’llgoback
tomyownapartment.Ihaveguests,andthey’realldrunk.I’llgrabZosimov,the
doctorwho’streatinghim.He’satmyplacenow,buthe’snotdrunk.He’snota
drunkard;heneverdrinks!I’lltakehimtoseeRodyaandthenbringhimtoyou.

Inotherwords,withinthehouryou’llheartworeportsabouthim,onefromthe
doctor,doyouunderstand,fromthedoctorhimself.That’sevenbetterthanfrom
me!Ifit’sbad,Iswear,I’llbringyoubackhere;ifit’sgood,thenyoucangoto
bed.I’llspendthewholenighthere,intheentrancehall,andhewon’thearme.

I’llhaveZosimovspendthenightatthelandlady’s,sohe’llberighthereif
needed.Sowhat’sbetterforhimnow,thedoctororyou?Thedoctor’smore
useful,muchmore.So,youcangohome!Youcan’tgotothelandlady.Ican,
butyoucan’t:shewon’ttakeyouinbecause...becauseshe’safool.She’llbe
jealousofAvdotyaRomanovnaonaccountofme,ifyouwanttoknow,andon
accountofyou,too....ButespeciallyAvdotyaRomanovna.She’sanabsolutely
extraordinarycharacter,absolutely!However,I’malsoafool....Tohellwith
it!Let’sgo!Doyoubelieveme?Well,doyoubelievemeornot?”

“Let’sgo,Mama,”saidAvdotyaRomanovna.“He’lldoashepromises.He’s
revivedmybrother.Ifit’struethatthedoctorwillagreetospendthenighthere,
thenwhatcouldbebetter?”

“There,you...you...understandmebecauseyou’reanangel!”

Razumikhincriedinecstasy.“Let’sgo!Nastasya!Comeuphererightnowand
staywithhim.Bringacandle.I’llbebackinquarterofanhour...”

EventhoughPulkheriyaAleksandrovnawasn’tcompletelyconvinced,she
nolongerresisted.Razumikhintookholdofbothwomen’sarmsandledthem
downthestairs.However,shewassomewhatdisconcerted:“Eventhoughhe’s

downthestairs.However,shewassomewhatdisconcerted:“Eventhoughhe’s
competentandkind,”shethought,“isheinanyshapetodoashepromises?

He’sinsuchastate!”

“Ah,Iunderstand.YouthinkI’minastate!”Razumikhinsaid,interrupting
herthoughts,havingguessedthemashetookhisenormousstridesalongthe
sidewalksothatbothwomencouldhardlykeepup,which,bytheway,hedidn’t
evennotice.“Nonsense!Thatis,I’mdeaddrunk,butthat’snotthepoint.Iam
drunk,butnotfromalcohol.It’sjustthatassoonasIsawyou,thedrinkwentto
myhead....Tohellwithme!Don’tpaymeanyattention.I’mlyingandI’mnot
worthyofyou....I’mnottheleastbitworthy!AfterI’veescortedyouhome,
I’llpourtwobucketsofcoldwaterovermyheadrighthereinthecanal,andI’ll
befine....IfyouonlyknewhowmuchIloveyouboth!Don’tlaughanddon’t
beangry!Youcanbeangrywitheveryoneelse,butnotwithme!I’mhisfriend;
consequently,I’myourfriend,too.Isowantto....Ifeltthiscoming...last
year,therewasonemomentwhen....However,Ididn’treallyfeelitcoming
sinceyouseemedtoarriveoutofnowhere.PerhapsIwon’tsleepatall
tonight....Before,thisZosimovsaidhewasafraidRodyamightlosehis
mind....That’swhyonemustn’tgetonhisnerves...”

“Whatareyousaying?”criedhismother.

“Didthedoctorreallysaythat?”askedAvdotyaRomanovna,growing frightened.

“Hedid,butthat’snotthepoint,notatall.Hegavehimsomemedicine,a
powder,Isawit,andthenyouarrived....Hey!Itwouldhavebeenbetterif
you’dcometomorrow!It’sagoodthingweleft.Zosimovhimselfwillreport
everythingtoyouanhourfromnow.He’snotdrunkatall!AndIwon’tbedrunk
then....WhydidIgetsosmashed?BecauseIgotintoanargument,damn
them!IsworethatIwouldn’targue!Theywerespoutingsuchnonsense!I
almostgotintoafight!Ileftmyuncletheretopreside....Well,wouldyou
believeit:theydemandcompleteimpersonalityanddelightinthat!Ifonlyone
couldbeotherthanoneself,orresembleoneselfaslittleaspossible!That’swhat
theyconsiderthehighestformofprogress.Iftheywouldatleastlie,eachinhis
ownway,but...”

“Listen,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnainterruptedhimtimidly,butthatmerely
fannedhisfervor.

“Whatdoyouthink?”criedRazumikhin,raisinghisvoiceevenmore.“Do
youthinkI’mnotinfavoroftheirtellinglies?Rubbish!Iloveitwhentheytell
lies!Lyingisaprivilegeexclusivetohumansamongallotherbeings.It’sby
lyingthatonearrivesatthetruth!Itelllies;therefore,I’mhuman.Wehaven’t
arrivedatanytruthswithouthavingutterednonsensebeforehandfourteenorso
times,perhapsevenonehundredandfourteentimes,andthat’shonorableinits

times,perhapsevenonehundredandfourteentimes,andthat’shonorableinits
ownway;well,wecan’teventalknonsensebyrelyingonourownintelligence!

Youtalknonsense,butifit’syourown,I’llkissyouforit.Totalkone’sown
nonsenseisalmostbetterthanspoutingsomeoneelse’struth.Inthefirstcase,
you’reahumanbeing;butinthesecond,you’reonlyaparrot!Truthdoesn’t
vanish,butlifecanbebeatentoapulp;therehavebeenexamples.Well,where
arewenow?Allofus,withoutexception,asregardsscience,development,
thought,inventions,ideals,desires,liberalism,reason,experience,and
everything,everything,everything,everything,everything—we’restillsittingin
kindergarten!We’vebeenpleasedtomakedowithotherpeople’sideas—and
we’vegottenusedtoit!Isn’tthatso?Aren’tIright?”criedRazumikhin,shaking
andsqueezingthetwowomen’shands.“Isn’tthattrue?”

“Oh,myGod,Idon’tknow,”saidpoorPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

“Yes,yes...althoughI’mnotentirelyinagreementwithyou,”Avdotya
Romanovnaaddedearnestly.Thensheutteredacrybecausehewassqueezing
herhandsotightly.

“Yes?Yousayit’sso?Well,afterthisyou...you...”hecriedinecstasy.

“You’reafontofgoodness,purity,reason,and...perfection!Givemeyour
hand,giveittome...givemeyours,too.Iwanttokissbothyourhandsright
here,rightnow,onmyknees!”

Hefelltohiskneesinthemiddleofthesidewalk,fortunatelydesertedthis time.

“Stopit,Ibegyou.Whatareyoudoing?”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,
agitatedintheextreme.

“Getup,getup!”Dunyasaidwithalaugh,alsoagitated.

“Notforanything,notuntilyougivemeyourhands!Therenow,enough.

I’vestoodup.Nowlet’sgo!I’manunhappyfool;I’munworthyofyou,I’m
drunk,andI’mashamed....I’mnotworthytoloveyou,butit’severyone’sduty
tobowdownbeforeyou—ifonlythey’renotcompletebeasts!AndIhave
boweddown....Hereareyourrooms.ForthisreasonaloneRodionwasrightto
drivePetrPetrovichawayearlier!Howdareheputyouinsuchrooms?It’sa
scandal!Doyouknowwhocomeshere?Andyou’rehisfiancée!Youare,aren’t you?
Well,Icantellyounowthatyourfiancé’sascoundrel!”
“Listen,Mr.Razumikhin,you’reforgettingyourself...”Pulkheriya
Aleksandrovnabegan.

“Yes,yes,you’reright.I’mforgettingmyself,I’mashamed!”Razumikhin
correctedhimselfsuddenly.“But...but...youcan’tbeangrywithmefor
talkinglikethis!I’mbeingsincere,andit’snotbecause....Hmm.Thatwould
bevile;inaword,it’snotbecauseI...you....Hmm.Well,sobeit,there’sno

need.Iwon’tsayit;Idarenot!Weunderstoodeverythingfromthemomenthe
walkedin;he’snotamanofourcircle.Itwasn’tbecausehe’djusthadhishair
curledatthebarber’s,andnotbecausehehastenedtoshowoffhisintelligence,
butbecausehe’saspyandaspeculator;becausehe’saYidandabuffoon,and
that’sclear.Youthinkhe’sclever?No,he’safool,afool!Isheamatchforyou?

Oh,myGod!Yousee,ladies”—hestoppedsuddenly,ashewasnowclimbing
thestairstotheirrooms—“eventhoughmyguestsaredrunk,they’reallhonest;
andeventhoughwe’retalkingnonsense,becauseI’malsotalkingnonsense,
we’llfinallylieourwaytothetruth,becausewe’reonanoblepath,whilePetr
Petrovich...isnotonanoblepath.AlthoughI’vejustcursedthemsoundly,I
stillrespectthemall;eventhoughIdon’trespectZametov,Istilllovehim because—
becausehe’sapuppydog!EventhatbeastZosimov,becausehe’s
honestandknowshisbusiness....Butenough.Everything’sbeensaidand
forgiven.Ithasbeenforgiven,hasn’tit?Well,let’sgo.Iknowthishallway,I’ve
beenherebefore.Therewasascandalrighthere,inthethirdroom....So,
whereareyou?Whatnumber?Eight?Well,lockthedooratnightanddon’tlet
anyonein.I’llbebackinaquarterofanhourwithnews,andthenZosimovwill
comeahalfhourlater.You’llsee!Good-bye,I’moff!”

“MyGod,Dunechka,whatwillhappen?”saidPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,
lookingatherdaughter,fullofalarmandanxiety.

“Calmdown,Mama,”repliedDunya,takingoffherhatandcloak.“God
Himselfsentusthatgentleman,eventhoughhe’scomestraightfromsomesort
ofdrinkingbout.Iassureyouthatwecanrelyonhim.Justlookatallthathe’s
alreadydoneformybrother...”

“Ah,Dunechka,Godonlyknowsifhe’llcome!HowcouldIabandon Rodya?
That’snotthewayIimaginedwe’dfindhimatall!Hewassostern,as
ifhewasn’tgladtoseeus...”

Tearswelledupinhereyes.

“No,that’snotso,Mama.Youdidn’tlookclosely,sinceyouwerecryingall
thetime.He’ssodistressedbyhisseriousillness—that’sthewholereason.”

“Ah,theillness!Somethingbadwillhappen,I’msureitwill!Andtheway
hetalkedtoyou,Dunya!”saidhermother,lookingtimidlyintoherdaughter’s
eyestoreadherthoughts,alreadyfeelingsomewhatconsoledthatDunyawas
defendingRodyaand,therefore,musthaveforgivenhim.“I’msurehe’ll
reconsidertomorrow,”sheadded,stilltryingtoprobe.

“ButI’mcertainhe’llsaythesamethingtomorrow...onthissubject,”

AvdotyaRomanovnasaid,cuttinghershort.That,ofcourse,wasthecatch,
becauseitwastheverypointPulkheriyaAleksandrovnawasnowtooafraidto
mention.Dunyawentuptohermotherandkissedher.Thelatterembracedher

warmlyinsilence.ThenPulkheriyaAleksandrovnasatdowninnervous
anticipationofRazumikhin’sreturnandtimidlybegantofollowherdaughter,
who,foldingherarms,alsoinanticipation,beganpacingtheroom,deepin
thought.SuchpacingfromcornertocornerindeepthoughtwasAvdotya
Romanovna’susualhabit,andhermotheralwaysfearedinterruptingher
reflectionsatsuchtimes.

Razumikhin,itgoeswithoutsaying,waspreposterouswithhissudden
passion,fueledbydrink,forAvdotyaRomanovna;but,seeingher,especially
now,asshewaspacingtheroom,herarmsfolded,sadandpensive,perhaps
manypeoplewouldexcusehim,withoutanymentionofhisextraordinary
condition.AvdotyaRomanovnawasremarkablygood-looking—tall,
astonishinglygraceful,andstrong,withaself-confidencethatshowedinher
everygestureandinnowayexcludedtendernessandgracefulnessfromher
movements.Herfaceresembledherbrother’s,butshecouldevenbecalleda
beauty.Herhairwasdarkbrown,alittlelighterthanherbrother’s.Hereyes
werealmostblack,sparkling,proud,and,simultaneously,atcertainmoments,
unusuallykind.Hercomplexionwaspale,butnotsicklypale;herfaceshone
withfreshnessandgoodhealth.Hermouthwasalittlesmall;herlowerlip,fresh
andscarlet,protrudedslightlyforward,togetherwithherchin—thesingle
imperfectioninthislovelyface,butgrantingitaspecialqualityand,
incidentally,aslightarrogance.Herexpressionwasalwaysmoreseriousand
thoughtfulthancheerful;ontheotherhand,asmilesuitedherfacesowell,as
didlaughter,joyful,youthful,uninhibited!Itisunderstandablehowthe
passionate,candid,simpleminded,honest,strongasafolklorichero,and
inebriatedRazumikhin,neverhavingseenanyonelikethat,wouldlosehishead
atfirstglance.Besides,chance,asifintentionally,hadrevealedDunyaforthe
firsttimeatasplendidmomentofloveandjoyatthereunionwithherbrother.

Hethensawhowherlowerliptrembledinindignationinresponsetoher
brother’sboldandungratefullycruelcommands—andhecouldnotresist.

However,he’dbeentellingthetruthwhen,inhisdrunkenstate,he’dblurted
outonthestairsthatRaskolnikov’seccentriclandlady,PraskovyaPavlovna,was
jealousofhim,notonlywithrespecttoAvdotyaRomanovna,butperhapsalsoto
PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaherself.InspiteofthefactthatPulkheriya
Aleksandrovnawasalreadyforty-threeyearsold,herfacestillpreservedtraces
ofherformerbeauty;besides,sheseemedmuchyoungerthanheryears,
somethingthathappensalmostalwayswithwomenwhomaintaintheirclarityof
spirit,freshnessofimpressions,andhonest,pureintensityofheartastheyage.

Letusaddinparenthesesthattomaintainallthisistheonlywaytopreserve
one’sbeautyeveninoldage.Herhairwasalreadystartingtoturngrayandgrow

thin;small,radiatingwrinkleshadappearedaroundhereyessometimeago;her
cheeksweresunkenanddryfromhercaresandgrief;andyetherfacewasstill
beautiful.ItwastheimageofDunya,onlytwentyyearslater,exceptforthelook
ofherlowerlip,sincehersdidnotprotrude.PulkheriyaAleksandrovnawas
sensitive,thoughnottothepointofaffectation.Shewasshyandcompliant,but
onlytoacertainextent.Shecouldconcedeagreatdeal,agreetomanythings,
eventhosethatcontradictedherconvictions,buttherewasalwaysalimittoher
honesty,herrules,andherdeepestconvictionsthatnocircumstanceswouldever
forcehertocross.

ExactlytwentyminutesafterRazumikhin’sdeparturetherecamehistwosoft
buthurriedknocksatthedoor:hehadreturned.
“Iwon’tcomein.Ihaven’ttime!”hehastenedtosaywhentheyopenedthe
door.“He’sfastasleep,soundlyandpeacefully;Godwilling,he’llsleepforten
hoursorso.Nastasya’sthere;ItoldhernottoleaveuntilIgetback.SoonI’ll
bringZosimov.He’llreporttoyou,andthenyoucangetsomesleep.Icansee
thatyou’rebothcompletelyexhausted.”

Hesetoffdownthecorridor.

“Whatanefficientand...devotedyoungman!”exclaimedtheextremely
elatedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

“Heseemstobeasplendidperson!”repliedAvdotyaRomanovnawitha
certainpassion,beginningtopacetheroomagain.

Almostanhourlater,stepswereheardinthecorridorandtherewasanother
knockatthedoor.Bothwomenwerewaiting,thistimecompletelyconvincedby
Razumikhin’spromise;infact,hehadreallymanagedtobringZosimov.Hehad
agreedtoleavethepartyimmediatelyandhavealookatRaskolnikov,buthad
cometoseethewomenunwillinglyandwithgreatuncertainty,failingtotrust
thedrunkenRazumikhin.Hisself-esteem,however,wasquicklysoothedand
evenflattered;herealizedthattheyreallyhadbeenwaitingforhimasanoracle.

Hespentexactlytenminutesthereandmanagedtoconvincethemcompletely
andappeasePulkheriyaAleksandrovna.Hespokewithunusualsympathy,but
withrestraintandgreatearnestness,exactlyasatwenty-seven-year-olddoctor
wouldatanimportantconsultation.Hedidn’tstrayfromhissubjectwithasingle
wordanddemonstratednodesirewhatevertoengageinmorepersonaland
privatematterswiththetwowomen.Havingobserveduponenteringhow
dazzlinglyattractiveAvdotyaRomanovnawas,hetriedallduringhisvisitnotto
payheranyattention,addressingPulkheriyaAleksandrovnaexclusively.Allthis
affordedhimasenseofextremeinnersatisfaction.Asforthepatienthimself,he
saidthatatthepresenttimehefoundhisconditiontobeextremelysatisfactory.

Accordingtohisobservations,thepatient’sillness,besidesthepoormaterial

circumstancesofthelastfewmonthsofhislife,hadseveralothermoralcauses:

“Theywere,sotospeak,theresultofcomplexmoralandmaterialinfluences,
anxieties,apprehensions,problems,certainideas...andsoforth.”Having
noticedinpassingthatAvdotyaRomanovnahadbegunlisteningespecially
carefully,Zosimovdevelopedthisthemeatsomewhatgreaterlength.Inreplyto
PulkheriyaAleksandrovna’sanxiousandtimidquestionconcerning“certain
suspicionsregardinghissanity,”herepliedwithacalmandcandidsmilethathis
wordshadbeenexaggerated;that,ofcourse,thepatienthadacertainidéefixe,
somethingindicatingmonomania—he,Zosimov,wasnowpursuingthis
extremelyinterestingbranchofmedicine—butitmustberecalledthatalmostup
untiltodaythepatienthadbeendeliriousand...and,ofcourse,thearrivalofhis
familywouldstrengthenhim,dispeltheseideas,andhaveasalutaryinfluenceon
him,“ifonlyanynewupsetscouldbeavoided,”headdedwithemphasis.Then
hestoodup,bowedimposinglyandcordially,andwasescortedoutwith
blessings,warmgratitude,andprayers.AvdotyaRomanovnaevenextendedher
ownhandtohim,andheleftextremelysatisfiedwithhisvisit,allthemoreso
withhimself.

“We’lltalktomorrow.Nowgotobed,rightnow,immediately!”Razumikhin
insisted,leavingwithZosimov.“Tomorrow,asearlyaspossible,I’llcomewith
areport.”

“WhatanentrancinggirlthatAvdotyaRomanovnais!”remarkedZosimov,
almostlickinghislipsasthetwoofthememergedontothestreet.

“Entrancing?Yousaidentrancing?”Razumikhinroaredandsuddenlythrew
himselfatZosimov,grabbinghimbythethroat.“Ifyoueverdareto...doyou
understand?Doyouunderstand?”heshouted,shakinghimbythecollarand
pinninghimagainstthewall.“Doyouhearme?”

“Letmego,youdrunkendevil!”Zosimovstruggledandthen,afterbeing
released,lookedcloselyatRazumikhinandsuddenlyburstoutlaughing.

Razumikhinstoodthereinfrontofhim,droppinghisarms,indarkandserious thought.

“Ofcourse,I’manass,”hesaid,blackasastormcloud.“Butthen...soare you.”

“No,myfriend,notatall.I’mnottheonewithabsurddreams.”

Theywalkedalonginsilence,andonlywhentheyarrivedatRaskolnikov’s
apartmentdidRazumikhin,feelingburdenedbyhiscares,breakthesilence.
“Listen,”hesaidtoZosimov.“You’reafinefellow,butinadditiontoall
yourbadqualities,you’realecher,thatIknow,andoneofthefilthiest.You’re
ananxious,weakscoundrel.You’recapriciousandspoiled,andyoucan’tdeny
yourselfanything—Icallthatfilth,becauseitleadsdirectlytofilth.You’ve

pamperedyourselftosuchanextentthat,Iconfess,leastofalldoIunderstand
howyoucanbeagooddoctor,evenaselflessone,withallthis.Yousleepona
featherbed(adoctor,even!),yetyougetupatnighttovisitapatient!Inthree
yearsorso,youwon’tbegettinguptotreatanyone....Well,hell,that’snotthe
point,butthisis:you’llspendtonightinthelandlady’sapartment(Imanagedto
persuadeher!),andI’llbeinthekitchen:thisisyourchancetogettoknowher
better!It’snotwhatyouthink!There’snohintofthat,myfriend...”

“I’mnotthinkinganythingatall.”

“Here,myfriend,you’llfindbashfulness,reticence,shyness,strictchastity,
andgivenallthat—afterafewsighsshe’llmeltlikewax,justlikethat!Saveme
fromher,forthesakeofallthedevilsintheworld!She’samostcharming
creature!I’llrepayyouwithmylife,Iwill!”

Zosimovstartedlaughingevenmorethanbefore.

“You’rereallysmashed!WhatdoIwantwithher?”

“Iassureyou,itdoesn’ttakemuch.Talkaboutwhatevernonsenseyouwant,
butsitnexttoherandtalk.Besides,you’readoctor,soyoucanbegintotreather
forsomeailment.Iswear,youwon’tregretit.Shehasapiano,andIstrumonit
abit.Ihaveonesong,aRussianone,genuine:‘Iweepbittertears...’Shereally lovesit
—well,itbeganwithasong;butyou’reavirtuosoonthepiano,a
maestro,aRubenstein... .*Iassureyou,youwon’tbesorry!”

“Didyoumakeanysortofpromisestoher?Didyousignsomedocument?

Didyoupromisetomarryher,perhaps...”

“Notatall,notatall,nothingofthesort!She’snotthatkindofwoman.

Chebarovapproachedher...”
“Well,thendropher!”Zosimovexclaimed.

“It’snotthateasytodropher!”

“Whynot?”

“Well,it’sjustnot,that’sallthereistoit!There’sacomplicatingfactor involved.”

“Whydidyouleadheronthen?”

“Ididn’tleadheronatall.PerhapsImyselfwasledoninmyfoolishness,
butit’sabsolutelyallthesametoherwhetherit’syouorme,aslongas
someone’ssittingnexttoherandsighing.Here,myfriend....Ican’texpressit
toyou;here—you’regoodatmath,andIknowyou’restillstudying
now....Well,startexplainingintegralcalculustoher,IswearI’mnotjoking.

I’mbeingserious.It’sreallyallthesametoher:she’lllookatyouandsigh,and
sitthereforawholeyear.Bytheway,fortwodaysIwastellingheratlength
aboutthePrussianHouseofLords(because,whatelseistheretotalkaboutwith

her?)—andallshedidwassighandsweat!Butdon’tstarttalkingaboutlove—

she’sincrediblyshy–showherthatyoucan’tpossiblyleaveher—well,that’sall
thereistoit.You’llbeterriblycomfortable;justlikehome—read,sit,liedown,
write....Youcanevenkissher,butcarefully...”

“ButwhyshouldIcareabouther?”

“Hey,Ican’texplainittoyou!Yousee,youtwoaresomuchalike!Ialready
thoughtofyoubefore....You’llenduplikethat!So,isn’titthesame,whether
it’ssoonerorlater?Here,myfriend,isthebeginningofafeather-bedlife—hey,
notonlyafeatherbed!You’llbedrawnin.Thisistheendoftheworld,an
anchor,aquietrefuge,thehuboftheuniverse,thethreegreatfishesonwhich
theearthrests,theessenceofpancakes,savorypies,aneveningsamovar,soft
sighs,warmjackets,heatedstoves—soit’sjustasifyouweredead,butalso
alive,alltheadvantagesofbothatthesametime!Well,myfriend,hell,I’ve
goneonandon.It’stimeforbed!Listen:sometimesIwakeupatnight.Ifso,I’ll
gohavealookathim.It’snothing,nonsense,everything’sallright.Don’tbe
alarmed.Andyou,youcanstopby,too,ifyoulike.Butifyounoticeanything,
delirium,forexample,orfever,orsomethingelse,thenwakemeimmediately.

Butthatwon’thappen...”

*AntonRubenstein(1829–
1894)wasavirtuosopianistandfounderoftheSt.PetersburgConservatory.

II

Razumikhinawokethenextdaybeforeeighto’clockinananxiousandsolemn
mood.Manynewandunforeseencomplicationshadsuddenlyarisenthat
morning.Hehadneverimaginedthathewouldawakeinsuchastate.

Herecalledeverythingthathadoccurredthedaybeforetothelastdetailand
realizedthatsomethingveryunusualhadtakenplace.Hehadexperiencedan
impressionthelikesofwhichhehadneverfeltbefore.Atthesametime,hewas
clearlyawarethatthedream,whichhadflaredupinhisimagination,wasutterly
unrealizable—somuchsothathewasevenashamedofitandquicklymovedon
toother,moreimportantworriesandcomplicationsthathehadinheritedafter
that“thrice-accursedyesterday.”

Hismostterriblerecollectionwashow“baseandvile”hehadseemed,not
onlybecausehewasdrunk,butbecausehehadabusedAvdotyaRomanovna’s
fiancéinthepresenceoftheyoungwoman,takingadvantageofhersituation
and,asaresultofhisfoolishlyandhastilyconceivedjealousy,withoutany
knowledgeoftheirmutualrelationsandobligations,notevenknowingtheman
properly.Besides,whatrightdidhehavetojudgePetrPetrovichsoquicklyand
rashly?Whohadcalleduponhimtojudge?CouldacreaturelikeAvdotya
Romanovnagiveherselfuptosuchanunworthymanformoney?Therefore,
Luzhinmustpossessgoodqualities.Butthoserooms?Thoughhowcouldhe
possiblyhaveknownwhatsortofroomstheyreallywere?Hewasbusy
preparingtheirapartment....Phew,howbaseitallwas!Andwhatsortof
defensewasitthathewasdrunk?Itwasastupidexcusethatdegradedhimeven more!
Invinoveritas, andnowthewholetruthhademerged,“thatis,allthefilth
ofhiscrude,enviousheart!”Wasitinanywaypermissibleforhim,
Razumikhin,toharborsuchadream?Whowashecomparedtosuchayoung
woman:justadrunkenloutandyesterday’sbraggart?“Issuchadisparagingand
ridiculouscomparisonevenpossible?”Razumikhinblusheddesperatelyatthis
idea;allofasudden,asifintentionally,atthatverymoment,heclearlyrecalled
howhehadtoldthemyesterday,standingonthestairs,thatthelandladywas
jealousofAvdotyaRomanovnawithregardtohim.Thatwasintolerable!He
slammedhisfistintothekitchenstovewithallhismight,hurtinghishandand
dislodgingonebrick.

“Ofcourse,”hemutteredtohimselfaminutelaterwithafeelingofself-
disparagement,“ofcourse,it’simpossibletopaintoverorsmoothoutallthese

meantricks....Therefore,it’snouseeventhinkingaboutit;fromnowon,I
mustappearbeforetheminsilenceand...andfulfillmyobligations...alsoin
silence,and...andnotasktheirforgiveness,notsayanything,and...and,of
course,nowallislost!”

Nevertheless,whiledressing,hescrutinizedhisapparelmorecarefullythan
usual.Hedidn’thaveanyotherclothes;butevenifhehad,perhapshewouldn’t
haveputthemon.“Justso,hedeliberatelywouldn’tputthemon.”Inanycase,
hecouldnotcontinuebeingacynicandafilthyslob.Hehadnorighttooffend
otherpeople’sfeelings,allthemoresosincetheyneededhimandwerecalling
uponhim.Hecleanedhisclothescarefullywithabrush.Hislinenwasalways
tolerable,andonthatscorehewasparticularlyfastidious.

Thatmorninghescrubbedhimselfdiligently,withsoapprovidedby
Nastasya;hewashedhishair,hisneck,andespeciallyhishands.Whenthe
questionaroseastowhethertoshavehisstubbleornot(PraskovyaPavlovna
ownedanexcellentrazorthathadbelongedtoherlatehusband,Mr.Zarnitsyn),
thequestionwasansweredinthenegative,evenwithsomebitterness:“Letit
staylikeitis!Well,theymightthinkIshavedespecially...that’sjustwhat
they’llthink!Notforanythingonearth!

“And...andthemainthingis,he’ssocrude,filthy,withmannersofthe
tavern;and...and,let’sassumeheknowshe’sadecentfellow,atleastalittle.

Well,what’stheretobeproudofinbeingadecentfellow?Everyoneshouldbe
decent,evenbetterthanthat,and...still”—heremembersthis—“therewere
certainmatters...notexactlydishonorable,nevertheless,theretheywere!And
whatsortofthoughtshadhesometimesharbored?Hmm.Andtoputallthis
alongsideAvdotyaRomanovna!Well,damnitall!Sobeit!I’llbedirty,filthy,
drunken,andtohellwithit!I’llbeevenworse!”

Zosimov,whohadspentthenightinPraskovyaPavlovna’slivingroom,
cameuponhiminthemiddleofthismonologue.

Hewasheadinghomeand,beforeleaving,hadhastenedtoaskaboutthe
patient.Razumikhinreportedthathewassleepinglikealog.Zosimovordered
thatRaskolnikovnotbedisturbeduntilheawoke.Hepromisedtocallin
sometimeafterten.

“Ifonlyhe’sathome,”headded.“Damnit!It’shardtotreatapatientwhen
youhavenocontroloverhismovements!Doyouhappentoknowwhether he’s
goingthereor they’re cominghere?”

“They’recomingtohim,Ithink,”repliedRazumikhin,graspingthepurpose
ofthequestion.“Ofcourse,they’llbetalkingaboutfamilymatters.I’llleave.As
adoctor,ofcourse,youhavemorerightsthanIdo.”

“ButI’mnotapriest.I’llcomeandgo.Ihavemanythingstodobesides them.”

them.”

“Onethingdisturbsme,”addedRazumikhin,frowning.“Yesterday,inmy
drunkenstate,aswewalkedhome,Iblabbedaboutallsortsofstupid
things...variousmatters....Isaidthatyouwereafraidthathemight...have
atendencytowardinsanity...”

“Youalsosaidsomethingaboutittothewomenyesterday.”

“Iknowitwasstupid!Youcanbeatme,ifyoulike!Butdoyoureallyhavea
strongopinion?”

“It’snonsense,Itellyou.Whatsortofstrongopinion?Youyourself
describedhimasamonomaniacwhenyoucalledmeinonthecase....Well,
yesterdayweevenfedtheflames—thatis,youdid,withthosestories...about
thepainter.Finetotalkaboutthatwhenitmighthavebeentheverythingthat
threatenedhissanityinthefirstplace!IfI’dknownindetailwhathadhappened
thenatthepolicestation,thatsomerascalhadoffendedhimthere...withhis
suspicion!Hmm...Iwouldn’thaveallowedthatconversationyesterday.These
monomaniacscanmakemountainsoutofmolehills;andtheycanbelievethe
mostfantasticstories....AsfarasIcanrecallfromyesterday,fromZametov’s
account,abouthalfthemattercamecleartome.Sowhat?Iknowacasewhere
onehypochondriac,somefortyyearsold,wasinnoconditiontotolerate
everydaytauntsatthetablefromaneight-year-oldlad,andsohekilledhim!

Andherewehaveamanintatters,anarrogantpoliceman,thebeginningsofan
illness,andsuchasuspicion!Toafrenziedhypochondriac!Inthepresenceof
extraordinary,insanevanity!Thismightevenbethesourceofhisillness!Well,
tohellwithit!Bytheway,thisZametovreallyisaveryniceyoungman,
only...hmm...therewasnoneedforhimtosayallthatyesterday.He’sa
terriblechatterbox!”

“Whodidhetell?Youandme?”

“AndPorfiry.”

“SowhatifhetoldPorfiry?”

“Bytheway,doyouhaveanyinfluenceonthetwoofthem,hismotherand sister?
Theyshouldbemorecarefulwithhimtoday...”

“They’llcometoanagreement!”Razumikhinrepliedunwillingly.

“AndwhydidheattackLuzhinlikethat?He’samanofmeans,andshe
doesn’tseemrepulsedbyhim....Andthey’rebroke,right?”

“Whyareyouinterrogatingme?”Razumikhincriedirritably.“HowshouldI
knowifthey’rebrokeornot?Askthemyourself.Maybeyou’llfindout...”

“Phew!Howstupidyouaresometimes!You’restillshowingsignsof
yesterday’sdrinkingbout....Good-bye.ThankPraskovyaPavlovnaformefor
lastnight’slodging.Shelockedherselfawayanddidn’tanswerwhenIsaid

‘Goodmorning’throughthedoor.Shegotupatseveno’clock,andhersamovar
wasbroughtfromthekitchenthroughthecorridor....Iwasn’tworthyof
beholdingherwithmyowneyes...”
Atpreciselynineo’clock,RazumikhinappearedintheroomsatBakaleev’s.

Bothwomenhadbeenwaitingforhimforsometimeinhystericalimpatience.

Theyhadbeenawakesinceseven,orevenearlier.Heenteredinamoodas
somberasnightandgreetedthemawkwardly,forwhichhegrewangryatonce

—athimself,ofcourse.Hewasmistakeninhiscalculations:Pulkheriya
Aleksandrovnathrewherselfathim,grabbedbothhishands,andalmoststarted
kissingthem.HelookedtimidlyatAvdotyaRomanovna;butatthatmomenther
haughtyfaceexpressedgratitude,friendship,andsuchcompleteandunexpected
respectforhim(insteadofmockingglancesandtheinvoluntary,badly
concealedscornhehadexpected!)thatintruthitwouldhavebeeneasierforhim
iftheyhadgreetedhimwithabuse,becausenowitwasalltooconfusing.

Fortunately,therewasaneasytopicforconversation,andheseizeduponit quickly.

Afterhearingthat“he’sstillnotawake”butthat“everythingisallright,”

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnadeclaredthatitwasforthebest“sinceshevery,very,
verymuchneededtotalkthingsoverfirst.”Therefollowedaquestionabouttea
andaninvitationtohavesometogether;theystillhadn’thadtheirteawhile
waitingforRazumikhin.AvdotyaRomanovnarangthebell,andafilthyurchin
appeared;hewastoldtobringtea,whichwasfinallyserved,butitwassodirty
andcrudethattheladieswereashamed.Razumikhinwasabouttocriticizethe
roomsforcefully,but,recallingLuzhin,hekeptsilent,feltembarrassed,andthen
wasoverjoyedwhenPulkheriyaAleksandrovna’squestionsfinallyraineddown
onhimwithoutinterruption.

Replyingtothem,hespokeforthree-quartersofanhour,constantly
interruptedandcross-examined.Hemanagedtoconveyallthemostimportant
andnecessaryfactsheknewregardingthepreviousyearofRodion
Romanovich’slife,concludingwithadetailedaccountofhisillness.Heomitted,
however,agreatdealthatneededtobeomitted,includingthesceneatthepolice
station,withalltheconsequencesofthatmeeting.Theylistenedeagerlytohis
account,butwhenhethoughthehadfinishedandhadsatisfiedhisaudience,it
turnedoutthatasfarastheywereconcerned,hehadhardlybegun.
“Tellme,tellme,whatdoyouthink....Ah,excuseme.Istilldon’tknow
yourfullname,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnahastenedtoadd.

“DmitryProkofich.”

“Well,then,DmitryProkofich,I’dvery,verymuchliketoknow...in
general...howhenowregardsthings,thatis,understandme...howshallIput

it...thatis,it’sbettertosay:whatdoeshelikeandwhatnot?Ishealwaysso irritable?
Whatdesiresdoeshehave,whatdreams,sotospeak,ifit’spossibleto say?
Whathasthegreatestinfluenceonhimnow?Inaword,I’dliketo...”

“Ah,Mama,howcanheanswerallthesequestionsallofasudden?”

remarkedDunya.

“Ah,myGod,Inever,neverexpectedtomeethimlikethis,Dmitry Prokofich.”

“That’sonlynatural,ma’am,”repliedDmitryProkofich.“Ihavenomother,
butmyunclevisitsmeeveryyearandalmosteverytimedoesn’trecognizeme,
evenmyappearance,andhe’sacleverman.Agreatdealofwaterhaspassed
underthebridgeduringthethreeyearsofyourseparation.WhatcanItellyou?

I’veknownRodionforthelastyearandahalf.He’sgloomy,somber,haughty,
andproud.Lately(perhapsforquiteawhile),he’sbeenworryingabouthis
health;he’sahypochondriac.He’salsogenerousandkind.Hedoesn’tliketo
talkabouthisfeelingsandwouldsoonerseemcruelthanrevealhisheart.

Sometimes,however,he’snotahypochondriacatall,butcoldandcallously
insensitive.It’salmostasifthereweretwocontradictorycharactersalternating
withinhim.Sometimeshe’sterriblyuncommunicative!Hehasnotimefor
anythingandeverythingbothershim,whilehejustliestheredoingnothing.He’s
notsarcastic,notbecausehelackswit:it’sjustthathehasnotimeforsuch
nonsense.Hedoesn’twaittohearwhatpeoplearesaying.Henevertakesan
interestinwhatinterestsotherpeopleatanygivenmoment.Hevalueshimself
veryhighly,and,itseems,hasreasontodoso.Well,whatelse?Itseemstome
thatyourarrivalwillhaveanextremelybeneficialeffectonhim.”
“Ah,Godwilling!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,tormentedby
Razumikhin’saccountofherRodya.

AtlastRazumikhinlookedmorecheerfullyatAvdotyaRomanovna.During
thisconversation,hehadglancedatherfrequentlybutfleetingly,foronlya
moment,andthenlookedawayimmediately.AvdotyaRomanovnaeithersatat
thetable,listeningcarefully,orstoodupagainandbeganpacing,aswasher
custom,fromcornertocorner,armscrossed,bitingherlips,seldomaskinga
question,withoutinterruptingherpacing,deepinthought.Shealsohadthehabit
ofnotlisteningtowhatotherpeoplesaid.Shewaswearingadarkdressmadeof
thinmaterial,withadelicatewhitescarftiedaroundherneck.Frommany
indicationsRazumikhinobservedthatthecircumstancesofbothwomenwere
extremelypoor.IfAvdotyaRomanovnahadbeendressedlikeaqueen,then,it
seems,hewouldnothavebeentheleastbitafraidofher;butnow,perhaps
becauseshewassobadlydressed,andhehadnoticedalltheseshabby
circumstances,fearengulfedhisheart.Hebegantofearhiseveryword,every

gesture,which,ofcourse,wouldbeembarrassingforanybody,especiallyfora
personsounsureofhimself.

“You’vesaidmanyinterestingthingsaboutmybrother’scharacter
and...saiditinanimpartialway.That’sgoodbecauseIthoughtyou
worshippedhim,”remarkedAvdotyaRomanovnawithasmile.“Italsoseems
truethatheshouldhaveawomannearhim,”sheaddedinathoughtfulmood.

“Ididn’tsaythat;butperhapsyou’realsorightaboutthat;however...”

“What?”

“Hedoesn’tloveanyone.Perhapshe’llneverloveanyone,”replied
Razumikhinabruptly.

“Thatis,he’sincapableofloving?”

“Youknow,AvdotyaRomanovna,you’reterriblylikeyourbrotherinall
sortsofways!”heblurtedoutsuddenly,surprisingevenhimself;butatonce,
recallingwhathehadjustsaidaboutherbrother,heturnedredasabeetand
becameflustered.AvdotyaRomanovnacouldn’tkeepfromlaughingasshe
lookedathim.
“YoubothmaybemistakenaboutRodya,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovna
declared,somewhatoffended.“I’mnottalkingaboutthepresent,Dunechka.

WhatPetrPetrovichwritesinthisletter...andwhatyouandIbelievedmaynot
bethetruth,butyou,DmitryProkofich,can’timaginehowpronetofantasyhe
is,and,howshallIputit,howcapriciousheis.Icouldnevertrusthischaracter,
notevenwhenhewasonlyfifteenyearsold.I’msurethatevennowhecoulddo
somethingtohimselfthatnooneelsecouldeverconceiveofdoing....One
doesn’thavetogofar:doyouknowhow,ayearandahalfago,heastounded
me,shockedme,andwasnearlythedeathofme,whenhedecidedtomarrythat
girl,what’shername—thedaughterofthisZarnitsynawoman,hislandlady?”

“Doyouknowthedetailsofthatepisode?”askedAvdotyaRomanovna.

“Youthink,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnacontinuedpassionately,“mytears
wouldhavestoppedhimthen,myentreaties,myillness,mydeath,perhaps,from
ouranguish,ourpoverty?Hewouldhavecalmlyoversteppedallthoseobstacles.

Butdoeshereally,reallynotloveus?”

“Hehimselfnevertoldmeathingaboutthatepisode,”Razumikhinreplied
cautiously,“butIheardsomethingaboutitfromMrs.Zarnitsynaherself,who’s
alsonotthemostcommunicativeperson.WhatIdidhearwasreallyrather strange...”

“What,whatdidyouhear?”thetwowomenaskedtogether.

“Well,nothingmuchinparticular.Imerelylearnedthatthismatch,already
settled,andwhichdidn’ttakeplaceonlybecauseofthebride’sdeath,wasnotat
alltoMrs.Zarnitsyna’sliking....Besidesthat,theysaytheyoungwomanwas

notveryattractive,thatis,theysayshewasevenratherplain...andsosickly,
and...andstrange...however,itseems,shedidhavecertaingoodqualities,or
elsethere’dbenowaytomakesenseofit....Therewasnodowryatall,but
thenhewouldn’tevencountonthatpossibility....Ingeneral,it’sdifficultto
judgeinsuchamatter.”

“I’mcertainthatshewasaworthyyoungwoman,”AvdotyaRomanovna
observedcurtly.
“Godwillforgiveme,butatthetimeIrejoicedatherdeath,althoughIreally
don’tknowwhichofthemwould’veruinedtheother:wouldhedestroyher,or
wouldshedestroyhim?”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaconcluded.Then,
cautiously,withhesitationsandconstantglancesatDunya,which,obviously,
werenottoDunya’sliking,shestartedtoaskaboutthemeetingyesterday
betweenRodyaandLuzhin.Thatevent,apparently,disturbedhermorethan
anything,incitingfearandtremblinginher.Razumikhinrelatedeverythingonce
moreindetail,butthistimeheaddedhisownconclusion.Hebluntlyaccused
RaskolnikovofintentionallyinsultingPetrPetrovich,hardlyusinghisillnessas
anexcuse.

“Hehaddecidedonthisbeforehebecameill,”headded.

“Ithinkso,too,”saidPulkheriyaAleksandrovnawithadefeatedlook.She
wasverysurprisedthatthistimeRazumikhinwasspeakingaboutPetrPetrovich
socautiously,evenwithwhatseemedtobesomerespect.Thisalsosurprised
AvdotyaRomanovna.

“What,then,isyouropinionofPetrPetrovich?”PulkheriyaAleksandrovna
asked,unabletorefrainfrominquiring.

“Ican’tholdanyotheropinionofyourdaughter’sfuturehusband,”

Razumikhinrepliedwithresolutionandpassion.“I’mnotsayingthisoutofany
vulgarpoliteness,butbecause...because...well,onlybecauseAvdotya
Romanovnaherself,voluntarily,wastheonetochoosehim.IfIreviledhim
yesterday,itwasbecauseIwasdeaddrunkandeven...insane.Yes,insane,I
lostmyhead,Iwentcrazy,completely...andtodayI’mashamedofit!”He
blushedandfellsilent.AvdotyaRomanovnablusheddeeplybutdidn’tbreakher
silence.Shehadn’tutteredasinglewordfromthemomenttheyhadstarted
talkingaboutLuzhin.

Meanwhile,PulkheriyaAleksandrovna,withoutherdaughter’ssupport,was
apparentlyinastateofindecision.Atlast,hesitatingandglancingconstantlyat
Dunya,shedeclaredthatnowonecircumstanceconcernedhergreatly.

“Yousee,DmitryProkofich,”shebegan.“I’llbeabsolutelyfrankwith
DmitryProkofich,right,Dunya?”
“Ofcourse,Mama,”AvdotyaRomanovnaremarkedearnestly.

“Thepointis,”shehastenedtoadd,asifpermissiontocommunicateher
sorrowhadrelievedherofagreatburden.“Today,veryearly,wereceiveda
letterfromPetrPetrovichinreplytoournotifyinghimofourarrivalyesterday.

Yousee,yesterdayhewassupposedtomeetusatthestation,ashe’dpromised.

Instead,alackeywassentwiththeaddressoftheseroomstoshowustheway,
whilePetrPetrovichtoldhimtosaythathehimselfwouldcallonustoday.

Instead,thisletterarrivedthismorning....Itwouldbebetterifyoureadit
yourself.There’sonethingthatdisturbsmeagreatdeal...you’llsoonseewhat
itisforyourself,and...givemeyourhonestopinion,DmitryProkofich!You
knowRodya’scharacterbestofall,andyoucanadviseusbestofall.Iwarnyou
thatDunechka’salreadydecidedtheentirematterfromtheoutset,butI,Istill
don’tknowwhattodo,and...I’vebeenwaitingforyou.”

Razumikhinunfoldedtheletterdatedthedaybeforeandreadthefollowing:
DearMadam,PulkheriyaAleksandrovna,

“Ihavethehonortoinformyouthatbecauseofsomesuddendelays,I
wasunabletomeetyouontheplatform,soIsentaveryefficientfellow
inmyplace.Similarly,Imustdeprivemyselfofthehonorofmeeting
youtomorrowmorning,asaresultofunavoidablebusinessattheSenate,
andsoasnottointerferewithyourintimatereunionwithyourson,and
AvdotyaRomanovna’sreunionwithherbrother.Ishallhavethehonorof
callingonyouandpayingmyrespectsinyourroomsnolaterthan
tomorrow,atpreciselyeighto’clockintheevening.Moreover,Itakethe
libertyofaddingtheearnestand,dareIsay,insistentrequestthatRodion
Romanovichnotbepresentatourmeeting,inasmuchasheinsultedme
unspeakablyandimpolitelyduringmyvisittohissickbedyesterday.

Furthermore,Iwanttohaveanecessaryandthoroughdiscussionwith
youregardingoneparticularmatter,aboutwhichIwishtolearnyour
opinion.Ihavethehonorofinformingyouinadvancethatif,inspiteof
myrequest,ImeetRodionRomanovich,thenIwillbecompelledto
leaveatonce,andyouwillhaveonlyyourselftoblame.Iamwritingthis
ontheassumptionthatRodionRomanovich,whoseemedsoillduring
myvisit,suddenlyrecoveredwithintwohours,andthatconsequently,
leavinghisownroom,hemaybeabletovisityou.Iwasconvincedof
thisbymyowneyes,havingseenhimyesterdayintheapartmentofa
certaindrunkard,runoverbyhorses,whodiedasaresult,andwhose
daughter,ayoungwomanofnotoriousconduct,hehandeduptotwenty-
fiverublesyesterday,onthepretextoffuneralexpenses,afactthat
shockedmegreatly,knowingthedifficultcircumstancesunderwhich
youacquiredthatsumofmoney.Withthat,andconveyingmyspecial

youacquiredthatsumofmoney.Withthat,andconveyingmyspecial
regardstotherespectedAvdotyaRomanovna,Ibegyoutoacceptmy
feelingsofrespectfuldevotion,

Yourhumbleservant,

P.Luzhin.

“WhatshallIdonow,DmitryProkofich?”askedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,
almostintears.“HowcanItellRodyanottocome?Yesterdayhesoinsistently
demandedthatPetrPetrovichberefused,andnowwe’retoldthatRodyacan’tbe
received!He’llcomeonpurpose,assoonashefindsout,and...thenwhatwill
happen?”

“DoasAvdotyaRomanovnahasdecided,”Razumikhinrepliedcalmlyat once.

“Oh,mygoodness!Shesays...Godknowswhatshesays,andshedoesn’t
explainherpurposetome!Shesaysthatitwouldbebetter,thatis,notexactly
better,butforsomereasonitwouldbeabsolutelynecessarythatRodyaalso
deliberatelycometodayateighto’clockandthattheymeetwithoutfail....But
Ididn’twanttoshowhimthisletteratall,justsomehowdeviseatrick,with
yourhelp,sothathewouldn’tcome...becausehe’ssoirascible....AndI
don’tunderstandatallaboutthatdrunkardwhodied,andwhatsortofdaughter
hehad,andhowhecouldhavegiventhisdaughterhislastrubles...which...”

“Whichcostyousodearly,Mama,”addedAvdotyaRomanovna.

“Hewasnothimselfyesterday,”Razumikhinsaidpensively.“Ifyouknew
allthathe’dsaidinthetavern,thoughitwasclever...hmm!Hereallydidsay
somethingtomeyesterdayaboutsomedeadmanandaboutsomeyoungwoman
asweweregoinghome,butIdidn’tunderstandaword....However,yesterday
I,too,was...”

“Mama,itwouldbebestifwewenttoseehim,andthen,Iassureyou,we’ll
knowimmediatelywhattodo.Besides,it’salreadytime.GoodLord!It’spast
teno’clock!”shecried,glancingatthemagnificentgold-and-enamelwatch
hangingaroundherneckonaslenderVenetianchain,atoddswiththerestofher
apparel.“Apresentfromhersuitor,”thoughtRazumikhin.

“Ah,it’stime!It’stime,Dunechka,it’stime!”PulkheriyaAleksandrovna
exclaimed.“He’llthinkwedidn’tcomebecausewe’reangryaboutyesterday.

Oh,mygoodness.”

Sayingthis,shehastenedtothrowonhercapeandputonherhatwhile
Dunechkaalsogotdressed.Razumikhinnoticedthathergloveswerenotonly
wornbutevenfrayed.Theobviouspovertyoftheirapparelmanagedtoconvey
tobothladiesalookofspecialdistinction,whichalwayshappenswiththose

whoknowhowtowearhumbleclothes.RazumikhinregardedDunechkawith
reverenceandwasproudtobeescortingher.“Thatqueen,”hethoughtto
himself,“whomendedherownstockingsinprisonlookedlikearealqueenat
thatmomentandevenmoresothanduringthemostlavishfestivitiesandregal
entrances.” *

“Mygoodness!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.“DidIeverthinkthatI’d
besoafraidofameetingwithmyownson,withmydear,dearRodya,asIam now?
Iamafraid,DmitryProkofich!”sheadded,castingatimidglanceathim.

“Don’tbe,Mama,”saidDunya,kissingher.“It’sbettertohavefaithinhim.

Ido.”

“Ah,mygoodness!Ihavefaith,too,butIdidn’tsleepawinklastnight!”

criedthepoorwoman.

Theyleft.
“Youknow,Dunechka,asIfellasleeptowardmorning,Isuddenlydreamtof
thelateMarfaPetrovna....Alldressedinwhite...sheapproachedme,took
myhand,andshookherheadatmeharshly,soharshly,asifshewascensuring
me....Isthatagoodsign?Ah,mygoodness,DmitryProkofich,youstilldon’t
know.MarfaPetrovnadied!”

“No,Idon’t.Who’sthisMarfaPetrovna?”

“Itwasasuddendeath!Justimagine...”

“Later,Mama,”Dunyainterruptedher.“Hedoesn’tevenknowMarfa Petrovna.”

“Ah,youdon’tknowher?Ithoughtyoukneweverything.Forgiveme,
DmitryProkofich.ThesedaysIcanhardlythinkstraight.True,Iconsiderthat
you’vebeensenttousbyProvidence,andsoIwasconvincedthatyoualready
kneweverythingaboutit.Ithinkofyouasfamily....Don’tbeangryatwhatI
say.Ah,mygoodness,whathappenedtoyourrighthand?Didyouhurt yourself?”

“Yes,Idid,”theoverjoyedRazumikhinmumbled.

“SometimesIsaytoomuchspeakingrightfromtheheart,soDunyacorrects
me....But,myGod,whatalittlecellhelivesin!Isheawake?Andthat
woman,hislandlady,doessheconsiderthataroom?Listen,yousayhedoesn’t
liketospeakhisheart,soperhapshe’sfedupwithmy...weaknesses?Won’t
youhelpmelearntodealwithhim?HowshouldIact?Youknow,Ifeel
completelyataloss.”

“Don’taskhimtoomanyquestionsaboutsomethingifyouseethathe’s
scowling.Inparticular,don’taskhimabouthishealth.Hedoesn’tlikeit.”

“Ah,DmitryProkofich,it’ssohardbeingamother!Buthere’shis

staircase....Whatanawfulstaircase!”

“Mama,you’reevenpale.Calmdown,mydear,”saidDunya,caressingher
mother.“Heshouldbepleasedtoseeyou,butyou’retormentingyourself,”she
added,hereyesflashing.

“Waitamoment.I’lllookinfirsttoseeifhe’sawake.”
TheladiesquietlyfollowedRazumikhinupthestairs.Whentheyapproached
thelandlady’sapartmentonthefourthfloor,theynoticedthatherdoorwas
slightlyajarandthattwolivelyblackeyeswerepeeringatthemfromthe
darkness.Whentheirglancesmet,thedoorslammedshutwithsuchabangthat
PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaalmostcriedoutinfright.

*AreferencetoMarieAntoinette(1755–
1793),whowasimprisonedin1792andexecutedthefollowing year.

III

“Better,he’sbetter!”Zosimovcriedcheerfullyastheyentered.Hehadarrived
abouttenminutesearlierandwasseatedwherehe’dsatyesterday,inthecorner
oftheroomonthesofa.Raskolnikovwassittingintheoppositecorner,fully
clothed,evencarefullywashedandgroomed,somethinghehadn’tdoneforquite
sometime.Theroomfilledupimmediately,butNastasyastillmanagedtogetin
behindthevisitorsandstoodtherelistening.

Itwastrue,Raskolnikovhadalmostrecovered,especiallycomparedtohow
he’dfeltyesterday.Buthewasstillverypale,distracted,andgloomy.Onthe
outsideheresembledawoundedmanorsomeonesufferingfromgreatphysical
pain:hisbrowswereknit,hislipscompressed,hisgazeinflamed.Hesaidvery
littleandthatonlyreluctantly,asifunderduressorfulfillinganobligation;a
kindofuneasinessappearedattimesinhismovements.

Allthatwasmissingwasabandageonhisarmorataffetacoveronhis
fingerforhimtolookexactlylikeamanwho,forexample,hadapainfulabscess
onhisfinger,orwhohadinjuredhisarm,orsomethingofthatsort.

However,eventhispaleandgloomyfacelitupforamomentwhenhis
motherandsistercamein,butitmerelyaddedtohisexpressionofwhatseemed
tobemoreconcentratedtorment,ratherthanhispreviousdrearydistraction.The
lightsoonfaded,butthetormentremained,andZosimov,observingand
studyinghispatientwithalltheyouthfulfervorofadoctorjustbeginninghis
practice,wassurprisedtonoticeinsteadofjoyatthearrivalofhisfamily,some
painfulhiddenresolvetoendureunavoidabletormentforanotherhourortwo.
Hesawlaterhowalmosteverywordoftheensuingconversationseemedto
touchoneofhispatient’ssorespotsandirritateit;butatthesametime,hewas
somewhatsurprisedbyRaskolnikov’sabilitytocontrolhimselftodayandto
concealthefeelingsofyesterday’smonomaniac,whohadbeengoadedalmostto
thepointofmadnessbytheleastwordspoken.

“Yes,ImyselfcanseethatI’malmostwell,”saidRaskolnikov,kissinghis
motherandsisteraffably,asaresultofwhichPulkheriyaAleksandrovnaalso
beamed.“AndI’mnotsayingthatasIdid yesterday, ”headded,turningto
Razumikhinandshakinghishandwarmly.

“Iwasevensurprisedbyhislookstoday,”Zosimovbegan,overjoyedbythe
newarrivalsbecausehehadlostthethreadofhisconversationwiththepatient
sometenminutesbefore.“Inthreeorfourmoredays,ifhecontinuestoimprove,

he’llbeasgoodashewasbefore,thatis,howhewasamonthortwoago...or,
perhapseventhreemonths.Allthisstartedawhileback...right?Nowconfess
thatyouyourselfmightbetoblameforit,”headdedwithacautioussmile,asif
stillafraidofirritatinghimsomehow.

“It’sverypossible,”Raskolnikovrepliedcoldly.

“I’msayingthat,”Zosimovcontinued,growingintohisrole,“because,for
themostpart,nowyourcompleterecoverydependsentirelyonyou.Nowthat
it’spossibletoconversewithyou,Iwantedtoimpressonyoutheimportanceof
puttingasidetheinitial,rootcauses,sotospeak,thatinfluencedtheonsetof
yourmorbidcondition;thenyou’llrecover.Ifnot,you’llgetevenworse.Idon’t
knowwhatthoseinitialcauseswere,butyoumustknow.You’reacleverman
and,ofcourse,you’veobservedyourself.Itseemstomethattheoriginofyour
distresscoincidesinpartwithyourleavingtheuniversity.Youmustn’tremain
withoutanoccupation,because,itseemstome,workandafirmlyestablished
goalcouldhelpyouimmensely.”

“Yes,yes,you’reabsolutelyright....I’llreturntotheuniversityassoonas
possible,andtheneverythingwillgo...assmoothassilk...”

Zosimov,whohadbegundispensinghisastuteadviceinpartforitseffecton
theladies,was,ofcourse,somewhatpuzzledwhen,havingfinishedhisspeech
andhavingglancedathislistener,henoticedthedecidedlymockingsmileon
Raskolnikov’sface.However,thatlastedforonlyamoment.Pulkheriya
AleksandrovnaimmediatelybeganthankingZosimov,inparticularforhisvisit
totheirhotelroomtheeveningbefore.

“So,hecametoseeyoulastnight?”askedRaskolnikov,asifalarmed.“Asa
result,youdidn’tgetanysleepafteryourvoyage?”

“Ah,Rodya,allthishappenedbeforetwoo’clock.AthomeDunyaandI
nevergotobedbeforetwo.”

“I,too,don’tknowhowtothankhim,”continuedRaskolnikov,suddenly
frowningandloweringhishead.“Settingasidethequestionofmoney—you’ll
excusemeformentioningit,”hesaid,turningtoZosimov,“Idon’tknowwhyI
deservesuchspecialattentionfromyou.Isimplydon’tunderstand
it...and...andIevenfindituncomfortablethatIdon’tunderstandit:I’m
speakingtoyoufrankly.”

“Don’tbeupset,”Zosimovsaidwithaforcedlaugh.“Let’sassumethat
you’remyfirstpatient.Well,someofuswho’vejustbeguntopracticemedicine
cometoloveourfirstpatientsasiftheywereourownchildren;someofthem
almostfallinlovewiththem.Idon’thaveverymanypatientsyet.”

“I’mnoteventalkingabouthim,”addedRaskolnikov,indicating
Razumikhin.“He,too,hashadnothingfrommeexceptinsultsandworries.”

“Oh,whatlies!You’reinquiteasentimentalmoodtoday,aren’tyou?”cried

“Oh,whatlies!You’reinquiteasentimentalmoodtoday,aren’tyou?”cried
Razumikhin.

Hadhebeenmoreperspicacious,hewouldhaveseenthattherewasno
questionofasentimentalmood;rather,somethingcompletelyoppositewasin
play.AvdotyaRomanovnanoticedit.Shewasintentlyandanxiouslyobserving
herbrother.

“Asforyou,Mama,Idarenotspeakaboutyou,”hecontinued,asifhehad
beenpreparingalessonthatmorning.“ItwasonlytodaythatIwasableto
imaginehowyoumusthavesufferedhereyesterdayinanticipationofmy
return.”Aftersayingthis,suddenlyandwithasilentsmile,heextendedhishand
tohissister.Butthistimesomegenuine,unfeignedfeelingshonethroughhis
smile.Dunyaimmediatelygrabbedholdofhishandandsqueezeditwarmly,
overjoyedandgrateful.Itwasthefirsttimehehadaddressedherafter
yesterday’sdisagreement.Hismother’sfaceglowedwithecstasyandhappiness
atthesightofthisdefinitive,nonverbalreconciliationbetweenbrotherand sister.

“That’swhyIlovehimso!”whisperedRazumikhin,alwaysinclinedto
exaggerate,turningforcefullyinhischair.“Hehastheseimpulses.”

“Howwellitallturnsout,”hismotherthoughttoherself.“Hehassuchnoble
instincts,andhowsimply,delicatelyhe’sresolvedyesterday’smisunderstanding
withhissister—merelybyextendinghishandwithsuchafinelook....Hehas
suchsplendideyes,andhiswholefaceissohandsome!He’sevenbetter-looking
thanDunya....But,mygoodness,whatsortofclothesishewearing?He’sso
horriblydressed!TheerrandboyatAfanasyIvanovich’sshopisbetterdressed!

Ifonly,ifonlyIcouldrushuptohim,embracehim,andweep—butI’mafraid,
afraid...he’ssucha...goodLord!Nowhe’sspeakingsopolitely,butI’m
afraid!WhatamIafraidof?”

“Ah,Rodya,youwon’tbelieve,”shebegansuddenly,hasteningtoreplyto
hisremark,“how...miserableDunechkaandIwereyesterday!Nowallthat’s
overanddonewithandwecansaythatwe’reallhappyagain.Imagine,wecame
rushingoverheretoembraceyou,almostrightfromthetrain,andthiswoman—

ah,heresheis!Hello,Nastasya!Shesuddenlytellsusthatyou’resickand
delirious,thatinyourdeliriumyoujustslippedawayfromthedoctor,andthey’d
goneouttolookforyou.Youcan’tbelievewhatthatwaslike!AllatonceI
recalledthetragicendofouracquaintanceLieutenantPotanchikov,afriendof
yourfather’s—youdon’trememberhim,Rodya—hewasalsodelirious,andhe
tooranaway,andfellintoawell;theymanagedtopullhimoutonlyadaylater.

Ofcourse,weimaginedevenworsethings.Wewantedtorushoffinsearchof
PetrPetrovich,sothatatleastwithhishelp...becausewewerealone,

completelyalone,”shesaidinaplaintivevoiceandsuddenlybrokeoff,having
recalledthatmentioningPetrPetrovichwasstillratherdangerous,inspiteofthe
factthat“everyonewascompletelyhappyagain.”

“Yes,yes...allthat,ofcourse,isannoying,”Raskolnikovmutteredin
reply,butwithsuchadistractedandalmostinattentivelookthatDunechka
regardedhiminastonishment.

“WhatelsewasitthatIwantedtosay,”hecontinued,tryingtorecall.“Yes.

Please,Mama,andyou,Dunechka,don’tthinkthatIdidn’twanttovisityou
firstthingtodayandthatIwasjustwaitingforyoutocome.”

“Whatareyousaying,Rodya?”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,also surprised.

“Isherespondinglikethisfromasenseofobligation?”Dunechkawondered.

“He’smakingpeaceandaskingforforgivenessasifhe’sdoingajoborreciting
alesson.”

“Ijustwokeupandwantedtocome,butmyclothesdelayedme;yesterdayI
forgottotellher...Nastasya...towashawaytheblood....I’veonly
managedtogetdressednow.”

“Blood!Whatblood?”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnacriedanxiously.

“It’sonly...don’tworry.Thebloodwasbecauseyesterday,whenIwas
wanderingaroundinmydelirium,Istumbleduponafellowwho’dbeenrun
over...acivilservant...”

“Inyourdelirium?Butyouremembereverything,”Razumikhinsaid,
interruptinghim.

“That’strue,”Raskolnikovreplied,somehowinaparticularlythoughtful
way.“Iremembereverything,tothelastdetail,butjustthink:Ireallycan’t
explainwhyIdidwhatIdid,whereIwent,orwhatIsaid.”

“That’saverywell-knownphenomenon,”Zosimovinterjected.“The
performanceofactsissometimesmasterful,extremelyclever,butthecontrolof
theacts,theirorigin,isconfusedanddependsonvariousmorbidimpressions.It
resemblesadream.”
“Itmaybeagoodthingthatheconsidersmealmostinsane,”thought Raskolnikov.

“Buthealthypeoplecanexperiencesomethingsimilar,”remarkedDunechka,
regardingZosimovuneasily.

“That’saratheraccurateobservation,”hereplied.“Inthatsense,reallyallof
usbehavealmostinaderangedmanner,andextremelyfrequently,withonlythe
slightdifferencethatthe‘sick’onesaresomewhatmorederangedthantherest
ofus,andthereforeit’sessentialtodrawadistinction.It’struethatthere’s
almostnosuchthingasacompletelywell-balancedperson;outofdozens,

perhapsmanyhundredthousands,youmeetonlyone,andhe’snotaverygood
example...”

Attheword“deranged,”carelesslydroppedbyZosimov,whowasgetting
carriedawaybyoneofhisfavoritethemes,everyonewinced.Raskolnikovsat
there,asifnotpayinganyattention,indeepthoughtandwithastrangesmileon
hispalelips.Hecontinuedponderingsomething.

“Sowhathappenedtothemanwhowasrunover?Iinterruptedyou!”

Razumikhinexclaimedhastily.

“What?”saidRaskolnikov,asifawakeningfromadream.“Yes...Iwas
splatteredinbloodwhenIhelpedcarryhimtohisapartment....Bytheway,
Mama,Icommittedanunforgivableactyesterday;Imusthavebeenoutofmy
mind.YesterdayIgaveawayallthemoneyyousentme...tohiswife...for
thefuneral.She’snowawidow,aconsumptive,andapitifulwomanwiththree
youngorphans,hungry...nooneathome...andthere’sonemore
daughter....Ifyou’dseenit,youmighthavegivenawaythemoney,
too....But,Iconfess,Ihadnorighttodoso,especiallyknowinghowyoucame
byit.Tohelp,onemustfirsthavetheright,orelse:‘ Crevezchiens,sivous
n’êtespascontents!’*Helaughed.Isn’tthatright,Dunya?”

“No,it’snot,”repliedDunyaresolutely.

“Well!You,too...haveintentions!”hemuttered,regardingheralmostwith
hatred,smilingsarcastically.“Ishould’verealizedthat....Well,that’s
praiseworthy;it’sbetterforyou...andyou’llreachalimitthatyouwon’t overstep—
andyou’llbeunhappy;andifyoudooverstep,perhapsyou’llbeeven
unhappier....However,that’sallnonsense!”headdedirritably,annoyedathis
owninvoluntarypassion.“ImerelywantedtosaythatIaskyourforgiveness,
Mama,”heconcludedabruptlyandsharply.

“Enough,Rodya.I’msurethateverythingyoudoissplendid!”saidhis
mother,overjoyed.

“Don’tbesosure,”hereplied,twistinghismouthintoasmile.Amomentof
silenceensued.Therewassomethingstrainedinthisentireconversation,this
silence,reconciliation,forgiveness,andeveryonefeltit.

“It’sasifthey’reafraidofme,”Raskolnikovthoughttohimself,scowlingat
hismotherandhissister.AnditwastruethatthelongerPulkheriya
Aleksandrovnawassilent,themoretimidshereallybecame.

“Itseemsthatwhenthey’refaraway,Ilovedthemmore,”flashedthrough hishead.

“Youknow,Rodya,thatMarfaPetrovnadied?”PulkheriyaAleksandrovna
suddenlyletdrop.

“Who’sMarfaPetrovna?”

“Who’sMarfaPetrovna?”

“Ah,mygoodness,MarfaPetrovnaSvidrigaylova!Iwroteyousomuch abouther.”

“Ah,yes,Iremember....Soshedied?Ah,really?”Hesuddenlyroused
himself,asifwakingup.“Soshereallydied?Whatfrom?”

“Justimagine:itwasallverysudden!”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnahastened
toadd,emboldenedbyhisinterest.“AndithappenedthesametimeIsentyou
thatletter,thatveryday!Justthink,itseemsthathorriblemanwasthecauseof
herdeath.Theysayhegaveheraterriblebeating!”

“Didtheyreallylivelikethat?”heasked,addressinghissister.

“No,evenquitethecontrary.Hewasalwaysverypatientwithher,even
courteous.Inmanyinstanceshewaseventooindulgentofhercharacter,all
sevenyears....Somehowhesuddenlylosthispatience.”

“Ofcourse,hewasnotthathorribleifheheldoutforsevenyears.Dunechka,
youseemtobedefendinghim.”

“No,no,he’sahorribleman!Ican’timagineanyonemorehorrible,”Dunya
replied,almostwithashudder,frowning.Shelapsedintothought.

“Ithappenedinthemorning,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnacontinued
hurriedly.“Immediatelyafterward,sheorderedthehorsesharnessedsoshe
coulddriveintotownrightafterdinnerbecauseinsuchcasesshealwaysdid
that;sheateherdinner,theysay,withalargeappetite.”

“Afterthebeating?”

“...Butshe’dalwayshadthis...habit:assoonasshe’deatenherdinner,
soasnottobelateforherdrive,sheheadedrighttothebathhouse....Yousee,
shewastakingsomecurewithherbaths;theyhaveacoldspring,andsheused
tobatheiniteveryday,Assoonassheenteredthewater,shesuddenlyhada stroke!”

“Ishouldthinkso!”saidZosimov.

“Wasthebeatingsevere?”

“Itdoesn’treallymatter,”repliedDunya.

“Hmm!Mama,whatmakesyoutalkaboutsuchnonsense?”Raskolnikov
saidsuddenlywithirritation,andasifunintentionally.

“Oh,mydear,Ijustdon’tknowwhattotalkabout,”Pulkheriya
Aleksandrovnaburstout.

“Areyouallafraidofmeorsomething?”heaskedwithatwistedgrin.

“That’sreallytrue,”saidDunya,lookingdirectlyandsternlyatherbrother.

“WhenMamawascomingupthestairs,sheevencrossedherselfoutoffear.”

Hisfacewassuddenlydistorted,asiffromaconvulsion.
“Ah,whatareyousaying,Dunya?Pleasedon’tbeangry,Rodya....Why

saythat,Dunya?”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaaskedinembarrassment.“It’strue
thatallthewayhereinthetrainIwasthinkingabouthowwe’dgettoseeeach
other,howwe’dtalkabouteverything...andIwassohappythatIdidn’teven
noticethelongjourney!ButwhatamIsaying?I’mhappyevennow....You
werewrongtosaythat,Dunya!I’mjustsohappytoseeyou,Rodya...”

“Enough,Mama,”hemutteredinembarrassment,squeezingherhand
withoutlookingather.“We’llhavetimetotalkabouteverything!”

Aftersayingthis,hesuddenlybecameconfusedandturnedpale.Onceagain,
theprevioushorriblesensationofdeathlycoldenteredhissoul;onceagain,it
suddenlybecamecompletelyclearandapparentthathehadjusttoldaterrible
lie.Notonlywouldthetimetotalkabouteverythingnevercome,buttherewas
nothingfurtherforhimto talk aboutwithanyone,ever.Theimpactofthis
tormentingideawassostrongthatforamomenthealmostforgothimself
entirely.Hestoodupand,withoutlookingatanyone,wasabouttoleavethe room.

“Whatareyoudoing?”criedRazumikhin,seizinghimbythearm.

Hesatdownagainandbeganglancingaroundinsilence;everyoneregarded
himinperplexity.

“Whyareyouallsotedious?”hecriedsuddenly,completelyunexpectedly.

“Saysomething!Whyareyousittingherelikethis?Well,speak!Let’sstarta
conversation....We’vecometogetherandwe’resittingherein
silence....Well,saysomething!”

“Thankheavens!Ithoughtthatsomethinglikewhathappenedyesterdaywas
beginningagain,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnasaid,aftercrossingherself.

“Whatisit,Rodya?”AvdotyaRomanovnaaskeduncertainly.

“It’snothing.Ijustrememberedsomething,”herepliedsuddenlyandstarted
laughing.

“Well,ifthat’sallitis,thenit’sallright!Orelse,Ialsobegantothink...”
Zosimovmuttered,gettingupfromthesofa.“Butit’stimeformetogo;I’lldrop
inagain,perhaps,andhopetofindyouhere...”

Hebowedandleft.

“Whatasplendidman!”remarkedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

“Yes,splendid,outstanding,educated,clever...”Raskolnikovstarted
talkingsuddenlywithunexpectedspeedandunusualanimationnotseenbefore.

“Idon’trecallwhereIencounteredhimbeforemyillness....Itseemswemet
somewhere....Andthisman’salsoafinefellow!”HenoddedatRazumikhin.

“Doyoulikehim,Dunya?”heaskedsuddenlyandburstintopuzzlinglaughter.

“Verymuch,”repliedDunya.

“Phew,whata...swineyouare!”Razumikhinmuttered,terribly

embarrassed;heblushedandstoodupfromhischair.PulkheriyaAleksandrovna
smiledslightly,whileRaskolnikovroaredwithloudlaughter.

“Whereareyougoing?”

“I...havetogo,too.”

“No,youdon’t.Stayhere!Zosimovleft,soyouthinkyoushouldaswell.

Don’tgo....Whattimeisit?Isittwelveyet?Whatanicewatchyouhave,
Dunya!Whyhaveyoufallensilentagain?I’mtheonlyonetalking.”

“ItwasagiftfromMarfaPetrovna,”repliedDunya.

“Andaveryexpensiveone,”addedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

“Ah!It’ssobig,almosttoobigtobealady’swatch.”

“Ilikewatcheslikethis,”saidDunya.
“Sothen,it’snotagiftfromhersuitor,”thoughtRazumikhin,andforsome
reasonfeltoverjoyed.

“IthoughtitwasapresentfromLuzhin,”remarkedRaskolnikov.

“Oh,no.Hehasn’tgivenDunechkaanythingyet.”

“Ah!Doyouremember,Mama,Iwasonceinloveandwantedtoget

married,”hesaidsuddenly,lookingathismother,whowasstruckbythe
unexpectedmannerandtonewithwhichhehadbeguntalkingaboutit.

“Ah,mydear,yes!”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaexchangedglanceswith
DunechkaandRazumikhin.

“Hmm!Yes!WhatcanItellyou?Idon’tevenrecallmuch.Shewasasickly
girl,”hecontinued,growingthoughtfulagain,castinghiseyesdown.“Veryill;
shelovedtogivemoneytothepoor;shekeptdreamingaboutaconventand
onceburstintotearswhenshestartedtellingmeaboutit.Yes,yes...I
remember...Irememberitwell.Shewasveryplain....Ireallydon’tknow
whyIfeltattractedtoher;perhapsitwasbecauseshewasalwayssickly....If
she’dbeenlameorahunchback,Iprobablywould’velovedherevenmore....”

Hesmiledthoughtfully.“Thus...itwassomesortofspringtimedelirium...”

“No,itwasn’tmerelyspringtimedelirium,”Dunechkasaidwithanimation.

Heregardedhissisterintentlyandintensely,buthehadn’tevenheardor
understoodherwords.Then,indeepthought,hestoodup,approachedhis
mother,kissedher,returnedtohisseat,andsatdown.

“Youstillloveher!”saidPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,touched.

“Her?Now?Ah,yes...you’retalkingaboutthatyoungwoman!No,it’sas
ifithappenedinanotherworld...andsolongago.Itseemsthateverything
aroundmeishappeningsomewhereelse...”

Heregardedthemclosely.
“Evenyou...it’sasifI’mlookingatyoufromathousandmiles
away....Thedevilknowswhywe’retalkingaboutthis!Whydoyoukeep

asking?”headdedinannoyanceandfellsilent,bitinghisnailsandgrowing
thoughtfuloncemore.

“Youhavesuchanawfulroom,Rodya.It’slikeacoffin,”Pulkheriya
Aleksandrovnasaidsuddenly,breakingthepainfulsilence.“I’msurethathalf
thereasonyoubecamesomelancholyisthisroom.”

“Myroom?”hereplieddistractedly.“Yes,myroomcertainlycontributedto
it....Ithoughtaboutthat,too.Ifyouonlyknewwhatsortofstrangeideayou
justuttered,Mama,”headdedsuddenly,smilinginastrangeway.

Itwouldhavetakenjustalittlewhilelongerandthiscompany,these
relatives,afterathree-yearseparation,thisintimatetoneofconversationandthe
completeimpossibilityoftalkingaboutanything—allthishewouldhavefound
absolutelyintolerable.Therewas,however,onepressingmatterthathadtobe
resolvedtoday,onewayoranother.Hehadreachedthisdecisionawhileago,
whenheawoke.Nowherejoicedover thatmatter asanescape.

“Here’swhat,Dunya,”hebegan,speakingseriouslyanddrily.“Ofcourse,I
askyourforgivenessforwhatIsaidyesterday,butIconsideritmydutyto
remindyouonceagainthatI’mnotretreatingfromthemainpoint.It’seitherme
orLuzhin.Imaybeascoundrel,butyoushouldn’tbe.Itshouldbeonlyoneof
us.IfyoumarryLuzhin,I’llimmediatelyceasethinkingofyouasmysister.”

“Rodya,Rodya!Thisisthesameasyesterday,”criedPulkheriya
Aleksandrovnabitterly.“Whydoyoukeepcallingyourselfascoundrel?Ican’t
standthat!Itwasjustthesameyesterday...”

“Brother,”repliedDunyafirmlyandalsodrily.“You’remakingamistake
here.Ithoughtaboutitallnightandfoundwhereyouaremistaken.Itliesinthe
factthatyouassumethatI’msacrificingmyselftosomeoneandforsomeone.

Butthat’snottrueatall.I’mgettingmarriedformyself,becauseIfindthings
difficult;ofcourse,I’llbegladifitalsoturnsouttobeofusetomyfamily,but
thatisn’tthemainreasonformydecision...”
“She’slying!”hethoughttohimself,bitinghisnailsinanger.“She’san
arrogantwoman!Shedoesn’twanttoadmitthatshe’sdoingittobenefitothers!

Oh,thesevilecharacters!Theirloveislikehatred....Oh,howI...hatethem all.”

“Inaword,I’mmarryingPetrPetrovich,”Dunechkacontinued,“because
I’mchoosingthelesseroftwoevils.Iintendtofulfillhonestlyallthatheexpects
ofme;consequently,I’mnotdeceivinghim....Whydidyoujustsmilelike that?”

Shealsoflaredup,andangerflashedinhereyes.

“Willyoufulfilleverything?”heasked,smilingmaliciously.

“Uptoacertainpoint.BoththemannerandtheformofPetrPetrovich’s

proposalrevealedimmediatelywhathe’slookingfor.Ofcourse,hevalues
himselfhighly,perhapstoohighly,butIhopethathe’llalsocometovalue
me....Whyareyoulaughingagain?”

“Andwhyareyoublushingagain?You’relying,sister.You’relying
intentionally,outoffeminineobstinacyalone,merelytogetyourownwaywith
me....Youcan’trespectLuzhin:I’veseenhimandtalkedtohim.

Consequently,you’resellingyourselfformoney;and,consequently,inanycase,
you’rebehavinginavilemanner.I’mgladthatatleastyoucanstillblush!”

“It’snottrue!I’mnotlying!”Dunechkacried,losingallherself-control.

“I’mnotmarryinghimwithoutbeingconvincedthathevaluesmeand
appreciatesme.I’mnotmarryinghimwithoutthefirmconvictionthatIcan
respecthim.Fortunately,Icanprobablybecomeconvincedofthiseventoday.

Suchamarriageisnotavileact,asyousay!Andevenifyouwereright,ifI’d
reallydecidedtocommitsuchavileact,isn’titreallyheartlessofyoutotalkto
melikethis?Whydoyoudemandofmeheroismthatyouyourselfmaylack?

It’sdespotism,coercion!IfI’mtoruinsomeone,it’sonlymyself....Ihaven’t
murderedanyone....Whyareyoulookingatmelikethat?Whyhaveyou
turnedsopale?Rodya,what’sthematterwithyou?Rodya,mydear!”
“GoodLord!You’recausinghimtofaint!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

“No,no...nonsense...it’snothing!Myheadstartedspinningalittle.I’m
notfainting....Allyoueverthinkaboutisfainting!Hmm!Now,whatwasI saying?
Yes.Howwillyouconvinceyourselftodaythatyoucanrespecthimand
thathe...valuesyou,wasthatwhatyousaid?Itseemsyousaidsomething abouttoday?
OrdidImishear?”

“Mama,showPetrPetrovich’slettertomybrother,”saidDunechka.

Withtremblinghands,PulkheriyaAleksandrovnahandedhimtheletter.He
tookitwithgreatinterest.Butevenbeforeheunfoldedit,heabruptlylookedat
Dunechkawithastonishment.

“It’sstrange,”hemusedslowly,asifsuddenlystruckbyanewthought.

“WhyamImakingsuchabigfuss?Whysucharacket?Marrywhomeveryou like!”

Hesaiditasiftohimself,bututtereditaloudandforsometimelookedathis
sister,asifhewaspuzzled.

Atlastheunfoldedtheletter,stillmaintainingalookofstrange
astonishment;thenhebeganreadingitslowlyandattentively;hereaditthrough
twice.PulkheriyaAleksandrovnawasfeelingparticularlyanxious;everyonewas
anticipatingsomethingextraordinary.

“Ifindthissurprising,”hebeganaftersomethought,handingtheletterback
tohismother,butnotaddressinganyoneinparticular.“He’shereonbusiness,

he’salawyer,andevenhisconversationisso...affected,yethisletterisso illiterate.”

Everyonewasstunned;thatwasnotwhattheyhadexpected.

“Buttheyallwritelikethat,”Razumikhinnotedabruptly.

“Haveyoureadit?”

“Yes.”
“Weshowedittohim,Rodya,we...conferredaboutitbefore,”Pulkheriya
Aleksandrovnabeganinherconfusion.

“It’sinaspeciallawyerlystyle,”Razumikhinsaid,interruptingher.“Legal
documentsarestillwrittenlikethat.”

“Lawyerly?Yes,that’sitprecisely,businesslike....It’snotthatit’svery
illiterate,andit’snotthatit’sveryliterary;it’sjustbusinesslike.”

“PetrPetrovichdoesn’tconcealthefactthathewaseducatedonthecheap;
heevenboastsofhavingpavedhisownway,”remarkedAvdotyaRomanovna,
somewhatoffendedbyherbrother’snewtone.

“Well,ifheboasts,thenhehassomethingtoboastabout—I’mnot
contradictinghim.You,sister,seemtohavebeenoffendedbythefactthatoutof
thewholeletterIventuredsuchafrivolousremark,andyouthinkthatImention
suchtrivialitiesintentionallytomakedifficultiesforyoubecauseI’mannoyed.

Onthecontrary,concerninghisstyle,anobservationoccurredtomethatinthis
presentcaseisnotatallsuperfluous.There’soneexpressionintheletter,‘you
willhaveonlyyourselftoblame,’thatputsitallverypointedlyandclearly.In
addition,there’sthethreatthatifIattendthemeeting,he’llleaveimmediately.

Thisthreattoleave—it’sthesameasathreattoabandonyoubothifyoudisobey
him,andtoabandonyounow,afterhe’sbroughtyoutoPetersburg.Well,what
doyouthink?WouldonetakeoffenseatsuchanexpressionlikeLuzhin’s,if he”—
indicatingRazumikhin—“hadwrittenit,orZosimov,oroneofus?”

“N-no,”repliedDunechka,growingmoreanimated.“Iunderstoodverywell
thatitwasexpressedtooartlesslyandthatperhapshe’snotaveryskilled
writer....You’reabsolutelyright,brother.Ididn’tevenexpectthat...”

“It’swritteninlegalese,anditcan’tbewritteninanyotherway;itcameout
morecrudelythanhemighthavewanted.Besides,Ihavetodisillusionyou
somewhat:there’sanotherexpressioninthisletterthat’saslanderagainstme,
andarathervileone.Igavethemoneyyesterdaytoaconsumptivewoman,a
devastatedwidow,not‘onthepretextoffuneralexpenses,’butdirectlyforthe
funeral,andnottothedaughter—‘ayoungwomanofnotoriousconduct’ashe
writes(andwhomIsawforthefirsttimeinmylifeyesterday),buttothewidow
herself.InallofthisIseehisoverlyhastydesiretotarnishmeandprovokea
quarrelwithyou.Again,it’sexpressedinlegalese,thatis,withtooobviousa

displayofitsownaimandwithextremelynaïvespeed.He’sanintelligentman,
butinordertoactintelligently—intelligencealoneisnotenough.Allthis
providesapictureoftheman...andIdon’tthinkhevaluesyouveryhighly.I
sayallthissolelyforyourownedification,becauseIsincerelywantthebestfor
you...”

Dunechkamadenoreply;herdecisionhadbeenmadesometimeago,and
shewasmerelywaitingforeveningtoarrive.

“Well,whathaveyoudecided,Rodya?”askedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,
evenmoreworriedthanbeforebyhissudden,new, businessliketone.

“Whatdoyoumean,‘decided’?”

“PetrPetrovichwritesthathedoesn’twantyoutherethiseveningandthat
he’llleave...ifyoucome.Sothen...willyoubehere?”

“That,ofcourse,isnotformetodecide,butyou,inthefirstplace,ifPetr
Petrovich’sdemanddoesnotoffendyou;andDunya,inthesecondplace,if
she’snotoffended,either.Ishalldoasyouwish,”headdedcoolly.

“Dunechka’salreadydecided,andI’mincompleteagreementwithher,”

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnahastenedtosay.

“Idecidedtoaskyou,Rodya,torequestmosturgentlythatyoubepresentat
thismeeting,”saidDunya.“Willyoucome?”

“Iwill.”

“AndIalsoaskyou,”shesaid,turningtoRazumikhin,“tojoinushereat
eighto’clock.Mama,I’malsoinvitinghim.”

“That’sfine,Dunechka.Well,justasyou’vedecided,”addedPulkheriya
Aleksandrovna,“that’showitwillbe.Imyselffeelbetter.Idon’tliketopretend
orlie.It’sbettertospeakthewholetruth...whetheritmakesPetrPetrovich
angryornot.”

*“Diedogs,ifyou’renothappy!”(French).

IV

Atthatmoment,thedooropenedquietlyandayoungwomanenteredtheroom,
glancingaroundtimidly.Everyoneturnedtoherwithastonishmentand
curiosity.Raskolnikovdidn’trecognizeheratfirst.ItwasSofiyaSemyonovna
Marmeladova.He’dseenheryesterdayforthefirsttime,butatsuchamoment,
insuchcircumstances,andinsuchclothes,thatherememberedanentirely
differentface.Nowshewasamodestly,evenpoorlydressedyoungwoman,
veryyoungindeed,almostlikeagirl,withmodest,propermanners,andan
innocentbutseeminglyfrightenedface.Shewaswearingaverysimpleeveryday
dressandanold,outmodedhatonherhead;butshewascarryingaparasolin
herhands,asshehadyesterday.Unexpectedlyseeingaroomfullofpeople,she
wasn’tmerelyembarrassed,butoverwhelmed;shefelttimidasachildandeven
madeamovetoleave.

“Ah...isityou?”askedRaskolnikovinextremesurprise,andhesuddenly
feltembarrassed.

Herememberedatoncethathismotherandsisteralreadyknewinpassing,
fromLuzhin’sletter,aboutacertainyoungwomanof“notorious”conduct.He
hadjustnowbeenprotestingagainstLuzhin’sslanderandhadjust
acknowledgedthathehadseenthisgirlforthefirsttime,whensuddenlyshe
herselfshowedupinhisroom.Healsorecalledthathehadn’tobjectedinany
waytothephrase“notoriousconduct.”Allthisflashedthroughhismindvaguely
inonemoment.But,glancingathermoreintently,hequicklysawthatthis
humbledcreaturewasfeelingsohumiliated,andhesuddenlyfeltsorryforher.

Whenshemadeamovetorunawayoutoffear,itwasasifsomethingturned overinhim.

“Iwasn’texpectingyou,”hehastenedtosay,stoppingherwithhisglance.

“Besogoodastotakeaseat.You’veprobablycomefromKaterinaIvanovna.
Excuseme,nothere.Sitoverthere...”

AtSonya’sentranceRazumikhin,whowasseatedononeofRaskolnikov’s
threechairs,atoncestoodupnexttothedoortoletherpass.Raskolnikovwas
abouttoshowhertotheplaceonthecornerofthesofawhereZosimovhadsat
but,rememberingthatthesofawouldbetoo intimate aplaceandthatitalso
servedashisbed,hehastenedtopointhertowardwhathadbeenRazumikhin’s chair.

“Andyousithere,”hesaidtoRazumikhin,placinghiminthecorner
Zosimovhadoccupied.

Zosimovhadoccupied.

Sonyasatdown,almosttremblinginfear,andglancedtimidlyatboth
women.Itwasclearthatsheherselfdidn’tunderstandhowshecouldsitnextto
them.Afterrealizingthis,shewassofrightenedthatshesuddenlystoodupagain
andturnedtoRaskolnikovintotalconfusion.

“I...I...camebyonlyforaminute.Forgivemefordisturbingyou,”she
began,stammering.“I’vecomefromKaterinaIvanovna;shehadnooneelseto
send....KaterinaIvanovnawantsmetoimploreyoutoattendthefuneral
tomorrowmorning...duringthemorningservice...attheMitrofanyevsky
Cemetery,andthentocometoourapartment...toherplace...forsome
refreshment....She’dbehonored....Shehadmeinviteyou.”

Sonyastutteredandfellsilent.

“I’llcertainlytry...certainly,”repliedRaskolnikov,alsostanding,also
stammering,andnotfinishingwhathewassaying.“Besogoodastotakea
seat,”hesaidsuddenly.“Ihavetotalktoyou.Please—perhapsyou’reinahurry

—besokindastogivemeafewmomentsofyourtime...”

Hepulledupachairforher.Sonyasatdownagain,oncemoreglanced
hurriedly,timidly,uncomfortablyatthetwowomen,andsuddenlyloweredher eyes.

Raskolnikov’spalefaceflushed;heseemedtoshudderallover;hiseyes flashed.
“Mama,”hesaidfirmlyandinsistently,“thisisSofiyaSemyonovna
Marmeladova,thedaughterofthatunfortunateMr.Marmeladovwhowasrun
overbyhorsesyesterdaybeforemyveryeyesandaboutwhomItoldyou already...”

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaglancedatSonya,squintingslightly.Inspiteofall
herconfusionwhenfacedwithRodya’sinsistentandchallenginggaze,therewas
nowayshecoulddenyherselfthispleasure.Dunechkaearnestlyandintently
stareddirectlyatthepooryoungwoman’sfaceandexaminedherin
bewilderment.Sonya,afterhearingtheintroduction,wasabouttoraisehereyes
again,butfeltevenmoreembarrassedthanbefore.

“Iwantedtoaskyou,”Raskolnikovsaid,turningtoherabruptly,“howhave
thingsbeentoday?Didanyonedisturbyouatall?Thepolice,forexample?”

“No,sir,itallwent....Itwasalltooclearwhatcausedhisdeath;theydidn’t
disturbus;it’sjustthatthelodgerswereangry.”

“Why?”

“Thebodywasthereforsolong...it’shotnowandthesmell....Sotoday,
justbeforevespers,they’lltakeittothecemeteryandit’llbeinthechapeluntil
tomorrow.AtfirstKaterinaIvanovnadidn’twantthat,butnowsheseesthat

there’snootherway...”

“Sotoday?”

“Sheasksthatyoudousthehonorofattendingthefuneralinthechurch
tomorrow,andthencometoarepastatourplace.”

“She’sarrangingawake?”

“Yes,sir.Somerefreshment.Sheaskedmetothankyouverymuchfor
helpingusyesterday....Withoutyou,wewouldn’thavehadanywayof
buryinghim.”Bothherlipsandherchinsuddenlybegantrembling,butshe
regainedcontrol,refrainedfromcrying,andquicklyloweredhereyestothe
flooragain.
DuringtheconversationRaskolnikovexaminedherclosely.Shehadathin,
verythin,palelittleface,ratherirregular,somewhatangular,withapointedlittle
noseandchin.Itwasevenimpossibletothinkofheraspretty;ontheotherhand,
herblueeyesweresoclearand,whentheycametolife,theexpressionofher
facesokindandsincere,thatonefeltinvoluntarilyattractedtoher.Therewas,in
addition,onespecialtraitreflectedinherfaceandinherentirefigure:inspiteof
hereighteenyears,shestillseemedlikeayounggirl,muchyoungerthanher
years,almostatotalchild,andthatfactsometimesappearedengaginglyin
severalofhermovements.

“ButhowcouldKaterinaIvanovna,withsuchmeagermeans,arrangethings,
evenproviderefreshment?”askedRaskolnikov,prolongingtheconversation
intentionally.

“Thecoffinwillbeasimpleone,sir...everythingwillbesimpleand
inexpensive....KaterinaIvanovnaandIrecentlycalculateditall,andthere’s
enoughtoprovideforthefuneralrepast....KaterinaIvanovnawouldvery
muchlikeitthisway.Onecan’tjust...itwouldconsoleher,sir...asyou
know,she’slikethat...”

“Iunderstand,Ido...ofcourse....Whyareyouexaminingmyroom?My
motheralsosaysthatitresemblesacoffin.”

“Yougaveusallyourmoneyyesterday!”Sonechkarepliedsuddenly,ina
strongandswiftwhisper,andthensuddenlydroppedhereyesagain.Herlips
andchinbegantremblingoncemore.She’dbeenstruckforsometimeby
Raskolnikov’simpoverishedcircumstances,andjustnowthesewordshad
emergedallbythemselves.Amomentofsilenceensued.Dunechka’seyesgrew
clear,andPulkheriyaAleksandrovnaevenlookedkindlyatSonya.

“Rodya,”shesaid,standingup.“Ofcourse,we’llhavedinnertogether.

Dunechka,let’sgo....Andyou,Rodya,shouldgoout,takealittlewalk,havea
rest,liedown,andthencometoseeussoon....Asthingsare,I’mafraidwe’ve
exhaustedyou...”
“Yes,yes,I’llcome,”hereplied,risingandhurrying....“Ihavesome
matterstoattendto...”

“Areyoureallyplanningtohavedinnerapart?”criedRazumikhin,lookingat
Raskolnikovinsurprise.“Whyareyoudoingthat?”

“Yes,yes,I’llcome,ofcourse,ofcourse,Iwill....Butyoustayherefora
momentlonger.Doyouneedhimrightnow,Mama?OrcanIperhapstakehim
awayfromyou?”

“Oh,no,no!DmitryProkofich,willyoubesogoodastocomeandhave
dinnerwithus?”

“Pleasecome,”Dunyaadded.

Razumikhinbowedinfarewellandshonewithpleasure.Foramoment,
everyonesuddenlyfeltstrangelyembarrassed.

“Good-bye,Rodya,thatis,untilwemeet;Idon’tlikesaying‘good-bye.’

Good-bye,Nastasya...oh,Ijustsaiditagain!”

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnawasalsoabouttobowtoSonechka,butsomehow
didn’tmanageit;shelefttheroomhastily.

ButAvdotyaRomanovnaseemedtowaitherturnand,followinghermother
pastSonya,saidfarewellwithathoughtful,polite,anddeepbow.Sonechkawas
embarrassed,andbowedsomewhathastilyandfearfully,evenwithsomepainful
sensationreflectedinherface,asifshefoundAvdotyaRomanovna’spoliteness
andthoughtfulnessburdensomeanddistressing.

“Good-bye,Dunya,”criedRaskolnikovfromtheentrancehall.“Giveme
yourhand!”

“Ialreadydid.Haveyouforgotten?”repliedDunya,affectionatelyand
awkwardlyturningtohim.

“Sowhat?Givemeyourhandagain!”
Hesqueezedherfingerswarmly.Dunechkasmiledathim,blushed,quickly
withdrewherhand,andfollowedhermotherout,alsofeelinghappyforsome reason.

“Well,thisissplendid!”hesaidtoSonya,returningtohisroomandlooking
directlyather.“Godgranteternalpeacetothedepartedandallowthelivingto
goonliving!Isn’tthatso?Isn’tit?Right?”

Sonyalookedathissuddenlybrighteningcountenancewithabsolute
astonishment;hestaredintentlyatherinsilenceforseveralmoments.Atthat
minute,thewholestoryofherlatefathersuddenlyflashedintohismemory...

“GoodLord,Dunechka!”saidPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,assoonastheyhad
goneoutside.“I’malmostgladthatwelefthimnow:it’squitearelief.DidI

goneoutside.“I’malmostgladthatwelefthimnow:it’squitearelief.DidI
everthinkyesterdayinthetrainthatI’dfeelgratefulforthis?”

“Itellyouoncemore,Mama,he’sstillverysick.Don’tyouseethat?

Perhapshewasworryingaboutusandthat’swhatdistressedhim.Wehavetobe
mercifulandforgivehimagreatmanythings.”

“Youweren’tverymercifulwithhim!”PulkheriyaAleksandrovna
immediatelyinterruptedher,passionatelyandjealously.“Youknow,Dunya,I
waslookingatbothofyou.You’rethespitandimageofhim,notmerelyinyour
looksasmuchasinyoursouls.You’rebothmelancholic,bothmoodyandhot-
tempered,bothhaughty,andbothgenerous....Itcouldn’tbethathe’sanegoist,
right,Dunechka?ButwhenIthinkaboutwhat’llhappenthisevening,myheart
growscold!”

“Don’tworry,Mama.Whatmustbe,willbe.”

“Dunechka!Justthinkaboutthepredicamentwe’reinnow!WhatifPetr
Petrovichrefuses?”poorPulkheriyaAleksandrovnasuddenlysaidunwisely.

“Thenwhatwillhebeworthafterward?”Dunechkarepliedabruptlyand scornfully.

“It’sagoodthingweleftnow,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnahastenedtoadd,
interruptingher.“Hewasrushingtoattendtosomematter.Lethimgofora
walk,getsomefreshair....It’ssoterriblystuffyinhisroom....Howcan
anyonebreathehere?Evenoutsideit’slikebeinginaroomwithoutventilation.

GoodLord,whatacity!Holdon,movetooneside,oryou’llbecrushed,they’re
carryingsomething!They’removingapiano....Howthey’re

struggling....I’malsoafraidofthatgirl...”

“Whatgirl,Mama?”

“Thatone,SofiyaSemyonovna,whowasjustthere...”

“Why?”

“Ijusthaveaforeboding,Dunya.Well,whetheryoubelieveitornot,as
soonasshecamein,atthatverymomentthethoughtoccurredtomethatthisis
wherethemainproblemlies...”

“Nothingofthesort!”criedDunyainannoyance.“Youandyour
forebodings,Mama!He’sonlyknownhersinceyesterday,andhedidn’teven
recognizeherwhensheentered.”

“Well,you’llsee!Shetroublesme;you’llsee,youwill.Iwassofrightened:
shelookedatme,reallylooked.Hereyesareso...Icouldhardlykeeptomy
chair.Doyourecallhowhestartedtointroduceher?Itseemsstrange:Petr
Petrovichwroteaboutherinsuchaway,yethestillintroducedhertous,
especiallytoyou!Therefore,shemustmeansomethingtohim!”

“Itdoesn’tmatterwhathewrote!Peoplehavesaidthingsaboutusand

writtenthings,too,ordidyouforget?I’msurethatshe’s...she’sverynice,and
allthisisnonsense!”

“Godwilling!”

“AndPetrPetrovichisaworthlessgossip,”Dunechkasuddenlyblurtedout.

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnawinced.Theconversationended.
“Here’swhatIwantedtodiscusswithyou,”Raskolnikovsaid,leading
Razumikhinovertothewindow...

“SoI’lltellKaterinaIvanovnathatyou’llcome,”Sonyahastenedtosay,
bowingtotakeherleave.

“Oneminute,SofiyaSemyonovna.Wehavenosecrets;you’renot
interfering....I’dstillliketohaveafewwordswithyou....Here’swhat,”he
said,breakingoffwithoutfinishingandturningbacksuddenlytoRazumikhin.

“Doyouknowthatfellow...what’shisname?PorfiryPetrovich?”

“I’llsayIdo!He’sarelative.Whatofit?”headded,hiscuriositysuddenly aroused.

“He’snowinvolvedwith...well,thatmurdercase...justyesterdayyou
saidsomething...”

“Yes...and?”Razumikhinasked,hiseyessuddenlyopenwide.

“He’sbeensummoningpeoplewhopawnedvariousitemswithher;Ialso
hadsomepledgesthere,sometrifles:mysister’sring,whichshegavemeasa
keepsakewhenIcamehere,andmyfather’ssilverwatch.Alltogetherthey’re
worthaboutfiveorsixrubles,butthey’revaluabletomeasmementos.Sowhat
canIdonow?Idon’twantthemtobelost,especiallythewatch.Iwasafraid
thatmymotherwouldasktoseeitwhentheybegantalkingaboutDunechka’s
watch.It’stheonlythingleftofmyfather’s.She’dbeveryupsetifitwereto
disappear!Women!So,whatshouldIdo,tellme!IknowthatIshoulddeclareit
atthepolicestation.Wouldn’titbebettertotellPorfiryPetrovichhimself?What
doyouthink?It’sbesttodealwithitassoonaspossible.You’llsee:Mamawill
askaboutitbeforedinner!”

“Bynomeansatthepolicestation,butabsolutelytoPorfiry!”cried
Razumikhinwithsomeunusualagitation.“Well,I’msoveryglad!Whywait?

Let’sgothererightnow;it’snotfaraway,andwe’llcertainlyfindhimin!”

“Fine...let’sgo...”
“He’llbevery,very,verygladtomakeyouracquaintance!I’vetoldhimso
muchaboutyouatdifferenttimes....JustyesterdayIwastalkingaboutyou.

Let’sgo!So,youknewthatoldwoman?Aha!It’sallturnedoutsomag-ni-fi-

cent-ly!Ah,yes,SofiyaIvanovna...”

“SofiyaSemyonovna,”Raskolnikovcorrectedhim.“SofiyaSemyonovna.

ThisismyfriendRazumikhin,agoodfellow...”

“Ifyouhavetogonow...”Sonyastartedtosay,withoutsomuchas
lookingatRazumikhin,and,asaresult,becameevenmoreembarrassed.

“Let’sgo,”decidedRaskolnikov.“I’llcallonyoulatertoday,Sofiya
Semyonovna.Onlytellmewhereyoulive.”

Itwasn’tthathehadlosthistrainofthought,butheseemedtobehurrying
andavoidinghergaze.Sonyagavehimheraddress,blushing.Everyoneleft together.

“Don’tyoulockyourdoor?”askedRazumikhin,followingthemdownthe stairs.

“Never!ForthelasttwoyearsI’vebeenwantingtobuyalock,”headded
casually.“Happyarethosewhohavenoreasontolocktheirdoors,right?”he
saidwithalaugh,turningtoSonya.

Whentheyreachedthestreet,theypausedatthegate.

“Areyouturningright,SofiyaSemyonovna?Bytheway,howdidyoufind
me?”heasked,asifhe’dintendedtosaysomethingcompletelydifferent.He
stillwantedtolookintohersoft,cleareyes,butsomehowcouldn’tmanageit...

“YougaveyouraddresstoPolechkayesterday.”

“Polya?Ah,yes...Polechka!Thelittlegirl....Issheyoursister?So,I
gavehermyaddress?”

“Yes.Didyouforget?”
“No...Iremember...”

“AndI’dheardaboutyoubefore,frommylatefather....ButIdidn’tknow
yourfullnamethen,andhedidn’t,either....ButwhenIcametoday,sinceI
learnedyournameyesterday...todayIasked,‘WheredoesMr.Raskolnikov
live?’Ididn’tknowyoualsorentaroomfromlodgers....Good-bye,
sir....I’lltellKaterinaIvanovna...”

Shewasterriblygladthatshe’dfinallygottenaway;shewentinhaste,her
eyescastdown,togetoutoftheirsightasquicklyasshecould,tocoverthe
twentypacestotherightturnassoonaspossible,andtobealoneatlast;then
shecouldproceed,inhaste,withoutlookingatanyone,withoutnoticing
anything,tothink,recall,andpondereverywordthathadbeenuttered,eachand
everycircumstanceofthevisit.Never,neverbeforehadshefeltanythinglike
this.Anentirelynewworld,mysteriousandvague,hadenteredhersoul.She
suddenlyrecalledthatRaskolnikovhimselfplannedtocallonhertoday,perhaps
eventhatmorning,perhapsrightnow!

“Butnottoday,pleasenottoday!”shemutteredwithasinkingheart,asif

imploringsomeonelikeafrightenedchild.“GoodLord!Callonme...inthat
room....He’llsee....Oh,Lord!”

Ofcourse,atthatmomentshewasunabletoobserveanunfamiliar
gentlemanfollowingcloselyonherheels.Hehadbeenfollowingherfromthe
momentshehademergedfromthegate.Whenallthreeofthem,Razumikhin,
Raskolnikov,andSonya,hadpausedtosayafewwordsonthesidewalk,this
personwalkingby,passingthem,suddenlyshuddered,accidentallyoverhearing
herwords“Iasked,‘WheredoesMr.Raskolnikovlive?’”Heswiftlybut
carefullysurveyedthethreeofthem,especiallyRaskolnikov,towhomSonya
wasspeaking.Thenhelookedatthehouseandtooknoteofit.Allthishappened
inamoment,whilewalking,andthepasserby,tryingnottolethisinterestshow,
wentonfarther,reducinghisspeed,asifwaitingforsomeone.Hewaswaiting
forSonya;hesawthattheyweresayingtheirgood-byesandthatshewas
headingstraighthome.

“Butwherewasthat?I’veseenthatfacesomewhere,”hethought,recalling
Sonya’sfeatures.“Imustfindout.”
Uponreachingthecorner,hecrossedtotheoppositesideofthestreet,turned
around,andsawthatSonyawasnowfollowinghim,alongthesamestreet,not
noticinganything.Uponreachingthecorner,shealsoturnedintothatstreet.He
followedfromtheoppositesidewalkwithouttakinghiseyesoffher;after
coveringaboutfiftypaces,hecrossedagaintothesideSonyawason,caughtup
withher,andfollowedher,stayingaboutfivepacesback.

Hewasaboutfifty,tallerthanaverage,portly,withbroad,slopingshoulders
thatgavehimsomethingofastoopedlook.Hewasfashionablyandcomfortably
dressedandlookedlikeastatelygentleman.Hewascarryingabeautifulcane,
whichhetappedonthesidewalkateverystep,andhewaswearingnewgloves.

Hisbroadface,withprominentcheekbones,wasratherpleasant;hiscomplexion
wasfresh,nottypicalofPetersburg.Hishair,stillverythick,wascompletely
fair,showingonlyalittlegray;hisfull,thickbeard,intheshapeofaspade,was
evenlighterincolorthanhishair.Hiseyeswereblueandhisgazewascold,
intent,andthoughtful;hislipswerered.Ingeneralhewasanextremelywell-
preservedmanwhoseemedmuchyoungerthanhisyears.

WhenSonyareachedthecanal,theyfoundthemselvestogetheronthe
sidewalk.Observingher,henoticedhowpensiveanddistractedshewas.Upon
reachingherhouse,Sonyaturnedinatthegate;hefollowedherandseemedto
besomewhatsurprised.Enteringthecourtyard,sheturnedright,towardthe
cornerwhereastaircaseleduptoherapartment.“Bah!”mutteredtheunfamiliar
gentleman,andhebeganclimbingthestairsafterher.OnlythendidSonya
noticehim.Shereachedthethirdfloor,turneddownthelonghallway,andrang

thebellatnumber9:onthedoor,writteninchalk,werethewords
KAPERNAUMOV.TAILOR.“Bah!”thestrangerrepeated,struckbythe
strangecoincidence,andherangthebellnextdoor,atnumber8.Thetwodoors
wereonlyaboutsixpacesapart.

“You’restayingattheKapernaumovs’!”hesaid,lookingatSonyaand
laughing.“Hemendedmyvestyesterday.Ilivehere,nexttoyou,atMadame
Resslikh’s,GertrudaKarlovna.Howthingshaveturnedout!”

Sonyalookedathimattentively.
“We’reneighbors,”hecontinuedinaparticularlycheerfulway.“Thisisonly
mythirddayintown.Well,good-byefornow.”

Sonyamadenoreply;thedooropened,andsheslippedintoherapartment.

Shefeltashamedforsomereason,evenabittimid...

RazumikhinwasinaparticularlyexcitedstateastheywalkedtoPorfiry’s.

“Thisisexcellent,myfriend,”herepeatedseveraltimes.“I’msoglad,so veryglad!”

“Whatareyousogladabout?”Raskolnikovwonderedtohimself.

“Ididn’tknowthatyoualsohadsomepledgeswiththeoldwoman.

And...and...wasitalongtimeago?Thatis,hasitbeenawhilesinceyou werethere?”

“Whatanaïvefoolishe!”

“Whenwasit?”Raskolnikovpaused,tryingtoremember.“ItseemsIwas
thereaboutthreedaysbeforeherdeath.However,I’mnotgoingtherenowto
redeemthoseitems,”hesaidwithsomehasteandspecialconcernforhis
belongings.“OnceagainIhaveonlyonesilverruble...thankstomydamned
deliriumyesterday!”

Heplacedparticularemphasisontheword“delirium.”

“Well,yes,yes,yes,”Razumikhinsaidhurriedly,forsomereasonagreeing
witheverything.“Sothat’swhyyou...weresosurprisedthen....Youknow,
inyourdeliriumyoukeptmentioningsomeringsandchains!Yes,yes....It’s
clear,nowit’sallclear.”

“Sothat’sit!That’showfarthisideahasgotten!Thismanwouldagreetobe
crucifiedforme,andhe’sverygladthatthingshave allclearedup, becauseI
mentionedringsinmydelirium!Thatjustconfirmedwhattheywereall thinking!”

“Willwefindhimathome?”heaskedaloud.

“Wewill,wewill,”Razumikhinhastenedtosay.“He’safinefellow,my
friend,you’llsee!He’sabitawkward;thatis,he’saworldlyman,butinanother
sense,Isayhe’sawkward.He’sacleverfellow,clever,evenverysmart,onlyhe
hasaspecialcastofmind....He’smistrustful,askeptic,acynic....Heloves
todupepeople,thatis,notdupethem,butfoolthem....Theold-style,physical
method....Heknowshisbusiness,hedoes....Hewasinvestigatingacaseof
murderlastyearinwhichalltheclueshadbeenlost!Hevery,very,verymuch
wantstomakeyouracquaintance!”

“Whydoyousay‘verymuch?’”

“Thatis,notto...yousee,lately,sinceyoufellill,I’vefrequentlyhadthe
occasiontotalkaboutyouagreatdeal....Well,helistened...andwhenhe
learnedyouwerestudyinglawandthatasaresultofcircumstancesyouwere
unabletocompletethecourse,hesaid,‘Whatapity!’SoIconcluded...thatis,
fromallofit,notjustonething;yesterdayZametov....Yousee,Rodya,I
blurtedoutsomethingtoyouyesterdaywhenIwasintoxicated,aswewere
goinghome...andIfear,myfriend,thatyouexaggeratedit,yousee...”

“Whatwasthat?ThattheythinkI’mmad?Yes,maybeit’strue.”

Hegaveaforcedsmile.

“Yes...yes...Imean,bah!No!Well,everythingIsaid(aboutotherthings
aswell),allthatwasnonsenseandbecauseIwasdrunk.”

“Whyareyouapologizing?I’msofedupwithallofit!”criedRaskolnikov
withexaggeratedirritation.However,hewasinpartpretending.

“Iknow,Iknow,Iunderstand.YoucanbesureIunderstand.I’mashamed
eventomentionit.”

“Ifyou’reashamed,thendon’ttalkaboutit!”

Theywerebothsilent.Razumikhinwasmorethaninecstasy,and
Raskolnikovperceivedthiswithdisgust.ItalsodisturbedhimwhatRazumikhin
hadjustsaidaboutPorfiry.

“I’llhavetoplayhimforsympathy, ”*hethought,turningpale,hisheart
pounding,“anddoitasnaturallyasIcan.Themostnaturalthingwouldbenotto
playhimatall.Tosaynothingatallaboutthat!No,to refrain wouldalsobe
unnatural....Well,we’llseehowitturnsoutthere...rightaway...amI
goingthereforgoodorforill?Themothfliesrightintotheflame.Myheart’s
pounding,andthat’snotsogood!”

“Inthisgrayhouse,”saidRazumikhin.

“ThemostimportantthingiswhetherornotPorfiryknowsthatyesterdayI
wasinthatoldcrone’sapartment...andthatIaskedabouttheblood?Ihaveto
findthatoutrightaway,fromthemomentIenter,totellbyhisface;otherwise...I’llfindo
ut,nomatterwhat!”

“Doyouknowwhat?”hesaid,turningsuddenlytoRazumikhinwitha

“Doyouknowwhat?”hesaid,turningsuddenlytoRazumikhinwitha
cunningsmile.“TodayI’venoticed,myfriend,thatsincemorningyou’vebeen
inanunusuallyexcitedstate.Isittrue?”

“Whatsortofexcitement?I’mnotexcitedatall,”Razumikhinsaid,wincing.

“No,myfriend,it’strue,Inoticedit.Beforeyouweresittingonthatchairas
you’veneversatbefore,somehowontheedgeofit,shudderingfromaspasm.

Youkeptjumpingupfornoreasonatall.Eitheryouwereangry,orelseyour
mugbecamesweetassugar.Youevenblushed;especiallywhentheyinvited
youtodinner,youblusheddeeply.”

“Notatall!You’relying!Whyareyousayingthat?”

“Whyareyouwrigglinglikeaschoolboy?Phew,thedeviltakehim.He’s
blushedagain!”

“Whataswineyouare!”

“Whyareyousoembarrassed?YouRomeo!Waitamoment,I’llrepeatall
thistoday,ha,ha,ha!It’llamusemymama...andsomeoneelse,aswell...”

“Listen,listen,listen,thisisserious,whyit’s....What’snext,damnit?”
Razumikhinsaid,completelyflusteredandgrowingcoldinterror.“Whatwill
youtellthem?Myfriend,I....Phew!Whataswineyouare!”

“Likearoseinspringtime!Itsuitsyou,ifyouonlyknew:aRomeowho’ssix
feettall!Andyou’vewashedextracarefullytoday,andtrimmedyournails,
haven’tyou?Whendidyoueverdothat?SohelpmeGod,youevenputpomade
onyourhair!Bendover!”

“Swine!!!”

Raskolnikovwaslaughingsohardthatitseemedhecouldscarcelyrestrain
himself,sotheyenteredPorfiryPetrovich’sapartmentwithlaughter.Thatwas
justwhatRaskolnikovwanted:frominsidehisroomstheycouldbeheard
laughing,stillguffawingintheentrance.

“Notawordhere,orI’ll...smashyourskull!”whisperedRazumikhinina
fury,seizingholdofRaskolnikov’sshoulder.

*Theoriginalsays“tosinglikeLazarus,”areferencetoLuke16:20.Itislinkedwithoth
erreferencesto Lazarusinthenovel.

Raskolnikovwasalreadyenteringtheapartment.Hewentinlookingasifhe
wastryingwithallhismighttorestrainhimselffromburstingintolaughter
again.Followinghim,withacompletelydisconcertedandferociousexpression,
asredasapeony,lankyandclumsy,cametheembarrassedRazumikhin.His
faceandentirefigurewereatthatmomentreallyridiculousandjustified
Raskolnikov’slaughter.Raskolnikov,whohadnotyetbeenintroduced,bowed
tothehost,whowasstandinginthemiddleoftheroom,lookingatthem
inquisitively.Raskolnikovextendedhishandandshookhishost’s,still
apparentlywithextremeefforttosuppresshisgoodcheerandtoutteratleast
twoorthreewordstointroducehimself.Butassoonashehadmanagedto
assumeaseriousexpressionandmuttersomething—suddenly,asifagainsthis
will,helookedatRazumikhinagainandcouldn’trestrainhimself:his
suppressedlaughterbrokeoutagain,allthemoreuncontrollablythemorehe
triedtocontrolhimself.TheextraordinaryferocitywithwhichRazumikhin
reactedtothis“genuine”laughterlentthisscenetheappearanceofthemost
sinceremerrimentand,mostimportantly,naturalness.Razumikhin,asifon
purpose,contributedtothiseffect.

“Damnitall!”heroared,wavinghisarmandcrashingintoasmallround
tableholdinganalmostemptyglassoftea.Everythingwentflyingand splintering.

“‘Ofcourse,AlexandertheGreatwasagreathero,butwhybreakthechairs,
gentlemen? *You’redestroyinggovernmentproperty!’”criedPorfiryPetrovich
cheerfully.

Thescenewasasfollows:Raskolnikov,forgettingthatthehostwasshaking
hishand,wasstilllaughingheartily;buthavingasenseofproportion,hewas
waitingforanopportunitytoendhisoutburstassoonaspossibleinthemost
naturalway.Razumikhin,positivelyembarrassedfromhavingknockedoverthe
tableandbrokentheglass,regardedthefragmentsgrimly,spit,andturned
abruptlytothewindowandstoodwithhisbacktotheothers,hisfacewearinga
terriblefrown,lookingoutthewindow,butseeingnothing.PorfiryPetrovich
waslaughingandwishedtobelaughing,butitwasobviousthatheneededsome
sortofexplanation.Zametovhadbeenseatedonachairinthecorner.He’d
stoodupattheguests’arrivalandwasstandingtherewaiting,hismouthwide
openinasmile,butregardingthewholesceneinbewildermentandeven
disbelief;helookedatRaskolnikovwithsomeconfusion.Zametov’sunexpected

disbelief;helookedatRaskolnikovwithsomeconfusion.Zametov’sunexpected
presencestruckRaskolnikovunpleasantly.

“I’llhavetotakethatintoconsideration,”hethought.

“Excuseus,please,”hebeganwithforcedembarrassment.

“Forgoodness’sake,it’sapleasuretomeetyou,andyouenteredso
pleasantly,too....Sothen,doesn’theevenwanttosayhellotome?”Porfiry
Petrovichasked,glancingatRazumikhin.

“SohelpmeGod,Idon’tknowwhyhe’ssoangrywithme.AllIsaidtohim
alongthewaywasthatheresembledRomeo,and...Iprovedit.That’sallthere
wastoit.”
“Swine!”Razumikhinblurtedoutwithoutturningaround.

“Hemusthavehadveryseriousreasonsforgettingsoangrywithyoufor
sayingthatonelittleword,”saidPorfirywithalaugh.

“Oh,you!That’sthedetectivespeaking!Well,thehellwithallofyou!”

Razumikhincried.Allofasudden,nowwithacheerfulface,heburstinto
laughterhimself,asifnothinghadhappened,andwentuptoPorfiryPetrovich.

“That’lldo!We’reallfools.Let’sgetdowntobusiness.Thisismyfriend
RodionRomanychRaskolnikov.Inthefirstplace,you’veheardabouthim
beforeandwishedtomakehisacquaintance;inthesecondplace,hehasasmall
mattertodiscusswithyou.Bah!Zametov!Whyareyouhere?Youknoweach
other,don’tyou?Sincewhen?”

“What’sthisallabout?”wonderedRaskolnikovapprehensively.

Zametovseemedalittleconfused,butnotoverlyso.

“Wemetyesterdayatyourplace,”hesaidcasually.

“ThatmeansGodsparedusthetrouble:lastweekhewasconstantlyasking
metointroducehimtoyou,Porfiry,butIseethatyou’vealreadysniffedeach
otheroutwithoutme....Bytheway,where’syoursnuff?”

PorfiryPetrovichwasdressedinformally,inadressinggown,extremely
cleanlinen,andwell-wornslippers.Hewasaboutthirty-fiveyearsold,shorter
thanaverage,portly,evenwithapaunch;hewasclean-shaven,withouta
mustacheorsidewhiskers,withcloselycroppedhaironhislargeroundhead,
whichbulgedsomewhatprominentlyattherear.Hispuffy,round,somewhat snub-
nosedfacehadasickly,darkyellowpallor,buthisexpressionwasrather
brazenandevensarcastic.Itcouldevenhavebeenfriendlyhaditnotbeenfor
thelookofhiseyes,withtheirwatery,liquidgleam,almostcoveredbywhite
eyelashes,twitchingasifhewerewinkingatsomeone.Theexpressionofhis
eyes,somewhatstrangely,didn’tmatchhiswholefigure,whichhadsomething
womanishaboutit,andlentitsomethingfarmoreseriousthanonemightexpect
atfirstsight.
Assoonasheheardthathisguesthada“smallmatter”todiscusswithhim,
PorfiryPetrovichimmediatelyaskedhimtositdownonthesofa.Hehimselfsat
attheotherendofitandlookedintentlyathisguestwiththeeageranticipation
ofhearinganexplanationofthebusiness,withexaggeratedandoverlyserious
attention,whichcanbeoppressiveandevenconfusingatfirst,especiallyfor
strangers,especiallyifwhatyouarestating,inyourownopinion,isoutof
proportiontotheamountofunusuallyseriousattentionitreceives.Butinshort
andcoherentterms,Raskolnikovclearlyandaccuratelyexplainedhisbusiness
andwassatisfiedthathehadevenmanagedtotakeagoodlookatPorfiry.Not
oncedidPorfiryPetrovichtakehiseyesoffhimallduringthattime.

Razumikhin,whohadtakentheoppositeseatatthesametable,followedthe
explanationofthemattereagerlyandimpatiently,constantlyglancingfromone
totheotherandbackagain,whichbegantoseemabitexcessive.

“Fool!”Raskolnikovsilentlycursedhim.

“Youshouldmakeastatementtothepolice,”Porfiryrepliedwiththesame
businesslikeexpression,“totheeffectthat,havinglearnedaboutsuchandsuch
anoccurrence,thatis,aboutthemurder,yourequest,inturn,toinformthe
examiningmagistratewhowasdelegatedtothiscasethatsuchandsuchitems
belongtoyouandthatyouwishtoredeemthem...orsomethingofthesort—

however,they’llwriteitforyou.”

“That’sjustthepoint:atthepresenttime,I...”Raskolnikovtriedtoappear
asembarrassedashecould.“Ilackthefunds...andcan’tevenmanagesucha
smallexpenditure....Yousee,nowI’dmerelyliketodeclarethattheseitems
aremine,andwhenIhavethefunds,thenI’ll...”

“Thatdoesn’tmatter,sir,”repliedPorfiryPetrovich,receivingthis
explanationofRaskolnikov’sfinancescoldly.“However,ifyoulike,youcan
writedirectlytomeinthesamevein,thathavinglearnedofthisoccurrence,and
declaringsuchandsuchitems,yourequestthat...”

“DoIjustwriteitonplainpaper?”Raskolnikovhastenedtointerrupt,once
againtakinganinterestinthefinancialsideofthematter.
“Oh,themostordinarypaperwilldo,sir!”PorfiryPetrovichsaidsuddenly,
andregardedhimwithapparentmockery,squintingandseemingtowinkathim.

However,perhapsitonlyseemedthatwaytoRaskolnikov,becauseitlastedfor
onlyamoment.Atleast,somethingofthesortoccurred.Raskolnikovcouldhave
swornthathehadwinkedathim,onlythedevilknewwhy.

“Heknows!”flashedthroughhismindlikeastreakoflightning.

“Excusemeforbotheringyouwithsuchnonsense,”hecontinued,abit
disconcerted.“Myitemsareworthonlyaboutfiverubles,butthey’reespecially
deartomeaskeepsakesofthosefromwhomIreceivedthem,andIconfess,as

soonasIlearnedaboutit,Iwasveryfrightenedthat...”

“That’swhyyoubecamesoupsetyesterdaywhenItoldZosimovthat
Porfirywasquestioningthepeoplewhohadpledges!”Razumikhininsertedwith
obviousintention.

Thiswasunbearable.Raskolnikovcouldn’trefrainandcasthimavicious
glanceofragewithhisflashingdarkeyes.Thenherecoveredimmediately.

“Myfriend,youseemtobemakingfunofme,”hesaid,turningtohimwith
cleverlycontrivedirritation.“IagreethatperhapsinyoureyesI’moverly
concernedaboutthesetrifles;butyoucan’tconsidermeanegoistoragreedy
man.Inmyownview,thesetwolittleinsignificantthingsarenottriflesatall.I
justtoldyouthatthesilverwatch,whichisworthverylittle,istheonlyobject
leftfrommyfather.Youmaylaughatme,butmymother’scometovisit”—he
turnedtoPorfirysuddenly—“andifshefindsout,”hesaid,quicklyturningback
toRazumikhin,tryinghardtomakehisvoicetremble,“thatthiswatchhasbeen
lost,thenIswear,she’llbeindespair!Women!”

“Notatall!Ididn’tmeanthatatall!Justtheopposite!”criedtheoffended Razumikhin.

“Wasthatallright?Wasitnatural?Tooexaggerated?”Raskolnikov
wonderedanxiously.“WhydidIsay,‘Women’?”

“Hasyourmothercometoseeyou?”PorfiryPetrovichinquiredforsome reason.
“Yes.”

“Whenwasthat,sir?”

“Lastevening.”

Porfirywassilent,asifpondering.

“Inanycase,youritemscouldn’tpossiblybelost,”hecontinuedcalmlyand
coldly.“I’vebeenwaitingforyouhereforsometime.”

Asifnothingunusualhadoccurred,hekindlyofferedanashtrayto
Razumikhin,whowasmercilesslyscatteringashesontherug.Raskolnikov
shuddered,butPorfiryseemednottonoticehim,allthewhileconcernedonly
aboutRazumikhin’scigarette.

“What?Beenwaitinghere!Sodidyouknowthathe,too,hadleftpledges
there?”criedRazumikhin.

PorfiryPetrovichaddressedRaskolnikovdirectly:

“Yourtwoitems,theringandthewatch,were inherroom wrappedtogether

inonepieceofpaper,onwhichyournamewasclearlywritteninpencil,aswell
asthedayofthemonthwhenshehadreceivedthemfromyou...”

“Howisityou’resoobservant?”Raskolnikovaskedclumsily,tryinghardto
lookhimintheeye;buthewasunabletoendureitandsuddenlyadded,“Iasked

onlybecausetherewereprobablymanypeoplewho’dpawnedthings...soit
musthavebeendifficultforyoutorecallthemall....Yet,onthecontrary,you
rememberthemallclearlyand...and...”

“Stupid!Weak!WhydidIaddthat?”

“Almostallofthemhavebeenidentified,andyouweretheonlyonewho’d
yettocomeforward,”repliedPorfirywithabarelynoticeableshadeofmockery.

“Iwasn’tquitewell.”
“Iheardaboutthat,sir.Ievenheardthatyouwereverydisturbedabout
somethingorother.Evennowyoulookabitpale.”

“Notatall...onthecontrary,I’mcompletelywell!”Raskolnikovreplied
rudelyandangrily,suddenlychanginghistone.Malicewasseethinginhim,and
hewasunabletosuppressit.“IfIspeakinanger,I’llgivemyselfaway!”

occurredtohimagain.“Whyaretheytormentingme?”

“Hewasn’tquitewell!”Razumikhininterjected.“Whatnonsensehe’s
talking.Untilyesterdayhewasconstantlydelirious....Well,justthink,Porfiry,
hecouldbarelystandonhisfeet,butassoonaswe,thatisZosimovandI,let
himoutofoursightyesterday—hegotdressed,slippedout,andwasuptosome
mischiefalmostuntilmidnight,andallthisinhistotaldelirium,Itellyou.Can
youimaginethat?Amostextraordinaryepisode!”

“Reallyin totaldelirium?Youdon’tsay!”Porfirysaid,shakinghishead
withsomekindofeffeminategesture.

“Hey,that’snonsense!Don’tbelieveit!Butyoudon’tbelievehimanyway,”

Raskolnikovblurtedoutwithtoomuchanger.PorfiryPetrovich,however,
seemednottohaveheardthesestrangewords.

“Howcouldyouhavegoneoutunlessyouweredelirious?”Razumikhin
askedsuddenly,growingheated.“Whydidyougoout?Forwhat?Andwhyin secret?
Wereyouinyourrightmindthen?Nowthatallthedanger’spassed,I’m
sayingthisdirectlytoyou!”

“Iwasfedupwithallofthemyesterday,”Raskolnikovreplied,turning
suddenlytoPorfirywithanarrogantlychallengingsmile.“Iranawayfromthem
torentanapartmentsotheywouldn’tbeabletofindme;Igrabbedapileof
moneytotakewithme.Mr.Zametovhereevensawthemoney.So,Mr.

Zametov,wasIinmyrightmindyesterdayordelirious?Settlethisquarrel.”

Atthatmoment,hewouldhavelikedtostrangleZametov.Hedidn’t
appreciatehislookorhissilenceatall.
“Inmyopinion,youspokeextremelyrationallyandevencleverly,sir,but
youweretooirritable,”Zametovdeclareddrily.

“ButtodayNikodimFomichtoldme,”PorfiryPetrovichinserted,“thathe
metyouyesterday,verylate,intheapartmentofacertaincivilservantwho’d

beenrunoverbyhorses...”

“Whataboutthatcivilservant?”Razumikhinchimedin.“Well,weren’tyou
insaneathisapartment?Yougavethewidowyourlastrublesforthefuneral!So,
ifyouwantedtohelp—giveherfifteenortwenty,butleaveyourselfatleast
threerubles.Butyouhandedoveralltwenty-five!”

“PerhapsIfoundatreasuresomewhere—howdoyouknow?Iwasfeeling
verygenerousyesterday....Mr.ZametovknowsIfoundatreasure!Excuseme,
please,”hesaid,turningtoPorfirywithtremblinglips,“fordisturbingyouwith
suchtrivialnonsenseforthelasthalfhour.Youmustbesickofus,right?”

“Notatall,sir,quitetothecontrary,tothecontra-ry!Ifyouonlyknewhow
youintrigueme!It’sinterestingtoseeandhear...andI,Imustconfess,I’mso
gladthatyoufinallydecidedtocome...”

“Givemesometeaatleast!Mythroat’sdry!”criedRazumikhin.

“Asplendididea!Perhapseveryonewilljoinyou.Wouldyoulike
something...moresubstantialbeforewehavetea?”

“Goahead!”saidRazumikhin.

PorfiryPetrovichwenttoorderthetea.

ThoughtswerespinninglikeawhirlwindinRaskolnikov’shead.Hewas
terriblyirritated.

“Themainthingistheydon’twanttoconcealitorstandonceremony!And
ifyoudidn’tknowme,howwasityoutalkedtoNikodimFomichaboutme?It
mustmeanthattheydon’tevenwanttohidethefactthatthey’refollowingme
likeapackofdogs.Theyspitinmyfacequiteopenly!”Hetrembledwithrage.
“Well,goonandbeatme,butdon’tplaywithmelikeacatwithamouse.It’s
notpolite,PorfiryPetrovich;perhapsIwon’tallowit,sir!I’llstandupandblurt
outthewholetruthrightineveryone’suglymug;you’llseehowIdespiseyou!”

Hecaughthisbreathwithdifficulty.“Butwhatifitonlyseemssotome?What
ifit’samirage,andI’mmistakenabouteverything,furiousoutofinexperience,
unabletokeepactingthisvilepart?Perhapsit’sallunintentional.Theirwords
areallsoordinary,butthere’ssomethingtothem....Onecanalwayssaythat,
butthere’ssomethingtoit.Whydidhesay‘inherroom’?WhydidZametovadd
thatIspoke‘cleverly?’Whydotheyusethattoneofvoice?Yes...that
tone....Razumikhinwassittinghere,too;whydidn’titoccurtohim?Nothing
everoccurstothatinnocentblockhead!It’sthefeveragain!DidPorfirywinkat
mejustnowornot?Dotheywanttoirritatemynervesorteaseme?Isitalla
mirage,ordothey know?EvenZametov’simpertinent....Ishe?Zametov
reconsideredovernight.Ihadafeelinghe’dreconsider!Hefeelsathomehere,
yethe’shereforthefirsttime.Porfirydoesn’ttreathimasaguestandissitting
withhisbacktohim.Theycametoterms becauseofme!Theyweredefinitely

talkingaboutmebeforewearrived!DotheyknowIwentbacktotheapartment?

Iwishthey’dgetonwithit!WhenIsaidyesterdayI’dgoneofftorentan
apartment,hemissedit,didn’tcatchit....Butitwascleverofmetobringup
theideaoftheapartment:it’llbeusefullateron!Delirious,theysay!Ha,ha,ha!

Heknowsallaboutlastevening!Buthedidn’tknowthatmymotherhadcome!

Andthatoldcronewrotedownthedateinpencil!You’relying,Iwon’tletyou
catchme!Theystilldon’thaveanyfacts;it’sonlyamirage!No,givemefacts!

Theapartment’snofact,butdelirium;Iknowwhattosaytothem....Dothey
knowIwentbacktotheapartment?Iwon’tleaveuntilIfindout!WhydidI comehere?
ButnowI’mgettingangry,andthatjustmightbeafact!Phew,I’m
soirritable!Perhapsthat’sallright;it’stheroleofasickman....He’sfeeling
meout.He’lltrytosidetrackme.WhydidIcome?”

Allthisflashedthroughhisheadlikelightning.

PorfiryPetrovichreturnedinamoment.Hesuddenlyseemedmorecheerful.
“Youknow,brother,sinceyourpartyyesterday,myhead’s...I’vebecome
somuddled,”hesaidtoRazumikhininacompletelydifferenttoneofvoice, laughing.

“Well,wasitinteresting?Idesertedyouyesterdayatthemostinteresting
point.Whowon?”

“Noone,naturally.Wemovedontodiscusseternalquestionsandwoundup
withourheadsinthesky.”

“Justimagine,Rodya,whattheyweregoingonaboutyesterday:isthere
suchathingascrimeornot?Itoldyoutheyweretellingtalltales!”

“What’ssosurprising?It’sanordinarysocialquestion,”Raskolnikov
observeddistractedly.

“Thequestionwasn’tformulatedthatway,”remarkedPorfiry.

“Notquite,that’strue,”agreedRazumikhinatonce,hasteningandgetting
excitedasusual.“Yousee,Rodion:listenandgiveusyouropinion.I’dliketo
hearit.Ididmyutmostwiththemyesterdayandwaswaitingforyou;Ieventold
themaboutyouandsaidyou’dcome....Itallbeganwiththeviewsofthe
socialists.Theirpointsarewellknown:crimeisaprotestagainsttheabnormal
structureofsociety—andthat’sthat,nothingelse;nofurtherreasonsare permitted—
nothingmore!”

“That’snottrue!”criedPorfiryPetrovich.Hegrewvisiblymoreanimated
andkeptlaughing,lookingatRazumikhin,whichexcitedthelatterevenmore.

“Nothingelseispermitted!”Razumikhininterruptedwithpassion.“I’m
tellingthetruth!I’llshowyoutheirbooks:theysayit’sallbecause‘the
environmenthasruinedthem’—andnothingelse!It’stheirfavoritephrase!

Fromthereitfollowsthatifsocietyweretobeorganizednormally,thenall

crimeswoulddisappearinstantly,sincethere’dbenoreasontoprotestand
everyonewouldimmediatelybecomerighteous.Natureisn’ttakenintoaccount;
nature’sbanished;nature’snotallowed!Accordingtothem,it’snothumanity,
developinghistoricallyalonga living pathtotheend,whichinandofitselfturns
intoanormalsociety,but,onthecontrary,thesocialsystem,emergingfrom
somemathematicalbrain,thatimmediatelyorganizesallhumanityandinone
momentrendersitrighteousandsinless,beforeanylivingprogress,withoutany
historicalandlivingpath!That’swhytheyinstinctivelydon’tlikehistory:they
seeonlyits‘outragesandstupidity’—andeverything’sexplainedonlyby
stupidity!That’swhytheydon’tlikethe living processoflifeitself:theydon’t needa
livingsoul!Thelivingsouldemandslife;thelivingsouldoesn’theedthe
lawsofmechanics;thelivingsoulissuspect;thelivingsoulisreactionary!Even
iftheirsocialsystemcanbemadeoutofrubberandsmellsabitlikecarrion—

it’sstillnotalive,ithasnowill,it’sslavish,itdoesn’trebel!Andtheresultis
thatalltheirlaborgoesonlytolayingbricksandarrangingthecorridorsand
roomsinaphalanstery. † Thephalanstery’sbuilt,buthumannaturestillisn’t
readyforthephalanstery;itwantslife;itstillhasn’tcompletedtheliving
process;it’stooearlyforthecemetery!It’simpossibletoleapoverhuman
naturebymeansoflogicalone!Logiccananticipatethreepossibilities,butthere
areamillionofthem!Cutoffthewholemillionandreduceeverythingtoa
questionofcomfort!That’sthesimplestsolutiontotheproblem!It’sclearly
temptingandonedoesn’thavetothink!Themainpointis—there’snoneedto
think!Theentiresecretoflifefitsontwosheetsofprinter’spaper!”

“There’ssomeoutburstforyou;he’sbeatinghisdrum!Heneedstobe
restrained,”saidPorfirywithalaugh.“Justimagine,”hesaid,turningto
Raskolnikov,“that’sthewayitwaslastevening.Sixvoicesinoneroomand
he’dpliedthemallwithpunchbeforehand—canyouimagineit?No,brother,
you’renottellingthetruth:the‘environment’playsalargeroleincrime,Ican
assureyou.”

“Iknowthatitdoes,buttellmethis:aforty-year-oldmandisgracesaten-year-oldgirl
—didtheenvironmentcompelhimtodoit?”

“Well,strictlyspeaking,perhapsitwastheenvironment,”Porfiryremarked
withastonishingseriousness.“Acrimeagainstayounggirlcanvery,veryoften
beexplainedbythe‘environment.’”

Razumikhinwasabsolutelyfurious.

“Well,ifyoulike,I’ll prove toyouatonce,”heroared,“thatyouhavewhite

eyelashesonlyasaresultofthefactthatIvantheGreat’sbelltoweristwo
hundredandfiftyfeettall,andI’llproveitclearly,precisely,progressively,and

evenwithaliberalcast.I’lldoit!Doyouwanttobet?”

“Itakethebet!Pleaselet’shearhowheprovesit!”

“Damnitall,he’spretending!”criedRazumikhin,jumpingupandwaving
hisarm.“Isitevenworthtalkingwithyou?He’sdoingallthisonpurpose,
Rodion.Youstilldon’tknowhim!Yesterdayhetooktheirsideonlytoshow
themupasfools.Whatdidn’thesayyesterday,goodLord!Andtheywereso
pleasedwithhim!Hecanholdoutlikethisfortwoweeks.Lastyearheassured
usforsomereasonthathewasgoingtobecomeamonk:fortwomonthshe
insistedonit!Notlongagohetriedtoconvinceusthathewasgettingmarried
andwasallreadyfortheceremony.He’devenacquirednewclothesforthe
occasion.Westartedtocongratulatehim.Buttherewasnobride,nothingever
happened—itwasallamirage!”

“You’renottellingthetruth!I’dacquirednewclothesbeforethat.Itwas
becauseofmynewclothesthatIdecidedtofoolyouall.”

“Areyoureallysuchadissembler?”Raskolnikovaskedcasually.

“Don’tyouthinkso?JustwaitandI’lldeceiveyou,too—ha,ha,ha!No,
don’tyousee,I’lltellyouthewholetruth.Regardingallthesequestions,crimes,
environments,andyounggirls—Inowremember—however,it’salways
interestedme—yourlittlearticle‘OnCrime’...orwhateverit’scalled,Iforgot
thetitle,Ican’trecallit.TwomonthsagoIhadthepleasureofreadingitin
PeriodicalDiscourses. ”

“Myarticle?In PeriodicalDiscourses?”Raskolnikovaskedinsurprise.“I
didwriteanarticleinconnectionwithsomebookaboutsixmonthsago,whenI
lefttheuniversity,butIsentitto WeeklyDiscourses,not Periodical Discourses. ”

“Itwoundupin PeriodicalDiscourses.”

“WeeklyDiscourses ceasedpublication,whichiswhyitwasn’tpublished there...”

“That’strue,sir;whenitceasedpublication, WeeklyDiscourses mergedwith

PeriodicalDiscourses,andthereforeyourlittlearticleappearedin Periodical
Discourses twomonthsago.Didn’tyouknow?”

Raskolnikovreallydidn’tknowathingaboutit.

“Goodgracious,youcanrequestmoneyfromthemforyourarticle!Butwhat
atemperamentyouhave!Youlivesuchanisolatedlifethatyoudon’teven
knowthingsthatconcernyoudirectly.That’safact,sir.”

“Bravo,Rodka!Ididn’tknowit,either!”criedRazumikhin.“I’llruntothe
readingroomtodayandaskforthatissue!Twomonthsago?Whatdate?I’llfind
itsomehow.That’squitesomething!Andhedidn’teventellme!”

“Howdidyouknowthatitwasmyarticle?Isigneditonlywithmyinitials.”

“Ifoundoutaccidentallyandonlyafewdaysago.Fromtheeditor;he’san
acquaintance....Iwasveryinterestedinit.”

“Iwasexamining,ifIrecall,thepsychologicalstateofthecriminalduring
theentirecommissionofhiscrime.”

“Yes,sir,andyouinsistedthattheactofcommittingacrimeisalways
accompaniedbyillness.It’svery,veryoriginal,but...itwasn’tthatpartof
yourlittlepiecethatcaughtmyeye;rather,itwastheideamentionedattheend
ofthearticle,which,unfortunately,youmerelytouchonbyimplication,that
thereexistintheworldcertainpeople,asitwere,whoareable...thatis,not
thatthey’reable,butwhohaveeveryrighttocommitanykindofoutragesand
crimes,andthatthelawsdonotapplytothem.”

Raskolnikovsmiledattheforcedandintentionaldistortionofhisidea.

“What?What’sthat?Arighttocrime?Andnotbecause‘theenvironment
ruinedthem’?”Razumikhininquiredwithsomealarm.

“No,no,that’snotexactlywhy,”repliedPorfiry.“Thepointisthatinhis
articleallpeoplearedividedinto‘ordinary’and‘extraordinary.’Ordinary
peoplemustliveinobedienceanddonothavetherighttooverstepthelaw,
because,don’tyousee,they’reordinary.Butextraordinarypeoplehavetheright
tocommitallsortsofcrimesandtooversteppreciselybecausethey’re
extraordinary.That’swhatyousay,itseems,ifI’mnotmistaken?”
“How’sthat?Itcan’tbelikethat!”Razumikhinmutteredinconfusion.

Raskolnikovsmiledagain.Heunderstoodimmediatelywhatthepointwas
andwherehewasbeingpushed;herememberedhisarticle.Hedecidedtoaccept
thechallenge.

“That’snotexactlywhatIsaid,”hebegansimplyandmodestly.“However,I
confessthatyoustateditalmostcorrectly,even,ifyoulike,completely
correctly....”(Hefounditverypleasanttoagreethatitwascompletely
correct.)“TheonlydifferenceisthatIdon’tinsistinanywaythatextraordinary
peopleabsolutelymustandarealwaysobligatedtocommitallsortsofoutrages,
asyousay.Itevenseemstomethatsuchanarticlewouldn’tbeacceptedfor
publication.Imerelyimplythatthe‘extraordinaryman’hastheright...thatis,
nottheofficialright,buthehimselfhastherighttopermithisconscienceto
overstep...variousobstacles,andonlyinthecasethattheexecutionofhisidea
(sometimes,perhaps,onethatwouldbenefitallmankind)requiresit.Yousay
thatmyarticlewasunclear;I’mpreparedtoexplainittoyou,asbestIcan.

PerhapsI’mnotmistakeninassumingthatyou’dlikemeto;ifyouplease,sir.In
myopinion,ifthediscoveriesofKeplerandNewtoncouldinnowayhave
becomeknowntopeopleotherthanthroughthesacrificeofthelivesofone,ten,
ahundred,andsoon,peoplewhointerferedwiththeirdiscoveriesorwhowere

obstaclesblockingtheirway,thenNewtonhadtheright,andwasevenobligated to...
eliminate thosetenorahundredpeopleinordertomakehisdiscoveries
knowntoallhumanity.FromthisitinnowayfollowsthatNewtonhadtheright
tokillanyoneandeveryonehepleased,ortorobpeopleeverydayatthemarket.

Furthermore,Irecall,Ideveloptheideainmyarticle,thatallpeople...atleast
thelawgiversandtrailblazersofhumanity,beginningwiththeancients,
continuingwithLycurgus,theSolons,Mohammeds,Napoleons,andsoforth,
eachandeveryoneofthem,werecriminals,justbyvirtueofthefactthatin
propagatingnewlaws,theywereatthesametimedestroyingtheoldlaws
viewedassacredbysocietyandhandeddownbytheirfathers.Ofcourse,they
didn’thesitateeventoshedblood,ifthatblood(sometimescompletelyinnocent
andvaliantlyshedindefenseoftheoldlaws)wouldhelpthem.It’seven
noteworthythatamajorityofthesebenefactorsandtrailblazersofhumanity
wereparticularlyhorriblesheddersofblood.Inaword,Iconcludethat
everyone,notonlythegreatpeople,buteventhosewhostandoutjustslightly
fromtheeverydayrut,thatis,thosewhoareevenmarginallycapableofuttering
somenewword,must,bytheirnature,necessarilybecriminals—moreorless,it
goeswithoutsaying.Otherwiseitwouldbedifficultforthemtobreakoutofthe
rut,and,ofcourse,theycan’tagreetoremainintherut,again,bytheirvery
nature;butinmyopinion,they’reevenobligatednottoagreetostaythere.Ina
word,youseethatuptothispointthere’snothingparticularlynewinwhatIsay.

Thishasallbeenwrittenandreadathousandtimes.Regardingmydivisionof
peopleintoordinaryandextraordinary,Iagreethatit’ssomewhatarbitrary,but
I’mnotinsistingonexactnumbers.Imerelybelieveinmymainidea.Itconsists
preciselyintheviewthatbythelawsofnature,peoplearedivided ingeneral
intotwocategories:thelowercategory(ordinary),thatis,sotospeak,material
servingsolelyforthepurposeofreproducingthespecies,andintopeopleproper,
thatis,thosewhopossessthegiftortalentofutteringsome newword intheir
milieu.Subdivisionsherearenaturallyendless,butthenotablecharacteristicsof
bothcategoriesareratherdistinct:thefirstcategory,thatis,thematerial,
speakingingeneral,consistsofconservativepeoplebynature,wellbehaved,
wholiveinobedienceandlikebeingobedient.Inmyopinion,they’reeven
obligatedtobeobedientbecausethat’stheirdestiny,andthere’snothing
humiliatingaboutitforthem.Thesecondcategoryconsistsofpeoplewhobreak
thelaw,destroyersor,judgingbytheirabilities,thosepredisposedtobeso.

Theircrimes,itgoeswithoutsaying,arerelativeanddiverse;forthemostpart,
inextremelydiverseformstheyrequirethedestructionofthepresentorderin
thenameofsomethingbetter.Butevenifit’snecessarytostepoveracorpse,to
wadethroughbloodinordertoattainhisgoal,theninmyopinionhemay,

accordingtohisconscience,givehimselfpermissiontowadethroughblood,
depending,however,onthenatureofhisideaanditsdimensions—notethat
well.OnlyinthatsensedoIspeakinmyarticleabouttheirrighttocommita crime.
(You’llrecallthatwebeganwiththelegalquestion.)However,there’sno
causeforalarm:themassofhumanityhardlyeverrecognizesthisright;it
punishesthesemenorhangsthem(moreorless),anddoessowithabsolute
justification,fulfillingitsconservativefunction,althoughinsucceeding
generationsthissamemassofhumanityplacesthoseverysamepeoplewhowere
executedonapedestalandworshipsthem(moreorless).Thefirstcategory
alwayscomprisesmenofthepresent;thesecond,menofthefuture.Theformer
preservetheworldandincreaseitspopulation;thelattermovetheworldforward
andleadittoitsgoal.Bothhaveanequalrighttoexist.Inaword,allmenhave
equallystrongrights,and— vivelaguerreéternelle ‡ —untiltheNewJerusalem,
ofcourse!”

“So,youstillbelieveintheNewJerusalem?”

“Ido,”Raskolnikovrepliedfirmly;whilesayingthishestareddownatthe
ground,ashehaddoneduringtheentirecourseofhislongtirade,having
selectedaspotontherug.

“An-n-n-nddoyoubelieveinGod?Forgivemeforbeingsocurious.”

“Ido,”repeatedRaskolnikov,raisinghiseyestoPorfiry’sface.

“An-n-nddoyoubelieveintheraisingofLazarus?”

“I-Ido.Whyareyouaskingthesequestions?”

“Doyoubelieveinitliterally?”

“Literally.”

“Isee,sir...Iwasmerelycurious.Forgiveme,sir.But,ifyouplease,I’ll
returntotheprevioussubject.Theyaren’talwaysexecuted.Some,onthe contrary...”

“Triumphduringtheirlifetime?Oh,yes,someattaintheirgoalsintheir
lifetime,andthen...

“Thentheybeginexecutingotherpeople?”

“Ifnecessary,youknow,andeventhelargemajorityofthemdoit.In
general,yourremarkisverywitty.”

“Thankyou,sir.Buttellmethis:howdoesonedistinguishtheextraordinary
peoplefromtheordinaryones?Aretheresomespecialsignsatbirth?Ihavein
mindthatgreateraccuracyisneeded,sotospeak,moreexternaldistinctness.
Excusethenaturaldiscomfortofapracticalandwell-intentionedman,butmight
itbepossibletoarrangeforthemtowearspecialclothingortobearsomemark?

Because,you’llagree,ifsomeconfusionresultsandoneoftheordinarycategory

imaginesthathebelongstotheotherone,andbeginsto‘eliminateallobstacles,’

asyouexpresseditsofortuitously,wellthen...”

“Oh,thishappensveryoften!Thisobservationofyoursisevenwittierthan
yourlastone.”

“Thankyou,sir.”

“Don’tmentionit,sir.Butconsiderthefactthatamistakeispossibleonlyon
thepartofthosepeopleinthefirstcategory,thatis,the‘ordinary’people(asI
calledthem,perhapsveryinauspiciously).Inspiteoftheirinborninclinationto
obey,byacertainplayfulnessofnature,notdeniedeventoacow,anextremely
largenumberofthemliketoimaginethemselvesadvancedpeople,‘destroyers,’

andtheyaspiretouttera‘newword.’Theydothiswithabsolutesincerity.Asa
matteroffact,atthesametimetheyveryoftenfailtonoticethegenuinely‘new people,
’§andevendespisethemasbackwardandincapableofhigherthinking.

But,inmyopinion,therecanbenorealdangerhere,andyouhavenothingto
worryabout,becausethesepeoplenevergetveryfar.Ofcourse,theycan
sometimesbebeatenfortheirfervor,soastoremindthemoftheirrightfulplace,
butnothingmore.Youdon’tevenneedanyonetocarryoutthepunishment:
they’llbeatthemselvesupbecausethey’resowellbehaved.Somewillprovide
thisservicetoothers,andsomewilldoittothemselves....Theyimpose
variouspublicpunishmentsonthemselves—anditturnsoutbeautifullyand
instructively.Inaword,youhavenoneedtoworry....Thisisthelaw.”

“Well,atleastonthatscoreyou’vesomewhatreassuredme.Buthere’s
anotherconcern,sir:tellme,please,aretheremanyofthesepeople,the

‘extraordinary’ones,whohavetherighttomowdownothers?Ofcourse,I’m
preparedtobowdownbeforethem,butyou’llagree,itwouldbeterribleifthere
wereverymanyofthem,wouldn’tit?”
“Oh,don’tworryaboutthat,either,”Raskolnikovcontinuedinthesame
tone.“Ingeneral,anunusuallysmallnumberofpeopleareborn,evenstrangely
few,withanewidea,orwhoarecapableofevenutteringsomething new.Only
onethingisclear:theorderthatcontrolsthehumanbirths,allthesecategories
andsubdivisions,mustbeextremelycloselyandaccuratelydeterminedbysome
lawofnature.Thislaw,itgoeswithoutsaying,isnowunknown,butIbelieve
thatitexistsandmaysubsequentlybecomeknown.Theenormousmassof
people,thematerial,existsonearthmerely,atlast,throughsomeeffort,someas
yetmysteriousprocess,bymeansofsomecrossingofgenerationsandbreeds,to
exertallitsstrength,andatlasttobringintotheworldatleastonepersonoutof
athousandwho’sinanywayoriginal.Perhapsoneintenthousand(I’m
speakingapproximately,bywayofillustration)isbornwithevenbroader

originality.Withevenmore—oneoutofahundredthousand.Menofgenius—

outofmillions,andgreatgeniuses,theculminationofhumanity—perhapsonly
asaresultofthepassingofmanythousandsofmillionsofpeopleacrossthe
earth.Inaword,Ihaven’tlookedintotheglassretortinwhichallthishappens.

Butthereabsolutelyisadefinitelawandtheremustbeone;itcan’tallbea
matterofchance.”

“Areyoubothjoking,orwhat?”Razumikhinexclaimedatlast.“You’re
tryingtomisleadeachother,aren’tyou?Youjustsittheremockingoneanother!

Canyoubeserious,Rodya?”

Raskolnikovturnedhispale,almostsadfacetohimandmadenoreply.

Porfiry’sostensible,insistent,irritating,and impolite sarcasmseemedstrangeto

Razumikhinwhencomparedtohisfriend’scalm,sadface.

“Well,myfriend,ifthisreallyissoserious,then....Ofcourse,you’reright
thatnoneofit’snewanditallresembleseverythingwe’vereadandhearda
thousandtimesbefore.Butwhat’sreally original inallthis—andbelongs
exclusivelytoyou,tomychagrin—isthefactthatyousanctionbloodshedasa
matterofconscience and,excusemeforsayingso,evenwithsuch
fanaticism....That,accordingly,isthemainideaofyourarticle.The
sanctioningofbloodshed asamatterofconscience; why,inmyopinion,that’s
moreterriblethananofficialorlegalsanctiontoshedblood...”

“Absolutelyright,itismoreterrible,”echoedPorfiry.

“No,youmust’vegottencarriedawaysomehow!It’sallamistake.I’llread
it....Youwerecarriedaway!Youcan’treallythinkthat....I’llreadit.”

“Youwon’tfindallthatinmyarticle;it’sonlyhintedatthere,”Raskolnikov said.

“Yes,indeed,”saidPorfiry,unabletositstill.“Nowit’salmostcleartome
howyouregardcrime,but...youmustexcusemypersistence(I’mreallysorry
tobotheryoulikethis),butdon’tyousee:you’vemanagedtoreassuremenow
aboutmymistake,confusingyourtwocategories,but...it’sthevarious
practicalcasesIstillfindtroubling!Justsupposesomepersonorother,let’ssay,
ayoungman,imaginesthathe’saSpartanlawgiverlikeLycurgusoraprophet
likeMohammed—afutureone,understandably—andlet’ssaythathedecidesto
removeallobstaclesblockinghisway....‘Alongcampaignliesaheadofme,’

hethinks,‘andIneedmoneytoundertakeit.’Andhestartstoamasswhathe
needsforhiscampaign....Youunderstand?”

Zametov,fromthecornerwherehewassitting,suddenlysnorted.

Raskolnikovdidn’tevenraisehiseyestolookathim.

“Imustagree,”Raskolnikovrepliedcalmly,“thatsuchcasesreallymust
exist.Stupidandvainmeninparticularwillswallowthebait,ouryoungpeople
especially.”

especially.”

“Soyoudosee.Well,whatthen?”

“Whatthen?”Raskolnikovsmiled.“I’mnottoblameforit.That’sthewayit
isandalwayswillbe.Justnowhesaid”—noddingatRazumikhin—“thatI
sanctionbloodshed.Sowhat?Societyiswellprovidedforwithallitsexiles,
prisons,examiningmagistrates,andhardlabor—what’stheretoworryabout?
Golookforyourthief!”

“Well,andifwefindhim?”

“Thenhegetswhathedeserves.”

“You’resological.Andwhatabouthisconscience?”

“Whatbusinessisthatofyours?”

“Justso,outofhumankindness.”

“Ifsomeonehasaconscience,andifheacknowledgeshismistake,thenlet
himsuffer.That’shispunishment,inadditiontohardlabor.”

“Andtherealgeniuses,”Razumikhinaskedwithafrown,“thosegrantedthe
righttokill,shouldn’ttheyhavetosufferatall,evenforthebloodtheyshed?”

“Whyusetheword‘should’?Thisdoesn’tinvolveaquestionofpermission
orprohibition.Lethimsuffer,ifhepitiesthevictim....Painandsufferingare
alwaysobligatoryforsomeonewithbroadintellectanddeepfeeling.Trulygreat
individuals,itseemstome,mustexperiencegreatsorrowinthisworld,”he
added,suddenlybecomingcontemplative,andnolongerinaconversational mode.

Heraisedhiseyes,regardedeveryonesomberly,smiled,andpickeduphis
cap.Nowhewasmuchcalmerthanwhenhe’dfirstarrived,andhefeltthis.

Everyonestoodup.

“Well,then,scoldmeornot,getangrywithmeornot,butIcan’thold
back,”PorfiryPetrovichdeclaredagain.“Allowmetoposeonemoresmall
question(I’mstilltroublingyou,Iknow);Iwanttointroduceonetinylittleidea
ofmine,merelysoasnottoforgetit...”

“Allright,what’syourlittleidea?”Raskolnikovasked,seriousandpale,
standinginfrontofhiminanticipation.

“Hereitis...really,Idon’tknowhowbesttoexpressit...thislittleideaof
mineissoveryplayful...andpsychological....Wellthen,whenyouwere
composingyourlittlearticle—coulditpossiblybethecase,heh-heh,thatyou
mightalsohaveconsideredyourself,eventhetiniestbit,tobean‘extraordinary’

manutteringsome newword, inthesensethatyou’reusingit....Isn’tthatso?”

“Verypossibly,”Raskolnikovrepliedcontemptuously.

Razumikhinmadeamovement.

“Andifso,thenmightyouyourselfhavedecided—well,inviewofsome
unfortunateworldlycircumstancesandconstraints,orfortheadvancementofall

unfortunateworldlycircumstancesandconstraints,orfortheadvancementofall
mankindinsomeway—tostepoverthoseobstacles?Say,forexample,tokill
androb?”

SuddenlyPorfiryseemedtowinkathimwithhislefteyeagainandchuckle
inaudibly,justashehadbefore.

“IfIweretostepover,then,ofcourse,Iwouldn’ttellyou,”Raskolnikov
repliedwitharrogant,provocativecontempt.

“No,indeed,it’sjustthatI’minterested,strictly,inclarifyingthemeaningof
yourarticle,merelyinaliterarysense,ofcourse...”

“Ugh!Thisissoobviousandinsolent!”Raskolnikovthoughtwithdisgust.

“Allowmetoobserve,”hereplieddrily,“thatIdon’tconsidermyselfa
MohammedoraNapoleon...oranyoneofthatsort;therefore,notbeingoneof
them,Ican’tpossiblyprovideyouwithasatisfactoryexplanationofhowI
wouldact,ifIwere.”

“Well,come,comenow,whoamongusinHolyRusdoesn’tconsider
himselfaNapoleonthesedays?”Porfirysuddenlyaskedwithalarming
familiarity.Thistimetherewasevensomethingunusuallydistinctiveinhis
intonation.

“Wasn’titjustsomesortoffutureNapoleonwhodidinourAlyona
Ivanovnawithanaxelastweek?”Zametovblurtedoutfromhiscorner.
RaskolnikovwassilentandstaredfixedlyanddecisivelyatPorfiry.

Razumikhinfrownedsullenly.Evenbeforethismomenthe’dbeguntobeaware
ofsomethingunusual.Helookedaroundinanger.Therewasaminuteof
gloomysilence.Raskolnikovturnedtoleave.

“You’regoingalready?”Porfiryaskedpolitely,extendinghishandwith
excessivecourtesy.“I’mvery,verygladtohavemadeyouracquaintance.Asfor
yourpetition,havenoworriesaboutit.JustwritewhatItoldyou.Bestofall,
dropbytoseemethere...sometimesoon...why,eventomorrow.I’ll
probablybeinaroundelevenorso.We’llarrangeeverything...haveanice
chat....Asoneofthelastpeopletohavebeen there, perhapsyoumightbeable
totellussomething,”headdedwithagood-naturedlook.

“Doyouwishtointerrogatemeofficially,withalltheformalities?”

Raskolnikovaskedabruptly.

“Whyonearth?Forthemoment,that’squiteunnecessary.Youdidn’t
understandme.Yousee,Idon’tletanyopportunitypassmebyand...andI’ve
alreadyspokenwithallthosewhopawnedsomeitem...I’vetakensome
statements...andyou,asthelastonewho....Bytheway!”hecried,suddenly
delightedforsomereason.“Bytheway,Ijustremembered...what’sthematter
withme?”heturnedtoRazumikhin.“Youknowhowyou’vebeenbendingmy

earaboutthatfellowNikolashka...yes,Iknow,Iknow,”hesaid,turningto
Raskolnikov,“thatfellow’sintheclear,butwhatcanIdo,andIhadtotrouble
Mitka,too....Well,here’sthething,themainpoint:climbingthestairsthat
evening...forgiveme,youweretheresometimebeforeeighto’clock?”

“Yes,”repliedRaskolnikov,withtheunpleasantfeelingatthatmomentthat
heshouldn’thaveadmittedit.

“So,climbingthosestairssometimebeforeeight,didyouhappentonotice,
onthesecondfloor,intheopenapartment—doyourecall—twoworkmen,
perhapsevenoneofthem?Theyweretherepainting;byanychancedidyousee them?
It’svery,veryimportantforthem!”
“Painters?No,Ididn’tseethem,”Raskolnikovrepliedslowly,asif
searchinghismemory,atthesametimetensinghisentirebeing,immobilizedby
thetormentoftryingtoguesswherethetraplayhidden,andhopingthathe
wouldn’tmissanything.“No,Ididn’tseethem;infact,Ididn’tevennoticeany
openapartment....Butonthefourthfloor”—he’dnowfullydiscoveredthetrap
andwasfeelingvictorious—“Irecallthatacivilservantwasmovingoutofhis
apartment...oppositeAlyonaIvanovna’s...Iremember...thatIclearly
remember.Soldierswerecarryingoutasofa,andIhadtopressupagainstthe
wall....Butpainters—no,Idon’trecallanypainters....Andtherewasn’tany
openapartmentanywhere.No,therewasn’t...”

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”Razumikhincriedsuddenly,asifcomingto
hissensesandnowunderstandingwhatwasbeingsaid.“Thepainterswerethere
workingonthedayofthemurder,buthewastherethreedaysbefore.Whatare
youaskinghim?”

“Ugh!Igotmixedup!”Porfirysaid,slappinghisforehead.“Deviltakeit,
thiscaseistoomuchformypoorbrain!”headded,turningtoRaskolnikovasif
apologizing.“Itwould’vebeenimportantforustoknowifsomeonehadseen
themthatsameeveningbeforeeighto’clock,inthatapartment,anditjust
occurredtomethatyoumightbeabletotellus....Igotallmixedup!”

“Youmustbemorecareful,”Razumikhinobservedgloomily.

Theselastwordswereutteredintheentrancehall.PorfiryPetrovichescorted
themtothedoorwithutmostpoliteness.Theybothemergedontothestreet
feelingsullenandmorose,andforafewstepsdidn’texchangeaword.

Raskolnikovtookadeepbreath....

*AquotationfromNikolaiGogol’s(1809–1852)comedy
TheGovernmentInspector(1836).

† AcommunityorganizedaccordingtotheplanoftheFrenchutopiansocialist,Charle
sFourier(1772–

1837).
‡“Longliveperpetualwar”(French).

§AreferencetoNikolaiChernyshevsky’s(1828–1889)influentialnovel,
WhatIstoBeDone?(1863).

VI

“...Idon’tbelieveit!Ican’tbelieveit!”aperplexedRazumikhin
repeated,tryingwithallhismighttorefuteRaskolnikov’sconclusions.They
werealreadynearingBakaleev’shouse,where,intheirrentedrooms,Pulkheriya
AleksandrovnaandDunyahadbeenwaitingforthemforquiteawhile.

Razumikhinfrequentlypausedalongtheway,impelledbytheheatofthe
conversation,confusedandagitatedsolelybythefactthatitwasthefirsttime
theyhadspokenplainlyabout that.

“Thendon’tbelieveit!”repliedRaskolnikovwithacold,calmgrin.“As
usual,youdidn’tnoticeanything,whileIwasweighingeveryword.”

“You’remistrustful,that’swhyyouweighedeveryword....Hmm.Really,I
agreethatPorfiry’stonewasratherstrange,andespeciallythatscoundrel
Zametov!You’reright,therewassomethinginit—butwhy?Why?”

“Hechangedhismindovernight.”

“Onthecontrary,thecontrary!Ifthey’dhadthatbrainlessidea,they’dhave
triedwithalltheirmighttoconcealitandhidetheircardssotheycouldcatch
youafterward....Butnow—it’sinsolentandcareless!”

“Iftheyreallyhadanyfacts,thatis,genuinefacts,orsomekindofwell-
foundedsuspicions,they’dreallyhavetriedtoconcealthegame,inthehopeof
winningevenmore.(Butthey’dhaveconductedasearchlongago!)However,
theydon’thaveanyfacts,notone—it’sallamirage,itcutstwoways,merelya
passingfancy—andthey’retryingtouseinsolencetoconfusethematter.

PerhapsPorfiry’sangrythattherearenofactsandsoheburstoutwithallthat.

Perhapshehassomeintention....Heseemstobeacleverman....Maybehe
wantedtofrightenmebyshowingthatheknows....There’spsychologyfor
you,myfriend....However,it’shorridtohavetoexplainallthis.Leaveit alone!”

“It’sinsulting,insulting!Iunderstandyou!But...now,sincewe’vebegun
talkingopenly(andit’sexcellentthatwe’vebegun.I’mglad!)—nowIcan
confesstoyoufrankly,thatInoticedthisideaoftheirsawhileago,allthistime,
itgoeswithoutsaying,merelyasahint,acreepingsuspicion.Butwhyonearth
shouldtheyhaveevenacreepingsuspicion?Howdarethey?Where,whereare
therootshidden?IfyouonlyknewhowangryIwas!What:justbecauseyou’re
apoorstudent,disfiguredbypovertyandhypochondria,onthebrinkofacruel
illnessanddelirium,whichmightalreadyhavebegun(makeanoteofthat!),

you’remistrustful,proud,knowingyourownworth,you’vespentsixmonthsall
aloneseeingnoone,wearingtatteredclothesandbootswithoutsoles—standing
infrontofsomepolicemen,toleratingtheirabuse;andthenyou’reconfronted
withanunexpecteddebt,anoverduepromissorynotetothecourtcouncillor
Chebarov,stinkingpaint,hundred-degreeheat,stiflingair,acrowdofpeople,an
accountofthemurderofapersonwhereyou’dbeenthedaybefore,andallthis

—onanemptystomach!Howcouldyoukeepfromfainting?Andtobaseitall onthat?
Onthat?Thehellwithit!Iunderstandhowannoyingitis,butinyour
place,Rodka,I’dhaveburstoutlaughingintheirfaces,orbetterstill:I’dhave
spatrightintheiruglymugs,thethickerthebetter,andhavelandedafewdozen
slapsonallofthem,skillfully,asonealwaysshould,andthatwouldbetheend
ofit.Thehellwiththem!Takeheart!Whatadisgrace!”

“Hedidagoodjoblayingitallout,”thoughtRaskolnikov.

“Thehellwiththem?Butthere’saninterrogationtomorrowaswell!”hesaid
bitterly.“DoIreallyhavetoexplainitalltothem?I’mannoyedthatIhumiliated
myselfwithZametovinthetavernyesterday...”

“Thehellwithit!I’llgoseePorfirymyself!We’rerelated,soI’llsqueezeit
outofhim,lethimexplaintherootofthematter!AndasforZametov...”

“He’sfinallyguessed!”thoughtRaskolnikov.

“Wait!”criedRazumikhin,suddenlyseizinghimbytheshoulder.“Stop!
You’rewrong!I’vejustthoughtitthrough:you’rewrong!Whatsortofadirty
trickwasit?Yousaythequestionabouttheworkerswasadirtytrick?See
throughit:ifyou’ddone that, wouldyouletitslipthatyousawthe
workmen...paintingtheapartment?Onthecontrary:youwouldn’thaveseen
anything,evenifyoureallyhadseenit!Whowouldtestifyagainsthimself?”

“IfIhaddone thatdeed, thenIwould’vedefinitelysaidthatIsawthe

paintersandtheapartment,”Raskolnikovcontinued,statinghisreply
unwillinglyandwithapparentdisgust.

“Butwhytestifyagainstyourself?”

“Becauseonlypeasantsandthemostinexperiencednovicesflatlydeny
everythingduringinterrogations.Apersonwho’ssomewhatintelligentand
experiencedtriesasmuchaspossibletoadmitreadilytoallexternaland
inevitablefacts;hemerelylooksforotherreasons,introduceshisownparticular
andunexpectedaspect,whichlendsthemadifferentsignificanceandreveals
theminacompletelynewlight.Porfirycouldcountonmyansweringlikethat
andsayingwhatIsawtoestablishcredibility;thenI’dbringupsomethingto
explain...”

“Buthewould’vetoldyouimmediatelythattheworkmencouldn’thave
beentheretwodaysbefore;consequently,youweretherepreciselyonthedayof
themurder,afterseveno’clock.He’dhavecaughtyouwithadetail!”

themurder,afterseveno’clock.He’dhavecaughtyouwithadetail!”

“That’sexactlywhathewascountingon,thefactthatIwouldn’thavehad
timetothink,thatI’dhastentoreplymoreplausibly,andwouldforgetthatthe
workmencouldn’thavebeentheretwodaysbefore.”

“Howcouldyouforgetthat?”

“Easyaspie!Cleverpeoplegettrippedupmosteasilyonjustsuch
insignificantdetails.Theclevererapersonis,thelesshesuspectsthathe’llbe
trickedbysomethingsosimple.Youhavetotrickthecleverestpersonwiththe
simplestmatter.Porfiryisn’tasstupidasyouthinkatall...”

“Butafterthis,he’sascoundrel!”
Raskolnikovcouldn’tkeepfromlaughing.Butatthesamemoment,hisown
animationandtheenthusiasmwithwhichhehadlaidoutthelastexplanation
seemedstrangetohim,sincehehadconductedtheentirepreviousconversation
withgrimdisgust,apparentlyforhisownaimsandofnecessity.

“I’mbeginningtoenjoycertainaspectsofthis,”hethoughttohimself.

Butatalmostthesametimehesuddenlyfeltstrangelyupset,asifan
unexpectedandalarmingthoughthadstruckhim.Hisanxietyincreased.They
hadarrivedattheentrancetoBakaleev’shouse.

“Goinalone,”saidRaskolnikovsuddenly.“I’llbebackshortly.”

“Whereareyougoing?We’vejustarrived.”

“Ireallyhaveto.Ihavetodosomething....I’llbebackinhalfan hour....Tellthem.”

“Asyoulike.I’llgowithyou.”

“Really?Doyoualsowanttotormentmetodeath?”hecriedwithsuchbitter
irritation,withsuchadespairinglook,thatRazumikhingaveup.Hestoodonthe
stairsforsometimeandwatchedgrimlyashisfriendwalkedoffquicklyinthe
directionofhisstreet.Atlast,clenchinghisteethandtighteninghisfists,
swearingthathe’dsqueezePorfiryPetrovichlikealemonthatveryday,he
climbedthestairstotrytorelievePulkheriyaAleksandrovna,whowasalready
feelinganxiousbecauseoftheirlongabsence.

WhenRaskolnikovarrivedathisbuilding,histemplesweredampwithsweat
andhewasbreathingheavily.Hequicklyclimbedthestairs,enteredhis
unlockedroom,andimmediatelyfastenedthedoorwiththehook.Thenina
fearful,franticmanner,herushedtothecorner,totheverysameholeunderneath
thewallpaperwherehehadstashedtheitems,thrustinhishand,andforseveral
minutessearchedtheopeningcarefully,examiningeverynookandcrannyand
allthefoldsofthewallpaper.Notfindinganything,hestoodupandtookadeep
breath.AshehadbeenapproachingBakaleev’shouseawhileago,he’d
suddenlyimaginedthatsomeitem,somesmallchain,cufflink,oreventhepaper

inwhichtheitemswerewrapped,withtheoldwoman’smarksonit,might
somehowhavesliddownandgottenlostinalittlecrack,andthenmight
suddenlyemergebeforehimasunexpectedandincontrovertibleevidence.

Hestoodasiflostinthought,andastrange,humble,half-vacantgrincrossed
hislips.Atlasthepickeduphiscapandquietlylefttheroom.Histhoughtswere
muddled.Hewasstillpreoccupiedasheemergedfromthegate.

“Thereheis!That’shim!”criedaloudvoice.Heraisedhishead.

Thecaretakerwasstandingatthedoorofhislittleroomandpointinghimout
toasmallmanwholookedlikeatradesman,dressedinavestandsomesortof
longrobe,andwhofromadistanceverymuchresembledapeasantwoman.His
head,inasoiledcap,hungdown,andhisentirefigureseemedstooped.His
flabby,wrinkledfaceindicatedthathewasoverfifty;hissmall,swolleneyes
lookedgrim,stern,anddiscontented.

“Whatisit?”askedRaskolnikov,approachingthecaretaker.

Thetradesmansquintedathimsullenlyandexaminedhimfixedlyand
carefully,withouthurrying;thenheturnedawayslowlyand,withoutsayinga
word,walkedthroughthegateandintothestreet.

“What’sallthis?”criedRaskolnikov.

“Thatmanwasaskingifastudentlivedhere;hegaveyournameandasked
whoseroomyourented.Thenyoucameout,Ipointedtoyou,andhewentonhis
way.That’sall.”

Thecaretakerwasalsoabitperplexed,butnottoo;hethoughtalittlelonger,
turnedaround,andwentbackintohisroom.

Raskolnikovrushedafterthetradesmanandsawhimrightaway,walking
alongtheothersideofthestreetathisprevioussteadyandunhurriedpace,his
eyesloweredtotheground,asifthinkingaboutsomething.Hesooncaughtup
withhim,andforsometimewalkedalongbehindhim;atlasthecameevenwith
himandglancedintohisfacefromalongside.Themannoticedhimrightaway,
lookedathimquickly,butloweredhiseyesoncemore.Theycontinuedwalking
thusforanotherminute,onenexttotheother,withoutexchangingaword.
“Youwereaskingthecaretaker...aboutme?”Raskolnikovsaidatlast,but
somehowinalowvoice.

Thetradesmanmadenoreplyanddidn’tevenlookup.Theyweresilent again.

“Whydidyou...comeandaskforme...andnowyou’re

silent....What’sthisallabout?”Raskolnikov’svoicebrokeoff,asifthewords
wereunwillingtobeutteredclearly.

ThistimethetradesmanraisedhiseyesandregardedRaskolnikovwitha
sinister,gloomylook.

“Moiderer!”hesaidsuddenlyinalowbutclear,intelligiblevoice.

“Moiderer!”hesaidsuddenlyinalowbutclear,intelligiblevoice.

Raskolnikovwalkedalongnexttohim.Hislegssuddenlyfeltweak,anda
chillranuphisspine;foramoment,hisheartskippedabeat,butthenitstarted
pounding,asifithadcomeloose.Theycontinuedthatwayforaboutahundred
paces,onceagaininsilence.

Thetradesmandidn’tlookathim.

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?What?Who’sthemurderer?”muttered
Raskolnikov,barelyaudibly.

“You’re themoiderer,”heinsisted,evenmoredistinctlyandcommandingly,
withagrinofcontemptuoustriumph,andoncemoreglanceddirectlyat
Raskolnikov’spalefaceandintohislifelesseyes.Theybothapproachedthe
crossing.Thetradesmanturnedintothestreetontheleftandkeptgoingwithout
lookingback.Raskolnikovstoodstillforalongtimeandwatchedhimgo.He
sawhowthetradesmanwalkedaboutfiftypaces,thenturnedaroundandlooked
athim,remainingmotionlessonthesamespot.Itwasimpossibletomakeitout,
butitseemedtoRaskolnikovthatthistimehesmiledagainwithacold,
contemptuous,triumphantgrin.

Withfaint,weaksteps,tremblingknees,andaterriblechill,Raskolnikov
turnedbackandclimbedthestairstohislittleroom.Hetookoffhiscap,putit
onthetable,andstoodstillforabouttenminutes.Then,feelingfeeble,helay
downonthesofaandstretchedoutpainfullywithaweakgroan.Hiseyeswere
closed.Helaythereforhalfanhour.

Hedidn’tthinkaboutanything.Thereweresomethoughtsorfragmentsof
thoughts,someimages,disorderedandunconnected—facesofpeoplehehad
seenwaybackinhischildhoodorencounteredsomewhereonlyonceand
couldn’treallyevenremember;thebelltoweroftheVoznesenskyChurch;the
billiardtableinatavernwithsomeofficerstandingnexttoit;thesmellofcigars
inabasementtobaccoshop;abeerhall;abackstaircase,completelydark,
splatteredwithdirtydishwaterandstrewnwitheggshells;andthesoundof
Sundaychurchbellsfloatinginfromsomewhere....Objectsshiftedand
swirled,likeawhirlwind.Heevenfoundsomethingspleasantandtriedtohold
ontothem,buttheyfaded.Ingeneral,somethingoppressedhiminside,butnot
toomuch.Sometimesheevenfeltgood....Theslightchillhadn’tpassed,but
that,too,wasalmostpleasanttoexperience.

HeheardRazumikhin’shurriedstepsandhisvoice;heclosedhiseyesand
pretendedtobeasleep.Razumikhinopenedthedoorandstoodonthethreshold
forsometime,asifinthought.Thenhequietlysteppedintotheroomand
cautiouslyapproachedthesofa.HecouldhearNastasya’swhisper:

“Don’tdisturbhim.Lethimhaveagoodsleep;thenhe’llhavesomethingto eat.”

eat.”

“Indeed,”repliedRazumikhin.

Theybothleftquietlyandclosedthedoor.Anotherhalfhourpassed.

Raskolnikovopenedhiseyesandlaybackagain,claspinghishandsbehindhis head.

“Whoishe?Who’sthatpersonwhoemergedfromundertheearth?Where
washe,andwhatdidhesee?Hesaweverything,nodoubt.Wherewashe
standingthenandhowcouldhesee?Whyisheappearingonlynowfromunder
theground?Howcouldhehaveseen—isitpossible?Hmm...”continued
Raskolnikov,growingcoldandshuddering.“Andthejeweler’scasethatNikolai
foundbehindthedoor:wasthatalsopossible?Evidence?Youoverlookoneofa
milliondetails—andthere’sevidencethesizeofanEgyptianpyramid!Afly
passedby,anditsaw!Isthisallpossible?”

Withloathinghesuddenlyfelthowweakhehadgrown,physicallyweak.

“Ishould’veknownallthis,”hethoughtwithabittergrin.“Knowingmyself,
havinghada premonition aboutmyself,howdidIdaretakeanaxeandget
stainedwithblood?Ishouldhaveknownaheadoftime....Eh!Ireallydid
knowbeforehand!”hewhisperedindespair.

“No,thosepeoplearen’tmadelikethis;atrue master, towhomallthingsare

permitted,destroysToulon,carriesoutcarnageinParis, forgets anarmyin Egypt,
loses halfamillionmeninaMoscowcampaign,andgetsawaywitha
cleverpunatVilna.Andthen,afterhisdeaththeyerectstatuestohim—itgoes
withoutsayingthat everything ispermittedtohim.No,clearlysuchmenarenot
madeoffleshandblood,butofbronze!”

Allofasudden,anunexpectedextraneousthoughtalmostmadehimlaugh:

“Napoleon,thepyramids,Waterloo—andascraggly,vilewidow,anold
woman,amoneylender,witharedtrunkunderherbed—whatamouthfuleven
forPorfiryPetrovichtoswallow!Howcouldhedoit?Hissenseofaesthetics
wouldinterfere:wouldaNapoleonstooptocrawlunderan‘oldwoman’s’bed?

Hey,whatnonsense!”

Attimeshefeltthathewasraving:hewouldsinkintoamoodoffeverish excitement.

“Thatoldcroneisrubbish!”hethoughtheatedlyandimpetuously.“Theold
womanwasnomorethanamistake;shewasn’tthepoint!Theoldwomanwas
merelyanillness....Iwantedtohurryupandoverstep....Ididn’tkilla
person,Ikilledaprinciple!AprincipleiswhatIkilled,butIdidn’tstepoverat
all;Iremainedonthisside....TheonlythingImanagedtodowastokill.And,
itturnsout,Ididn’tevendothatright....Aprinciple?Whydidthatfool
Razumikhinabusethesocialistsawhileago?They’rehardworkingfolk,

businesslikepeople,contributingtothe‘commongood.’No,life’sbeengivento
meonceandit’llnevercomeagain;Idon’twanttowaitforthe‘commongood.’
Iwanttolivemyself,orelseit’sbetternottoliveatall.Whatofit?Imerely
didn’twanttopassahungrymother,clutchingarubleinmypocket,while
waitingforthe‘commongood.’Theysay,‘I’llcarryonesmallbrickfor
universalhappinessandasaresultI’llfeelmyheartatpeace.’Ha,ha!Whydid
youleavemeout?Iliveonlyonce,andIalsowantto....Hey,I’manaesthetic
louse,nothingmore,”headdedsuddenlyandburstoutlaughinglikeamadman.

“Yes,I’mreallyalouse,”hecontinued,clingingtohisthoughtwithmalice,
burrowingintoit,playingwithit,enjoyingit.“Ifonlybecauseinthefirstplace,
I’mnowthinkingaboutthefactthatI’malouse;secondly,forawholemonth
I’vebeenpesteringmostgraciousProvidence,summoningitasawitnessthat
I’mundertakingthisnotformyownsakeandwhims,Isaid,butbecauseIhave
amajesticandworthwhilegoal.Ha,ha!And,inthethirdplace,becauseI
proposedtoobserveallpossiblefairnessintheexecution,weightsandmeasures,
andarithmetic:outofalltheliceonearth,Ipickedtheleastusefuland,after
killingher,proposedtotakefromherexactlyasmuchasIneededforthefirst
step,nomore,noless(andtheremainder,itgoeswithoutsaying,wouldgotoa
monastery,accordingtothetermsofherwill—ha,ha!)....Therefore,therefore,
ultimatelyI’malouse,”headded,grindinghisteeth,“becauseImyself,perhaps,
amevenvilerandfilthierthanthatmurderedlouse,andIhada premonition
earlierthatI’dsaythattomyself after Ikilledher!Cananythingcomparewith
suchhorror?Oh,thevulgarity!Thebaseness!Oh,howIunderstandthe

‘Prophet’withascimitaronasteed.Allahcommands,and‘trembling’creatures
obey!TheProphetwascorrect,completelycorrect,whenheplacedawon-der-
fulartillerybatteryacrossastreetsomewhereandmoweddowntheinnocentand
theguilty,withoutdeigningtoexplainhimself!Obey,tremblingcreature,and do
notdesire, becausethat’snotyourbusiness!Oh,never,neverwillIforgivethat
oldwoman!”

Hishairwassoakedwithperspiration,histremblinglipswereparched,his
motionlessgazedirectedattheceiling.

“Mymother,mysister,howIlovedthem!WhydoIhatethemnow?Yes,I
hatethem,Iphysicallyhatethem.Ican’tstandtohavethemnearme....A
whileagoIwentupandkissedmymother,Iremember....Toembraceherand
thinkthatifsheknew,then...couldIreallyhavetoldherthen?I’mcapableof
that....Hmm! She shouldbethesameasIam,”headded,thinkingwitheffort
asifstrugglingwithapproachingdelirium.“How,howIhatethatoldwoman
now!ItseemsI’dkillheragainifsheevercamebacktolife!PoorLizaveta!

Whydidsheturnupthere?It’sstrange,however:whydoIhardlythinkabout

her,asifIhadn’tkilledher?Lizaveta!Sonya!Poor,meekcreatureswithmeek
eyes....Dearsouls!Whydon’ttheyweep?Whydon’ttheymoan?Theygive
awayeverything...theylookmeeklyandsoftly....Sonya,Sonya!Gentle Sonya!”

Hedriftedintosleep;itseemedstrangetohimthathedidn’trememberhow
heturneduponthestreet.Itwasalreadylateevening.Twilightwasgrowing
deeper,thefullmoonwasshiningmoreandmorebrightly,buttheairwas
somehowverystuffy.Crowdsofpeoplewerewalkingalongthestreets;
craftsmenandworkerswerereturninghome,otherswereoutforastroll;theair
smelledoflime,dust,andstagnantwater.Raskolnikovwasgloomyandanxious:
herememberedverywellthathehadlefthomewithsomeintention,thathehad
somethingtodo,andthatheshouldhurry,buthehadforgottenwhatitwas.

Suddenlyhestoppedandnoticedthatontheothersideofthestreet,onthe
sidewalk,stoodamanwavingtohim.Hecrossedthestreettowardhim,but
suddenlythismanturnedandwalkedawayasifnothinghadhappened,hishead
lowered,withoutturningaroundorgivinganysignthathehadwaved.“Enough ofthis
—didhewave?”wonderedRaskolnikovandbeganfollowinghim.Before
goingtenpaces,hesuddenlyrecognizedhimandbecamefrightened;itwasthe
formertradesman,wearingthesamerobeandwiththesamestoop.Raskolnikov
walkedalongatadistance;hisheartwaspounding;theyheadedintoanalley—

thetradesmanstilldidn’tturnaround.“DoesheknowthatI’mfollowinghim?”

wonderedRaskolnikov.Thetradesmanwentthroughthegatetoalargehouse.

Raskolnikovapproachedthegateandbeganlooking:wouldheglancebackand
beckontohim?Indeed,afterpassingthroughthegatewayandemergingintothe
courtyard,thetradesmansuddenlyturnedaroundandseemedtobeckontohim
again.Raskolnikovpassedthroughthegateway,too,butthetradesmanwasno
longerinthecourtyard.Hemusthaveturnedatonceintothefirststairway.

Raskolnikovrushedafterhim.Infact,twoflightsabove,heheardsomeone’s
measured,unhurriedfootsteps.Itwasstrange,butthisstaircaseseemedfamiliar!
Therewasawindowonthefirstfloor;moonlightwasshiningthroughtheglass
mournfullyandmysteriously;here’sthesecondfloor.Oh!Itwasthesame
apartmentinwhichthepaintershadbeenworking....Howcomehehadn’t
knownthatrightaway?Thefootstepsofthemanaheaddiedaway.“Hemust
havestopped,orelsehe’shidingsomewhere.”Here’sthethirdfloor;shouldhe goon?
Howquietitwas,evenfrightening....Buthewalkedon.Thesoundof
hisownfootstepsscaredandalarmedhim.“GoodLord,it’ssodark!The
tradesmanmustbehidinginsomecorner.Ah!”Thedoortotheapartmentstood
openontothelanding;hethoughtforabitandthenwentin.Itwasverydarkand
desertedintheentryway;therewasnotasoul,asifeverythinghadbeen

removed.Quietly,ontiptoe,hewentintothelivingroom;theentireroomwas
brightlylitbymoonlight.Everythingwasjustasithadbeenbefore:chairs,
mirror,yellowsofa,andframedpictures.Thehuge,roundcopper-redmoon
shonedirectlyinthroughthewindows.“Thisstillnessisbecauseofthemoon,”

thoughtRaskolnikov.“Itmustbeposingariddlenow.”Hestoodthereand
waited,waitedalongtime;thequieterthemoon,thelouderhisheartpounded,
evenbeginningtohurt.Stillnessprevailed.Allofasuddenhehearda
momentarydrycrackling,asifatwighadbroken,andtheneverythingbecame
silentagain.Anawakenedflysuddenlybumpedintothewindowpaneandbegan
buzzingplaintively.Atthatverymomentinthecorner,betweenthesmall
wardrobeandthewindow,henoticedwhatseemedtobeacloakhangingonthe
wall.“Why’sthereacloakhere?”hewondered.“Itwasn’ttherebefore...”He
approacheditquietlyandguessedthatsomeonemightbehidingbehindit.He
cautiouslydrewbackthecloakwithhishandandsawachaironwhichtheold
womansat,allhuddledover,holdingherheadinsuchawaythathecouldn’tsee
herface—butitwasshe.Hestoodoverher.“She’safraid,”hethoughtand
quietlyfreedtheaxefromitsloopandstrucktheoldwomanonthecrownofher
headonceandthenagain.Butitwasstrange:shedidn’tevenstirunderthe
blows,asifsheweremadeofwood.Hegrewfearful,bentover,andbegan
lookingathermoreclosely;shebentherheadevenlower.Thenhecrouchedall
thewaydowntothefloorandglancedupatherface;hetookonelookandfroze
inhorror:theoldwomanwassittingthere,laughing—shewasovercomewith
quiet,inaudiblelaughter,tryingwithallhermighttomakesurehedidn’thear
her.Suddenlyitseemedthatthedoortoherbedroomwasopeningslightlyand
there,too,someonewaslaughingandwhispering.Rageovercamehim:hebegan
strikingtheoldwomanontheheadwithallhisstrength,butwitheachblowof
theaxethelaughterandwhisperingfromthebedroomsoundedstrongerand
louder,andtheoldwomanshookwithmirth.Hetriedtoflee,buttheentire
entrywaywasfilledwithpeople,thedoortothestaircasewasopen,andonthe
landing,thestaircase,andbelow—stoodacrowdofpeople,sidebyside,
everyonelooking,buteveryonequiet,allwaiting,allsilent!Hisheartskippeda
beat,hisfeetwouldn’tbudge,andhefeltrootedtothespot....Hewantedtocry outand
—wokeup.

Hetookadeepbreath—but,strangely,hisdreamseemedtocontinue:his
doorwaswideopenandacompletestrangerstoodonthethreshold,staringat
himfixedly.

Raskolnikovhadnotquiteopenedhiseyescompletelywhenheshutthem
again.Helayonhisbackanddidn’tstir.“Isthisstillmydreamornot?”he
wonderedandopenedhiseyelidseversoslightlytotakealook:thestranger

stoodonthesamespotandwasstillstaringathim.Allatoncehecarefully
steppedoverthethreshold,closedthedoorbehindhimselfthoughtfully,walked
overtothetable,waitedaminute—allthistimenottakinghiseyesoff Raskolnikov—
andquietly,withoutasound,satdownonachairnexttothesofa.

Heplacedhishattooneside,onthefloor,andrestedbothofhishandsonhis
cane,loweringhischintohishands.Itwasapparentthathewaspreparedtowait
alongtime.AsmuchasRaskolnikovcouldseethroughhiseyelashes,thisman
wasnolongeryoung;hewassolidlybuiltandhadathick,light-colored,almost
whitebeard...

Abouttenminutespassed.Itwasstilllight,buteveningwasalreadysetting
in.Itwasabsolutelystillintheroom.Notasoundwasdriftingin,evenfromthe
staircase.Onlyalargeflykeptbuzzingandbeatingagainstthewindowpane.At
lastthisbecameunbearable;Raskolnikovsuddenlyraisedhimselfandsatupon
thesofa.

“Well,saysomething.Whatdoyouwant?”

“Iknewthatyouweren’tasleep,butmerelypretending,”thestrangerreplied
peculiarly,grinningserenely.“Allowmetointroducemyself:ArkadyIvanovich
Svidrigaylov...”
I

“Canthisreallybethecontinuationofmydream?”Raskolnikovwondered
again.Hestaredcautiouslyanddistrustfullyattheunexpectedguest.

“Svidrigaylov?Whatnonsense!Itcouldn’tbe!”heutteredaloudatlast,in perplexity.

Thevisitordidnotseemsurprisedatallbythisexclamation.

“I’vecometoseeyoufortworeasons:first,forsometimeI’veheard
extremelyinterestingandfavorablereportsofyou,andIwantedtomakeyour
acquaintance;second,Ihopethatperhapsyouwon’trefusetoassistmeinan
undertakingthatdirectlyconcernstheinterestsofyoursister,Avdotya
Romanovna.Asaresultofprejudice,shemightnotagreetoseemealone
withoutarecommendation;ontheotherhand,withyourhelp,Icancount on...”

“Youcountbadly,”Raskolnikovinterruptedhim.

“MayIaskiftheyjustarrivedyesterday?”

Raskolnikovmadenoreply.

“Yesterday,Iknow.Imyselfarrivedonlytwodaysago.Well,sir,thisis
whatIhavetosaytoyouonthatscore,RodionRomanovich;Iconsiderit
unnecessarytojustifymyself,butallowmetoinquire:inthisentireaffair,was
there,asamatteroffact,anythingcriminalonmypart,thatis,judgingsensibly
andwithoutprejudice?”
Raskolnikovcontinuedexamininghiminsilence.

“ThefactthatinmyownhomeIpursuedadefenselessyoungwomanand

‘insultedherwithmyvileproposals’—isthatit?(I’mjumpingahead!)Butyou
mustassumethatI’mmerelyahumanbeing, etnihilhumanum* ...inaword,
thatI’mcapableofbeingattractedandfallinginlove(which,ofcourse,doesn’t
dependonourownwill);theneverythingcanbeexplainedinthemostnatural
manner.Herethewholequestionis:amIamonsteroravictimmyself?Well,
howcanIbeavictim?WhenIproposedtotheobjectofmyaffectionsthatshe
runawaywithmetoAmericaorSwitzerland,perhapsInourishedthemost
honorablefeelingsinmyselfandeventhoughtIwasmakingarrangementsfor
ourmutualhappiness!One’sreasonservesone’spassions;perhapsIdidmore
harmtomyselfthantoanyoneelse!”

“That’snotthepoint,”Raskolnikovinterruptedwithdisgust.“You’resimply
repulsive,whetheryou’rerightornot.Theydon’tevenwanttoknowyou,and
theywantyoutoleave.Sogoaway!”

theywantyoutoleave.Sogoaway!”

Svidrigaylovsuddenlyburstoutlaughing.

“However...however,there’snowayofknockingyouofftrack!”hesaid,
laughinginamostsinceremanner.“IthoughtIcouldoutwityou,butno,right
awayyouputyourfingerexactlyonthemainpoint!”

“Youcontinuetryingtooutwitmeevennow.”

“WhatifIdo?WhatifIdo?”repeatedSvidrigaylov,laughingaloud.“It’s
what’scalled bonneguerre, † andthemostpermissibledeceit!Butyou
interruptedmeallthesame.Onewayoranother,Icanstateoncemore:there
would’vebeennounpleasantnessifithadn’tbeenfortheincidentinthegarden.

MarfaPetrovna...”

“TheysayyoualsohastenedMarfaPetrovna’send,”Raskolnikovinterrupted
rudely.
“You’veheardaboutthat,too?Buthowcouldyounothaveheard?Well,as
farasthatquestionofyoursisconcerned,Ireallydon’tknowwhattosay,
althoughmyownconscienceisabsolutelyclearonthatscore.Thatis,don’t
thinkI’mafraidofanythingrelatedtothatmatter.Itwasallconductedinaccord
withabsoluteorderandcompleteaccuracy;themedicalinvestigationdetermined
thatitwasapoplexyresultingfrombathingtoosoonafterconsumingaheavy
meal,includingalmostafullbottleofwine;theycouldn’tcometoanyother
conclusion....No,sir,here’swhatI’vebeenthinkingtomyselfforsometime,
especiallyonthewayhere,whilesittingonthetrain:didn’tIcontributeinsome
waytothisentireunfortunateepisode,throughsomemoraldisturbanceor
somethingofthatsort?ButIconcludedthatitcouldn’tpossiblybethecase.”

Raskolnikovstartedlaughing.

“Whyshouldyouworryaboutthat?”

“Whatareyoulaughingat?Justthink:Istruckheronlytwicewithariding
switch;itdidn’tevenleaveanymarks....Please,don’tthinkI’macynic;I
certainlyknowhowvileitwasonmypart,andsoforth;butIalsoknowforsure
thatMarfaPetrovnamightevenhavebeenpleasedbymydisplayofpassion,so
tospeak.Thebusinessconcerningyoursisterhadbeenwrungouttothelast
drop.MarfaPetrovnahadbeenforcedtostayathomefortwodays;therewasno
reasonforhertogointotown;everyonewasfedupwiththatletterofhers.(Did
youhearaboutthereadingofthatletter?)Suddenlythesetwoblowsofthe
switchcamedownuponherlikeaboltoutoftheblue.Thefirstthingshedid
wasorderthecarriagetobeharnessed!I’mnotevenreferringtothefactthat
womensometimesfinditvery,verypleasantwhenthey’reinsulted,inspiteof
theirapparentindignation.Theyallhavethesemoments;haveyounoticedthat,
ingeneral,peoplelikebeinginsultedvery,verymuch?Butit’sparticularlytrue

forwomen.Onecanevensaythatit’stheonlythingtheysubsiston.”

ForawhileRaskolnikovthoughtaboutgettingupandleavingtoendthe
meeting.Butacertaincuriosityandevensomecalculationrestrainedhimfora
moment.

“Doyouliketofight?”heaskedabsentmindedly.
“No,notmuch,”Svidrigaylovrepliedcalmly.“Ialmostneverfoughtwith
MarfaPetrovna.Welivedveryamicably,andshewasalwayscontentwithme.I
usedaridingswitchonlytwiceduringalloursevenyearstogether(ifyoudon’t
countathirdtimethatwas,however,extremelyambiguous):thefirsttime—two
monthsafterourmarriage,rightafterourarrivalinthecountry,andnowthis
latestincident.DidyouthinkIwassomesortofmonster,areactionary,ora
taskmaster?Ha,ha....Bytheway,don’tyourecall,RodionRomanovich,how
severalyearsago,duringthetimeofbeneficialopenness,acertainlandowner—I
forgothisname!—wasslanderedforhavingbeatenaGermanwomanina
railwaycar,don’tyouremember?Atthattime,inthatsameyear,itseemsthat

‘theDisgracefulActoftheCentury’occurred.(Well,doyourecallthepublic
readingofPushkin’s EgyptianNights? ‡ Thosedarkeyes?Oh,whereisthe
goldenageofouryouth?)Well,sir,here’smyopinion:Idon’tsympathizeatall
withthegentlemanwhostruckthatGermanwoman,because,asamatteroffact,
what’stheretosympathizewith?Butatthesametime,howcanInotstatethatat
timesonecomesacrosssuchprovocative‘Germanwomen’that,itseemstome,
notasingleprogressivepersoncouldmanagetoanswerforhimself.Atthetime
nobodyregardedtheincidentfromthispointofview,yetit’sthegenuinely
humaneone,itreallyis,sir.”

Aftersayingthis,Svidrigaylovsuddenlyburstoutlaughingagain.Itwas
cleartoRaskolnikovthatthismanwassomeonewhosemindwasfirmlyseton
somethingandwhowasalsoverycrafty.

“Youmusthavespentseveraldayswithoutanyonetotalkto,”Raskolnikov said.

“Almost.Whydoyouask?AreyousurprisedthatI’msuchanobliging fellow?”

“No,I’msurprisedthatyou’retooobliging.”

“BecauseIhaven’tbeenoffendedbytherudenessofyourquestions?That’s it,isn’tit?
Yes...whyshouldIbeoffended?You’veaskedandI’veanswered,”

headdedwithanastonishingexpressionofopenheartedness.“I’mnot
particularlyinterestedinanythingatall,sohelpmeGod,”hecontinued
pensively.“Especiallynow,notbusywithanything....However,youmay
thinkI’mtryingtoingratiatemyselfwithyouforsomereason,allthemoreso
sinceIhavebusinesswithyoursister,asImyselfstated.ButI’lltellyou
candidly:I’mverybored!Especiallytheselastthreedays,soI’mevengladto
seeyou....Don’tbeangry,RodionRomanovich,butforsomereasonyou
yourselfseemterriblystrangetome.Asyouwish,butthere’ssomethingabout
you:preciselynow—thatis,notatthisveryminute,butnowin
general....Well,well,Iwon’t,Iwon’t,don’tbesoovercast!I’mnotsucha
boorasyouthink.”

Raskolnikovregardedhimgloomily.

“Perhapsyou’renotabooratall,”hesaid.“Itevenseemstomethatyou
comefromverygoodsocietyor,atleast,ifneedbe,youknowhowtobehave
likeadecentperson.”

“I’mnotparticularlyinterestedinanyone’sopinion,”Svidrigaylovreplied
matterof-factly,evenwithahintofarrogance.“Andthereforewhynotbea
vulgarianforawhile,whenit’ssoappropriatetoappearassuchinourclimate
and...andespeciallyifone’snaturallyinclinedtobeso,”headded,laughing again.

“I’veheard,however,thatyouhavemanyacquaintanceshere.You’re
someonewho’ssaidtobe‘notlackinginconnections.’Whatusedoyouhave
forme,unlessit’sforsomespecialpurpose?”

“You’rerightthatIhaveacquaintances,”Svidrigaylovreplied,bypassingthe
mainpoint.“I’vealreadymetwiththem;I’vebeenwastingtimehereforthelast
twodays;Irecognizethem,andtheyseemtoknowme.Thefactis,I’mwell
dressedandapersonofconsiderablemeans;eventhepeasantreformspassedus
by:myincome,derivedfromforestsandwatermeadows,remainsundiminished.

But...Iwon’tgobackthere;Iwasalreadysickofallthat.I’vebeenwandering
aroundhereforthreedays,andIhaven’tseenanyone....Whatacitythisis!I
mean,howdidwecreateit,tellmeplease!Acityofclerksandallsortsof
seminarians!True,there’smuchthatIdidn’tnoticebefore,abouteightyears
ago,whenIwaswhilingawaymytimearoundhere....ButnowI’mcounting
onlyonanatomy,sohelpmeGod!”

“Whatkindofanatomy?”
“Imeanthoseclubs,thoseDussot’s,andthosespitsofland, §perhaps,that’s
progressforyou—well,that’llallbewithoutme,”hecontinued,oncemore
takingnonoteofthequestion.“Besides,whowantstobeacardsharp?”

“Wereyoualsoacardsharp?”

“Howcouldwehavedonewithoutthat?Wemadeupawholegroup,

extremelyrespectable,someeightyearsago;wespenttimetogether;and,you
know,wewerepeopleofrefinedmanners,somepoets,somecapitalists.In
general,inRussiansociety,thosewiththebestmannersarethosewhohavebeen

general,inRussiansociety,thosewiththebestmannersarethosewhohavebeen
beaten—didyouevernoticethat?IonlyletmyselfgowhenImovedtothe
country.Nevertheless,theyalmostputmeinjailthenformydebts,andforsome
troublewiththatGreekfromNezhin.That’swhenMarfaPetrovnahappenedto
showup,bargainedwithhim,andransomedmeforthirtythousandsilverrubles.

(Iowedatotalofseventythousand.)Wewerelegallymarried,andshecarried
meoffatoncetoherestateinthecountry,asifIwerehertreasure.Shewasfive
yearsmysenior.Shelovedme.Ididn’tleavethecountryforsevenyears.Note
well:allherlifesheheldthatdocumentforthirtythousandagainstme,madeout
insomeoneelse’sname,soifIevertookitintomyheadtorebel,I’dfallright
intothetrap!Andshe’dhavedoneit!Womenhavenotroublereconcilingsuch things.”

“Ifithadn’tbeenforthatdocument,wouldyouhaveflownthecoop?”

“Idon’tknowwhattosay.Iwashardlyconstrainedbythatdocument.I
didn’twanttotravelanywhere;MarfaPetrovnainvitedmetogoabroadseveral
times,seeingthatIwasbored.Sowhat?Ihadbeenabroadbeforeandhad
alwaysfounditsickening.Therewasnoparticularreason:youlookandthe
dawncomesup,there’stheBayofNaples,thesea,andsomehowonefeelssad.

Theworstpartisthatyoureallydofeelsadaboutsomething!No,it’sbetterto
stayinone’sowncountry:here,atleast,youcanblameotherpeoplefor
everythingandmanagetojustifyyourself.NowImightjoinanexpeditiontothe
NorthPole,because j’ailevinmauvais; ¶Ihatedrinkingand,besidesthat,
there’snothingelselefttodo.I’vetried.TheysaythatonSundayBergisgoing
toattemptanascentinanenormoushot-airballoonintheYusupovGarden,#
andthathe’sinvitingpassengersforafee.Isthattrue?”

“Wouldyougoupwithhim?”

“Me?No...justso...”Svidrigaylovmuttered,asifconsideringseriously it.

“Ishereallyserious?”wonderedRaskolnikov.

“No,thedocumentdidn’tconstrainme,”Svidrigaylovcontinuedpensively.

“Itwasmyowndecisiontostayinthecountry.Soonit’llbeayearsinceMarfa
Petrovnareturnedthatdocumenttomeonmynamedayand,inaddition,
presentedmewithasignificantsumofmoney.Shehadherowncapital.‘You
seehowItrustyou,ArkadyIvanovich,’that’sjusthowsheputit.Youdon’t
believethat’swhatshesaid?Thenknowthis:Ibecamearespectablelandowner
inthecountry;I’mwellknownintheneighborhood.Ialsousedtoordersome
booksbymail.AtfirstMarfaPetrovnaapproved,butthenshegrewafraidthat
I’doverdoit.”

“ItseemsyoureallymissMarfaPetrovna?”

“Me?Possibly.Itreallyispossible.Bytheway,doyoubelieveinghosts?”

“Me?Possibly.Itreallyispossible.Bytheway,doyoubelieveinghosts?”

“Whatkindofghosts?”

“Ordinaryghosts.Whatdoyoumean,whatkind?”

“Anddoyoubelieveinthem?”

“Notreally, pourvousplaire. **...Thatis,Idon’treallydis-believe...”

“Haveyoueverseenany?”

Svidrigaylovregardedhimsomehowoddly.

“MarfaPetrovna’skindenoughtovisitme,”hesaid,curlinghismouthintoa
strangesmile.
“Whatdoyoumean,visityou?”

“She’scometoseemethreetimesalready.Isawherfirstontheverydayof
herfuneral,anhourafterwewereatthecemetery.Itwasontheeveofmy
departuretocomehere.Thesecondtimewastwodaysago,enroute,atdawn,at
theMalayaVisheraStation;andthethirdtimewastwohoursago,atthe
apartmentwhereI’mstaying,inmyroom.Iwasalone.”

“Wereyouawake?”

“Absolutely.Iwasawakeallthreetimes.Shecomes,chatsforaminuteor
two,andthenleavesbythedoor,alwaysbythedoor.It’sevenasifIcanhear
thedooropenandclose.”

“WhywasitthatIthoughtsomethinglikethatmighthappentoyou?”

Raskolnikovremarkedsuddenlyandwasastonishedatthesametimethathehad
saidit.Hewasveryagitated.

“So-o-o.Youreallythoughtthat?”Svidrigaylovaskedinamazement.

“Really?Well,didn’tIsaythattherewasacommonbondbetweenus,eh?”

“Youneversaidthat!”Raskolnikovrepliedabruptlyandheatedly.

“Didn’tI?”

“No!”

“ItseemedtomethatIdid.Justbefore,whenIcameinandsawthatyou
werelyingtherewithyoureyesclosed,pretendingtosleep—rightthenIsaidto
myself,‘He’stheone!’”

“Whatdoyoumean,‘theone’?Whatareyoutalkingabout?”cried Raskolnikov.

“WhatamItalkingabout?Ireallydon’tknow,”Svidrigaylovmumbled
franklyandseemedsomehowconfused.

Theyweresilentforaminute.Theybothstaredateachotherwithrapt attention.
“It’sallnonsense!”Raskolnikovcriedwithirritation.“Whatdoesshesayto
youwhenshecomestovisit?”

“She?Justimagine,shetalksaboutthemosttrivialthings;youhaveto
marvelather:that’sjustwhatmakesmesoangry.Thefirsttimeshecame(you
know,Iwastired:thefuneralservice,thehymns,thenthelitany,andthemeal—

atlastIremainedaloneinmystudy;Ilitupacigarandwaslostinthought),she
enteredinthroughthedoor.‘Andyou,’shesays,‘ArkadyIvanovich,inthe
midstofallyourbustletoday,youforgottowindtheclockinthediningroom.’

Asamatteroffact,allsevenyearsImyselfusedtowindtheclockonceaweek,
andifIforgot—she’dalwaysremindme.ThenextdayIwasalreadyonmyway
here.Iarrivedatthestationatdaybreak—I’ddozedoffduringthenight,
exhausted,barelyabletokeepmyeyesopen—togetsomecoffee;Ilook—and
MarfaPetrovnasuddenlysitsdownnexttome,holdingadeckofcards.‘ShallI
tellyourfortuneforthetripwiththesecards,ArkadyIvanovich?’Shewasa
masteratfortune-telling.Iwon’teverforgivemyselffornotlettingherdoit!

Frightened,Iranaway,andjustthenIheardthebellannouncethetrain.TodayI
wassittingwithafullstomachafteraterribledinnerfromaneatinghouse—I
wassittingthereandsmoking—allofasuddenMarfaPetrovnashowsupagain,
alldressedup,inhernewgreensilkdresswithaverylongtrain.‘Howdoyou
do,ArkadyIvanovich!Howdoyoulikemydress?Aniskadoesn’tmakethem
likethis.’(Aniska’stheseamstressinthecountry,aformerserf,wholearnedto
sewinMoscow—she’saprettygirl.)Shestoodthereandturnedaroundinfront
ofme.Iexaminedthedress,thenlookedcarefullyintoherface:‘Why,Marfa
Petrovna,doyoucometoseemeandtroublemewithsuchtrivialmatters?’‘Ah,
goodLord,mydear,it’simpossibletotroubleyouwithanything!’Isaytotease
her:‘MarfaPetrovna,Iwanttogetmarried.’‘That’sjustlikeyou,Arkady
Ivanovich;it’snotveryhonorable:you’vehardlymanagedtoburyyourwife,
andyouwanttogooffandgetmarried.Ifyoucouldonlychoosewell,butI
knowthatnothingwillcomeofiteitherforherorforyou,andyou’llonlymake
goodpeoplelaugh.’Shesaidthisandthenupandleft;hertrainseemedtorustle
asshewentout.Whatnonsense,isn’tit?”

“Perhapsyou’rejusttellinglies,”repliedRaskolnikov.
“Irarelytelllies,”answeredSvidrigaylovpensively,asifnotnoticingthe
rudenessofthequestion.

“Andbeforethis,didyoueverseeanyghosts?”

“N...no,well,Idid,onlyonce,sixyearsago.Ihadahouseserf,Filka;
we’djustburiedhim.Iforgotthatandshouted,‘Filka,bringmemypipe!’and
hecameinandwentrighttothecabinetwhereIkeepmypipes.Isatthere
thinking,‘He’stakingrevengeonme’becausewe’dhadabadquarreljust
beforehisdeath.‘Howdareyou,’Isaid,‘appearbeforemewithatornshirt?Get
out,youscoundrel!’Heturnedandleftandnevercameagain.Atthetime,I

didn’ttellMarfaPetrovna.Iwasabouttohaveamemorialservicesaidforhim,
butthenIfeltashamed.”

“Youshouldseeadoctor.”

“I’mawarewithoutyourhelpthatI’mnotwell,butIreallydon’tknow
what’sthematterwithme;inmyopinion,I’mfivetimeshealthierthanyouare.

Ididn’taskwhetheryoubelievethatpeopleseeghosts.Iaskedwhetheryou
believethatghostsexist.”

“No,nothingcouldmakemebelievethat!”Raskolnikovcried,evenwith
somemalice.

“Whatdopeopleusuallysay?”mutteredSvidrigaylov,asiftohimself,
lookingtoonesideandtiltinghisheadslightly.“Theysay,‘Youmustbeill;
whatyouseeismerelytheresultofunrealdelirium.’Butthere’snostrictlogic
tothat.Iagreethatghostsappearonlytosickpeople,butthatmerelyprovesthat
theycanappearonlytosickpeople,andnotthattheydon’texistatall.”

“Ofcoursetheydon’t,”Raskolnikovinsistedirritably.

“Theydon’t?Isthatwhatyouthink?”continuedSvidrigaylov,regardinghim
steadily.“Well,let’ssaywereasonlikethis(helpmeouthere!):‘Ghosts,soto
speak,areshredsandfragmentsofotherworlds,theirbeginning.Ahealthy
person,naturally,hasnoneedtoseethembecausehe’sprimarilyabeingofthis
earth;therefore,hemustliveonlyhisearthlylife,forfullness’sakeandfor
orderliness.Butifhefallsslightlyill,ifthenormalearthlyorderoftheorganism
isdestroyed,thenthepossibilityofanotherworldbeginstoopenup;thesicker
theperson,themorecontactwiththeotherworld,sothatwhenthispersondies,
hepassesimmediatelyintotheotherworld.’Istartedtothinkaboutthisalong
timeago.Ifyoubelieveinafuturelife,thenyoucanbelieveinthislineof reasoning.”

“Idon’tbelieveinafuturelife,”saidRaskolnikov.

Svidrigaylovsatthere,deepinthought.

“Whatifthereareonlyspidersthereorsomethingofthatsort?”hesaid suddenly.

“He’sinsane,”thoughtRaskolnikov.

“Eternityisalwayspresentedtousasanideathatwecan’tgrasp,as
somethingenormous,enormous!Whydoesithavetobeenormous?Allofa
sudden,insteadofallthat,imaginethere’llbealittleroom,somethinglikea
countrybathhouse,sooty,withspidersinallthecorners,andthat’sthewholeof
eternity.Youknow,Isometimesimagineitlikethat.”

“Butsurely,surelyyoucanimaginesomethingmoreconsolingandmorejust
thanthat?”Raskolnikovcried,feelingpained.

“Morejust?Howcanweknow?Perhapsthatisjust,and,youknow,I’d
arrangeitexactlylikethat!”repliedSvidrigaylov,smilingvaguely.

arrangeitexactlylikethat!”repliedSvidrigaylov,smilingvaguely.

AchillseizedRaskolnikovatthishideousanswer.Svidrigaylovraisedhis
head,staredathimintently,andburstoutlaughing.

“No,justthinkaboutthis,”hecried.“Ahalfhourago,we’dneverseeneach
other,weconsideredourselvesenemies,withsomeunfinishedbusinessbetween
us;weleftthatmatterbehind,andnowlookathowfarwe’vecome!Well,
wasn’tItellingthetruthwhenIsaidthatwewerebothcutfromthesamecloth?”

“Domeafavor,”Raskolnikovcontinuedwithirritation.“Allowmetoask
youtoexplainyourselfimmediatelyandinformmeastowhyyou’vebestowed
thehonorofavisitonme...and...and...I’minahurry,Ihavenotime,and
Ihavetoleavesoon...”

“Certainly,certainly.Yoursister,AvdotyaRomanovna,isplanningtomarry
PetrPetrovichLuzhin,right?”

“Mightitbepossiblesomehowtosidestepanyquestionsaboutmysisterand
notmentionhername?Idon’tevenunderstandhowyoudareutterhernamein
mypresence,ifyoureallyareSvidrigaylov.”

“ButIcamepreciselytotalkabouther;howcanIhelpmentioningher name?”

“Allright;speak,butquickly!”

“I’msurethatyouhavealreadyformedanopinionaboutthisMr.Luzhin,a
relativeofminethroughmarriage,evenifyouspentonlyahalfhourwithhimor
heardsomethingabouthimreportedfaithfullyandaccurately.He’snomatchfor
AvdotyaRomanovna.Inmyopinion,AvdotyaRomanovnaissacrificingherself
inanextremelygenerousandimprovidentmannerfor...forherfamily.It
seemedtome,asaresultofallI’veheardaboutyou,thatyou,onyourpart,
wouldbeverypleasedifthismarriagecouldbebrokenoffwithoutharmingher
interests.Now,havingmetyoupersonally,I’mevensureofthis.”

“Thisisallveryinnocent,comingfromyou;excuseme,Iwantedtosay

‘impudent,’”saidRaskolnikov.

“Thatis,youwishtosaythatI’mconcernedonlyformyowninterests.

Don’tworry,RodionRomanovich.IfIwereconcernedonlyformyown
advantage,Iwouldn’thavespokensoopenly;I’mnotsuchafoolafterall.On
thisscoreI’llrevealapsychologicalodditytoyou.Alittlewhileago,justifying
myownloveforAvdotyaRomanovna,IsaidthatImyselfwasavictim.Well,
youshouldknowthatIfeelnoloveforhernow,noneatall;Ieventhinkit
strangethatIexperiencedsomethingbefore...”

“Duetoyouridlenessanddepravity,”Raskolnikovinterrupted.
“Ireallyamadepravedandidleperson.Besides,yoursisterhassomany
finequalitiesthathowcouldInotbesomewhatenthralledbythem?Butthisis
allnonsense,asIseenow.”

allnonsense,asIseenow.”

“Haveyouknownthisforlong?”

“Ibegannoticingitevenbefore;Iwasconvincedofitforsuretwodaysago,
almostattheverymomentwhenIarrivedinPetersburg.Besides,whilestillin
MoscowIimaginedthatIwascomingheretoseekAvdotyaRomanovna’shand
andbecomeMr.Luzhin’srival.”

“Excusemeforinterruptingyou.Domeafavor:isitpossibletocurtailyour
accountandgetrighttothepurposeofyourvisit?I’minahurryandhaveto leave...”

“Withthegreatestpleasure.Havingarrivedhereandnowhavingdecidedto
undertakeacertain...voyage,I’dliketocarryoutallthenecessarypreliminary
arrangements.Mychildrenhaveremainedwiththeiraunt;they’rewelloff,and
theydon’tneedmeatall.Andbesides,whatsortoffatheramI?I’veretained
onlythemoneythatMarfaPetrovnagavemeayearago.Thatwillsufficefor
me.Excuseme,nowI’llmoveontothematterathand.BeforethistripthatI
mayundertake,IwishtoconcludemybusinesswithMr.Luzhin.It’snotthatI
can’tstandhim,buthewasthecauseofmyquarrelwithMarfaPetrovna,whenI
foundoutthatshehadconcoctedthiswedding.NowIwishtoarrangeameeting
withAvdotyaRomanovnathroughyourgoodoffices,andperhaps,inyour
presence,explaintoher,inthefirstplace,thatnotonlywillshereceivenotthe
leastgainfromMr.Luzhin,butalsothatitwillcertainlyentailevenasignificant
loss.Then,beggingherforgivenessforalltherecentunpleasantness,Iwouldask
herpermissiontopresentherwithtenthousandrubles,thusenablingabreak
withMr.Luzhin,whichIamsureshewouldnotopposeifitwerepossible.”

“You’reinsane,really,insane!”criedRaskolnikov,notsomuchangryas
astonished.“Howdareyouspeaklikethis?”

“Iknewthatyou’dholler;but,inthefirstplace,eventhoughI’mnot
wealthy,Ihavetenthousandrublestospare,thatis,Ihaveabsolutely,absolutely
noneedforthem.IfAvdotyaRomanovnadoesn’tacceptthem,I’llprobably
spendthemevenmorefoolishly.That’sthefirstthing.Secondly:myconscience
iscompletelyclear;Ihavenoulteriormotivesinmakingthisoffer.Believeitor
not,butlaterbothyouandAvdotyaRomanovnawillfindthatout.Thethingis
thatIreallydidcausesignificanttroubleandunpleasantnesstoyoursister,
whomIgreatlyrespect;therefore,feelinggenuineremorse,Isincerelydesire—

nottoredeemmyselffinanciallyorpayherfortheunpleasantness,butsimplyto
dosomethingadvantageousforher,onthegroundsthatIhavenotreservedthe
rightformyselftoperformonlyevilacts.Ifinmyproposaltherewasevena one-
millionthpartofcalculation,Iwouldn’thavemadeitsoopenly;andI
wouldn’tbeofferingheronlytenthousand,whenonlyfiveweeksagoIwas

offeringhermore.Besides,very,verysoonImaybemarryingayoungwoman,
andconsequently,thatfactaloneshouldeliminateanysuspicionthatIstillhave
designsonAvdotyaRomanovna.Inconclusion,IwillsaythatinmarryingMr.

Luzhin,AvdotyaRomanovnawillbeacceptingthesamemoney,onlyfroma
differentsource....Don’tbeangry,RodionRomanovich;considerthiscalmly
andcoolly.”

Whilesayingthis,Svidrigaylovhimselfwasextremelycalmandcool.

“Iaskyoutofinish,”saidRaskolnikov.“Inanycase,it’sunforgivably insolent.”

“Notatall.Ifthatwerethecase,apersoncouldonlydoeviltoanother
personinthisworld,andwouldn’thavetherighttodoevenatinybitofgood,
becauseofemptyconventionalformalities.That’sabsurd.If,forexample,Iwere
todieandleavethissumofmoneytoyoursisterinmywill,wouldshereally
refusetoacceptit?”

“Verypossibly.”

“Idoubtthat,sir.However,ifso,thenletitbeso.Buttenthousand—isa
finethingonoccasion.Inanycase,IaskyoutoconveymyoffertoAvdotya
Romanovna.”

“No,Iwon’t.”
“Inthatcase,RodionRomanovich,Imyselfwillbeforcedtoseekaprivate
meetingwithher,whichwouldmeanupsettingher.”

“AndifIconveythemessage,youwon’tseekaprivatemeeting?”

“Ireallydon’tknowwhattosay.I’dverymuchliketoseeheronce.”

“Don’tcountonit.”

“I’msorry.However,youdon’tknowme.Perhapswe’llbecomecloser.”

“Youthinkwe’llbecomecloser?”

“Whynot?”Svidrigaylovsaidwithasmile,standingandpickinguphishat.

“Ireallydidn’tcomeherewishingtotroubleyouforlong;Iwasn’teven
expectingverymuch,althoughthismorningyourphysiognomyimpressed me...”

“Wheredidyouseemethismorning?”Raskolnikovaskeduneasily.

“Bychance,sir....Itseemstomethatinsomewayyou’reverysimilarto
me....Don’tbeupset;I’mnotabore;Igotonwithcardsharps,Ididn’tbore
PrinceSvirbey,mydistantrelativeandgrandee,IwasabletowriteinMrs.

Prilukova’salbumaboutRaphael’spaintingoftheMadonna,Ispentsevenyears
withMarfaPetrovnawithoutleavingthecountry,IspentnightsinVyazemsky’s
lodginghouseonHaymarketSquareintheolddays,andperhapsI’llgoupin
Berg’shot-airballoon.”

“Well,allright,sir.Allowmetoask,willyouleaveonyourtravelssoon?”

“Whattravels?”

“Whattravels?”

“Thatis,onyour‘voyage’?Yousaidityourself.”

“Onmyvoyage?Ah,yes!Asamatteroffact,Ididmentiona
voyage....Well,that’saverybigquestion....Ifyouonlyknewwhatyouwere
asking!”headdedsuddenlyinaloudvoiceandgaveabrieflaugh.“Perhaps,
insteadofavoyage,I’llgetmarried;they’retryingtofindmeabride.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

“Whendidyoufindtimeforthat?”

“I’dverymuchliketomeetwithAvdotyaRomanovnaonce.I’mmakinga
seriousrequest.Well,good-bye....Ah,yes!Here’swhatIforgot!Tellyour
sister,RodionRomanovich,thatshewasleftthreethousandrublesinMarfa
Petrovna’swill.That’sdefinitelythecase.MarfaPetrovnamadethe
arrangementaweekbeforeshedied,anditwasinmypresence.Avdotya
Romanovnacanreceivethemoneyinabouttwoorthreeweeks’time.”

“Areyoutellingthetruth?”

“Yes.Tellher.Well,sir,I’matyourservice.I’mstayingnotfarfromhere.”

Ashewasleaving,SvidrigaylovmetRazumikhininthedoorway.

*PartofacommonmisquotationfromacomedybytheRomanplaywrightTerence:“Ia
maman:nothing humanisalientome”(Latin).

†“Fairenough”(French).Literally,“agoodwar.”

‡Anewspaperarticlepublishedin1861attackedawomaninPermwhoreadPushkin’
sunfinishedshort
story“EgyptianNights”“shamelesslyandwithprovocativegestures.”

§Dussot’swasafamoushotelandrestaurantinSt.Petersburg;thespitoflandisprobab
lyareferencetothe fashionablespotattheendofYelaginIsland.

¶“Drinkingmakesmemean”(French).
#WilhelmBergwasashowmanandadventurerwhoorganizedhot-
airballoonridesinPetersburg.

**“Topleaseyou”(French).

II

Itwasalreadyalmosteighto’clock;theybothwerehurryingtoBakaleev’s
house,hopingtoarrivebeforeLuzhindid.

“Well,whowasthat?”askedRazumikhinassoonastheygotouttothe street.

“ItwasSvidrigaylov,thatsamelandownerinwhosehousemysisterwas
insultedwhenshewasworkingthereasagoverness.Sheleftasaresultofhis
amorousadvances,drivenawaybyhiswife,MarfaPetrovna.Afterwardthis
sameMarfaPetrovnaaskedDunya’sforgiveness,andnowshe’ssuddenlydied.

Weweretalkingaboutherawhileago.Idon’tknowwhy,butI’mafraidofthat
man.Hearrivedhererightafterhiswife’sfuneral.He’sverystrangeandhas
resolvedtodosomething....It’sasifheknowssomething....Dunyamustbe
protectedfromhim...that’swhatIwantedtotellyou,youhear?”

“Protected!WhatcanhedotoAvdotyaRomanovna?Well,thankyou,
Rodya,fortellingmethis....We’ll,we’llprotecther!Wheredoeshelive?”

“Idon’tknow.”

“Whydidn’tyouask?Hey,it’sapity!ButI’llfindout!”

“Didyouseehim?”askedRaskolnikovafterasilence.

“Yes,Idid;Igotagoodlookathim.”

“Didyoureallyseehim?Clearly?”insistedRaskolnikov.

“Yes,Iclearlyrememberhim;Icouldpickhimoutofathousand.Ihavea
goodmemoryforfaces.”

Theywerebothsilentagainforawhile.
“Hmm...allright,”mutteredRaskolnikov.“Otherwise,youknow...I
wondered...itseemedtome...thatitmighthavebeenanapparition.”

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?Idon’tunderstandyouverywell.”

“Allofyoukeepinsisting,”Raskolnikovcontinued,twistinghismouthintoa
smile,“thatI’mmad;itseemedtomenowthatperhapsIreallyammadandthat
Ijustsawanapparition!”

“Whatareyousaying?”

“Butwhoknows?PerhapsIreallyammad,andeverythingthat’shappened
theselastfewdays,everything,perhapshasonlybeeninmyimagination...”

“Hey,Rodya!They’veupsetyouagain!Whatdidhesay?Whydidhe come?”

Raskolnikovmadenoreply.Razumikhinthoughtforamoment.

“Well,listentomyreport,”hebegan.“Idroppedinonyouandyouwere

“Well,listentomyreport,”hebegan.“Idroppedinonyouandyouwere
asleep.ThenIhaddinnerandwenttoseePorfiry.Zametovwasstillwithhim.I
triedtospeak,butnothingcameofit.Icouldn’tfindtherightwaytosayit.It’s
asiftheyreallydon’tunderstandandwon’tbeableto,butthey’renotashamed
ofit.IdrewPorfiryovertothewindowandbegantalkingtohim,butonceagain
nothingcameofit:helookedawayandIdid,too.Finally,Iraisedmyfisttohis
mugandsaidthatI’dsmashhim,inafamilialsortofway.Hemerelylookedat
me.Ispatandleft,andthatwasthat.Itwasveryfoolish.Ididn’texchangea
wordwithZametov.Onlyyousee:IthoughtthatI’druinedthings,butthen,asI
wasgoingdownthestairs,Ihadanidea,itdawnedonme:whatareweworrying
about?Iftherewasanydangertoyou,oranythingofthesort,thenofcourse.

Butwhat’sittoyou?You’renotinvolvedinit,sothehellwiththem;we’ll
laughatthemlater;andifIwereinyourplace,I’dstilltrytomystifythem
further.They’llbesoashamedafterward!Thehellwiththem;laterwecanbeat
themup,butfornow,we’lljustlaugh!”

“Ofcourse,that’strue,”repliedRaskolnikov.“Whatwillyousay
tomorrow?”hewonderedtohimself.Strangetosay,butupuntilthismomentit
neveroccurredtohimtowonder,“WhatwillRazumikhinthinkwhenhefinds
out?”Withthisthought,Raskolnikovstaredathimintently.Hewasnotmuch
interestedinRazumikhin’saccountofhisvisittoPorfiry:somuchhadbeenlost
andgainedsincethen!

InthecorridortheybumpedintoLuzhin:heshoweduppreciselyateight
o’clockandwassearchingforthenumberoftheroom,soallthreeofthem
enteredtogether,butwithoutlookingatorgreetingeachother.Theyoungmen
wentinfirst;forpropriety’ssake,PetrPetrovichhesitatedawhileinthe
entryway,takingoffhiscoat.PulkheriyaAleksandrovnacameoutpromptlyto
meethimonthethreshold.Dunyagreetedherbrother.

PetrPetrovichcameinandratherpolitely,althoughwithredoubled
solemnity,exchangedbowswiththeladies.However,helookedasifhewasa
bitconfusedandhadyettorecover.PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaalsoseemedabit
embarrassedandimmediatelyhastenedtoseatthemallataroundtablewherea
samovarwasboiling.DunyaandLuzhinwereseateddiametricallyacrossfrom
eachother.RazumikhinandRaskolnikovwerefacingPulkheriyaAleksandrovna

—RazumikhinwasclosertoLuzhin,Raskolnikovnexttohissister.

Therewasamomentofsilence.Withouthurrying,PetrPetrovichtookouta
cambrichandkerchiefthatsmelledofcologneandblewhisnosewiththelookof
avirtuousman,butonewhosedignitywasstillsomewhatoffended,andwho
hadfirmlyresolvedtodemandanexplanation.Backintheentryway,athought
occurredtohim:tokeephiscoatonandleave,thusseverelyandimpressively
punishingthetwowomen,andmakingthemfeeltheentiresituationatonce.But

punishingthetwowomen,andmakingthemfeeltheentiresituationatonce.But
he’dbeenunabletomakethatdecision.Inaddition,thismandidn’tappreciate
uncertainty,anditwasnecessarytoclarifythesituation:ifhisinstructionshad
beensoblatantlyignored,thatmeanttherewassomereasonforit;therefore,it
wasbettertofindoutrightnow.Therewouldalwaysbetimetopunishthem,
andthepowertodosowasinhishands.

“Ihopeyourjourneywasagreeable?”hesaid,addressingPulkheriya
Aleksandrovnaformally.
“Yes,thankGod,PetrPetrovich.”

“I’mextremelyglad,ma’am.AndAvdotyaRomanovna’snottootired, either?”

“I’myoungandstrong;Idon’ttireeasily,butMamahadaverydifficult
trip,”repliedDunechka.

“What’stobedone,ma’am;ournationalroadsareextremelylong.Socalled
MotherRussiaisvast....Inspiteofallmydesires,Iwasunabletomeetyou
yesterday.Ihope,however,thateverythingwentwithoutanyparticular difficulties.”

“Alas,no,PetrPetrovich.Wefeltverydisheartened,”Pulkheriya
Aleksandrovnahastenedtodeclare,withaspecialintonation.“AndifGod
Himselfhadn’tsentusDmitryProkofichyesterday,we’dhavebeencompletely
ataloss.Hereheis,DmitryProkofichRazumikhin,”sheadded,introducinghim
toLuzhin.

“Why,I’vealreadyhadthepleasure...yesterday,”mutteredLuzhin,with
anunfriendlysidelongglanceatRazumikhin;thenhefrownedandfellsilent.In
general,PetrPetrovichbelongedtothatcategoryofpeoplewhoappeartobe
extremelycordialinsocietyand,especially,affectpolitenessbutwho,once
somethingisnottotheirliking,immediatelylosealltheirgoodqualitiesand
begintoresemblesacksofflourmorethanrelaxedandanimatedsociety
gentlemen.Everyonefellsilentonceagain:Raskolnikovwasstubbornlysilent,
AvdotyaRomanovnadidn’twanttointerruptthesilenceprematurely,
Razumikhinhadnothingtosay,andsoPulkheriyaAleksandrovnafeltanxious again.

“HaveyouheardthatMarfaPetrovnadied?”shebegan,resortingtohermain
topicofconversation.

“Whyyes,Ididhearthat,ma’am.Iwasoneofthefirsttolearn,andIeven
cametotellyouthatArkadyIvanovichSvidrigaylov,notlongafterhisspouse’s
funeral,setoffatonceforPetersburg.That,atleast,isthelatestnewsI received.”

“Petersburg?Here?”Dunechkaaskedanxiously,exchangingglanceswith
hermother.

hermother.
“Preciselyso,ma’am;ofcourse,notwithoutsomepurpose,takinginto
accountthehastinessofhisdepartureand,ingeneral,theprevious circumstances.”

“GoodLord!WillhereallynotleaveDunechkainpeaceevenhere?”cried
PulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

“Itseemstomethere’snoparticularreasonforyouorAvdotyaRomanovna
tobealarmed,ofcourse,ifyoudon’twishtohaveanythingtodowithhim.As
forme,I’mmakinginquiriesandwilldiscoverwherehe’sstaying...”

“Ah,PetrPetrovich,youwon’tbelievehowyoufrightenedmejustnow!”

continuedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.“I’veseenhimonlytwice,butheseemed
horribletome,horrible!I’msurethathewasthecauseofMarfaPetrovna’s death.”

“It’simpossibletoarriveatadefiniteconclusionaboutthat.Ihaveaccurate
information.Ican’targuethatperhapshecontributedtohasteningthecourseof
events,sotospeak,bythemoralimpactofhisinsult;butasfarashisconductis
concernedand,ingeneral,themoralcharacterofthepersonhimself,I’min
agreementwithyou.Idon’tknowifhe’srichnow,orhowmuchpreciselyMarfa
Petrovnalefthim;I’llfindthatoutinaveryshorttime;but,ofcourse,herein
Petersburg,evenhavinganyfinancialresourcesathand,he’llresumehisformer
courseofaction.Ofallpeopleofthatkind,he’sthemostdepravedmanand
entirelydevotedtovice!IhavesubstantialgroundstoassumethatMarfa
Petrovna,whohadthemisfortuneoflovinghimandredeeminghimfromhis
debtseightyearsago,wasofservicetohiminanotherrespect:itwasonlyher
effortsandhersacrificethatresultedinsuppressingattheoutsetacriminal
matterwithanelementofbeastlyand,sotospeak,fantasticalmurder,forwhich
hemightverywellhavebeensentpackingtoSiberia.That’sthesortofmanhe
is,ifyouwanttoknow.”

“Ah,Lord!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.Raskolnikovwaslistening carefully.

“Areyoutellingthetruthwhenyousayyouhaveaccurateknowledgeof
this?”askedDunya,sternlyandimposingly.

“I’monlysayingwhatImyselfheardinsecretfromthelateMarfaPetrovna.
Imustobservethatfromalegalstandpoint,thismatterisextremelyobscure.A
certainwomanbythenameofResslikhwaslivinghere,anditseems,stilldoes;
she’saforeignerand,furthermore,apettymoneylenderwhoalsoengagedin
othersortsofbusiness.Mr.Svidrigaylovwasrecentlyinvolvedwiththis
Resslikhinsomeextremelycloseandmysteriousrelations.Adistantrelative
waslivingwithher,aniece,itseems,adeaf-mute,agirlofaboutfifteenoreven

fourteen,whomthisResslikhdespisedintensely,reproachingherforevery
crumbsheate;sheevenusedtobeathermercilessly.Onedayshewasfound
hangingintheattic.Itwasruledasuicide.Aftertheusualprocedures,thematter
wasevenconcluded,butsubsequentlyitwasallegedthatthechildhad
been...cruellyabusedbySvidrigaylov.True,allthisisobscure;thetestimony
camefromanotherGermanlady,aninveterateliarwhosewordhadno
credibility;finally,intheend,noformalchargewasbrought,thankstoMarfa
Petrovna’seffortsandmoney;itwasalllimitedtorumors.However,these
rumorswereverysignificant.Ofcourse,AvdotyaRomanovna,you’vealso
heard,whileattheirhouse,thestoryoftheservantFilipp,whodiedfrombeing
tormentedsomesixyearsago,stillduringthetimeofserfdom.”

“Onthecontrary,IheardthatthisFilipphangedhimself.”

“Exactlyso,ma’am,butMr.Svidrigaylov’scontinualregimeofpersecutions
andpunishmentscompelledhimor,moreaccurately,inclinedhimtohisviolent end.”

“Idon’tknowthatforcertain,”Dunyareplieddrily.“I’veheardonlyavery
strangetalethatthisFilippwassomesortofhypochondriac,akindofhomespun
philosopher;peoplesaidthathe‘readhimselfsilly,’andthathehangedhimself
moreasaresultoftaunts,andnotasaresultofMr.Svidrigaylov’sbeatings.In
mypresence,hetreatedotherpeoplewell;theserfsevenlovedhim,although
theyalsoaccusedhimofFilipp’sdeath.”

“Isee,AvdotyaRomanovna,thatyou’resuddenlyinclinedtodefendhim,”

observedLuzhin,twistinghismouthintoanambiguousgrin.“He’sreallya
deviousmanandverycaptivatingwithladies;MarfaPetrovna,whodiedso
strangely,standsasapitifulexampleofthis.Imerelyhopedmyadvicewould
serveyouandyourmama,inlightofhisnew,undoubtedlyimminentattempts.
AsfarasI’mconcerned,I’mabsolutelyconvincedthatthismanwillcertainly
vanishagainintodebtors’prison.MarfaPetrovnaneverreallyhadtheintention
ofprovidinghimwithanysecurity,consideringherownchildren,andifsheleft
himanything,thenitmusthavebeenonlythemostnecessary,insignificant,
temporarysum,whichwouldn’tsufficeamanwithhishabitsforevenayear.”

“PetrPetrovich,Ibegyou,”saidDunya,“let’snottalkaboutSvidrigaylov.

Thesubjectboresme.”

“Hejustcametoseeme,”Raskolnikovsaidsuddenly,breakinghissilence
forthefirsttime.

Exclamationsaroseonallsides,andeveryoneturnedtohim.EvenPetr
Petrovichwasagitated.

“Hecameintomyroomaboutanhourandahalfago,whileIwasasleep;he
wokemeandintroducedhimself,”continuedRaskolnikov.“Hewasrather
relaxedandcheerful,andisabsolutelycertainthatheandIwillbecomeclose.

relaxedandcheerful,andisabsolutelycertainthatheandIwillbecomeclose.

Meanwhile,he’dverymuchlikeandishopingtoarrangeameetingwithyou,
Dunya,andhe’saskedmetoserveasanintermediary.Hehasaproposalto
maketoyou;hetoldmewhatitis.Besidesthat,heinformedmeunequivocally
thataweekbeforeherdeath,MarfaPetrovna,inherwill,arrangedtoleaveyou,
Dunya,thesumofthreethousandrubles,andthatyou’llbeabletoreceivethat
moneyverysoon.”

“ThankGod!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,crossingherself.“Prayfor
her,Dunya,prayforher!”

“It’sabsolutelytrue,”Luzhinblurtedout.

“Well,whatelseisthere?”Dunechkahastenedtoask.

“Thenhesaidthathehimselfwasnotwealthyandthathisentireestate
wouldpasstohischildren,whoarenowlivingwiththeiraunt.Thenhesaidthat
hewasstayingnotfarfromme,butwhere—Idon’tknowanddidn’task...”
“Butwhatisit,whatonearthisheproposingtoDunechka?”askedthe
frightenedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.“Didhetellyou?”

“Hedid.”

“Whatthen?”

“I’lltellyoulater.”Raskolnikovfellsilentandturnedtohistea.

PetrPetrovichtookouthiswatchandlookedatit.

“Ihavetoattendtosomebusinessand,thus,willnotinterfere,”headded
withasomewhatoffendedlookandbegantorisefromhisplace.

“Stayhere,PetrPetrovich,”saidDunya.“Youintendedtospendtheevening
here.Besides,youyourselfwrotethatyouwishedtodiscusssomematterwith
mymother.”

“Preciselyso,AvdotyaRomanovna,”PetrPetrovichsaidimposingly,sitting
downinhischairagain,butkeepinghishatinhishands.“Ireallydidwishto
haveadiscussionwithyouandyourmuch-esteemedmother,evenaboutsome
veryimportantmatters.Butjustasyourbrothercan’tdiscusscertainproposals
madebyMr.Svidrigaylovinmypresence,Ialsodon’twishandcan’t
converse...inthepresenceofothers...aboutcertainextremely,extremely
importantmatters.Besides,myprincipalandmostpressingrequestwasnot
fulfilled...”

Luzhinmadeasourfaceandfellintoadignifiedsilence.

“Yourrequestthatmybrothernotbepresentduringourmeetingwasnot
honoredonlyasaresultofmyinsistence,”saidDunya.“Youwrotethatyou’d
beeninsultedbymybrother;Ithinkthatthemattershouldbediscussed
immediatelyandthatyoushouldmakepeace.IfRodyareallydidinsultyou, thenhe
must and will begyourforgiveness.”

PetrPetrovichimmediatelytookheart.

PetrPetrovichimmediatelytookheart.
“Therearesomeinsults,AvdotyaRomanovna,that,inspiteofallgoodwill,
cannotbeforgotten,ma’am.There’salineineverythingthat’sdangerousto
cross;oncehavingdoneso,it’simpossibletogoback.”

“That’snotexactlywhatIwastalkingabout,PetrPetrovich,”Dunya
interruptedwithsomeimpatience.“Rememberthatourentirefuturedependson
whetheryoucanclearallthisupandbereconciledasquicklyaspossible,ornot.

Icansayhonestly,fromtheoutset,thatIcannotregardthismatterotherwise,
andthatifyouvaluemeevenslightly,then,eventhoughit’sdifficult,thiswhole
episodemustbeconcludedtoday.Irepeat,ifmybrotheristoblame,hewillask
yourforgiveness.”

“I’msurprisedthatyoustatetheproblemlikethat,AvdotyaRomanovna,”

Luzhinsaid,gettingmoreandmoreirritated.“Whilevaluingand,sotospeak,
adoringyou,it’spossiblethat,atthesametime,Imayverymuchdislikea
memberofyourfamily.Seekingthehappinessofyourhandinmarriage,atthe
sametimeIcannotassumeanyobligationsincompatiblewith...”

“Ah,dropallthistouchiness,PetrPetrovich,”Dunyainterruptedwith
feeling,“andbethecleverandnoblemanI’vealwaysconsideredyouandstill
wanttoconsideryoutobe.Imadeabigpromisetoyou:I’myourfiancée.Trust
meinthismatterandbelievethatIcanreachanunbiasedconclusion.Thefact
thatItakeuponmyselftheroleofjudgeisasmuchasurprisetomybrotherasit
istoyou.When,afterreceivingyourletter,Iinvitedhimtocomewithoutfailto
ourmeetingtoday,Ididn’tcommunicatetohimanyofmyintentions.Youmust
understandthatifyoudon’tmakepeace,I’llbeforcedtochoosebetweenyou:
eitheryouorhim.That’showthequestionstandsbothforhimandforyou.I
don’twishtobemistakeninmychoice,norshouldI.Foryou,I’dhavetobreak
offwithmybrother;formybrother,I’dhavetobreakoffwithyou.Iwantto
findoutandwillbeabletolearn,forcertain,whetherhe’sabrothertomeornot.

Andasforyou:amIdeartoyou,doyouvalueme:areyouahusbandtomeor not?”

“AvdotyaRomanovna,”Luzhinsaid,unpleasantlysurprised.“Yourwords
aretooloadedwithmeaningforme,too,Imightevensay,offensiveinviewof
thepositionIhavethehonortoholdinrelationtoyou.Withoutsayingaword
abouttheinsultingandstrangejuxtaposition,ononelevel,betweenme
and...anarrogantyoungman,byyourwordsyou’readmittingthepossibility
ofbreakingthepromiseyoumadetome.Yousay,‘It’smeorhim.’Therefore,
you’redemonstratinghowlittleImeantoyou....Ican’tallowthisinthe
relationsand...obligationsexistingbetweenus.”

“What?”criedDunya.“Iplaceyourinterestalongsideeverythingthathas

beenpreciousinmylifeuptothispoint,thatwhichcomprisedmy entire lifeup

tonow,andsuddenlyyou’reoffendedbythefactthatIplacetoo little valueon you?”

Raskolnikovsmiledsilentlyandsarcastically;Razumikhinwinceddeeply.

ButPetrPetrovichdidn’tacceptthereproach;onthecontrary,hebecamemore
andmoreannoyedandirritatedwitheveryword,asifhewerestartingtoenjoy it.

“Loveforone’sfuturepartnerinlife,forone’shusband,mustexceedthe
loveforone’sbrother,”heannouncedsententiously.“Inanycase,Ican’tstand
onthesamelevel....AlthoughIinsistedawhileagothatinyourbrother’s
presenceIdon’twishtodeclare,andcannot,everythingaboutwhyIcame,
nevertheless,Inowintendtoaddressyourmuch-esteemedmotherregardinga
necessaryexplanationofoneprincipalmatter,onethatIfindoffensive.

Yesterdayyourson,”hesaid,turningtoPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,“inthe
presenceofMr.Rassudkin*(or...isthatright?Excuseme,Ican’tremember
yoursurname,”hesaid,bowingpolitelytoRazumikhin),“insultedmeby
distortinganideathatIconveyedtoyouinaprivateconversation,overcoffee,
namely,thatmarriagetoapooryoungwoman,onewhohadalreadyexperienced
hardshipinlife,inmyopinion,wasmoreadvantageousforconjugalrelations
thanmarriagetosomeonewho’sknownprosperity,sinceit’smorepropitiousfor
moraldevelopment.Yoursondeliberatelyexaggeratedthemeaningofmywords
tothepointofabsurdity,accusingmeofevilintentionsand,inmyview,basing
hisallegationsonyourcorrespondence.I’dconsidermyselffortunateifyou,
PulkheriyaAleksandrovna,couldconvincemeoftheoppositeviewandthusset
mymindateaseconsiderably.Pleasetellmeinwhattermsyouconveyedmy
wordsinyourlettertoRodionRomanovich.”
“Idon’trecall,”saidPulkheriyaAleksandrovnainsomeconfusion.“I
conveyedthemasImyselfunderstoodthem.Idon’tknowwhatIwrotetoyou,
Rodya....Perhapsheevendidexaggeratesomething.”

“Withoutyoursuggestion,hecouldn’thaveexaggeratedthem.”

“PetrPetrovich,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaproclaimedinadignified
manner.“ProofofthefactthatDunyaandIdidn’ttakeyourwordsamissisthat weare
here.”

“Wellsaid,Mama!”Dunyarepliedapprovingly.

“Sothat’smyfaultaswell?”Luzhinsaid,offended.

“Thereyougo,PetrPetrovich,alwaysblamingRodion,yetyouyourselftold
anuntruthabouthiminyourletter,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaadded,gathering
hercourage.

“Idon’trecallthatIwroteanyuntruth,ma’am.”

“Idon’trecallthatIwroteanyuntruth,ma’am.”

“Youwrote,”Raskolnikovbeganabruptly,withoutturningtoLuzhin,“that
yesterdayIgavesomemoneynottothedowntroddenwidow,asIreallydid,but
toherdaughter(whomI’dnevermetbeforeyesterday).Youwrotethistocause
aquarrelbetweenmyfamilyandme,andyouaddedsomethinginvileterms
abouttheconductofthisyoungwoman,whomyoudon’tevenknow.Allofthat
isgossipandbaseness.”

“Excuseme,sir,”repliedLuzhin,tremblingwithrage.“InmyletterI
enlargedonyourqualitiesandactionssolelyinfulfillmentofyourmother’sand
sister’srequesttodescribetothemtheconditioninwhichIfoundyouandwhat
sortofimpressionyoumadeonme.Asfarasthemattermentionedinmyletter
isconcerned,trytofindevenasinglelinethat’sunjust—thatis,thatyoudidn’t
squanderyourmoneyandthat,inthatfamily,thoughunfortunate,therewereno
unworthypeople.”

“It’smyopinionthatwithallyourmerits,youaren’tworththelittlefingerof
thatunfortunateyoungwomanatwhomyou’recastingstones.”
“Thatmeansyou’dbewillingtointroduceherintothecompanyofyour
motherandsister?”

“I’vealreadydonejustthat,ifyouwanttoknow.TodayIsatherdownright
nexttomymotherandDunya.”

“Rodya!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

Dunechkaflushed;Razumikhinknittedhisbrows.Luzhinsmiledcaustically
andhaughtily.

“Youmayseeforyourself,AvdotyaRomanovna,”hesaid,“whetherany
agreementispossible.Ihopethatnowthismatterisclosedandcleareduponce
andforall.Ishallleavesoasnottointerferewiththefurtherpleasantnessofa
familymeetingandintherelayingofsecrets.”(Hestoodandpickeduphishat.)

“But,whileleaving,IdarerequestthatinfutureIhopetobesparedanysimilar
meetingsand,sotospeak,compromises.Iwanttomakethisrequestofyouin
particular,much-esteemedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,sincemyletterwas
addressedtoyouandtonooneelse.”

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnawasslightlyoffended.

“Youseemtothinkthatyoualreadyhavecompletepoweroverus,Petr
Petrovich.Dunya’stoldyouthereasonwhyyourrequestwasnothonored:she
hadgoodintentions.Besides,youwerewritingtomeasifyouweregivingme
orders.Mustwereallyconsideryoureverywishourcommand?Onthecontrary,
Isaythatnowyoushouldbeparticularlytactfulandindulgent,becausewegave
upeverythingand,trustingyou,camehere;therefore,we’realmostinyour
powerasitis.”

“That’snotquitefair,PulkheriyaAleksandrovna,especiallyatthepresent

“That’snotquitefair,PulkheriyaAleksandrovna,especiallyatthepresent
moment,whenMarfaPetrovna’sbequestofthreethousandrubleshasjustbeen
announced,which,itseems,isveryopportune,judgingfromthenewtone
you’veadoptedwithme,”headdedcaustically.
“Judgingfromthatremark,onecanreallysupposethatyouwerecountingon
ourhelplessness,”Dunyaobservedirritably.

“Butnow,atleast,Icannolongercountonitand,inparticular,Idon’twish
tointerferewiththecommunicationofArkadyIvanovichSvidrigaylov’ssecret
proposals,whichheauthorizedyourbrothertoconveyandwhich,asIsee,have
animportant,perhapsevenextremelypleasantsignificanceforyou.”

“Ah,myGod!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

Razumikhincouldscarcelyremaininhischair.

“Aren’tyouashamednow,Dunya?”askedRaskolnikov.

“Iam,Rodya,”shereplied.“PetrPetrovich,getoutofhere!”Sheturnedto
him,palewithrage.

PetrPetrovichseemednottohaveexpectedsuchanending.Hewasrelying
tooheavilyonhimself,onhispower,andonthehelplessnessofhisvictims.He
couldn’tbelieveitevennow.Heturnedpale,andhislipsbegantotremble.

“AvdotyaRomanovna,ifIwalkoutthedoornow,inthefaceofsuchparting
words,then—considerthiswell—Iwillnevercomeback.Thinkitover
carefully!Thisismylastword.”

“Whatimpudence!”criedDunya,quicklystandingupfromherplace.“I
don’twantyouevertocomeback!”

“What?Sothat’showitis!”criedLuzhin,unabletobelieveupuntilthelast
momentinsuchanoutcomeand,therefore,havinglostthethreadcompletely.

“That’showitis!Butdoyouknow,AvdotyaRomanovna,thatIcouldeven
lodgeacomplaint,ma’am.”

“Whatrightdoyouhavetotalktoherlikethat?”PulkheriyaAleksandrovna
intervenedangrily.“Whatdoyouhavetocomplainabout?Whatrightdoyou have?
DoyouthinkI’llgivemyDunyaawaytoamansuchasyou?Goaway;
leaveusaltogether!We’retoblameforembarkingonthisunseemlycourseof
action;I’mmostatfault...”
“Nevertheless,PulkheriyaAleksandrovna,”Luzhincriedinangryfury.“You
boundmebyyourword,andnowyou’regoingbackonit...andfinally,
finally,Iwasdrawnin,sotospeak,andhaveincurredexpenses...”

ThislastclaimwassomuchinkeepingwithPetrPetrovich’scharacterthat
Raskolnikov,growingpalefromrageandhiseffortstocontrolit,suddenlycould
nolongerrestrainhimselfand...burstoutlaughing.ButPulkheriya
Aleksandrovnawasbesideherself.

“Expenses?Whatsortofexpenses?Surelyyoudon’tmeanshippingour trunk?
Theconductorconveyeditwithoutanychargetoyou.GoodLord,we

trunk?Theconductorconveyeditwithoutanychargetoyou.GoodLord,we
boundyou!Justcometoyoursenses,PetrPetrovich;it’syouwhoboundour
handsandfeet,andnotwewhoboundyou!”

“Enough,Mama,please,that’senough!”beggedAvdotyaRomanovna.“Petr
Petrovich,dousafavor,getout!”

“I’mgoing,ma’am,butonlyonefinalword!”hesaid,havingnowalmost
lostcontrolofhimself.“Yourmother,itseems,hasentirelyforgottenthatI
decidedtoacceptyou,sotospeak,afterthegossipintownconcerningyour
reputationhadspreadthroughouttheentiredistrict.Disregardingpublicopinion
foryoursakeandrestoringyourreputation,ofcourseIcouldverywellhave
countedonsomerequitalandevenhaveclaimedyourgratitude....Butonly
nowhavemyeyesbeenopened!ImyselfseethatperhapsIbehavedinan
exceedinglyrashfashion,disregardingpublicopinionasIdid...”

“Doeshethinkhehasninelives,orwhat?”criedRazumikhin,jumpingup
fromthechairandgettingreadytofinishhimoff.

“You’reavile,evilman!”saidDunya.

“Notaword!Don’tmakeamove!”criedRaskolnikov,restraining
Razumikhin.Thenheadvancedpoint-blankonLuzhin.

“Besogoodastogetout!”hesaidsoftlyanddistinctly.“Notoneword more,orelse...”
PetrPetrovichregardedhimforseveralseconds,hispalefacedistortedby
malice,thenturnedandwalkedout;ofcourse,rarelyhadanyonecarriedaway
suchvicioushatredinhisheartasthismanfelttowardRaskolnikov.Heblamed
him,andhimalone,foreverything.Itisremarkablethatevenashewentdown
thestairs,hekeptimaginingthatthematter,perhaps,wasnotentirelylost,and
thateven,asfarastheladieswereconcerned,itwaseven“very,very”reparable.

*AgarblingofRazumikhin’ssurnameresultingfromtheconfusionof
rassudok(reason,intellect)and razum(reason,mind).

III

Themainpointwasthatuptotheverylastmoment,hehadinnowayexpected
suchanoutcome.Hekepttryingtoemboldenhimselfasbesthecould,noteven
admittingthepossibilitythattwopooranddefenselesswomencouldescapehis
power.Hisconvictionwasfortifiedbyhisvanityandalevelofself-confidence
thatcouldbestbedescribedasself-infatuation.PetrPetrovich,whohadfought
hisownwayoutofpoverty,hadbecomeaccustomedtoadmiringhimselftoan
extremedegree;hevaluedhisownintelligenceandabilitieshighly,andeven
sometimes,whilealone,admiredhisfaceinamirror.Butmorethananything
elseonearth,helovedandtreasuredhisownmoney,earnedbyhishardwork
andothermeans:itmadehimtheequalofeverythingabovehim.

Now,remindingDunyawithbitternessthathehaddecidedtotakeher
despitethosenastyrumorsabouther,PetrPetrovichwasspeakingincomplete
sincerityandevenfeelingdeepdisgusttowardsuch“blackingratitude.”

Meanwhile,atthetimehe’dproposedtoDunya,he’dbeencompletely
convincedoftheabsurdityofalltherumors,whichhadbeenpubliclyrefutedby
MarfaPetrovnaherselfandlongsincediscardedbytheentiretown,whichhad
vindicatedDunya.Andhehimselfwouldnotnowdenythefactthathe’dknown
itallatthetime.Nevertheless,hestillhighlyvaluedhisresolvetoelevateDunya
tohisownlevelandconsidereditavaliantfeat.Whenhe’dspokenaboutitto
Dunyajustnow,he’dbeenexpressinghissecret,cherishedthought,whichhe
himselfhadadmiredmorethanonce,andhecouldn’tunderstandhowother
peoplecouldfailtoadmirehisfeat.Whenhe’dpaidhisvisittoRaskolnikov,he
hadenteredwiththefeelingofabenefactorpreparingtoreapthefruitsandhear
extremelygratifyingcompliments.Now,ofcourse,onhiswaydownthestairs,
hefeltoffendedandunappreciatedtothehighestdegree.

Dunyawassimplyindispensabletohim;itwasunthinkablethathemight
havetoloseher.Forsometime—forseveralyears,infact—hehadbeenhaving
sweetsensualdreamsaboutmarriage,buthe’dkeptsavingupmoneyandbiding
histime.Withrapturehecontemplatedindeepsecrecyavirtuousyoungwoman
whowaspoor(shehadtobepoor),veryyoung,verypretty,ofhonorablebirth,
welleducated,andverytimid,onewhohadexperiencedverymanymisfortunes
andwhowouldhumbleherselfbeforehimtosuchanextentthatallherlifeshe
wouldconsiderhimashersavior;shewouldveneratehim,submittohim,and
idolizehimandonlyhim.Hedevisedsomanyscenes,somanydelightful

episodesinhisimaginationonthisseductiveandplayfulthemeasherestedafter
alongdaytendingtohisbusinessaffairs!Andthisdreamofsomanyyearshad
almostbeenrealized:hewasimpressedbyAvdotyaRomanovna’sbeautyand
education;herhelplesspositionexcitedhimintheextreme.Therewaseven
somewhatmorethanhehadhopedforhere:aproudyoungwomanhad
appeared,strongofcharacter,virtuous,morehighlyeducatedanddeveloped
thanhewas(hefeltthis),andsuchacreaturewouldbeslavishlygratefultohim
forhisvaliantfeatherwholelifeandwouldeffaceherselfreverentlybeforehim,
andhewouldlorditoverhercompletelyandwithoutlimit!Itwasasifon
purpose,notthatlongbeforethis,afterconsiderablethoughtandwaiting,hehad
decidedatlasttochangehiscareerdefinitivelyandenterawidercircleof
activity,atthesametime,littlebylittle,movingintohighersocialcircles,a
movethathehadbeencontemplatingvoluptuouslyforsometime....Inaword,
hehadresolvedtotryPetersburg.Heknewthatwithawoman’shelpitwas
possibletogain“averygreat”deal.Thefascinationofacharming,virtuous,and
educatedwomancouldembellishhispathtoanastonishingdegree,couldattract
otherstohim,createanaura...andallofthiswasabouttofallthrough!This
sudden,awfulrupturenowstruckhimlikeaclapofthunder.Itwaslikea
hideousjoke,anabsurdity!Hehadblusteredonlyalittle;hehadn’teven
managedtosayeverything;he’dsimplybeenjoking,hadgottencarriedaway,
butithadallendedsoseriously!Intheend,hewasalreadyinlovewithDunya
inhisownway;hewasalreadylordingitoverherinhisdreams—andallofa sudden—
no!Tomorrow,yes,tomorrowitcouldallberestored,cured,corrected,
andthemainthing—hewoulddestroythatinsolentyouth,thatlittleboy,who
wasthecauseofitall.Withapainfulfeelingherecalled,alsosomehow
unintentionally,Razumikhin....Butonthatscorehesoonfeltatease:“Asifhe
couldbeplacedonthesamelevelwithme!”Butthepersonhereallyfearedwas
Svidrigaylov....Inaword,thereweremanyproblemsahead.

“No,it’sme,I’mtheonemostatfault,”saidDunechka,embracingandkissing
hermother.“Iwastemptedbyhismoney,butIsweartoyou,brother—Inever
imaginedthathewassuchanunworthyhumanbeing.IfI’dseenthroughhim
before,Ineverwouldhavebeentempted.Don’tblameme,brother!”

“Godsparedus,Hesparedus!”mutteredPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,but
somehowunconsciously,asifstillnottakingineverythingthathadjust happened.

Everyonerejoiced,andwithinfiveminutestheywerealllaughing.Attimes

itwasonlyDunyawhoturnedpaleandfrowned,recallingrecentevents.

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnahadneverbeenabletoimaginethatshe,too,would
besoglad;eventhatmorning,abreakwithLuzhinhadseemedtobeaterrible
misfortune.ButRazumikhinwasinecstasy.Hewasnotyetabletoexpressitall,
buthewastremblingasifinafever,asifagreatweighthadbeenliftedfromhis
chest.Nowhehadtherighttodevotehiswholelifetothem,toserve
them....Almostanythingcouldhappennow!However,hedroveawayany
futurethoughtsmoreapprehensivelyandfearedhisownimagination.Only
Raskolnikovsatinthesameplace,almostgloomy,evendistracted.He,whohad
insistedmorethananyoneonLuzhin’sdismissal,nowseemedtobetheleast
interestedinwhathadoccurred.Dunyacouldn’thelpfeelingthathewasstill
veryangrywithher;PulkheriyaAleksandrovnakeptexamininghimtimidly.

“WhatdidSvidrigaylovsaytoyou?”Dunyaasked,approachinghim.

“Ah,yes,yes!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

Raskolnikovraisedhishead.

“Heverymuchwantstopresentyouwithtenthousandrublesandwishesto
seeyouonceinmypresence.”

“Toseeher!Notforanythingonearth!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.
“Howdareheofferhermoney?”

ThenRaskolnikovconveyed(ratherdrily)hisconversationwith
Svidrigaylov,omittingmentionofMarfaPetrovna’sghostsoasnottogointo
pointlessmaterialandfeelinganaversiontoengaginginanyconversation
exceptthemostnecessary.

“Whatanswerdidyougivehim?”askedDunya.

“FirstIsaidthatIwouldn’tconveyanythingtoyou.Thenhedeclaredthathe
himselfwouldseekameetingwithyou,byanymeanspossible.Hemaintained
thathispassionforyouwasjustawhimandthatnowhedoesn’tfeel
anything....Hedoesn’twantyoutomarryLuzhin....Ingeneral,hewasfull
ofcontradictions.”

“Howdoyouexplainhisbehaviortoyourself,Rodya?Howdidheseemto you?”

“IconfessthatIdon’tunderstandhimverywell.Heoffersyoutenthousand,
andhehimselfsaysthathe’snotrich.Hedeclaresthathewantstodepartfor
somewhere,andtenminuteslaterforgetsthathementionedit.Suddenlyhesays
thathealsowantstogetmarriedandthatabride’sbeingsoughtforhim....Of
course,hehashisownaims,andmostlikelythey’rebadones.Butonceagain,
it’ssomehowstrangetoassumethatifhehadevilintentionsconcerningyou,
he’dgoaboutitinsuchafoolishway....Naturally,Irefusedthemoneyon
yourbehalf,onceandforall.Ingeneralheseemedverystrange,

and...even...toshowsignsofmadness.ButIcouldbemistaken;itmight
simplybesomesortoftrickery.ItseemsthatMarfaPetrovna’sdeathmadequite
animpressiononhim...”

“Lordresthersoul!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.“I’llpraytoGodfor
herforeverandever!Whatwould’vehappenedtousnow,Dunya,withoutthose
threethousandrubles?Lord,it’slikeaboltfromtheblue!Ah,Rodya,this
morningwehadonlythreerublestoourname;DunechkaandIwerewondering
ifwecouldpawnherwatchsomewheresowewouldn’thavetotakeanymoney
fromthatmanuntilhefigureditoutforhimself.”

DunyawastoooverwhelmedbySvidrigaylov’sproposal.Shestoodthere
deepinthought.
“He’sconceivedsomethinghorrible!”shemutteredtoherselfalmostina
whisper,almostshuddering.

Raskolnikovobservedthisextremefright.

“ItseemsthatI’llhavetoseehimagainmorethanonce,”hesaidtoDunya.

“We’llfollowhim!I’lltrackhimdown!”Razumikhinshouted

enthusiastically.“Iwon’tlethimoutofmysight!Rodya’sgivenmepermission.

Hehimselfsaidtomeawhileago:‘Takecareofmysister.’Willyouallowme,
AvdotyaRomanovna?”

Dunyasmiledandextendedherhandtohim,buttheworriedlookdidn’t
leaveherface.PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaglancedathertimidly;however,
apparentlythethoughtofthreethousandrubleswascomfortingher.

Inaquarterofanhour,theywereallengagedinthemostanimated
conversation.EvenRaskolnikov,thoughhewasn’tspeaking,waslistening
attentivelyforsometime.Razumikhinwasholdingforth.

“Why,whyshouldyouleave?”Thewordsflowedoutofhimwithecstatic
feeling.“Whatareyougoingtodointhatlittletown?Themainthingisthathere
you’realltogetherandyouneedeachother,verymuchso—ifyouunderstand
me!Well,evenforjustawhile....Takemeasyourfriend,acompanion,andI
assureyouthatwe’lldeviseanexcellententerprise.Listen,I’llexplainthewhole
thingtoyouindetail—thewholeproject!Thismorning,beforeanything
happened,anideacametome....Here’swhatitis:Ihaveanuncle(I’ll
introduceyoutohim;he’sanagreeable,respectableoldfellow!),andthisuncle
hasasumofonethousandrubles;helivesonhispensionandisnotinneed.For
twoyearshe’sbeennaggingme,tellingmetotakethisthousandandpayhimsix
percentinterest.Iseethepointofit:hesimplywantstohelpme;butlastyearI
didn’tneedit,andthisyearwhileI’dbeenwaitingforhimtoarrive,I’ddecided
totakeit.Then,ifyoucontributeanotherthousandfromyourthreethousand,
we’llhaveenoughinthefirstinstance;we’llformapartnership.Andwhatwill

wedo?”
Razumikhinstartedtodevelophisplan;hewentonatlengthabouthowall
thebooksellersandpublishersknewverylittleabouttheirownmerchandise,and
thereforewereusuallybadpublishers;meanwhile,goodeditionsgenerallydid
wellandproducedaprofit,sometimesaconsiderableone.Razumikhinhadbeen
dreamingaboutthepublishingbusiness,havingworkedfortwoyearsatvarious
places;hehadadecentknowledgeofthreeEuropeanlanguages,inspiteofthe
factthatsomesixdaysagohehadtoldRaskolnikovthathisGermanwas

“feeble,”sincehisaimhadbeentoconvincehimtotakehalfhistranslationjob
andthreerublesinadvance:he’dbeenlyingatthetime,andRaskolnikovhad
knownthathewaslying.

“Why,whyshouldweallowthisopportunitytogetawaywhenoneofthe
mostimportantresourceshasturnedup—ourownmoney?”saidRazumikhin
heatedly.“Ofcourse,it’lltakeagreatdealofwork,butwewillwork,you,
AvdotyaRomanovna,me,Rodion....Someeditionsnowproduceahandsome
profit!Themainstayofourenterpriseconsistsinourknowingpreciselywhatto
translate.We’lltranslate,publish,andstudy,alltogether.Icanbeusefulnow
becauseIhaveexperience.ForalmosttwoyearsI’vebeenpokingaround
publishers,andIknowalltheinsandouts:it’snotashardasitseems,believe
me!Why,whyshouldwemissthischance?Imyselfknow,andI’vekeptitto
myself,oftwoorthreesuchworks;themereideaoftranslatingandpublishing
themmightyieldonehundredrublesforeachbook,andforoneofthemIwould
refuseevenfivehundredrublesjustfortheidea.Andwhatdoyouthink,ifItold
someone,hemighthaverealdoubts,theblockhead!Asfarastheactualdetails,
printing,paper,andsales,youcanleaveallthattome!Iknowalltheinsand
outs!We’llstartsmall,growlarger,andatleastwe’llbeabletofeedourselves;
inanycase,we’llbreakeven.”

Dunya’seyesshone.

“Ireallylikewhatyou’resaying,DmitryProkofich,”shesaid.

“Ofcourse,Idon’tknowanythingaboutthis,”PulkheriyaAleksandrovna
putin.“Perhapsit’sagoodidea,butthenagain,Godonlyknows.It’ssomehow
newandunknown.Ofcourse,wehavetostayhere,atleastforsometime...”

ShelookedatRodya.
“Whatdoyouthink,brother?”askedDunya.

“Ithinkhehasaverygoodidea,”hereplied.“Naturally,it’stooearlyto
dreamaboutapublishinghouse,butonecouldpublishfiveorsixbookswith
indisputablesuccess.Imyselfknowofoneworkthatwilldefinitelysuit.Asto
whetherheknowshowtoconductthebusiness,there’snodoubtaboutthat
either....However,there’sstilltimeforyoutoreachanagreement...”

“Hurrah!”criedRazumikhin.“Now,wait:there’sanapartmenthere,inthis
building,fromthesamelandlords.It’sseparate,onitsown,anddoesn’tconnect
withanyotherrooms;it’sthreesmallfurnishedrooms,andtherentismodest.

Takeitforthetimebeing.I’llpawnthewatchforyoutomorrowandbringyou
themoney;therestwillallbearrangedlater.Themainthingis,allthreeofyou
canliveheretogether,bothofyouandRodya....Butwhereareyougoing, Rodya?”

“What,Rodya,areyouleavingalready?”PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaasked
withsomealarm.

“Atatimelikethis?”criedRazumikhin.

Dunyalookedatherbrotherwithdistrustfulastonishment.Hewasholding
hiscap,preparingtoleave.

“Itseemsasifyou’reburyingmeorsayingfarewellforever,”hesaidina
somewhatstrangemanner.

Heseemedtosmile,butitwasn’tquitearealsmile.

“Whoknows,perhapswereallyareseeingeachotherforthelasttime,”he
addedunexpectedly.

Hethoughthewasmutteringtohimself,butsomehowitwasutteredaloud.

“What’sthematterwithyou?”criedhismother.

“Whereareyougoing,Rodya?”Dunyaaskedsomehowpeculiarly.
“Justso,Ihaveto,”herepliedvaguely,asifhesitatinginwhathereally
wantedtosay.Buthispalefaceshowedakindoffirmresolution.

“Iwantedtosay...asIwascominghere...Iwantedtotellyou,
Mama...andyou,Dunya,thatitwouldbebetterforustoseparateforsome
time.Idon’tfeelwell;I’mnotatpeace....I’llcomelater,onmyown,
when...it’llbepossible.Irememberyouandloveyou....Letmebe!Leave
mealone!Idecidedthisawhileago....I’vedecidedthisfor

certain....Whateverhappenstome,whetherIperishornot,Iwanttobealone.

Forgetallaboutme....It’sbetterthatway....Don’tinquireaboutme.When
necessary,I’llcomemyselfor...I’llsummonyou.Perhapseverythingwill
resurrect!Butnow,whileyouloveme,givemeup....Orelse,IfeelthatI’llget
tohateyou....Farewell!”

“GoodLord!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna.

Bothhismotherandhissisterwereterriblyfrightened;Razumikhin,too.

“Rodya,Rodya!Makepeacewithusandlet’sgobacktohowwewere
before!”criedhispoormother.

Heturnedslowlytothedoorandslowlystartedtoleavetheroom.Dunya
caughtupwithhim.

“Brother!Whatareyoudoingtoourmother?”shewhispered,hereyes
burningwithindignation.

burningwithindignation.

Helookedathergravely.

“It’sallright,I’llcome,Iwill!”hemutteredinalowvoice,asifnotfully
awareofwhathewassaying,andwalkedoutoftheroom.

“Whataninsensitive,spitefulegoist!”criedDunya.
“He’sinsane,notinsensitive!He’smad!Don’tyouseethat?You’rethe
insensitiveone,”Razumikhinwhisperedheatedlyintoherearwhilekeepinga
tightholdonherhand.

“I’llbebackrightaway!”hecried,turningtoPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,
whowasmortified,andranoutoftheroom.

Raskolnikovwaswaitingforhimattheendofthecorridor.

“Iknewthatyou’dcomerunningout,”hesaid.“Gobacktothemandstay
withthem....Staywiththemtomorrowand...always.I...perhaps,I’ll
come...ifpossible.Farewell!”

And,withoutextendinghishand,helefthim.

“Whereareyougoing?Whatisit?What’sthematter?Howcanyoudo
this?”Razumikhinmuttered,completelyataloss.

Raskolnikovpausedonceagain.

“Onceandforall:don’teveraskmeaboutanything.There’snothingIcan
tellyou....Don’tcometoseeme.PerhapsI’llcomehere....Leaveme,but
don’t...leavethem.Doyouunderstand?”

Itwasdarkinthecorridor;theywerestandingnearalight.Foraminutethey
staredateachotherinsilence.Razumikhinwouldrememberthismomentforthe
restofhislife.Raskolnikov’sintenseandburninggazeseemedtogrowstronger
witheverymoment,penetratinghissoulandhisconsciousness.Allofasudden,
Razumikhinshuddered.Itwasasifsomethingstrangepassedbetween
them....Anideacreptin,somethinglikeahint;somethinghorrible,hideous,
andimmediatelyunderstoodonbothsides....Razumikhinturnedaspaleasa corpse.

“Doyouunderstandnow?”Raskolnikovsaidsuddenly,hisfacepainfully
distorted.“Goback,bewiththem,”headdedabruptly;turningswiftly,heleft
thebuilding.

Iwon’tdescribenowwhathappenedthateveningwithPulkheriya
Aleksandrovna,howRazumikhinwentbacktothem,howhetriedtocalmthem
down,howhesworethatitwasnecessarytoallowRodyatorestfromhis
illness,sworethatRodyawouldcertainlycometoseethem,howhewouldcome
everyday,thatRodyawasvery,veryupset,andthatitwasimportantnotto
irritatehim;howhe,Razumikhin,wouldlookafterhim,findhimagooddoctor,
thebest,arrangeforaconsultation....Inaword,fromthateveningon,

Razumikhinbecamelikeasonandabrothertothem.

IV

RaskolnikovproceededdirectlytothehouseonthecanalwhereSonyalived.It
wasanold,three-storygreenhouse.Helookedforthecaretakerandreceived
vaguedirectionsforwheretofindthetailorKapernaumov.Afterlocatingthe
entrancetoanarrow,darkstaircaseinacornerofthecourtyard,hefinally
climbeduptothesecondfloorandemergedintoalargehallsurroundingitfrom
thesideofthecourtyard.Whilehewanderedinthedarknessandconfusion,
tryingtofindtheentrancetotheKapernaumovs’,suddenly,threestepsaway
fromhim,adooropened;hegrabbeditautomatically.

“Who’sthere?”awoman’svoiceaskedinalarm.

“It’sme...comingtoseeyou,”repliedRaskolnikov,andheenteredatiny
hall.There,onabrokenchair,inatwistedcoppercandlestick,stoodacandle.

“It’syou!GoodLord!”criedSonyaweakly,standingthereasifrootedtothe spot.

“Whichwaytoyourroom?Thisway?”

Tryingnottolookather,Raskolnikovproceededquicklyintoherroom.

AminutelaterSonyaenteredwithacandle,putitdown,andstoodinfront
ofhim,completelyataloss,ininexpressibleagitation,apparentlyfrightenedby
hisunexpectedvisit.Allofasuddenherpalefacebecameflushedandtearseven
appearedinhereyes....Shefeltsickandashamedandpleasedallat
once....Raskolnikovturnedaroundquicklyandsatdownonthechairnextto
thetable.Inonefleetingglancehemanagedtotakeintheentireroom.

Itwasalargeroom,butwithanextremelylowceiling,theonlyroomrented
outbytheKapernaumovs,whoseapartmentwaslocatedbehindthewalltothe
leftbehindalockeddoor.Ontheoppositeside,inthewalltotheright,therewas
anotherdoor,alwayslockedtight.Itledtoaneighboringapartmentwitha
differentnumber.Sonya’sroomseemedtoresembleabarn;ithadanirregular
quadrilateralshapethatsuggestedsomethingdeformed.Awallwiththree
windowsfacingoutonthecanalcutthroughtheroomataslant;asaresult,one
corner,terriblyacute,trailedoffintothedistancesothatindimlightitwas
impossibletomakeoutanythingverywell;theothercornerwastoohideously
obtuse.Therewasalmostnofurnitureatallinthislargeroom.Inacorneronthe
rightwasabed;nearthedoorleadingintotheotherapartmentstoodasimple
woodentablecoveredinabluetablecloth;twocanechairswerenexttothe
table.Then,ontheoppositewall,closesttothenarrowcorner,stoodasmall,
simplewoodenchestofdrawers,asiflostinemptyspace.Thatwaseverything

simplewoodenchestofdrawers,asiflostinemptyspace.Thatwaseverything
intheroom.Yellowish,dirty,wornwallpaperwasblackenedinallthecorners;it
musthavebeendampandsmokyduringthewinter.Theinhabitant’spoverty
wasobvious;thereweren’tevenanycurtainsinfrontofthebed.

Sonyasilentlyregardedherguest,whowassocarefullyand

unceremoniouslyexaminingherroom;ultimatelysheevenbegantremblingin
fear,asifshewerestandinginfrontofajudgeandtherulerofherfate.

“I’vecomelate....Isiteleveno’clockyet?”heasked,stillnotraisinghis
eyestoherface.

“Itis,”shemuttered.“Itis,yes!”shehastenedtoaddsuddenly,asifitwas
somesortofescapeforher.“Thelandlord’sclockjustchimed...andIheardit
myself....Itis.”

“I’vecometoseeyouforthelasttime,”Raskolnikovcontinuedgloomily,
eventhoughthiswasonlyhisfirstvisit.“Imaynotseeyouagain...”

“Areyou...goingaway?”

“Idon’tknow....Tomorrowit’llall...”

“Soyouwon’tbeatKaterinaIvanovna’stomorrow?”Sonyaasked,hervoice
trembling.
“Idon’tknow.Tomorrowmorningit’llallbe....That’snotthepoint:I
cametotellyouonething...”

Heraisedhisbroodingglancetoherfaceandsuddenlynoticedthathewas
sitting,whileshewasstillstandinginfrontofhim.

“Whyareyoustandingthere?Sitdown,”hesaidsuddenly,butinanaltered,
soft,andpolitevoice.

Shesatdown.Helookedatherwarmly,almostwithcompassion.

“You’resothin!Justlookatyourhand!It’scompletelytransparent.Your
fingersarelikeadeadperson’s.”Hetookherhand.Sonyasmiledweakly.

“I’vealwaysbeenlikethat,”shesaid.

“Evenwhenyouwerelivingathome?”

“Yes.”

“Well,ofcourse!”heutteredabruptly,andboththeexpressiononhisface
andthesoundofhisvoicesuddenlychangedagain.Heglancedaroundtheroom again.

“YourentthisfromtheKapernaumovs?”

“Yes,sir...”

“Dotheylivethere,behindthatdoor?”

“Yes....Theyhavearoomjustlikethis.”

“Alltogetherinoneroom?”

“Yes,sir.”

“I’dbeafraidtobeinyourroomatnight,”heobservedglumly.

“I’dbeafraidtobeinyourroomatnight,”heobservedglumly.
“Thelandlordsareverykind,verypolite,”repliedSonya,seemingnotyetto
havecometohersensesortobeunderstandingproperly.“Allthefurnitureand
everythingelse...allbelongstothelandlords.They’reverynicepeople,and
thechildrenoftencometoseeme...”

“Dotheystutter?”

“Yes,sir.Hedoesandhe’salsolame.Hiswife,too....It’snotthatshe
stutters,butshecan’tpronounceherwordsclearly.She’sagoodwoman,very
kind.He’saformerhouseserf.Theyhavesevenchildren...andonlytheeldest
stutters;theothersaresimplyunwell...buttheydon’tstutter....Howdoyou
knowaboutthem?”sheaddedinsomesurprise.

“Yourfathertoldmeallaboutthem.Hetoldmeallaboutyou....Howyou
leftatsixo’clockandcamebackatnine,andhowKaterinaIvanovnafelltoher
kneesnexttoyourbed.”

Sonyawasembarrassed.

“It’sasifIsawhimtoday,”shewhisperedhesitantly.

“Who?”

“Myfather.Iwaswalkingalongthestreet,justnearbyhere,onthecorner,
afternineo’clock,anditwasasifhewasaheadofme.Itlookedjustlikehim.I
wantedtocallonKaterinaIvanovna...”

“Youwereoutwalkingthestreets?”

“Yes,”Sonyawhisperedabruptly,onceagainembarrassedanddroppingher eyes.

“DidKaterinaIvanovnaeverbeatyouwhenyouwereatyourfather’s place?”

“Oh,no,whatareyousaying?Whydoyousaythat?No!”Sonyasaid,
lookingathim,eveninfear.

“So,doyouloveher?”
“Her?Ofcourse,Ido!”Sonyawailedpitifully,suddenlycrossingherarmsin
suffering.“Ah!Youdon’t....Ifyouonlyknew.She’sjustlikea
child....She’salmostlosthermind...fromgrief.Sheusedtobeso
clever...sogenerous...sokind!Youdon’tknowanything,nota thing...ah!”

Sonyasaidallthisasifshewereindespair,agitatedandsuffering,wringing
herhands.Herpalecheeksflushedoncemore,andhereyesexpressedher
torment.Itwasapparentthatshewasdeeplymoved,thatsheverymuchwanted
toexpresssomething,tosaysomething,todefendKaterina.Somekindof insatiable
compassion,ifit’spossibletoexpressitlikethat,wassuddenly
reflectedinallthefeaturesofherface.

“Beatme!Whatonearthareyousaying?GoodLord,beatme!Evenifshe
hadbeatenme,whatofit?So,whatofit?Youdon’tknowanything,nota
thing....She’ssuchanunhappywoman,ah,sounhappy!Andsickly....She’s
lookingforjustice....She’spure.Shebelievessteadfastlythatjusticemust
exist,andshedemandsit....Evenifyoutormentedher,she’dneverdo
anythingunjust.Sheherselfdoesn’trealizethatit’simpossibletofindjustice
amongpeople,andshegetsirritated....She’slikeachild,achild!She’sjust,
veryjust!”

“Whatwillhappentoyou?”

Sonyaregardedhimquestioningly.

“They’reonyourhands,youknow.True,theydependedonyoubefore,and
yourlatefatherwouldaskyouformoneysohecoulddrinktocurehishangover.

Well,whatwillhappennow?”

“Idon’tknow,”Sonyasaidglumly.

“Willtheystaythere?”

“Idon’tknow.They’reindebtforthatapartment;Ihearthatthelandlady
justservedthemnotice,butKaterinaIvanovnasaysthatsheherselfdoesn’twant
tostaythereamomentlonger.”

“Why’sshebeingsobrave?Issherelyingonyou?”
“Oh,no,don’ttalklikethat!Weliveincompleteharmony,”Sonyasaid,
suddenlyagitatedagainandevenirritated,justasifacanaryorsomeotherlittle
birdhadgottenangry.“Whatonearthcanshedo?Whatelsecanshedo?”she
asked,growingheatedandupset.“Sheweptandweptsomuchtoday!She’s
goingmad,didn’tyounoticethat?She’ssomuddled;she’seitheragitatedlikea
littlegirl,hopingthattomorroweverythingwillberight,therefreshments,and
everythingelse...orshewringsherhands,coughsupblood,weeps,and
suddenlybeginsbangingherheadagainstthewall,asifindespair.Thenshe
calmsdownagain;she’srelyingentirelyonyou:shesaysthatnowyou’reher
helpmate.She’llborrowsomemoneyfromsomewhereandgobacktohertown
withme,andshe’llopenaboardingschoolfornobleyoungwomen;she’lltake
meonasasupervisorandwe’llstartasplendidnewlife;shekissesme,hugs
me,comfortsme,andbelievesallthis!Shebelievesinthesefantasies!Well,doI
darecontradicther?Meanwhile,sheherselfwashes,cleans,mends,andwithher
feeblestrengthdragsthewashtubintotheroom,panting,andthenhastofallinto
bed;thismorningsheandIwenttothemarketstallstobuysomeshoesfor
PolechkaandLenya,becausetheirswereallwornout,butwedidn’thave
enoughmoneytopayforthem,notnearlyenough,andshe’dchosensuchsweet
littleshoes,becauseshehasgoodtaste,youjustdon’tknow....Shestarted
cryingrightthereintheshopinfrontofthemerchants,becausewedidn’thave

enoughmoney....Ah,itwaspitifultosee.”

“Well,afterthatonecanunderstandhowyou...livelikethis,”Raskolnikov
saidwithabittersmile.

“Don’tyoufeelsorryforher?Don’tyou?”Sonyagrewangryagain.“Iknow
thatyougaveheryourlastkopecksbeforeyou’dseenanything.Ifyou’dseenit
all,oh,goodLord!I’vedrivenhertotearssooften,soveryoften!Evenas
recentlyaslastweek!Oh,yes,me!Justoneweekbeforehisdeath.Iacted
cruelly!I’vedonethatsomanytimes,somany.Ah,it’ssopainfultoremember
thisnowalldaylong.”

Sonyaevenwrungherhandsasshespoke,recallingthepain.

“Youmeantosayyou’recruel?”
“Yes,me,me!Iwentthere,”shecontinued,weeping,“andmylatefather
said,‘Readtome,Sonya,’hesays,‘myheadaches.Readtome...here’sthe
book.’Itwassomebookhehad;he’dgottenitfromAndreySemyonych
Lebezyatnikov,wholivesthere;heusedtogetsuchfunnybooks.AndIsaid,‘I
havetoleave,’becauseIdidn’twanttoread;I’dstoppedbymainlytoshow
somecollarstoKaterinaIvanovna.Lizaveta,themarketwoman,hadsoldme
somecollarsandcuffscheaply,veryniceones,new,withapattern.Katerina
Ivanovnalikedthemverymuch;sheputoneonandlookedatherselfinthe
mirror.Shereally,reallylikedthem.‘Givethemtomeasapresent,Sonya,’she
says,‘please.’Shesaid‘please,’shewantedthemsomuch.Butwherewouldshe
wearthem?Theyjustremindedherofthegoodolddays!Shelookedatherself
inthemirror,admiredthem,butshehadnodresses,noneatall,noprettythings
forsomanyyears!Sheneveraskedanyoneforanything;she’sproud;she’d
soonergiveawayherlastcoin,andhereshewasaskingforsomething—she
likedthemsomuch!ButIdidn’twanttogivethemtoher.‘Whatdoyouneed
themfor,KaterinaIvanovna?’Isaid.‘Whatfor?’That’swhatIsaid.Ishouldn’t
havesaidthattoher!ShelookedatmeandwassoverysadthatI’drefused;it
waspitifultosee....Shewasn’tsadaboutthecollars,Irealized,butbecause
I’drefusedher.Ah,ifIcouldchangeitall,doitallagain,allthosewordsI
said....Oh,me...butwhatamIsaying?Itdoesn’tmakeanydifference!”

“DidyouknowLizaveta,themarketwoman?”

“Yes....Didyouknowher,too?”askedSonyawithsomesurprise.

“KaterinaIvanovnahasconsumption,abadcase;she’lldiesoon,”said
Raskolnikov,fallingsilentandnotansweringSonya’squestion.

“Oh,no,no,no!”Sonyaunconsciouslyseizedbothhishands,asifbegging
himnottoletithappen.

“Afterall,it’llbebetterifshedoes.”

“No,notbetter,notatall,notbetteratall!”sherepeatedanxiouslyand unconsciously.

unconsciously.

“Andthechildren?Whatwillyoudowiththem,ifyoudon’ttakethemin yourself?”
“Oh,Idon’tknow!”criedSonyaalmostindespair,andsheclutchedher
head.Itwasapparentthatthisthoughthadalreadyoccurredtohermanytimes
beforeandthathehadremindedherofitonceagain.

“Well,whatif,whilestilllivingwithKaterinaIvanovna,youfallillnowand
theytakeyoutoahospital,thenwhatwillhappen?”heinsistedpitilessly.

“Ah,whatareyousaying,whysaythat?Thatcan’tpossiblyhappen!”

Sonya’sfacewasdistortedwithhorriblefear.

“Whycan’tithappen?”continuedRaskolnikovwithacruelsmirk.“You’re
notinsured,areyou?Thenwhatwillhappentothem?Thewholebunchwillbe
drivenoutintothestreet;she’llcoughandbeg,bangherheadagainstthewall
somewhere,justlikeshedidtoday,andthechildrenwillcry....She’llfall
down,betakentothepolice,tothehospital,andshe’lldie,whilethe children...”

“Oh,no!Godwon’tallowthat!”ThewordsburstforthatlastfromSonya’s
constrictedchest.Shewaslistening,lookingathimimploringlyandfoldingher
handsinmutesupplication,asifeverythingdependedonhim.

Raskolnikovstoodupandbeganwalkingaroundtheroom.Aboutaminute
passed.Sonyastoodthere,herhandsandheadlowered,interribledistress.

“Can’tyousaveup?Putsomemoneyawayforarainyday?”heasked,
stoppingsuddenlyinfrontofher.

“No,”whisperedSonya.

“Ofcoursenot!Buthaveyoutried?”headded,almostwithderision.

“Ihave.”

“Anditfellthrough!Well,ofcourse,itdid.Whyevenask?”

Hewalkedaroundtheroomagain.Anotherminutepassed.

“Don’tyouearnsomemoneyeveryday?”
Sonyawasmoreembarrassedthanbefore;herfaceflushedwithcoloronce again.

“No,”shewhisperedwithtormentedeffort.

“Polechkawillprobablywindupthesameway,”hesaidsuddenly.

“No!No!Itcan’tbe,no!”Sonyacriedloudly,asifindespair,asifsomeone
hadstabbedherwithaknife.“God,Godwon’tallowsuchaterriblething!”

“Heletsithappentootherpeople.”

“No,no!Godwillprotecther,Hewill!”sherepeated,besideherself.

“Perhapsthere’snosuchthingasGod,”Raskolnikovreplied,evenwith
somemaliciousdelight.Hebeganlaughingandglancedather.

Sonya’sfacesuddenlychangedterribly:ashudderranacrossit.Sheglanced

Sonya’sfacesuddenlychangedterribly:ashudderranacrossit.Sheglanced
athimwithinexpressiblereproach,wantedtosaysomething,butcouldn’tuttera
word.Allofasudden,shejuststartedweepingbitterly,coveringherfacewith
herhands.

“YousaythatKaterinaIvanovna’smindismuddled;yourmindismuddled,
too,”hesaidaftersomesilence.

Aboutfiveminutespassed.Hekeptpacingtheroominsilence,without
glancingather.Atlasthewentuptoher;hiseyeswereshining.Heputhis
handsonhershouldersandlookedintoherweepingface.Hisgazewasdry,
inflamed,andsharp;hislipsweretremblingviolently....Allatonce,hebowed
downquicklyand,fallingtothefloor,kissedherfoot.Sonyatookastepback
fromhiminfear,asiffromamadman.And,infact,helookedcompletelymad.

“What’sthis?Whatareyoudoing?Tome?”shemuttered,turningpale;her
heartsuddenlyachedinagony.

“Ididn’tbowdowntoyou;Iboweddowntoallhumansuffering,”heuttered
madlyandwentovertothewindow.“Listen,”headded,returningtohera
minutelater.“Alittlewhileago,Isaidtoanoffensivefellowthathewasn’t
worthevenyourlittlefinger...andthatIdidmysisteranhonortodaywhenI
sathernexttoyou.”

“Ah,whydidyoutellthemthat?Inherpresence?”criedSonyainalarm.“To
sitwithme?Anhonor?ButIhavenohonor....I’magreat,greatsinner!Ah,
whydidyousaythat?”

“Isaiditaboutyounotbecauseofyourdishonorandyoursin,butbecauseof
yourgreatsuffering.Asforyourbeingagreatsinner,that’strue,”headded
almostenthusiastically.“Worstofallisthatyou’reasinnerwho’sdestroyedand
betrayedherself invain.Isn’titreallyterrible!Isn’titterriblethatyoulivein
thisfilththatyoudespiseand,atthesametime,youyourselfknow(allyouhave
todoisopenyoureyes)thatyou’renothelpinganyoneandnotsavinganyone
fromanything!Tellmeonceandforall,”hesaid,almostinafrenzy,“howthis
disgraceandthisbasenesscanbecombinedinyoutogetherwithother
contradictoryandsacredfeelings?Why,itwouldbemorejust,athousandtimes
morejustandmorereasonabletoplungeyourheadintothewaterandenditall
atonce!”

“Andwhatwillbecomeofthem?”Sonyaaskedweakly,glancingathimfull
ofsuffering,butatthesametimenotatallsurprisedbyhissuggestion.

Raskolnikovregardedherstrangely.

Hewasabletounderstandeverythinginthatonelook.Apparently,thisidea
musthaveoccurredtoheralready.Perhapsshehadevenseriouslyconsidered
manytimesinherdespairhowtoenditall,soseriouslythathissuggestion
almostdidn’tsurpriseher.Shedidn’tevennoticethecrueltyofhiswords(of

almostdidn’tsurpriseher.Shedidn’tevennoticethecrueltyofhiswords(of
course,shealsodidn’tnoticethemeaningofhisreproachesandofhispeculiar
viewofherdisgrace,andthiswasobvioustohim).Butheunderstood
completelyhowmonstrouslyshewastormented,andhadbeenforsometime,by
thethoughtofherdishonorableandshamefulpredicament.What,whatonearth
couldpossibly,hewondered,haveimpededherresolveuptothispointtoendit
allatonce?Andonlythendidhecompletelyunderstandthemeaningthesepoor
littleorphanchildrenhadforher,andthepitifulhalf-madKaterinaIvanovna,
withherconsumptionandherbangingherheadagainstthewall.
YetitwascleartohimonceagainthatSonya,withhercharacterandthe
upbringingshehadnonethelessreceived,couldinnowaystayasshewas.Still
thequestionremainedforhim:howcouldshehavestayedinherpresent
situationforsolongandnotlosthermind,ifshewasn’tstrongenoughtothrow
herselfintothewater?Ofcourse,heunderstoodthatSonya’spositioninsociety
wasaccidental,although,unfortunately,notsingularandnotexceptional.But
thisverychance,thissmatteringofeducation,andallherpreviouslifecould
havedestroyedheratherveryfirststeponthisabominablepath.Whathad
supportedher?Itwasn’tthedepravity.Why,thisdisgrace,obviously,had
affectedheronlymechanically;notonedropofgenuinedisgracehadyet
penetratedintoherheart:hesawthis;shestoodbeforehiminreality...

“Shehasthreewaysshecango,”hethought.“Shecanthrowherselfintothe
canal,windupinamadhouse,or...or,intheend,immerseherselfindepravity,
stupefyinghermindandhardeningherheart.”Thislastthoughtwasthemost
repulsiveofall;buthewasalreadyskeptical;hewasyoung,philosophical,and
thereforecruel.Asaresult,hecouldn’thelpbelievingthatthelastescape,that
is,depravity,wasthemostprobableofall.

“Butisthatreallythetruth?”hecriedtohimself.“Isitreallypossiblethat
thiscreature,whostillpreservesherpurityofspirit,willconsciouslybedrawnin
theendintothatfilthy,stinkingpit?Hasn’tthatprocessalreadybegun,andisn’t
itonlybecauseshe’smanagedtoresistuptonowthatvicenolongerseemsso
repulsivetoher?No,no,thatcan’tpossiblybe!”hecried,asSonyahadbefore.

“No,uptothispointthethoughtofsinkeptherfromthecanal,andthethought of
them,thechildren....Andifshehasn’tlostherminduptonow?Butwho’s
tosaythatshehasn’talreadylosthermind?Isshereallyinherrightmind?Can
onereallytalkthewayshedoes?Canonereasonthewayshedoesinone’sright mind?
Canshestandoverherownruin,directlyabovethatstinkingpitinto
whichshe’sbeingdrawn,andcanshewaveherarmsandblockherearswhen
she’sbeingtoldaboutthedanger?Isitthatshe’swaitingforamiracle?She
mustbe.Aren’ttheseallsignsofmadness?”

Hepausedstubbornlyonthisthought.Heevenlikedthiswayoutmorethan

Hepausedstubbornlyonthisthought.Heevenlikedthiswayoutmorethan
anyother.Hebeganstaringathermoreintensely.
“So,doyoupraytoGodagreatdeal,Sonya?”heaskedher.

Sonyawassilent;hestoodnexttoherandwaitedforananswer.

“WhatwouldIbewithoutGod?”shewhisperedrapidly,energetically,
quicklyglancingathimwithhersparklingeyesandfirmlygraspinghishandin
herown.

“JustasIthought!”hesaidtohimself.

“AndwhatdoesGoddoforyouinreturn?”heasked,inquiringfurther.

Sonyawassilentforalongtime,asifshecouldmakenoreply.Herweak
chestheavedinagitation.

“Bequiet!Don’task!You’renotworthy!”shecriedsuddenly,lookingat
himsternlyandangrily.

“JustasIthought!JustasIthought!”herepeatedpersistentlytohimself.

“Hedoeseverything!”shewhisperedhurriedly,droppinghereyesagain.

“That’sawayout!That’stheexplanationofherwayout!”hedecided,
regardingherwithgreedycuriosity.

Withastrange,new,almostpainfulfeeling,helookedintoherpale,thin,
irregular,angularlittleface,hermeekblueeyes,whichcouldshinewithsuch
fire,suchseverestrongemotion,athersmallbody,stilltremblingfrom
indignationandrage,andallofthisseemedstrangerandstrangertohim,almost
impossible.“Aholyfool!She’saholyfool!”herepeatedtohimself. *

Abooklayonherdresser.Hehadnoticediteachtimehe’dwalkedpastit;
nowhepickeditupandlookedatit.ItwasaRussiantranslationoftheNew
Testament.Itwasanoldbook,worn,boundinleather.

“Where’sthisfrom?”heshoutedtoherfromacrosstheroom.Shestoodin
thesameplace,threepacesawayfromthetable.

“Itwasgiventome,”shereplied,asifreluctantlyandwithoutlookingat him.
“Bywhom?”

“Lizavetagaveittome;Iaskedherforit.”

“Lizaveta!Strange!”hethought.EverythingaboutSonyaseemedsomehow
strangerandmoreastoundingwitheachpassingminute.Hebroughtthebook
nearertothecandleandbeganthumbingthroughitspages.

“WheredoesittalkaboutLazarus?”heaskedsuddenly.

Sonyastaredstubbornlyatthefloorandmadenoreply.Shestoodwithher
sidefacingthetable.

“Where’stheraisingofLazarus? †Finditforme,Sonya.”

Shecastasidelongglanceathim.

“It’snotwhereyou’relooking....It’sintheFourthGospel,”shewhispered
sternly,notapproachinghim.

“Finditandreadittome,”hesaid.Hesatdown,placedhiselbowsonthe
table,restedhisheadononehand,andstaredgloomilytooneside,preparingto listen.

“Inafewweeksthey’llbewelcominghertoamadhouse!Imaywindup
there,too,ifsomethingworsedoesn’thappen,”hemutteredtohimself.

UponhearingRaskolnikov’sstrangerequestwithdistrust,Sonyamoved
hesitantlytothetable.Butshepickedupthebook.

“Haven’tyoureaditbefore?”sheasked,lookingathimdistrustfullyacross
thetable.Hervoicewasbecomingmoreandmoresevere.

“Alongtimeago....WhenIwasatschool.Readit!”

“Haven’tyouhearditinchurch?”

“I...don’tgotochurch.Doyougooften?”

“N-no,”Sonyawhispered.
Raskolnikovsmirked.

“Isee....And,ofcourse,tomorrowyouwon’tgotoyourfather’sfuneral?”

“Iwill.Iwasatchurchlastweek,too...tohavearequiemsung.”

“Forwhom?”

“ForLizaveta.Shewaskilledwithanaxe.”

Hisnervesgrewmoreandmoreirritated.Hisheadbeganspinning.

“WereyoufriendlywithLizaveta?”

“She...shewasveryfair....Shecamehere...notoften....Itwasn’t
possible.Weusedtoreadtogether...andchat.ShewillseeGod.”

Thesebookishwordssoundedstrangetohim,andonceagainitwas
somethingnew:somesortofmysteriousmeetingswithLizaveta,bothofthem—

holyfools.

“Imyselfwillbecomeonehere!It’scontagious!”hethought.“Read!”he
criedinsistentlyandirritablyallofasudden.

Sonyawasstillhesitating.Herheartwaspounding.Forsomereason,she
didn’tdarereadtohim.Helookedatthis“unhappyderangedwoman”almost
withtorment.

“WhyshouldIreadtoyou?Youdon’tevenbelieve,”shewhisperedquietly,
almostgaspingforbreath.

“Read!Iwantyouto!”heinsisted.“YouusedtoreadtoLizaveta!”

Sonyaturnedthepagesofthebookandsearchedfortheplace.Herhands
weretrembling,andhervoicefailed.Twiceshetriedtoreadbutwasunableto
uttereventhefirstword.

“‘Nowacertainmanwassick,namedLazarus,ofBethany...’”shesaidat
last,witheffort,butallofasudden,fromthethirdwordhervoicebeganto
vibrateandbreakoff,likeastringstretchedtootight.Herbreathfailedher,and
herchesttightened.

RaskolnikovunderstoodinpartwhySonyahadrefusedtoreadtohim,and
themoreheunderstoodthat,themoreabusivelyandirritablyheinsistedonher
reading.Heunderstoodalltoowellhowpainfulitwasforhertoexposeand
betrayallthatwas herown.Herealizedthatthesefeelingsseemedperhapsto
constitutehergenuineandcherishedsecret,perhapsfromherowngirlhood,
whenshewaslivingwithherfamily,withherunfortunatefatherandher
stepmother,dementedbygrief,amonghungrychildren,hideouscries,and
reproaches.Butatthesametime,henowknew,andknewforcertain,thateven
thoughshegrievedandfearedsomethingterribleasshenowsetaboutreading,
shealsofeltatormentingdesiretoread,inspiteofhergriefandallthedangers,
andtoreadjust tohim, sothatheheard,andprecisely now—“whatever
happenedafterward!”Hecouldreadthisinhereyes,hecouldunderstanditin
heremotionaldistress....Shegainedcontrolofherself,suppressedthethroat
spasmsthathadbrokenhervoiceatthebeginningoftheverse;thenshe
continuedreadingtheeleventhchapteroftheGospelofJohn.Thusshereached
thenineteenthverse:

“‘AndmanyoftheJewscametoMarthaandMary,tocomfortthem

concerningtheirbrother.ThenMartha,assoonassheheardthatJesuswas
coming,wentandmethim:ButMarysatstillinthehouse.ThensaidMartha
untoJesus,Lord,ifthouhadstbeenhere,mybrotherhadnotdied.ButIknow,
thatevennow,whatsoeverthouwiltaskofGod,Godwillgiveitthee.’”

Hereshepausedagain,sensingshamefullythathervoicewouldfalterand
breakoffoncemore...

“‘Jesussaithuntoher,Thybrothershallriseagain.Marthasaithuntohim,I
knowthatheshallriseagainintheresurrectionatthelastday.Jesussaithunto
her,Iamtheresurrectionandthelife:hethatbelievethinme,thoughhewere
dead,yetshallhelive.Andwhosoeverlivethandbelievethinmeshallneverdie.

Believestthouthis?Shesaithuntohim—’”
(And,seemingtodrawherbreathwithpain,Sonyareadclearlyand
compellingly,asifsheherselfwasconfessingforalltohear:)

“‘Yea,Lord:IbelievethatthouarttheChrist,theSonofGod,whichshould
comeintotheworld.’”

Shewasabouttopauseandglancequicklyupathim,butsoongained
controlofherselfandbeganreadingagain.Raskolnikovsatandlistenedwithout
moving,withoutturning,hiselbowsonthetable,lookingtooneside.Theyread
uptoversethirty-two.

“‘ThenwhenMarywascomewhereJesuswas,andsawhim,shefelldown

“‘ThenwhenMarywascomewhereJesuswas,andsawhim,shefelldown
athisfeet,andsayinguntohim,Lordifthouhadstbeenhere,mybrotherhadnot
died.WhenJesusthereforesawherweeping,theJewsalsoweepingwhichcame
withher,hegroanedinthespirit,andwastroubled,Andsaid,Wherehaveye laidhim?
Theysayuntohim,Lord,comeandsee.Jesuswept.Thensaidthe
Jews,Beholdhowhelovedhim!Andsomeofthemsaid,Couldnotthisman,
whichopenedtheeyesoftheblind,havecausedthateventhismanshouldnot
havedied?’”

Raskolnikovturnedtoherandlookedatherwithagitation:yes,thatwasit!

Shewasalreadytremblinginreal,genuinefever.Hehadbeenexpectingthis.

Shewasnearingthewordsofthegreatestandmostunprecedentedmiracle,anda
feelingofimmensetriumphtookholdofher.Hervoicebecameasclearasa
bell;triumphandjoyresoundedinitandstrengthenedit.Thelinesbecame
confusedinfrontofherbecausethingsdarkenedinhereyes,butsheknewthe
passagebyheart.Atthelastverse,“Couldnotthisman,whichopenedtheeyes
oftheblind,”sheloweredhervoice,conveyingpassionatelyandheatedlythe
doubt,reproach,andcensureoftheunbelieving,unseeingJews,whoverysoon,
amomentlater,asifstruckbythunder,wouldfalldown,beginweeping,and
believe....“And he,he—alsounseeingandunbelieving—he,too,wouldhearat
once,andhe,too,wouldbelieve.Yes,yes!Rightnow,immediately,”she
dreamedandtrembledinecstaticexpectation.
“‘Jesusthereforeagaingroaninginhimselfcomethtothegrave.Itwasa
caveandastonelayuponit.Jesussaid,Takeyeawaythestone.Martha,the
sisterofhimthatwasdead,saithuntohim,Lord,bythistimehestinketh:forhe
hasbeendead four days.’”

Sheenergeticallyemphasizedtheword: four.

“‘Jesussaithuntoher,SaidInotuntothee,thatifthouwouldstbelieve,then
thoushouldstseethegloryofGod?Thentheytookawaythestonefromthat
placewherethedeadwaslaid.AndJesuslifteduphiseyes,andsaid,Father,I
thanktheethatthouhastheardme.AndIknewthatthouhearestmealways:but
becauseofthepeoplewhichstandbyIsaidit,thattheymaybelievethatthou
hastsentme.Andwhenhethushadspoken,hecriedwithaloudvoice,Lazarus,
comeforth. Andhethatwasdeadcameforth—’”

(Shereadinaloudandecstaticvoice,tremblingandgrowingcold,asifshe
hadseenitwithherowneyes:)

“‘—boundhandandfootwithgraveclothes;andhisfacewasboundabout
withanapkin.Jesussaithuntothem,Loosehimandlethimgo.

“‘ ThenmanyoftheJewswhichcametoMary,andhadseenthethings
whichJesusdid,believedonhim.’”

Shedidn’treadanyfurther,norcouldshe;sheclosedthebookandstoodup

Shedidn’treadanyfurther,norcouldshe;sheclosedthebookandstoodup
quicklyfromherchair.

“That’sallthereisabouttheresurrectionofLazarus,”shewhispered
abruptlyandsternly;sheremainedmotionless,turnedtooneside,notdaring,as
ifashamed,toraisehereyesandlookathim.Herfeverishtremblingcontinued.

Thecandlestubhadlongsinceburneddowninthetwistedcandleholder,dimly
illuminatinginthisimpoverishedroomthemurdererandtheprostitute,strangely
unitedforthereadingoftheeternalbook.Fiveormoreminutespassed.

“Icametotellyousomething,”Raskolnikovsaidallofsuddeninaloud
voiceandwithafrown;hestoodupandwentovertoSonya.Shesilentlyraised
hereyesandlookedathim.Hisglancewasespeciallystern,expressingsome
fierceresoluteness.

“TodayIdesertedmyfamily,”hesaid,“mymotherandmysister.Iwon’tgo
toseethemnow.Ihavebrokenoffwiththemcompletely.”

“Why?”askedSonyainastonishment.Therecentmeetingwithhismother
andsisterhadmadeanextraordinaryimpressiononher,althoughitwasstill
uncleartoherwhy.Sheheardthisnewsoftherupturealmostinhorror.

“NowIhaveonlyyou,”headded.“We’llgotogether....I’vecometoyou.

We’rebothdamned.We’llgotogether!”

Hiseyeswereshining.“Heseemshalfmad!”Sonyathoughtinherturn.

“Gowhere?”sheaskedinfear,unintentionallytakingastepback.

“HowshouldIknow?Iknowonlythatit’salongoneroad;thatIknowfor certain—
andonlythat.Onegoal!”

Shelookedathim,notunderstandingathing.Sheunderstoodonlythathe
wasterribly,infinitelyunhappy.

“Notoneofthemwillunderstandanything,ifyoutellthem,”hecontinued,

“butIunderstood.Ineedyou;that’swhyIcametoseeyou.”

“Idon’tunderstand,”whisperedSonya.

“You’llunderstandlater.Haven’tyoudonethesamething?You’vealso
steppedover...youwereabletodoit.Youlaidhandsonyourself,you destroyedyour
own life.(It’sallthesame!)Youcouldhavelivedbyreasonand
spirit,butyou’llendupontheHaymarket....Butyoucan’tendureit,andif
youremainalone,you’llloseyourmind,justasIwill.Evennowyou’relike
someonederanged;therefore,we’llgotogether,alongthesameroad!Let’sgo!”

“Why?Whyareyousayingthis?”saidSonya,strangelyandpassionately
agitatedbyhiswords.
“Why?Becauseyoucan’tremainlikethis—that’swhy!Youmustfinally
judgethingsseriouslyanddirectly,andnotweepandyelllikeachildthatGod
won’tallowit!Whatwillhappenifyougettakenawaytoahospitaltomorrow?

KaterinaIvanovna’snotinherrightmindandshehasconsumption;she’lldie
soon;thenwhatwillhappentothechildren?Won’tPolechkaberuined?Haven’t
youseenchildrenhere,onstreetcorners,whosemotherssendthemouttobeg
forcharity?I’vefoundoutwherethesemothersliveandinwhatcircumstances.

Thereit’simpossibleforchildrentostaychildren.Aseven-year-oldchildis
depravedandathief.ButchildrenaretheimageofChrist:‘forofsuchisthe
kingdomofheaven.’Hecommandedustocherishthemandtolovethem;
they’rethefutureofhumanity...”

“What,then,whatmustwedo?”Sonyarepeated,cryinghystericallyand
wringingherhands.

“Whatmustwedo?Destroywhat’snecessary,onceandforall,that’sall:
andtakethesufferinguponus!What?Youdon’tunderstand?Youwill
later....Freedomandpower,andpower’sthemainthing!Overalltrembling
creaturesandovertheentireanthill!...That’sthegoal!Rememberthis!Those
aremypartingwordstoyou!ThismaybethelasttimeIspeakwithyou.IfI
don’tcometomorrow,youwillhearaboutitallyourselfandthenremember
thesewordsI’msayingtoyounow.Andsometime,afterward,inafewyears,
afteryou’velivedawhile,perhapsyou’llcometounderstandwhattheymeant.

ButifIcometomorrow,I’lltellyouwhokilledLizaveta.Farewell!”

Sonyabegantremblinginfright.

“Doyoureallyknowwhokilledher?”sheasked,turningcoldinhorrorand
regardinghimwildly.

“IknowandI’lltell....You,andyoualone!I’vechosenyou.Iwon’tcome
toaskyourforgiveness,I’llsimplytellyou.AwhileagoIchoseyoutotell;back
whenyourfatherspokeaboutyouandwhenLizavetawasalive,Ithoughtof
this.Farewell.Don’tgivemeyourhand.Tomorrow!”
Heleft.Sonyalookedathim,ashewalkedaway,asifheweremad;butshe
herselfwaslikeamadwoman,andsherealizedit.Herheadwasspinning.“Lord!

HowdoesheknowwhokilledLizaveta?Whatdidthosewordsmean?Thisis
terrible!”Butatthesametimethe thought didnotoccurtoher.Bynomeans!

Notatall!“Oh,hemustbeterriblyunhappy!Hedesertedhismotherandsister.

Why?Whathappened?Andwhatdoesheintendtodo?”Whathadhesaidto her?
Hehadkissedherfootandsaid...said(yes,he’dsaiditclearly)thathe
couldn’tlivewithoutheranylonger....“Oh,goodLord!”

Sonyaspentthewholenightinafeveranddelirium.Attimesshewould
jumpup,weep,wringherhands,andthenfallbackintoafeverishsleep;she
dreamtofPolechka,KaterinaIvanovna,Lizaveta,readingtheGospel,andof
him...him,withhispalefaceandshiningeyes....Hewouldkissherfeetand
cry....“Oh,Lord!”

Behindthedoorontheright,thedoorthatseparatedSonya’sapartmentfrom

Behindthedoorontheright,thedoorthatseparatedSonya’sapartmentfrom
GertrudaKarlovnaResslikh’s,therewasaninterveningroom,longsinceempty,
belongingtoMadameResslikh’sapartment,andrentedoutbyher;noticesto
thateffecthadbeenplacedongatesandannouncementsstucktowindows
overlookingthecanal.Foralongtime,Sonyahadgrownaccustomedtothinking
theroomwasuninhabited.Meanwhile,allthistime,Mr.Svidrigaylovhadbeen
standinghiddenbehindthedoorintheemptyroom,andeavesdropping.When
Raskolnikovleft,hestoodthere,thoughtforawhile,returnedontiptoetohis
ownroom,whichwasnexttotheemptyroom,gotachair,andsilentlybroughtit
uptothedoorleadingintoSonya’sroom.Theconversationstruckhimas
interestingandsignificant,andhe’denjoyeditvery,verymuch—somuchso
thathehadbroughtachairinorderthatinthefuture,eventomorrow,for
example,hewouldn’thavetosubjecthimselfagaintotheunpleasantnessof
standingonhisfeetforawholehour,buthecouldmakehimselfmore
comfortable,sothathecouldderivepureenjoymentinallregards.
*A
yurodivy,orholyfool,wasasaintlypersonorasceticintheearlyChristiantradition;l
ater,incommon usage,thetermcametomeanacrazypersonorasimpleton.

†SonyareadsfromandrecitesversesfromtheGospelofJohn11:1–45.

Thenextmorning,atpreciselyeleveno’clock,whenRaskolnikoventeredthe
departmentofcriminalinvestigationsinthebuildinghousingthedistrictpolice
stationandaskedtobeannouncedtoPorfiryPetrovich,hewassomewhat
surprisedbyhowlongittookforhimtobeadmitted:atleasttenminutespassed
beforehewascalled.Accordingtohiscalculations,itseemed,theyshouldhave
seizeduponhimatonce.Meanwhile,hestoodinthereceptionroomwhile
peoplewhohadnointerestinhimatallcameandwent.Inthenextroom,
resemblinganoffice,severalclerkswerebusywriting;itwasobviousthatnot
oneofthemhadanyideawhoorwhatthisRaskolnikovwas.Helookedaround
witharestless,suspiciousglance,observingclosely:wasthereaprisonguard
anywherenearhim,oramysteriousgazefromsomeonedesignatedtokeepan
eyeonhimsohewouldn’tleave?Buttherewasnothingofthekind:hesawonly
officeworkersengagedintrivialmatters,aswellasseveralotherpeople,but
nobodytherehadanyneedforhim,asifhewerefreetoleaveandgowherever
hewished.Raskolnikovbecamemoreandmoreconvincedoftheideathatifthe
enigmaticmanfromyesterday,thatapparitionwhohadappearedfromoutof
nowhere,hadreallyseeneverythingandknowneverything—wouldtheyever
haveallowedhimtostandtherenowandwaitpatiently?Andwouldtheyhave
waitedforhimhereuntileleveno’clockwhenhe’ddecidedtocomeallonhis own?
Itmustbeeitherthatthemanstillhadn’treportedanythingor...orelse
he,too,simplydidn’tknowanythingandhadn’tseenanythingwithhisown
eyes(andhowcouldhehaveseenanything?);therefore,allthathadoccurredto
him,Raskolnikov,yesterdaywasanapparition,exaggeratedbyhisaggravated
andsickimagination.Thisguess,evenasearlyasyesterday,duringhissevere
anxietiesanddespair,hadbeguntostrengtheninhim.Havingthoughtitall
through,whilepreparingforanewstruggle,hesuddenlyfeltthathewas trembling—
indignationevenbegantoseetheinhimatthethoughtthathewas
tremblinginfearbeforethehatedPorfiryPetrovich.Themostterriblethingof
allwastohavetomeetthismanonceagain:hehatedhimbeyondallmeasure,
withoutlimit,andhewasevenafraidthatthishatredwouldcausehimtobetray
himself.Hisindignationwassointensethatitimmediatelycurtailedhis
trembling;hepreparedtoenterwithacold,insolentappearanceandpromised
himselftomaintainhissilenceforaslongashecould,towatchcarefullyand
listenattentively,sothatthistime,atleast,nomatterwhathappened,hewould

conquerhisownmorbidlyagitatednature.Atthatverymoment,hewas
summonedtoseePorfiryPetrovich.

ItturnedoutthatthistimePorfiryPetrovichwasalone.Hisofficewas
neitherlargenorsmall;alargedeskstoodinfrontofasofacoveredwithan
oilcloth;therewasalsoabureau,abookcaseinonecorner,andseveralchairs—

allofficialfurniture,madeofpolishedyellowwood.Inonecorner,intherear wall—
or,thatis,thepartition—therewasacloseddoor:fartheron,behindthe
partition,musthavethereforebeensomeotherrooms.AtRaskolnikov’s
entrance,PorfiryPetrovichquicklyandquietlyclosedthedoorthroughwhichhe
hadentered,sothattheyremainedalone.Hemethisguest,apparently,withthe
mostcheerfulandwelcominglook;itwasonlyafewminuteslaterthat
Raskolnikov,bycertainindications,noticedhisembarrassment,asifhewas
suddenlyunsettledorhadbeendiscovereddoingsomethingveryprivateand secret.

“Ah,mydearfellow!Hereyouare...inourterritory,”beganPorfiry,
extendingbothhandstohim.“Well,haveaseat,oldboy!Butperhapsyoudon’t
liketobecalled‘dearfellow’or...‘oldboy’likethat toutcourt? *Pleasedon’t
considerittoofamiliar....Sithere,sir,onthesofa.”

Raskolnikovsatdownwithouttakinghiseyesoffhim.

“Inourterritory,”excusesforthefamiliarity,theFrenchphrase“toutcourt, ”

andsoonandsoforth—allcharacteristicindications.“Heextendedbothhis
handstome,yetdidn’tgivemeevenone;hewithdrewhishandintime,”flashed
throughhismindsuspiciously.Theybothwatchedeachother,butassoonas
theireyesmet,theyturnedawayfromoneanotherinstantly.

“Ibroughtyouthispaper...aboutthatwatch...hereitis.Isitallrightor shallIrecopyit?”

“What?Apaper?Yes,yes...don’tworry,that’sfine,”saidPorfiry
Petrovich,asifhurryingtogosomewhere,andonlyaftersayingthisdidhetake
thepaperandglanceatit.“Yes,it’sfineasis.Nothingmore’sneeded,”he
confirmedwiththesamespeedandplacedthepaperonthetable.Then,aminute
later,alreadytalkingaboutsomethingelse,hepickeditupfromthetableand
placeditonthebureau.

“Ibelievethatyesterdayyousaidyouwishedtoquestion

me...officially...aboutmyacquaintanceshipwith...themurderedwoman?”

Raskolnikovbeganagain.“WhydidIinserttheword‘believe’?”flashed
throughhismindlikelightning.“Well,andwhyamIsoworriedthatIinserted
thatword‘believe’?”Anotherthoughtoccurredtohimimmediately,alsolike
lightning.

Suddenlyhefeltthathissuspiciousness,asaresultofoneencounterwith
Porfiry,fromonlyafewwords,afewglances,hadinonemomentalready
grownintosomethingofmonstrousproportions...andthatthiswasvery
dangerous:hisnerveswereirritated,andhisanxietywasincreasing.“Thisis
dreadful,simplydreadful!I’llsaytoomuchagain.”

“Yes,yes,yes!Don’tworry!There’snohurry,nohurryatall,sir,”muttered
PorfiryPetrovich,pacingbackandfortharoundthetable,butseeminglywithout
anyobjective,asifhasteningfirsttothewindow,thentothebureau,thenback
tothetable,firstavoidingRaskolnikov’ssuspiciousglance,thensuddenly
stoppinginoneplaceandstaringdirectlyathim.Hissmall,plump,roundfigure,
likeaballrollinginvariousdirectionsandbouncingoffallthewalls,seemed
verystrangeindeed.

“We’llhaveplentyoftime,plentyoftime,sir!Doyousmoke?Doyouhave
anycigarettes?Here’sone,sir,”hecontinued,offeringhisguestacigarette.

“Youknow,I’mreceivingyouhere,butmyapartment’soverthere,behindthe
partition...theofficialone.RightnowI’mstayinginaprivateapartmentfor
sometime.Itwasnecessarytocompletesomerepairshere.It’salmostready
now....Youknow,anofficialapartmentisawonderfulthing,eh?Whatdoyou think?”

“Yes,awonderfulthing,”repliedRaskolnikov,regardinghimalmostwitha smirk.
“Awonderfulthing,awonderfulthing,”repeatedPorfiryPetrovich,asif
suddenlybeginningtothinkaboutsomethingaltogetherdifferent.“Yes,a
wonderfulthing!”hesaid,almostshoutingatlast,suddenlylookingdirectlyat
Raskolnikovandpausingtwostepsawayfromhim.Thisfoolishincessant
repetitionthatanofficialapartmentisawonderfulthing,itsvulgartriviality,was
inmarkedcontrasttotheearnest,thoughtful,andenigmaticglancehenow
aimedathisguest.

ButthisinflamedRaskolnikov’sspiteevenfurther,andhecouldscarcely
refrainfromissuingasarcasticandsomewhatcarelesschallenge.

“Doyouknow,”heaskedabruptly,lookingathimalmostinsolentlyand,as
itwere,enjoyinghisowninsolence,“itseemsthere’salegalprocedure,alegal
device—forallpossibleinvestigators—tobeginatfirstfromafar,with
trivialities,orevenwithsomethingserious,butcompletelyirrelevant,inorder
to,sotospeak,encourageor,toputitmoredirectly,todistractthepersonbeing
interrogated,tolullhissenseofcaution,andthen,allofasudden,tohithimover
theheadinthemostunexpectedmannerwiththemostfatalanddangerous question—
isn’tthatso?Isn’tthisstilldescribedreverentlyinallthetextbooksof
rulesandinstructions?”

“Yes,yes...so,youthinkIwentonabouttheofficialapartment...eh?”

WhilesayingthisPorfiryPetrovichsquinted,winked;somethingcheerfuland
slycrossedhisfacequickly;thewrinklesonhisforeheadweresmoothedout,his
littleeyesnarrowed,hisfeaturesslackened,andsuddenlyheburstintonervous,
prolongedlaughter,hiswholebodyquakingandquivering,whilestaringdirectly
atRaskolnikov.He,too,begantolaugh,forcinghimselfsomewhat;butwhen
Porfiry,seeingthathewasalsolaughing,collapsedintosuchpealsoflaughter
thathealmostturnedbrightred,Raskolnikov’srepulsionsuddenlyovertookhis
caution:hestoppedlaughing,frowned,andforalongtimestaredmaliciouslyat
Porfirywithouttakinghiseyesoffhim,allduringthetimeofhislongand,asit
were,intentionallyprolongedfitoflaughter.Carelessnesswas,however,
obviousonbothsides:itturnedoutthatPorfiryPetrovichseemedtobelaughing
rightinthefaceofhisguest,whowastakingthislaughtermaliciously,and
Porfirywasn’ttheleastbitashamedofthiscircumstance.Thislastfactwasvery
significantforRaskolnikov:herealizedthatalittlewhileagoPorfiryPetrovich
hadprobablynotbeenashamed;onthecontrary,perhapshehimself,
Raskolnikov,hadfallenintoatrap;therewassomethingherethathedidn’t
knowabout,somesortofgoal;perhapseverythinghadalreadybeenprepared,
andnow,atanymoment,itwouldberevealedandwouldensnarehim...

Atoncehecamestraighttothepoint;hestoodupandpickeduphiscap.

“PorfiryPetrovich,”hebegandecisively,butwithratherclearirritation.

“Yesterdayyoudeclaredthatyouwishedmetocomehereforsomesortof
interrogation.”(Heespeciallyemphasizedtheword“interrogation.”)“Ihave
come;ifyouneedanything,askme;ifnot,thenletmego.Ihavenotime;Ihave
thingstodo....Imustattendthefuneralofthatsamecivilservantwhowas
trampledbyhorses,aboutwhomyou...youalsoknow,”headded,immediately
growingangryathisadditionand,therefore,feelingevenmoreirritatedthan
before.“I’mfedupwithallofthis,sir,doyouhear,andhavebeenforsome
time....Ibecameillpartlyasaresult....Inaword”—hewasalmostshouting,
awarethatthewordsabouthisillnesswereevenmoreinappropriate—“ina
word:pleaseeitheraskmewhateveryouwantto,orletmego,right
now....Andifyoudoquestionme,thenonlyintheproperform,sir!

Otherwise,Iwon’tallowit;therefore,farewellforthetimebeing,sincethere’s
nothingnowleftforthetwoofustotalkabout.”

“GoodLord!Whatareyousaying?What’sthereformetoask?”clucked
PorfiryPetrovichsuddenly,atoncealteringhistoneandhislook;hestopped
laughingimmediately.“Pleasedon’tbeconcerned,”headded,onceagainracing
aroundtheroom,suddenlyurgingRaskolnikovtositdownagain.“There’sno
hurry,there’splentyoftime,sir,andallthisismerenonsense,sir!Justthe

opposite:I’msogladyoufinallydecidedtovisitus....Iwanttoreceiveyouas
aguest.Asforthatblastedlaughter,RodionRomanovich,oldboy,willyou
forgiveme?Thatisyourpatronymic,isn’tit?I’manervousman,sir,andyou
reallydidamusemewithyourwittyremark;sometimes,Imustadmit,Istart
shakinglikeapieceofrubber,andkeepitupforhalfanhour....I’measily
movedtolaughter,sir.Withmyconstitution,IevenfearthatImightsuffera
stroke.Won’tyouhaveaseat?Please,oldboy,orelseI’llthinkyou’re angry...”
Raskolnikovwassilent;helistenedandobserved,stillfrowningangrily.He
didsitdown,buthedidn’tletgoofhiscap.

“I’lltellyouonething,RodionRomanovich,oldboy,aboutmyself,to
explainmycharacter,sotospeak,”PorfiryPetrovichcontinued,stillbustling
abouttheroomand,asbefore,avoidingmeetinghisguest’seyes.“Youknow,
I’mnotmarried,notsophisticated,andnotwellknown;inaddition,I’mall
washedup,finished,sir,gonetoseedand...and...andhaveyounoticed,
RodionRomanovich,thathereamongus,thatis,inRussia,sir,especiallyinour
Petersburgcircles,iftwoclevermen,notyetacquaintedwitheachotherbut,so
tospeak,whomutuallyrespectoneanother,thewayyouandIdonow,sir,if
theycometogether,theyspendhalfanhourwithouteverfindinganythingtotalk about
—theyfreezeupinfrontofeachother,theysitthereandthey’reboth
embarrassed.Everyonehassomethingtotalkabout,ladies,forexample...or
fashionablepeople,forexample,peopleinhighsociety,there’salways
somethingtotalkabout, c’estderigueur, butpeopleinthemiddle,likeus—that
is,thosewhothink—we’realwaysembarrassedandnottalkative....Whydo
youthinkthat’sso,oldboy?Doyouthinkit’sbecausewehavenointerestin
socialmatters,orisitthatwe’reveryhonestanddon’twishtodeceiveone another?
Idon’tknow,sir.Eh?Whatdoyouthink?Putyourcapdown,sir,it
looksasifyouplantoleaveatonce;really,it’suncomfortabletoseeit....On
theotherhand,I’msoglad,sir...”

Raskolnikovputhiscapdown,maintainedhissilence,andlistenedseriously,
withascowl,toPorfiry’sempty,disjointedchatter.“Ishereallytryingto
distractmewithhisfoolishchatter?”

“Iwon’tofferyoucoffee,sir,it’snottheplace;butwhynotsitherewitha
friendforfiveminutesorsoforsomeamusement,”Porfirychatteredonwithout
stopping,“andyouknow,sir,alltheseofficialobligations...don’tbeoffended,
oldboy,ifIkeeppacingbackandforth,sir;forgiveme,oldboy,I’mmostafraid
tooffendyou,butexerciseissimplyessentialtome,sir.Isitallthetime,and
I’msogladtospendfiveminutesmoving...it’shemorrhoids,sir....Ikeep
meaningtotrygymnasticstotreatthem;theysaythatstatecouncillors,active

statecouncillors,andevenprivycouncillors,liketojumprope,sir;that’sscience
foryou,inourdayandage,sir....Yes,sir....Andasfarasmyobligations
here,interrogationsandallthatformality...youyourself,oldboy,weregood
enoughtomentioninterrogations,sir...well,youknow,really,Rodion
Romanovich,oldboy,theseinterrogationssometimesconfoundtheinterrogator
morethantheydothepersonbeinginterrogated....Youjustremarkedonthis,
oldboy,withcompletefairnessandwittiness.”(Raskolnikovhadmadenosuch
remark.)“Yougetmixedup,sir!Really,mixedup!Andit’salwaysoneandthe
samething,oneandthesame,likebeatingadrum!Sothereform † willtake
placeandatleastthey’llcallussomethingdifferent,ha-ha-ha!Andasforour
legalprocedures—asyousowittilyexpressedit—I’mincompleteagreement
withyou,sir.Who,tellme,whooutofallthepeopleaccusedofcrimes,evenif
they’reabsolutemuzhiks, ‡ whodoesn’tknow,forexample,thatatfirstthey
begintolullyouwithirrelevantquestions(inyourownfortuitousexpression)
andthenallofasuddenhityouoverthehead,withanaxe,sir,ha-ha-ha,over
yourhead,inyourfortuitousphrase,ha-ha!SoyoureallythoughtIwantedto
usethematterofthisapartmentwithyou...ha-ha!You’reanironicfellow.No,
Iwon’tdoit!Ah,bytheway,onelittlewordcallsupanother;oneidea
summonsanother.Youweregoodenoughtomentionformjustalittlewhile
ago,youknow,theformsoftheinterrogator,sir....Whybotherwiththeproper forms?
Theforms,youknow,inmanycases,arejustnonsense,sir.Sometimes,
youjustchatlikefriends,andit’smoreuseful.Formalityleadsnowhere,allow
metoreassureyou,sir;andwhatisthereintheforms,Iaskyou?Formsmustn’t
hampertheinterrogatorateverystep.Thebusinessoftheinterrogatoris,soto
speak,akindoffreewheelingart,orsomethingofthesort...ha-ha-ha!”

PorfiryPetrovichcaughthisbreathforamoment.Hehadbeenspurtingthese
empty,meaninglessphraseswithoutstop,suddenlydroppinginsomeenigmatic
words,thenwanderingoffintononsenseagain.Hewasnowalmostrunning
aroundtheroom,movinghisstoutlittlelegsfasterandfaster,lookingdownat
thefloor,hisrighthandthrustbehindhisback,hisleftconstantlywavingabout,
executingvariousgestures,eachtimeastonishinglyill-suitedtohiswords.

Raskolnikovsuddenlynoticedthat,asheranabouttheroom,hepausedafew
times,asitwere,nexttothedoorforamoment,andseemedtobe
listening....“Isheexpectingsomething?”

“Butyouwerereallyquitecorrect,sir,”Porfiryresumedagain,cheerfully,
regardingRaskolnikovwithunusualsincerity(asaresultofwhichRaskolnikov
evenshudderedandpromptlypreparedhimself),“reallycorrect,sir,whenyou
weresowittyattheexpenseofourlegalforms,ha-ha!Theseprofoundly
psychologicaldevicesofours(certainofthem,ofcourse)areextremely
amusing,sir,perhapsevenuseless,sir,ifoneisconfinedbytheseformalities,
sir.Yes,sir...I’mtalkingaboutformsagain:well,ifIrecognize—or,more
correctly,suspect—thatsomeoneorotherhascommittedacrime,sir,inacase
I’vebeenassigned....Why,you’restudyinglaw,aren’tyou,Rodion Romanovich?”

“Yes,Iwas...”

“Well,thenhere’salittleexampleforthefuture—thatis,don’tthinkI’ddare
toinstructyou:why,justlookatthosearticlesoncrimeyoupublish!No,sir,it’s
justasafactthatIdarepresentyouwithalittleexample—sothen,ifI,for
instance,considersomeoneguiltyofcommittingacrime,why,Iaskyou,would
Iwanttoalarmhimprematurely,evenifIhaddefiniteevidenceagainsthim,sir?

Forexample,I’mobligedtoarrestonepersonsooner,butsomeoneelsehasa
differentcharacter,sir;sowhyshouldn’tIlethimgallivantaroundtown,sir,ha-
ha!No,Icanseeyoudon’tquiteunderstand,soI’llexplainittoyoumore
clearly:forinstance,ifIweretoputhiminjailtoosoon,thenI’dbegivinghim
moralsupport,sotospeak,ha-ha!You’relaughing?”(Raskolnikovwasn’teven
temptedtolaugh:hesatthere,histeethclenched,withouttakinghisangrygaze
fromPorfiryPetrovich’seyes).“Meanwhile,that’showitis,especiallywith
somesubjects,becausepeoplearedifferent,sir,yetthere’sonlyoneprocedure
forallofthem,sir.Nowyou’llsay,whatabouttheevidence?Well,let’ssuppose
thereisevidence,sir,butevidence,oldboy,cutstwoways,forthemostpart,sir.

I’maninvestigatorand,asaresult,IconfessthatI’manimperfectman:I’dlike
topresentaninvestigationthatis,sotospeak,mathematicallyclear;I’dliketo
haveevidencethatistheequivalentoftwotimestwomakesfour!Itwouldbe
directandincontrovertibleproof!Butifyoulocksomeoneupbeforeit’stime—

evenifIwereconvincedthatitwas him—Imightbedeprivingmyselfofthe
meansoffurtherexposure,andwhy?BecauseI’dbegivinghimadefinite
position,sotospeak,defininghimpsychologicallyandreassuringhim,andhe’d
retreatfrommeintohisshell:he’dunderstandatlastthathewasbeingaccused
ofthecrime.TheysaythatinSevastopol,rightaftertheBattleoftheAlma, §

cleverpeoplewereterrifiedthatatanymomenttheenemywouldattackwithall
itsmightandwouldsooncapturethetown;butwhentheysawthattheenemy
preferredtostagearegularsiegeandwasdiggingthefirstrowoftrenches,they
saythatthesesamecleverpeoplerejoicedandfeltreassured,sir:iftheywere
goingtomountaregularsiege,thentheaffairwoulddragonforatleasttwo
months!You’relaughingagain.Youdon’tbelieveme?Well,ofcourse,you’re
right.You’reright,sir,quiteright!Thesearespecialcases,Iagreewithyou;the

exampleIpresentedisreallyaspecialcase,sir!Buthere’swhatyouneedto
keepinmind,mydearRodionRomanovich:theaveragecase,sir,theonefor
whichalltheselegalformsandproceduresaredevised,andwithwhichthey’re
intendedtocopeandarerecordedinbooks,doesn’treallyexistatall,forthe
simplereasonthateverycase,everycrime,forexample,assoonasitoccursin
reality,immediatelybecomesacompletelyspecialcase,sir;infact,it’slike
nothingthat’severhappenedbefore,sir.Veryamusingcasesofthiskind
sometimesoccur,sir.IfIleaveaparticulargentlemanallalone:ifIdon’tarrest
himanddon’tdisturbhim,butifheknowsateveryhourandeveryminute,orat
leastifhesuspects,thatIknoweverything,allthereistoknow,andthatI’m
followinghimdayandnight,watchinghimconstantly,andifhefeelstheweight
ofmyconscioussuspicionandfear,wellthen,he’sabsolutelycertaintolosehis
head.Hehimselfwillcomeforwardofhisownaccord,sir,andmightperhapsdo
somethingthat,justliketwotimestwomakesfour,willprovide,sotospeak,
mathematicalclarity—thatwouldbeverynice,sir.Thiscanhappenevenwitha
coarsepeasant,allthemoresowithpeopleofourilk,aclevercontemporary
manwho’sdevelopedinacertaindirection.Forthisreason,mydearboy,it’s
veryimportanttounderstandthedirectionofaperson’sdevelopment.Andthe
nerves,sir,thenerves,you’veforgottenallaboutthem,sir!Thesedays
everyone’ssosick,andfrayed,andirritable!Andthey’reallsofullofbile,so
veryfull!Andthis,initsownway,Icantellyou,sir,canbeamineof
information!WhyshouldIbeupsetifapersonwandersaroundtown unhindered?
Lethim,lethimgowhereverhepleasesfornow;Iknowthathe’s
mypreyandwon’tgetawayfromme!Wherecouldherunto,ha-ha!Abroad,or what?
APolewouldgoabroad,butnot him, themoresosinceI’mfollowing
himandhavetakenprecautions.Wouldherunintothedepthsofthe countryside?
Butpeasantslivethere,genuine,homespunRussianpeasants;so
ourcontemporary,adevelopedperson,wouldsoonerpreferprisonthanlifewith
suchstrangersasourpeasantsare,ha-ha!Butthisisallnonsenseandbesidethe
point.Whatdoesitmeantorunaway?It’saformality;it’snotthemainthing.
Thisisn’twhyhedoesn’trunawayfromme:it’sthathehasnowheretorun;he
won’trunaway psychologically, ha-ha!Whatafinelittleexpressionthatis!He
won’tescapefrommebythelawofnature,eveniftherewassomewheretorun
to.Haveyouseenamothnearacandle?Well,justlikethathe’llcircle,circle
aroundme,likeamotharoundaflame;hisfreedomwillnolongersatisfyhim;
he’llstartthinking,becomeconfused,leadinghimselfallaround;he’llget
tangledupinanetandworryhimselftodeath!Evenmorethanthat,he’ll
presentmewithsomesortofmathematicalproof,liketwotimestwo—ifonlyI
allowhimenoughtimebetweentheacts....Andhe’llkeepon,keepcircling

aroundme,constantlynarrowingtheradiusofhiscircle—andthen—plop!He’ll
flyrightintomymouth;I’llswallowhimup,sir,andthatwillbeverynice,sir, ha-ha-
ha!Youdon’tbelieveme?”

Raskolnikovmadenoreply;hesattherepaleandimmobile,staringat
Porfiry’sfacewiththesamestrainedattention.

“It’safinelesson!”hethought,growingcold.“Bynowit’snotevenagame
ofcatandmouse,asitwasyesterday.Afterall,itisn’tthathe’sshowingoffhis
strengthandpromptingmefornothing:he’smuchtoocleverforthat!There
mustbesomeothermotive,butwhatisit?Hey,brother,you’refrighteningme
withthisnonsenseandtryingtotrickme!Youdon’thaveanyevidence,andthe
manIsawyesterdaydoesn’treallyexist!You’resimplytryingtoconfuseme,to
annoymeprematurely,andpounceonmewhenI’minsuchacondition,but
you’rewrong,you’llslipandfall!Butwhy,whyishepromptingmethisway?

Ishecountingonmyfrayednerves?No,brother,you’remistaken,you’llslip
andfall,evenifyou’vepreparedsomesurprise....Well,now,we’llseewhat
you’vecomeupwith.”

Hebracedhimselfwithallhismight,preparingforsometerribleand
unknowncatastrophe.AttimeshefeltlikehurlinghimselfatPorfiryand
stranglinghimonthespot.Whenhe’dfirstcomein,hehadbeenafraidofhis
ownrage.Hefeltthathismouthwasdry,hisheartwaspounding,andfoamwas
formingonhislips.Buthestillresolvedtoremainsilentandnotutteroneword
untilitwastime.Herealizedthatthiswasthebesttacticinhissituationbecause
thenhewouldn’tsayanythinghe’dregretlater;onthecontrary,he’dirritatehis
foewithhissilenceandperhapsPorfirymightevensaysomethinghe’dcometo
regretlater.Atleast,thatwaswhathewashoping.

“No,Iseeyoudon’tbelieveme,sir;youthinkI’mplayinginnocentpranks
onyou,”Porfiryresumed,becomingmoreandmorecheerful,giggling
constantlywithenjoyment,andbeginningtomovearoundtheroomonceagain.

“And,ofcourse,you’reright,sir.GodcreatedmeinsuchawaythatIarouse
onlycomicthoughtsinotherpeople;I’mabuffoon,sir;buthere’swhatIcantell
you,sir,andIcanrepeatitagain,sir,thatyou,oldboy,RodionRomanovich,
youshouldexcuseme,justanoldman,whileyou’restillsoyoung,sir,soto
speak,inyourfirstyouth,andthereforeyouvaluehumanintelligenceaboveall
else,accordingtothecustomofallyoungpeople.Playfulwitandabstract
conclusionsofreasonmerelytemptyou,sir.It’spreciselyliketheformer
AustrianHofkriegsrath,¶forexample,asmuchasIcanjudgemilitarymatters:
onpapertheydefeatedNapoleonandtookhimprisoner;theyhadcalculatedand
figureditalloutintheirstudy,butthen,yousee,GeneralMackwentand

surrenderedwithhisentirearmy,hee-hee-hee!Isee,oldboy,Isee,Rodion
Romanovich,thatyou’relaughingatme,acivilian,fortakingmyexamples
frommilitaryhistory.Butwhat’stobedone?It’saweakness.Ilovemilitary
affairs,andIlovereadingaboutallthesemilitarycommunications....ClearlyI
missedmytruecalling.Ireallyshouldhaveservedinthemilitary,sir.Imight
nothavebecomeaNapoleon,butImighthavebecomeamajor,sir,hee-hee-hee!

Well,sir,now,mydear,I’lltellyouthewholetruthaboutthis specialcase, that

is:realityandnature,mydearsir,areveryimportant,andtheysometimes
undercutthemostfarsightedcalculation!Hey,listentoanoldman,I’mspeaking
inearnest,RodionRomanovich.”(Sayingthis,PorfiryPetrovich,whowas
barelythirty-five,suddenlyseemedtogrowolder;evenhisvoicechanged,and
heseemedmorehunchedover.)“Besides,I’maverycandidman,sir....AmI
candidornot?What’syouropinion?ItseemstomethatI’mcompletelycandid:
I’mtellingyouallthesethingsfornothing,andI’mnotevenaskinganyreward, hee-
hee!Well,then,sir,I’llcontinue,sir:wit,inmyopinion,isamajesticthing,
sir;itis,sotospeak,thegloryofnatureandaconsolationforlife,andwhat
tricksitcansometimesplay,sothatattimes,itseems,itcanbewilderevensome
poorlittleinvestigator,who’sdistractedbyhisownfantasy,asalwayshappens,
becausehe’salsoonlyhuman,sir!Humannaturecomestotheaidofthepoor
investigator,that’sthepoint.Ayoungperson,carriedawaybyhisownwit,

‘oversteppingallobstacles’(asyouwerepleasedtoexpressitinthewittiestand
cleverestfashion),nevereventhinksaboutthis.Let’ssupposethathe,thatis,
thisman,our specialcase, sir,this incognito, sir,willliebrilliantly,inthe
cleverestway;thismightseemtobeatriumph,andhecouldenjoythefruitsof
hiswit,but,allofasudden,bang,hefallsintoafaintinthemostinterestingand
scandalousplace.Let’ssupposeit’sanillness,roomscansometimesbevery
stuffy,butallthesame,sir!Nevertheless,itsuggestsanidea!Helied
incomparablywell,buthecouldn’trelyonhisownnature.Thereitis,the
perfidy,sir!Anothertime,distractedbytheplayfulnessofhiswit,he’llbeginto
makefunofthemanwhosuspectshim;he’llgrowpale,asifonpurpose,asif
playingagame,buthegrowspalein toonaturalaway, toomuchlikeitwasthe
truth,andonceagainhe’ssuggestedanidea!Evenifhistricksucceedsatfirst,
theinvestigatorwillthinkitoveratnight,ifhe’snobody’sfool.Andit’slike
thateverystepoftheway,sir!Why?He’llbegintorunahead,buttinginwhere
he’snotaskedfor,he’llbegintalkingincessantlyaboutthosethingshereally
shouldkeepsilentabout,he’lluseslyallegories,hee-hee!Hehimselfwillcome
andbeginaskingquestions:whyhasn’thestillbeenarrested?Hee-hee-hee!And
thiscanhappenwiththecleverestfellow,withapsychologistorawriter,sir!

Humannature’samirror,amirror,sir,themosttransparent,sir!Lookintoitand

admire,that’swhat,sir!Whyhaveyouturnedsopale,RodionRomanovich?Isit
toostuffyinhere?ShallIopenawindow?”

“Pleasedon’ttroubleyourself,”criedRaskolnikovandsuddenlyburstout
laughing.“Pleasedon’ttroubleyourself!”

Porfirypausedoppositehim,waitedabit,andthensuddenlystartedlaughing
himself.Raskolnikovstoodupfromthesofaandabruptlycutshorthis
spasmodiclaughter.

“PorfiryPetrovich!”hesaidinaloudanddistinctvoice,eventhoughhe
couldbarelystandonhistremblinglegs.“AtlastIcanseeclearlythatyou
positivelysuspectmeofthemurderoftheoldwomanandhersisterLizaveta.I
musttellyouthat,onmypart,I’msickandtiredofthismatter.Ifyoufindthat
youhavethelegalrighttoprosecuteme,thendoso;ifyouhavetherightto
arrestme,thandoso.ButIwon’tallowyoutolaughinmyfaceandtorment me.”

Allofasuddenhislipsbegantrembling,hiseyesshonewithrage,andhis
voice,whichhadbeenrestraineduptothispoint,begantorise.

“Iwon’tallowit,sir!”hecriedsuddenly,banginghisfistonthetablewith
allhismight.“Doyouhearme,PorfiryPetrovich?Iwon’tallowit!”

“GoodLord!Notagain!”PorfiryPetrovichcried,apparentlyinarealfright.

“Oldboy,RodionRomanovich!Mydearfellow!Friend!What’sthematterwith
you?”

“Iwon’tallowit!”Raskolnikovstartedshoutingagain.

“Quietdown,oldboy!They’llhearyouandcomein!Justthink,whatwill
wetellthem?”PorfiryPetrovichwhisperedinhorror,bringinghisfacerightup
toRaskolnikov’s.

“Iwon’tallowit,Iwon’t!”Raskolnikovrepeatedautomatically,butalso
suddenlyinalowwhisper.

Porfiryquicklyturnedaroundandrantoopenawindow.

“I’llletinsomefreshair.Youshoulddrinksomewater,mydearboy,thisis
anattack,sir!”Herushedtothedoortoaskforsomewater,butthereinthe
corner,fortunately,wasacarafe.

“Here,oldboy,drinksome,”hewhispered,rushingtohimwiththecarafe.

“Itmighthelp...”PorfiryPetrovich’sfrightandsympathyseemedsonatural
thatRaskolnikovquieteddownandbeganexamininghimwithintensecuriosity.

Hedidn’t,however,accepttheglassofwater.

“RodionRomanovich!Mydearboy!You’lldriveyourselfmadthisway,I
canassureyou.Ah!Haveadrinkofwater!Drinkatleastalittlebit!”
Hemanagedtoforcehimtotaketheglassofwaterinhishand.Raskolnikov
wasautomaticallyabouttoraisetheglasstohislips,but,aftercomingtohis
senses,placedtheglassonthetablewithrepulsion.

senses,placedtheglassonthetablewithrepulsion.

“Yes,sir,youhadalittleattack,sir!Thatwayyou’llbringyourillnessback,
mydearboy,”cooedPorfiryPetrovichwithfriendlysympathy,althoughhestill
lookedratherdisconcerted.“GoodLord!Howcanyoutakesuchbadcareof
yourself?DmitryProkofichcametoseemejustyesterday—Iagree,Iagree,I
haveanasty,causticcharacter,buttheconclusionshedrewfromit!GoodLord!

Hecameyesterdayafteryoudid;wehaddinner,chattedforalongtime,andI
merelythrewmyhandsupinastonishment;well,Ithink...ah,you,goodLord!

Didyousendhimhere?Butsitdown,oldboy,takeaseat,forChrist’ssake!”

“No,Ididn’tsendhim!ButIknewhecametoseeyou,andIknowwhyhe
came,”Raskolnikovrepliedsharply.

“Youknew?”

“Idid.Sowhatofit?”

“It’sjustthat,RodionRomanovich,oldboy,Iknowaboutyourother
exploits,too;Iknoweverything,sir!Iknowthatyouwentto rentanapartment,
towardnighttime,whenitwasgrowingdark;youbeganringingthebell,asking
abouttheblood,andgottheworkmenandthecaretakersallupset.Why,I
understandyourspiritualstate,thatis,atthattime....Nevertheless,you’ll
simplydriveyourselfmadlikethat,sohelpmeGod,sir!You’llmakeyourself
crazy!Indignationisseethingtooviolentlyinsideyou,sir,nobleindignation,sir,
fromtheinsultsyou’vesuffered,firstfromfate,andthenfromthepolice,soyou
rusharound,hereandthere,toforceeveryonetospeakout,andthatwayto
finishwitheverythingallatonce,becauseyou’refedupwithallthisnonsense
andallthesesuspicions.Isn’tthatso?HaveIguessedyourstate?Butthatway
you’reupsettingnotonlyyourselfbutalsoRazumikhin;he’stoogoodaperson
forthis,asyouyourselfknow.Youhaveyourillness,buthehashisvirtue;your
illnesscanalsoinfecthim....Icantellyou,oldboy,whenyoucalm
down....Butsitdown,oldboy,forChrist’ssake!Please,havearest;youlook
terrible;dositdown.”

Raskolnikovsatdown;histremblingwasending,andhisentirebodyfelthot.

Indeepamazement,helistenedintentlytothefrightenedPorfiryPetrovich,who
seemedaffablysolicitousofhim.Buthedidn’ttrustevenoneofhiswords,
althoughhefeltsomestrangeinclinationtobelievehim.Porfiry’sunexpected
wordsabouttheapartmentcompletelystunnedhim.“Howcanitbethathe
apparentlyknowsabouttheapartment?”hesuddenlywonderedtohimself.“And
hehimselfeventellsmeaboutit?”

“Yes,sir,wehadacasethatwasalmostthesameinourlegalpractice,sir,a
psychologicalcase,amorbidone,sir,”Porfiryrattledon,speakingveryquickly.

“Thatfellowalsotriedtocastaspersionsonhimselfasamurderer,sir,andthis

ishowhedidit:heinventedanextensivehallucination,presentedfacts,
explainedcircumstances,becamemuddled,andwoundupconfusingeveryone
andeverything.Andwhatfor?Hehimself,absolutelyunintentionally,waspartly
thecauseofthemurder,butonlyinpart,andassoonashelearnedthathehad
giventhemurderersapretextforthecrime,hebecamemiserable,losttheability
tothinkclearly,beganseeingvisions,wentcompletelymad,andevenpersuaded
himselfthathewasthemurderer!Finally,theGoverningSenateheardthecase,
andtheunfortunatemanwasacquittedandprovidedwithcare.Thankstothe
GoverningSenate!Ohdear,ayyiyi!Sowhatthen,oldboy?Youcanendup
withafeverifsuchimpulseshappentoirritateyournervesandyougoaroundat
nightringingdoorbellsandaskingaboutblood!I’velearnedallthispsychology
inmylegalpractice,sir.Inthiswayamancansometimesfeelinclinedtothrow
himselfoutawindoworjumpfromabelltower;theemotioncanbevery
seductive.Sameforringingdoorbells....It’sanillness,RodionRomanovich,
anillness!You’vebeguntoneglectyourillnesstoomuch,sir.Yououghtto
consultanexperienceddoctor,andnotthatchubbyfellowyousee!You’re
delirious!You’redoingallthesethingsinyourdelirium!”

Foramoment,everythingseemedtobespinningaroundRaskolnikov.
“Couldhe,couldhe,”flashedthroughhishead,“belyingevennow?It’snot
possible,notpossible!”Hekeptpushingthisthoughtaway,foreseeingtowhat
degreeofrageandfurycoulditdrivehim,andfeelingthathemightlosehis
mindfromthatrage.

“Thatwasn’tinadelirium;Iwascompletelyconscious!”hecried,gathering
allthepowersofhisreasontodiscernthepointofPorfiry’sgame.“Iwas
conscious,conscious!Doyouhear?”

“Yes,Iunderstandyou,andIhearyou,sir!Youalsosaidyesterdaythatyou
weren’tdelirious,youeveninsistedonthat!Iunderstand,sir,everythingyoucan
say!Hey!Listentome,RodionRomanovich,mygoodfellow,there’sthis
circumstanceatleast.If,asamatteroffact,youreallywereguilty,orinsome
wayinvolvedwiththisaccursedbusiness,wouldyoubeinsistingthatyou
weren’tdeliriouswhenyoudiditalland,onthecontrary,wereinfullcommand
ofyourfaculties?Andsoveryinsistent,withsuchobstinacy,especiallyinsistent

—couldthispossiblybeso,couldit?Inmyopinion,itisjusttheopposite.Ifyou
reallyfeltsomethingwaswrong,thensurelyitwouldmakesenseforyouto
insistthatyouweredefinitelydelirious!Isn’tthatso?Well,isn’tit?”

Therewassomethingcraftycontainedinthisquestion.Raskolnikovrecoiled
allthewaytothebackofthesofa,awayfromPorfiry,whowasleaningover
him,andhestareddirectlyathiminsilentperplexity.

“AndthenaboutMr.Razumikhin,thatis,whetheritwashisownideato
comehereyesterdaytospeakonyourbehalforwasitatyourinstigation?But

comehereyesterdaytospeakonyourbehalforwasitatyourinstigation?But
youdon’tevenhideit!Youinsistthatitwasatyourinstigation!”

Raskolnikovhadneverinsistedonthat.Achillranupanddownhisspine.

“You’restilllying,”hesaidslowlyandweakly,hislipsdistortedintoa
sicklysmile.“Youwanttoshowmeonceagainthatyouknowmywholegame,
youknowallmyanswersinadvance,”hesaid,feelingthathewasn’tweighing
hiswordsasheshould.“Youwanttofrightenme...oryou’resimplylaughing atme...”
Hecontinuedstaringathimintentlywhilesayingthis,andonceagain
boundlessrageflashedsuddenlyinhiseyes.

“Youkeeplying!”hecried.“Youyourselfknowwellthatthecriminal’sbest
dodgeistorevealanythingthatdoesn’thavetobehiddeninsofaraspossible.I
don’tbelieveyou!”

“Whataslipperyfishyouare!”Porfirysaidwithagiggle.“There’snoway
todealwithyou;you’resufferingfromsomesortofmonomania.So,youdon’t
believeme?Isaythatyoudobelieve,youbelievemeoneinchoftheway,but
I’llmakeyoubelievemethewholeway,becauseItrulylikeyouandsincerely
wishyouwell.”

Raskolnikov’slipstrembled.

“Yes,sir,Idowish,sir,andIwilltellyoudefinitively,sir,”hecontinued,
gently,amicably,takingRaskolnikovbythearm,justabovehiselbow.“I’lltell
youdefinitively,sir:takecareofyourillness.Inaddition,yourfamilyhasnow
cometoseeyou;youshouldthinkaboutthem.Youshouldattendtothemand
cherishthem,butallyoudoisfrightenthem...”

“Whatbusinessisthatofyours?Howdoyouknowthat?Whyareyouso interested?
Isitthatyou’refollowingmeandthereforeyouwantmetoknow that?”

“Mydearfellow!Why,itwasfromyou,fromyouthatIfoundallthisout!

Youdon’tnoticethat,inyouragitatedstate,youyourselfblurteverythingoutto
meandtoothers.IalsofoundoutmanyinterestingdetailsyesterdayfromMr.

Razumikhin,DmitryProkofich.No,sir,youinterruptedme,butI’llsaythatin
spiteofyoursuspiciousness,allyourwit,you’vemanagedtoloseyoursensible
viewofthings.Take,forexample,thatthemeofthedoorbellsonceagain:I,that
is,theexaminingmagistrate,wholeheartedlyrevealedthatpreciousdetailtoyou,
thatfact.(Anditisafact,sir!)Andyoudon’tseeanythinginthat?Why,ifI
suspectedyouintheslightest,whywouldIproceedinthatway?Onthe
contrary,I’dfirsthavelulledyoursuspicions,andnotrevealedthatIalready
knewthatfact;thus,todistractyoutotheoppositesideandthen,allofasudden,
tostartleyouwithanaxeoveryourhead(borrowingyourownexpression):
‘Whatwereyoudoing,sir,inthemurderedwoman’sapartmentatteninthe
evening,evenclosertoeleven?Andwhywereyouringingthedoorbell?And
whywereyouaskingabouttheblood?Andwhydidyoutrytodeceivethe
caretakersandurgethemtogotothepolicelieutenant?’IfI’dhadevenadropof
suspicionaboutyou,that’showIshould’vebehaved.Ishould’vetakenaproper
statementfromyou,conductedasearch,whyperhapsIevenshould’vearrested
you....IfI’veactedotherwise,thenI’mnotharboringanysuspicionsofyou!

You’velostyoursensibleviewofthings;Irepeat,youdon’tseeanything,sir!”

Raskolnikov’sentirebodyjerkedsoviolentlythatPorfiryPetrovichnoticed
ittoowell.

“Youkeeplying!”hecried.“Idon’tknowyouraims,butyoukeep
lying....Alittlewhileagoyouweren’ttalkinglikethat,andIcan’tbemistaken
aboutthat....You’relying!”

“Me?Lying?”Porfirytookuptheidea,obviouslygettingexcitedbut
maintaininghismostcheerfulandmockinglook,and,itseems,nottroubling
himselfatallaboutMr.Raskolnikov’sopinionofhim.“Me?Lying?Well,and
howwasIbehavingtowardyoujustalittlewhileago(thatis,astheexamining
magistrate),whenIpromptedyouandofferedyouallthemeansforyour
defense,providingallthatpsychology:‘Illness,’Isaid,‘delirium,insults;
melancholyandpolicemen,’andalltherest?Eh?Hee-hee-hee!AlthoughI’ll
say,bytheway,thatallofthesepsychologicalmeansfordefense,theseexcuses
andevasions,areextremelyunsupported,andtheycutbothways:‘Illness,’you
said,‘delirium,daydreams,fantasies,Idon’trecall,’allthatmaybeso,sir,but
whyisit,oldboy,thatyouseepreciselythesedaydreamsinyourillnessoryour
delirium,andnotothers?Afterall,couldtherehavebeenotherones,sir?Isn’t thatso?
Hee-hee-hee-hee!”

Raskolnikovlookedathimwithprideandcontempt.

“Inaword,”hesaidinaloud,insistentvoice,standingupandpushing
Porfiryawayslightlyashestood,“inaword,Iwanttoknow:doyou
acknowledgethatI’mcompletelyfreeofsuspicionor not?Tellme,Porfiry
Petrovich,tellmeonceandforall,definitivelyandquickly,immediately!”
“Whatatask!Whatataskyou’resetting,”criedPorfirywithanabsolutely
cheerful,crafty,andcompletelyuntroubledlook.“Whydoyouwanttoknow,
whydoyouwanttoknowsomuchifnoone’sevenstartedpesteringyouyet?

You’relikealittlechild:askingtoplaywithfire!Whyareyousoworried?Why
doyouthrustyourselfuponus,forwhatreasons?Eh?Hee-hee-hee!”

“Irepeat,”criedRaskolnikovinafury,“Ican’ttoleratethisanylonger...”

“What,sir?Isittheuncertainty?”Porfiryinterrupted.

“Don’tmockme!Iwon’thaveit!Itellyou,Iwon’thaveit.Ican’tstandit,
andIwon’t!Doyouhearme?Doyou?”hecried,banginghisfistonthetable

andIwon’t!Doyouhearme?Doyou?”hecried,banginghisfistonthetable again.

“Quietdown,quiet!They’llhear!Iwarnyouinearnest:takecareof
yourself.I’mnotjoking!”Porfirysaidinawhisper,butthistimetherewasnone
ofhispreviouswomanlygenerosityandfrightenedexpression;onthecontrary,
nowhewasplainly ordering him,sternly,knittinghisbrowsandseemingto
banishatonceallsecretsandambiguities.Butthatlastedonlyamoment.

Raskolnikov,nowperplexed,suddenlyflewintoacompletefury;but,strangeto
say,onceagainheobeyedtheordertospeakmorequietly,eventhoughhewas
sufferingastrongparoxysmofrage.

“Iwon’tallowyoutotormentme!”hewhisperedsuddenly,thesamewayhe
hadbefore,instantlyawarethathewasunabletoignoretheorder;asaresultof
thisthought,hefeltevengreaterrage.“Arrestme,searchme,butbesogoodas
toactinaccordancewiththeproperforms;don’tplaywithme,sir!Don’tyou dare...”

“Don’ttroubleyourselfabouttheproperforms,”Porfiryinterruptedwithhis
previouscraftysmile,evenseemingtoadmireRaskolnikovwithsome
enjoyment.“I’veinvitedyouherenow,oldboy,informally,inacompletely
friendlymanner!”

“Idon’twantyourfriendship,andIspitatit!Doyouhear?Now,look:I’m
takingmycapandleaving.Wellthen,whatdoyousaynow,ifyouintendto arrestme?”
Hegrabbedhiscapandheadedforthedoor.

“Don’tyouwanttoseethelittlesurpriseIhave?”Porfirysaidwithagiggle,
onceagaingrabbinghimalittleabovehiselbowandstoppinghimatthedoor.

Hewasclearlybecomingmoreandmorecheerfulandplayful,andthat
positivelycausedRaskolnikovtolosecontrolofhimself.

“Whatsortofsurprise?Whatisit?”heasked,suddenlypausingand
regardingPorfirywithfright.

“Alittlesurprise,sir,righthere,waitingontheothersideofmydoor,hee-hee-
hee!”(Hepointedtothecloseddoorinthepartitionthatledtohisofficial
livingquarters.)“Ilockeditin,soitwouldn’trunaway.”

“Whatisit?Where?What?”Raskolnikovapproachedthedoorandwanted
toopenit,butitwaslocked.

“It’slocked,sir.Here’sthekey!”

Andasamatteroffact,hetookthekeyfromhispocketandshoweditto him.

“You’restilllying!”howledRaskolnikov,nolongerabletorestrainhimself.

“You’relying,youclown,youdamnedPunchinello! ”#hecried,andrushedat
Porfiry,whoretreatedtowardthedoorbutdidn’tflinchintheleast.

“Iunderstandeverything,everything!”hesaid,leapinginhisdirection.

“You’relyingandteasingme,soI’llgivemyselfaway...”

“Youcan’tgiveyourselfawayanymore,oldboy,RodionRomanych.

You’reinarage.Don’tshoutorI’llcalltheothersinhere,sir!”

“You’relying.Nothingwillhappen!Callthemin!YouknewIwasill,and
youwantedtoannoyme,drivemeintoafury,sothatI’dgivemyselfaway;that
wasyouraim!No,presentyourfacts!I’veunderstoodeverything!Youhaveno
facts.Youhaveonlyworthless,insignificantguesses,Zametov’sguesses!You
knewmycharacter;youwantedtodrivemeintoafuryandthensuddenlystartle
mewithpriestsanddeputies....You’rewaitingforthem?Eh?Whatareyou
waitingfor?Wherearethey?Presentthem!”

“Whatsortofdeputiesareyoutalkingabout,oldboy?Thethingsaperson
imagines!Andtodoasyousaywouldnotbeaccordingtotheform;youdon’t
knowwhattheproperprocedureis,mydear....Theformhasn’tgoneaway,sir,
you’llseeforyourself!”mutteredPorfiry,listeningatthedoor.

Andasamatteroffact,atthatmomentsomenoisecouldbeheardinthe
otherroom,rightbehindthedoor.

“Ah,heretheycome!”criedRaskolnikov.“Yousentforthem!You’vebeen
waitingforthem!Youwerecountingonit....Well,bringthemallinhere:
deputies,witnesses,whateveryouwant...bringthemin!I’mready!Iam!”

Butthenastrangethinghappened,somethingsounexpectedinthenormal
courseofeventsthatneitherRaskolnikovnorPorfiryPetrovichcouldhave
countedonsuchadenouement.

*“Simply”(French).

†Areferencetothejudicialreformsof1864.

‡Russianpeasants;incommonusage,alsomeansloutsorbumpkins.

§In1854,duringtheCrimeanWar,RussianarmiesweredefeatedattheAlmaRiveran
dretreatedto Sevastopol.

¶“CourtCouncilofWar”(German).In1805,theAustrianarmy,commandedbyGener
alMack, surrenderedtoNapoleon.

#Aclassicalcharacterofseventeenth-
centurycommediadell’artethatbecameastockcharacterin Neapolitanpuppetry.

VI

Afterward,rememberingthismoment,Raskolnikovrecalleditasfollows.
Thenoisecomingfrombehindthedoorsuddenlyincreased,andthedoor
openedslightly.

“What’sthematter?”criedPorfiryPetrovichwithannoyance.“Iwarnedyou that...”

Foramomenttherewasnoreply,butitwasclearthatseveralpeoplewere
standingbehindthedoorandseemedtobepushingsomeone.

“What’sgoingon?”Porfiryrepeatedinagitation.

“They’vebroughtintheprisoner,Nikolai,”someone’svoicewasheard saying.

“Notnow!Goaway!Waitabit!Howdidhegethere?Whatalackof

discipline!”Porfirycried,rushingtothedoor.

“Buthe...”thatvoicewasabouttobeginagainbutstoppedshort.

Forafewseconds,notmore,anactualstruggleoccurred;thenitsuddenly
seemedthatsomeoneshovedsomeoneelseforcefully,afterwhichaverypale
mansteppedintoPorfiryPetrovich’soffice.

Thisman’sappearance,atfirstglance,wasverystrange.Hewasstaring
straightaheadbutseemednottoseeanyone.Resolutionshoneinhiseyes,butat
thesametimehisfacerevealedadeathlypallor,asifhewerebeingledtohis
execution.Hislips,totallywhite,weretremblingslightly.

Hewasstillveryyoung,dressedlikeacommonworker,ofmediumheight,
gaunt,haircroppedaroundhishead,andwithfine,seeminglydryfacialfeatures.

Thepersonhehadunexpectedlyshovedasidecamerushingintotheroomand
managedtograbhimbytheshoulder:thiswasaguard,butNikolaiyankedhis
armawayandfreedhimselfonceagain.

Afewcuriousonlookerscrowdedintothedoorway.Someofthemtriedto
getintotheroom.Everythingdescribedheretookplacealmostinasingle moment.

“Goaway,it’stooearly!Waittillyou’recalled!Whydidyoubringhimso
soon?”PorfiryPetrovichmutteredinextremeannoyance,asifcompletely
confused.ButNikolaisuddenlysanktohisknees.

“Whatareyoudoing?”Porfirycriedinastonishment.

“I’mguilty!I’masinner!I’mthe‘moiderer’!”Nikolaisuddenlyannounced,
asifgaspingforbreathsomewhat,butinaratherloudvoice.

Thesilencelastedabouttenseconds,asiftheywereallstunned;eventhe

Thesilencelastedabouttenseconds,asiftheywereallstunned;eventhe
guardtookastepbackandnolongertriedtoapproachNikolai;heretreated
automaticallytothedoorandstoodtheremotionless.

“What’sallthis?”criedPorfiryPetrovich,emergingfromhismomentary stupor.

“I’mthe...‘moiderer,’”repeatedNikolai,afterabriefpause.

“What...you....What....Whodidyoukill?”

PorfiryPetrovich,apparently,wasflustered.

Nikolaipausedonceagain.

“AlyonaIvanovnaandhersisterLizavetaIvanovna...Ikilledthem...with
anaxe.Everythingwentblank...”headdedsuddenlyandfellsilentagain.He
wasstillonhisknees.

PorfiryPetrovichstoodthereforseveralmoments,asiflostinthought,but
suddenlycamebacktolifeandwavedtheuninvitedwitnessesaway.They
immediatelydisappeared,andthedoorwasclosed.Thenheglancedat
Raskolnikov,whowasstandinginthecornerstaringwildlyatNikolai.Porfiry
wasabouttoapproachhim,butstoppedsuddenly,lookedathim,shiftedhisgaze
atoncetoNikolai,thenbacktoRaskolnikov,thenagaintoNikolai,andatonce,
asifcarriedaway,andthenturnedonNikolaiagain.

“Whyareyourushingaheadwithyour‘everythingwentblank’?”heshouted
athim,almostinafury.“Ihaven’taskedyouyetwhethereverythingwentblank
ornot...tellme:didyoukillthem?”
“I’mthe‘moiderer’...I’lltestify...”declaredNikolai.

“E-eh!Howdidyoukillthem?”

“Withanaxe.Igotone.”

“Eh,he’sinahurry!Alone?”

Nikolaididn’tunderstandthequestion.

“Didyoukillthemalone?”

“Alone.Mitka’sinnocentandhadnothingtodowithit.”

“Don’tbeinsuchahurrytotalkaboutMitka.E-eh!Whydidyou,well,why
didyourundownthestairsjustthen?Thecaretakersbumpedintothetwoof
you,didn’tthey?”

“Ididittohoodwinkthem...then...IranwithMitka,”repliedNikolaias
ifhurryingandhavingpreparedhisanswerbeforehand.

“Well,sothat’sit!”Porfirycriedangrily.“He’susingsomeoneelse’s
words!”hemuttered,asiftohimself;then,allofasudden,henoticed
Raskolnikovoncemore.

Apparently,hewassodistractedbyNikolaithatforamomenthehadeven
forgottenallaboutRaskolnikov.Nowhesuddenlycametohissensesandwas

evenembarrassed...

“RodionRomanovich,oldboy!Excuseme,sir!”hesaid,rushingoverto
him.“Thisisn’tright,sir;please,sir....Youhavenobusinesshere...andI
myself....Youseewhatsurpriseswehave!Wouldyoumind,sir?”

Takinghimbythearm,heshowedhimtothedoor.

“Itseemsyouweren’texpectingthis?”saidRaskolnikov,stillnot
understandinganythingveryclearly,ofcourse,thoughhehadalreadymanaged
totakeheart.
“Youdidn’texpectiteither,oldboy.Lookathowyourhandistrembling!

He-he!”

“You’retrembling,too,PorfiryPetrovich.”

“Iamtrembling,sir;Ididn’texpectit,sir!”

Theywerestandinginthedoorway.Porfirywaitedimpatientlyfor
Raskolnikovtoleave.

“Aren’tyougoingtoshowmeyourlittlesurprise?”Raskolnikovsaidallofa sudden.

“Hecansaythateventhoughhisteetharestillchattering,he-he!Whatan
ironicfellowyouare!Well,sir,good-bye,sir.”

“Inmyopinion,wemightaswellsay farewell. ”

“AsGodwillsit,sir,asGodwillsit!”mutteredPorfirywithatwistedsmile.

Ashemadehiswaythroughtheoffice,Raskolnikovnoticedthatmany
peoplewerestaringathimintently.Inthehallway,amongthecrowd,henoticed
thetwocaretakersfrom that house,thesametwohe’dtoldtofetchthepolice
thatnight.Theywerestandingtherewaitingforsomething.Butassoonashe
reachedthestairs,hesuddenlyheardPorfiryPetrovich’svoiceagain.Turning
around,hesawthathewasrunningafterhim,pantingforbreath.

“Onemoreword,sir,RodionRomanovich,aboutallthis;it’sasGodwillsit,
nevertheless,accordingtoourprocedure,therearestillsomethingsIwanttoask
youabout,sir....Sowe’llseeeachotheragain,wewill,sir.”

Porfirystoppedinfrontofhimwithasmile.

“Wewill,sir,”headdedoncemore.

Onemightsupposethathewantedtosaysomethingmore,butsomehow
didn’tmanageit.
“Andyoumustforgiveme,PorfiryPetrovich,forwhatIsaidbefore....I
gotangry,”Raskolnikovbegan,nowfeelingcompletelyencouraged,even
experiencingadesiretoswaggerabit.

“Nevermind,sir,nevermind,”Porfiryrepliedalmostjoyfully.“I,too,
sir....Ihaveavenomouscharacter,Iconfess,Iconfess!We’llseeeachother
again,sir.IfGodwillsit,we’llseeeachothermanytimes,sir!”

“Andreallygettoknoweachotherwell?”observedRaskolnikov.

“Andreallygettoknoweachotherwell?”observedRaskolnikov.

“Andreallygettoknoweachotherwell,”agreedPorfiryPetrovich.

Squinting,helookedathimveryseriously.“Areyougoingtoaname-dayparty
now,sir?”

“Toafuneral,sir.”

“Oh,yes,toafuneral!Takecareofyourhealth,yourhealth,sir...”

“Idon’tknowwhattowishyouinreturn,”repliedRaskolnikov,already
headingdownthestairs,butsuddenlyturningagaintoPorfiry.“I’dwishyou
greatsuccess,butyouseehowamusingyourjobis!”

“Howisitamusing,sir?”askedPorfiryPetrovich,whohadturnedtogo.He
prickeduphisears.

“Well,whataboutthatpoorMikolka,whomyoumusthavetormentedand
tortured,psychologically,thatis,inyourownway,untilheconfessed.Dayand
night,youmusthavebeentryingtoprovetohim:‘You’rethemurderer,you’re
themurderer.’Andnowthathe’sconfessed,youstarttopickhimtopieces
again:‘You’relying,’youtellhim,‘you’renotthemurderer!Youcouldn’tbe!

You’rerepeatingsomeoneelse’swords!’Well,afterallthat,isn’titreallyan
amusingjob?”

“He-he-he!SoyounoticedthatItoldNikolaijustnowthathewas‘using
someoneelse’swords’?”
“Howcouldonenotnotice?”

“He-he!Clever,sir,veryclever.Younoticeeverything!You’veagenuinely
playfulmind,sir!Youseizeholdofthemostcomicalaspects...he-he!It’s
Gogol,thewriter,who’ssaidtopossessthattraittothehighestdegree,isn’tit?”

“Yes,Gogol.”

“Yes,sir.Gogol,sir....Tillournextmostpleasantmeeting,sir.”

“Ournextmostpleasantmeeting...”

Raskolnikovwentstraighthome.Hefeltsoconfusedandbewilderedthat
whenhegottherehethrewhimselfonthesofa;hesatforaquarterofanhour
merelyresting,tryingsomehoworothertocollecthisthoughts.Hedidn’teven
beginthinkingaboutNikolai:hefeltdumbfounded;therewassomething
inexpressible,incredibleinNikolai’sconfession,somethinghewascompletely
unabletograspnow.ButNikolai’sconfessionwasagenuinefact.The
consequencesofitimmediatelybecamecleartohim:theliehadtobe
uncovered,andthentheywouldcomeafterhimagain.Butatleasthewasfree
untilthattime,andheabsolutelyhadtodosomethingforhimself,becausethe
dangerwasunavoidable.

Buttowhatdegree?Thesituationbegantoclarify.Recallinginroughform,
ingeneral,theentirerecentscenewithPorfiry,hecouldn’tkeepfrom

shudderingonceagaininterror.Ofcourse,hestilldidn’tknowallofPorfiry’s
aims;hecouldn’tfathomallofhisrecentmoves.Butapartofhisgamehad
beenrevealed,andnobody,ofcourse,couldbetterunderstandthanhehow
terrifyingthislast“move”was.Alittlemore,andhe might havegivenhimself
awaycompletely,inactualfact.Knowingthemorbidityofhischaracter,having
understoodhimandgraspedhimfromthefirstglance,Porfirywasactingalmost
withcertainty,althoughperhapstoodecisively.Therewasnoargument:
Raskolnikovhadalreadymanagedtocompromisehimselftoomuch,butno facts
hadyetbeenestablished.Itwasallstillonlycircumstantial.Butdidhereally,
reallyunderstanditallnow?Wasn’theperhapsmakingamistake?Whatresult
hadPorfirybeenaftertoday?Hadhereallyhadsomethingpreparedforhim today?
Whatexactlywasit?Hadhereallybeenwaitingforsomethingornot?
HowwouldtheyhavepartedtodayiftheunexpecteddisasterwithNikolai
hadn’toccurred?

Porfiryhadshownalmosthisentiregame;ofcourse,hetookarisk,buthe
showedit(soitallseemedtoRaskolnikov),andifhe’dreallyhadanything
more,hewouldhaverevealedthat,too.“Whatonearthwasthat‘surprise’?Was
itajoke?Diditmeananything,ornot?Couldithaveconcealedanything
resemblingfactsorapositiveaccusation?Themanfromyesterday?Wherehad
hegone?Wherewashetoday?IfPorfiryreallyhadanythingpositive,thenof
courseitwasinconnectionwiththemanfromyesterday...”

Hesatonthesofa,hisheadhangingdown,restinghiselbowsonhisknees
andcoveringhisfacewithhishands.Anervoustremorshookhiswholebody.

Atlasthestoodup,tookhiscap,thoughtforabit,andheadedforthedoor.

Hehadthestrongfeelingthat,atleastfortoday,hecouldalmostcertainly
considerhimselfoutofdanger.Allofasudden,heexperiencedafeelinglikejoy
inhisheart:hefeltlikehurryingtoKaterinaIvanovna’s.Ofcourse,hewaslate
forthefuneral,buthewouldgetthereintimeforthewake,andthere,rightnow,
hewouldseeSonya.

Hestopped,thoughtforawhile,andasicklysmileappearedonhislips.

“Today!Today!”herepeatedtohimself.“Yes,today!Ithastobe...”

Hewasjustabouttoopenthedoorwhenitsuddenlybegantoopenonits
own.Heshudderedandjumpedback.Thedooropenedslowlyandquietly,and
allofasuddenafigureappeared—itwasyesterday’smanfrom outofnowhere.

Themanpausedonthethreshold,staredatRaskolnikovinsilence,andtook
astepintotheroom.Helookedexactlythesameashehadyesterday:thesame
figure,dressedthesameway,butamajorchangehadtakenplaceinhisfaceand
inhisglance:henowlookedsomehowsaddened;standingthereforalittle
while,hesigheddeeply.Theonlythingmissingwasforhimtoplacehishandon
hischeekandtoleanhisheadtoonesideforhimtoresembleapeasantwoman.

hischeekandtoleanhisheadtoonesideforhimtoresembleapeasantwoman.
“Whatdoyouwant?”askedthemortifiedRaskolnikov.

Themanwassilentandsuddenlyboweddeeplytohim,almostdowntothe
ground.Atleast,hetouchedthegroundwithonefingerofhisrighthand.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“I’mguilty,”saidthemanquietly.

“Ofwhat?”

“Ofwickedthoughts.”

Theybothstaredateachother.

“Ifeltirritated.Whenyoucametherethen,perhapsyouweretipsy;youtold
thecaretakerstosummonthepolice,andyouaskedabouttheblood;Ifelt
annoyedthattheyleftyouinvainandbecausetheythoughtyouweredrunk.I
wassoannoyedthatIlostsleep.Butrecallingyouraddress,Icamehere
yesterdayandmadeinquiries...”

“Whocame?”Raskolnikovinterrupted,momentarilystartingtoremember.

“Idid.Ioffendedyou.”

“Soyoucomefromthatsamehouse?”

“Iwasthere,standingwiththeminthegateway,orhaveyouforgotten?I’ve
hadmyownprofessionthere,formanyyears.We’refurriers,tradesmen,and
workathome....ButmostofallIwasirritated...”

AndsuddenlyRaskolnikovrememberedclearlythewholescenefromtwo
daysagounderthegateway;herecalledthatinadditiontothecaretakersthere
hadbeenseveralpeoplestandingthere,includingsomewomen.Heremembered
onevoiceproposingthatheshouldbetakenrighttothepolice.Hecouldn’t
recallthefaceofthespeaker,andevennowhedidn’trecognizehim,buthedid
recallthathehadturnedtowardhimandhadevenmadesomereplyatthe time...
Sothis,therefore,washowallofyesterday’sterrorwasresolved.Themost
terriblethingofallwastothinkthathe’dalmostperished,thathe’dnearly
destroyedhimselfasaresultofthis insignificant circumstance.Thismeantthat
besidesthequestionaboutrentingtheapartmentandthediscussionaboutblood,
thismancouldsaynothingfurther.Therefore,Porfiryalsohadnothing,nothing
exceptforthis delirium, nofacts,just psychology, whichcuttwoways,nothing
positive.Therefore,ifnomorefactsweretoappear(andtheymustn’tappear,
theymustn’t,theymustn’t!),then...thenwhatcouldtheydotohim?What
couldtheyprovedefinitively,eveniftheyarrestedhim?Therefore,Porfiryhad
foundoutabouttheapartmentonlynow,justnow,andhadn’tevenknownabout
itbefore.

“DidyoutellPorfirythistoday...thefactthatIcame?”hecried,struckby

asuddenidea.

“WhatPorfiry?”

“Thechiefinvestigator.”

“Idid.Thecaretakersdidn’tgotothepolice,butIdid.”

“Today?”

“Iwasthereaminutebeforeyou.Iheardeverything,howhetormented you.”

“Where?What?When?”

“Rightthere;Iwassittingtherethewholetime,behindhispartition.”

“What?Soyouwerethesurprise?Howcouldthatbe?Forheaven’ssake!”

“Afterseeing,”beganthetradesman,“thatthecaretakerswouldn’tlistento
meandgotothepolice,because,theysaid,itwasalreadytoolate,andperhaps
he’dgetangrythattheyhadn’tcomerightaway,Ifeltirritatedandcouldn’t
sleep,andIstartedtomakeinquiries.Afterfindingouteverythingyesterday,I
wenttoday.AtfirstwhenIcame,hewasn’tthere.Iwentbackanhourlater,but
theywouldn’tadmitme;thethirdtimeIcame—theyletmein.Ibegantelling
himeverythingthathappened,andhebeganpacingaroundtheroom,beatinghis
chest:‘What,’hesays,‘whatareyouscoundrelsdoingtome?IfI’dknownthis,
I’dhavesentaguardtobringhimhere!’Thenheranout,summonedsomeone,
andbegantalkingtohiminthecorner;thenhecamebacktome—andbegan
askingquestionsandabusingme.Hescoldedmeagreatdeal;Iinformedhim
abouteverythingandsaidthatyoudidn’tdarereplytowhatI’dsaidyesterday
andthatyouhadn’trecognizedme.Hebeganrunningaroundagainandkepton
beatinghischest,gettingangry,anddashingabout,and,whentheysaidthat
you’dcome,‘Well,’hesays,‘hidebehindthepartition,sithereawhileand
don’tmove,nomatterwhatyouhear.’Thenhebroughtmeachairandlocked
thedoor:‘Perhaps,’hesays,‘I’llaskyoutocomein.’Whentheybroughtin
Nikolai,hesentmeawayafteryouleft:‘I’llwantyouagain,’hesaid,‘andwill
askyoumorequestions...’”

“DidtheyquestionNikolaiwhileyouwerestillthere?”

“Whenyouwereshownout,thenIwasalsoshownout,andtheybeganto
questionNikolai.”

Thetradesmanpausedandsuddenlybowedonceagain,touchingthefloor
withhisfinger.

“Forgivemeformyslanderandmymalice.”

“Godwillforgiveyou,”repliedRaskolnikov,andassoonashesaidthis,the
tradesmanboweddowntohim,butthistimenottotheground,onlyfromhis
waist;heturnedslowlyandlefttheroom.“Everythingcutstwoways,now
everythingcutstwoways,”repeatedRaskolnikovtohimself,andheleftthe
roomfeelingbolderthaneverbefore.

roomfeelingbolderthaneverbefore.

“Nowwe’llkeeponfighting,”hesaidwithaspitefulsmileashewentdown
thestairs.Thespitewasdirectedathimself:herecalledhis“cowardice”with
contemptandshame.
I

ThemorningthatfollowedPetrPetrovich’sfatefulmeetingwithDunechkaand
PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaproducedasoberingeffectonhimaswell.Tohis
extremedispleasure,hewascompelledlittlebylittletoacceptasan
accomplishedandirrevocablefactwhatyesterdayhadseemedtohimtobean
almostfantasticoccurrence,stillinconceivable,evenafterithadactually
occurred.Theblackserpentofwoundedself-esteemhadbeensuckingtheblood
outofhisheartallnight.Themomenthegotoutofbed,PetrPetrovichlookedat
himselfinthemirror.Hewasafraidthathemighthavehadabiliousattack
duringthenight.However,onthatscore,allwaswellforthetimebeing;after
seeinghispale,dignifiedface,whichhadgrownfulleroflate,PetrPetrovich
evenfeltconsoledforamomentinthefullconvictionthathecouldfindanother
bridesomewhereelse,andshemightevenbeabetterone;butheimmediately
cametohissensesandspatvigorouslytooneside,whichcausedhisyoung
friendandroommate,AndreySemyonovichLebezyatnikovtosmile
sarcastically.PetrPetrovichnoticedthissmileandimmediatelyhelditagainst
hisyoungfriend.Latelyhe’dfoundmanythingstoholdagainsthim.Hisanger
wasredoubledwhenhesuddenlyrealizedthatheshouldn’thavetoldAndrey
Semyonovichabouttheresultsofyesterday’sinterview.Thatwashissecond
mistakeyesterday,doneintheheatofthemoment,asaresultofexcessive
expansiveness,inamomentofirritation....Then,allthatmorning,asif
intentionally,oneunpleasantnessfollowedanother.EvenintheSenateasetback
awaitedhiminthecasehewaspursuing.Hewasespeciallyannoyedbythe
landlordoftheapartmenthehadrentedinviewofhisimminentmarriageand
decoratedathisownexpense:thislandlord,aGermantradesmanwhohad
becomerich,wouldundernocircumstanceagreetocancelthecontractthathad
justbeensigned,anddemandedallofthepenaltiesspecifiedtherein,inspiteof
thefactthatPetrPetrovichwasreturningtheapartmenttohimalmost
completelyredecorated.Itwasthesameinthefurnitureshop,wheretheydidn’t
wanttorefundevenonerubleofhisdepositforthefurniturehehadpurchased,
butwhichhadstillnotbeendeliveredtotheapartment.“Afterall,I’mnotgoing
togetmarriedjustbecauseIboughtsomefurniture!”PetrPetrovichsaidto
himself,grindinghisteeth;andyetatthesametimeadesperatehopeoccurredto
himonceagain:“Hasthisallreallyfallenthroughandisitoveranddonewith
onceandforall?Isitreallyimpossibletoattemptitoncemore?”Thethoughtof

Dunechkawasgnawingseductivelyathisheart.Heexperiencedthismoment
withagony,and,ofcourse,ifhecouldhavekilledRaskolnikovjustthenbyhis
wishalone,PetrPetrovichwouldhavecarriedoutthatdesireatonce.

“AnothermistakeImade,besidesthat,wasthatIdidn’tgivethemany
money,”hethoughtglumlyashereturnedtoLebezyatnikov’slittleroom.“Why
thedevildidIactlikeastingyJew?Therewasn’tevenanythingtobegainedby
it!IthoughtIcouldkeepthemonashortleashandmakethemseemeastheir
goodfortune,butlookwhathappened!Damnit!No,ifI’dhandedthemsome
fifteenhundredrublesforadowryandforgifts,nicelittleboxes,toiletcases,
jewelry,fabrics,andallsortsoftriflesfromKnop’sandtheEnglishshop,then
everythingwouldhaveturnedoutbetterand...morecertain!Theycouldn’t
haverefusedmesoeasily!They’rethesortofpeoplewhocertainlywouldhave
consideredittheirobligationtoreturnboththegiftsandthemoneyinthecaseof
arefusal;anditwouldhavebeendifficultandpainfulforthemtodoso!Besides,
theirconscienceswouldhavebotheredthem:how,they’dsay,canwesuddenly
driveawayamanwho’sbeensogenerousandsensitiveuptonow?Hmm!Ilet
thechanceslipby!”Grindinghisteethonceagain,PetrPetrovichcalledhimself afool
—ofcourse,onlytohimself.

Aftercomingtothatconclusion,hereturnedhomefeelingtwiceasspiteful
andirritatedaswhenhe’dleft.ThepreparationsforthewakeinKaterina
Ivanovna’sroomarousedhiscuriositysomewhat.Hehadalreadyheard
somethingaboutityesterday;heevenrecalledthathehadbeeninvited;butasa
resultofhisownaffairs,heleteverythingelseslipfromhisattention.Hastening
tobeinformedbyMrs.Lippevekhsel,whowasbustlingaboutthetablein
KaterinaIvanovna’sabsence(shewasatthecemetery),helearnedthatthewake
wouldbeveryfestive,thatalmostallofthelodgershadbeeninvited,eventhose
unacquaintedwiththedeceased,thatevenAndreySemyonychLebezyatnikov
hadbeeninvited,inspiteofhispreviousquarrelwithKaterinaIvanovna,and,
finally,thathe,too,PetrPetrovich,hadnotonlybeeninvited,buthisarrivalwas
expectedwithgreatimpatience,sincehewasalmostthemostimportantguest
amongallthelodgers.AmaliyaIvanovnaherselfhadalsobeeninvitedwith
greatfanfare,inspiteofallthepreviousunpleasantness,andthereforeshewas
fussingandtakingchargenow,almostderivingenjoymentfromitall;in
addition,eventhoughshewasdressedformourning,herapparelwasallnew
andsilk;shewasinherfineryandproudofit.Allofthesefactsandinformation
suggestedanideatoPeterPetrovich;hereturnedtohisroom—thatis,toAndrey
SemyonychLebezyatnikov’sroom—indeepthought.Thepointwasthathe’d
alsofoundoutthatamongtheinvitedguestswouldbeRaskolnikov.

Forsomereason,AndreySemyonychhadremainedathomeallthat

morning.PetrPetrovich’srelationshipwiththisgentlemanwasratherstrange,
thoughalsonatural:PetrPetrovichdespisedandhatedhimbeyondallmeasure,
almostfromtheveryfirstdaywhenhehadmovedin,butatthesametimehe
seemedtobesomewhatafraidofhim.UponhisarrivalinPetersburghehad
stayedwithhimnotmerelyforreasonsoftightfistedeconomy,althoughthatwas
reallythemainreason,butalsoforanotherreason.Whilestillintheprovinces
hehadheardaboutAndreySemyonych,hisformerward,regardedasoneofthe
mostadvancedyoungprogressives,andevenaboutthesignificantroleheplayed
invariousintriguingandlegendarycircles.ThissurprisedPetrPetrovich.These
powerful,all-knowingcircles,whichdespisedandattackedeveryone,hadfora
longtimeinspiredPetrPetrovichwithaparticularkindoffear,onethatwas,
however,completelyundefined.Ofcourse,hehimself,whilestillinthe
provinces,couldn’tpossiblycometoapreciseunderstanding,evenan
approximateone,ofsomething ofthiskind.Likeeveryoneelse,heheardthat
especiallyinPetersburg,thereexistedsomeprogressives,nihilists,denouncers,
andsoonandsoforth,butlikemanyothers,heexaggeratedanddistortedthe
meaningandimportanceofthesenamestothepointofabsurdity.Mostofall,he
wasafraid,andhadbeenforseveralyears,of denunciation, andthatwasthe
principalbasisofhisconstant,exaggerateduneasiness,especiallywhenhe
consideredhisdreamsoftransferringhisactivitytoPetersburg.Inthisregardhe was
scared, astheysay,thewaylittlechildrenareoften scared.Severalyears
agointheprovinces,whilestillonlybeginninghiscareer,he’dencounteredtwo
instancesofcrueldenunciationofratherimportantlocalpersonagestowhomhe
haduptothenattachedhimselfandwhoservedashispatrons.Oneinstance
endedfortheexposedpersonageinaparticularlyscandalousway,andtheother
almostendedinanextremelytroublesomemanner.Thatwaswhyonhisarrival
inPetersburg,PetrPetrovichdecidedtoinvestigateassoonaspossiblewhatall
thiswasaboutand,ifnecessary,toanticipatemattersandingratiatehimselfwith

“ouryoungergeneration.”InthisinstancehewasrelyingonAndrey
Semyonych;duringhisvisitwithRaskolnikov,PetrPetrovichhadsomehow
learnedtorepeatwell-wornphrasesblindly...

Ofcourse,hehadquicklymanagedtodiscerninAndreySemyonychan
extremelyvulgarandsimplemindedman.Butthisneitherunderminednor
encouragedPetrPetrovich’sviews.Evenifhehadbeenconvincedthatall
progressivesweresuchfools,eventhenhisuneasinesswouldnothavebeen
alleviated.Hehimselfhadnoparticularinterestinalltheseteachings,ideas,and
systems(whichAndreySemyonychthrewathim).Hehadhisownaims.He
merelywantedtodiscoverassoonandasquicklyaspossiblewhathadoccurred here
andhow.Were thesepeople influentialornot?Didhepersonallyhave

anythingtofearornot?Wouldtheydenouncehimifheembarkedonsome
enterpriseornot?Andiftheyweretodenouncehim,thenwhatfor,exactly?

Andwhywerepeoplebeingdenouncedthesedays?Moreover,couldhenot
ingratiatehimselfsomehowwiththemanddeceivethem,iftheyreallywereall
thatpowerful?Wasthisnecessaryornot?Wasitpossible,forexample,to
advancehisowncareerpreciselythroughtheirintervention?Inaword,there
werehundredsofquestionsbeforehim.

ThisAndreySemyonychwasashort,weedy,andscrofulouslittlemanwho
hadservedinsomepost,andwhosehairwasstrangelyfair,withmuttonchop
sidewhiskersofwhichhewasveryproud.Inaddition,hiseyeswerealmost
alwayssore.Hehadarathersoftheart,buthisspeechwasself-assured,andat
timesevenextremelyarrogant—which,whencomparedtohisslightfigure,
almostalwaysappearedcomical.AmaliyaIvanovna,however,consideredhim
amonghermostrespectedlodgers,thatis,hedidn’tdrinkheavilyandhepaidhis
rentontime.Inspiteofallthesequalities,AndreySemyonovichreallywasa
ratherstupidman.Hehadattachedhimselftotheideaofprogressandto“our
youngergeneration”outofeagerness.Hewasoneofacountlessanddiverse
legionofvulgarpeople,feebleretards,anduneducatedmoronswhoinstantly
andwithoutfaillatchontothemostfashionablecurrentideainordertovulgarize
itandimmediatelycaricaturethecausetheythemselvessometimesserveina
mostsinceremanner.

However,Lebezyatnikov,inspiteofthefactthathewasaniceman,hadalso
beguntohavesomedifficultytoleratinghisfellowlodgerandformermentor
PetrPetrovich.Thishadoccurredonbothsidessomehowunexpectedlyand
mutually.NomatterhowsimplemindedAndreySemyonovichwas,littlebylittle
hestillbegantoseethatPetrPetrovichwasdeceivinghim,thathesecretly
despisedhim,andthathewas“notthemanheseemedtobe.”Hetriedtoexplain
Fourier’ssystemandDarwin’stheorytohim,butPetrPetrovich,especiallyasof
late,hadbegunlisteningtohimwithexcessivesarcasm,andmostrecentlyofall

—hadevenbeguntoquarrelwithhim.Thefactis,instinctuallyhewas
beginningtorealizethatLebezyatnikovwasnotonlyavulgarandstupidlittle
man,but,perhaps,evenapaltryliar,andthathehadnomoreimportant
connectionswhatsoevereveninhisowncircle,andmerelyheardsomething
thirdhand;furthermore,perhapshedidn’tevenknowhisown propagandistic
businessverywell,becausehewouldgetallmixedup;sohowcouldhepossibly
beadenouncer?Bytheway,we’llmentioninpassingthatPetrPetrovich,during
thislastweekandahalf,willinglyaccepted(especiallyatfirst)Andrey
Semyonych’sevenextremelystrangewordsofpraise,thatis,hedidn’tobject,
forexample,andevenremainedsilent,ifAndreySemyonychascribedtohima

willingnesstoassistwiththefutureandspeedyorganizationofanew

“commune”somewhereonMeshchanskayaStreetor,forexample,notto
interferewithDunechkaif,duringthefirstmonthoftheirmarriage,shewereto
decidetotakealover,ornottochristenhisfuturechildren,andsoonandso forth—
allinthissamevein.PetrPetrovich,aswashisusualcustom,didn’t
objecttosuchqualitiesattributedtohimandevenallowedhimselftobepraised
forthem—sincehefoundanypraisepleasanttohear.

PetrPetrovich,whothatmorninghadforsomereasonexchangedseveral
fivepercentgovernmentbonds,wassittingatatablecountingpacketsof
banknotesandbonds.AndreySemyonovich,whoalmostneverhadanymoney,
waspacingtheroomandpretendingthatheregardedallthesepacketswith
indifferenceandevenwithdisdain.PetrPetrovichcouldn’tpossiblybelieve,for
example,thatAndreySemyonovichcouldviewsuchmoneywithindifference;
AndreySemyonovich,onhispart,thoughtbitterlythatinfactPetrPetrovichwas
capableofthinkingthatabouthim,andperhapshewasevenhappytoannoyand
teasehisyoungfriendwiththepacketsofbanknotesdisplayed,remindinghim
ofhisinsignificanceandthesubstantialdifferencebetweenthetwoofthem.

Thistimehefoundhimunbelievablyirritableandinattentive,inspiteofthe
factthathe,AndreySemyonovich,hadbeguntoexpatiateonhisfavoritetheme
ofestablishinganew,special“commune.”Thebriefobjectionsandremarksthat
emergedfromPetrPetrovichintheintervalsbetweentherhythmicclickingof
theabacusbeadsweresteepedinthemostobviousandintentionallyimpolite
sarcasm.Butthe“humane”AndreySemyonovichascribedPetrPetrovich’s
dispositiontothelingeringeffectsofyesterday’sbreakwithDunechka;hewas
burningwithadesiretospeakaboutthatsubject.Hehadsomethingtosayon
thataccountthatwasbothprogressiveandpropagandisticandcouldconsolehis
esteemedfriendand“undoubtedly”promotehissubsequentdevelopment.

“Whatsortoffeastisbeingorganizedatthat...widow’sapartment?”Petr
Petrovichaskedsuddenly,interruptingAndreySemyonovichatthemost
interestingpoint.

“Asifyoudidn’tknow;Itoldyouaboutityesterdayandexpressedmy
thoughtsaboutalltheserituals....Ihearthatshe’salsoinvitedyoutoattend.

Youyourselfspokewithheryesterday...”

“Ineverexpectedthatthispennilessfoolofawomanwouldspendallthe
moneyshereceivedfromthatotherfool...Raskolnikov...onafuneral
feast....AsIwalkedpast,Iwasevenquiteastonished:suchpreparationsare
underway—wines!They’veinvitedquiteafewpeople—thedevilknowswhat’s
happening!”continuedPetrPetrovich,expandingonthisconversationasifhe
hadsomepurpose.“What?Yousaythatthey’veeveninvitedme?”hesuddenly

added,raisinghishead.“Whenwasthat?Idon’trecall,sir.ButIwon’tgo.What
willIdothere?Imerelyspokewithheryesterday,inpassing,aboutthe
possibilityofherreceivingayear’ssalaryasone-timeassistancesinceshe’sthe
destitutewidowofacivilservant.Couldthatbewhyshe’sinvitingme?He-he!”

“I’mnotplanningtogo,either,”saidLebezyatnikov.

“Ishouldthinknot!Yougaveherquiteabeatingwithyourownhands.Ican
understandthatyou’reashamed,he-he-he!”

“Whogaveabeating?Towhom?”Lebezyatnikovsuddenlybecamealarmed
andevenblushed.

“Why,itwasyou.YougaveKaterinaIvanovnaabeatingamonthago,didn’t you?
Iheardaboutit,sir,yesterday,sir....Sothat’swhatyourconvictionsare!

Somuchforthewomanquestion.*He-he-he!”

PetrPetrovich,asifsatisfied,wentbacktoclickingthebeadsonhisabacus.

“That’sallnonsenseandslander!”Lebezyatnikovretorted,histemperflaring
up.Heconstantlyfearedanyremindersaboutthisepisode.“Itwasn’tlikethatat
all!Itwascompletelydifferent....Youdidn’thearthetruth;it’sjustgossip!I
wasmerelydefendingmyselfatthetime.Shecameatmefirstwithhernails
out....Shepluckedoutallmysidewhiskers....Everyman’sentitled,Ihope,
todefendhisownperson.Besidesthat,Iwon’tallowanyonetouseviolence
againstme....Onprinciple.Becausethat’salreadyalmostdespotism.What
wasIsupposedtodo?Juststandthereinfrontofher?Isimplypushedher away.”

“He-he-he!”Luzhincontinuedtomockhimmaliciously.

“You’reprovokingmebecauseyou’reangryandinabadtemper....Thisis
nonsenseandinnoway,noneatall,doesitconcernthewomanquestion.You
don’tunderstand;Ieventhoughtthatifawoman’sequaltoamaninallregards,
eveninphysicalstrength(which,arguably,ispossible),then,ofcourse,there
mustbeequalitythere,too.Ofcourse,laterIdecidedthatsuchaquestion,in
essence,shouldn’tevenarisebecausethereshouldn’tbeanyfightsatall,and
thatsuchfightswouldbeinconceivableinafuturesociety...andthatitwasa
strangething,ofcourse,tolookforequalityinafight.I’mnotthat
foolish...althoughfightsdooccur,thatis,theywon’tinthefuture,butfornow
theystilldo....Phew!Damnitall!It’shardtotalktoyou!Thefactthatthere
wasthisunpleasantnessisnotwhyIwon’tgotothewake.Iwon’tgosimplyon
principle,soasnottoparticipateinthisvilesuperstition,that’swhat!However,
onecouldattendmerelytomakefunofit....It’sapitytherewon’tbeany
prieststhere.OrelseI’dcertainlygo.”

“Thatis,you’denjoysomeone’shospitalityandthenspitonit,thesameas
youwouldonthosewhoinvitedyouthere.Isthatit?”

youwouldonthosewhoinvitedyouthere.Isthatit?”

“Iwouldn’tspitonitatall,butIwouldprotest.Ihaveabeneficialaim.I
mightindirectlyservethecauseoftheirdevelopmentandourpropaganda.Every
personisobligatedtodevelopandpropagandize,perhapsthetougherthebetter.

Imightbeabletotossoutanidea,aseed....Fromthisseed,factscouldgrow.

HowwouldIbeoffendingthem?Atfirsttheymaytakeoffense,butthenthey
themselveswillseethatI’verenderedthemaservice.Considerthecaseof
Terebeva(who’sinthecommunenow);shewascriticizedwhenshelefther
familyand...gaveherselftoaman;shewrotetohermotherandfatherthatshe
didn’twanttoliveamongprejudicesandwasgoingtoenteracommon-law
marriage;peoplethoughtthiswasbeingtoorudetoherparents,thatitshould
havebeenpossibletosparethem,toexpressitmoregently.Inmyopinion,that’s
allnonsense:itwasn’tnecessarytowritemoregently;onthecontrary,onthe
contrary,it’snecessarytoprotest.ConsiderthatVarentsspentsevenyearsliving
withherhusband,abandonedhertwochildren,andinherlettershequippedto
herhusband,‘IrealizedthatIcouldn’tbehappywithyou.I’llneverforgiveyou
forhavingdeceivedme,forhidingthefactthatthereexistsanotherwayof
organizingsocietyintheformofacommune.Ifoundallthisoutrecentlyfroma
verymagnanimousman,towhomIgavemyself;we’llestablishacommune
together.I’mtellingyouthisinallhonestybecauseIthinkit’sdishonorableto
deceiveyou.Dowhateveryouthinkisbest.Don’ttrytomakemecomeback;
it’stoolateforthat.Iwishyouhappiness.’That’showsuchlettersshouldbe written!”

“IsthatTerebevathesameoneyoutoldmeabout,theonewho’senteredher
thirdcommon-lawmarriage?”
“Onlythesecond,ifyoucountproperly!Evenifit’sthefourth,orthe
fifteenth,that’sallnonsense!IfIeverregrettedthatmyfatherandmotherdied,I
donow,ofcourse.I’veevendreamtmorethanoncethatiftheywerestillalive,
I’dwallopthemwithmyprotest!I’dletthemdownintentionally....Another

‘birdflownthecoop’!I’dshowthem!I’dastoundthem!It’sreallyapitythat
there’snooneleft!”

“Astoundthem?He-he!Well,letitbe,”PetrPetrovichinterrupted.“Buttell
methis:youseemtoknowthedaughterofthedeceasedman,thatveryfrailgirl!

Iswhattheysayabouthercompletelytrue,huh?”

“So,whatofit?Inmyopinion,thatis,accordingtomypersonalconviction,
that’sexactlythemostnormalconditionofawoman.Whynot?Thatis, distinguons.
† Intoday’ssociety,ofcourse,it’snotaltogethernormal,because
it’sforcedonher,butinthefutureitwillbecompletelynormalbecauseitwill
befreelychosen.Why,evennowshehadaright:shewassuffering,andthatwas

herfund,sotospeak,hercapital,whichshehadtheabsoluterighttoexpend.

Naturally,inafuturesociety,there’llbenoneedforsuchfunds;butherrolewill
haveadifferentmeaning,organizedharmoniouslyandrationally.Asfaras
SofiyaSemyonovnaherselfisconcerned,atthepresenttimeIregardheractions
asavigorousandpersonalprotestagainstthesocialorder,andIrespecther
deeplyforit;Ievenrejoicelookingather!”

“ButIwastoldthatyou’retheonewhoforcedheroutofthisapartment house!”

Lebezyatnikovwasabsolutelyfurious.

“That’smoreslander!”hewailed.“That’snotatallhowitwas,nothowit
wasatall!That’sjustKaterinaIvanovnatellingtalesbecauseshedidn’t
understandathing.Ididn’tmakeaplayforSofiyaSemyonovnaatall!Iwas
simplytryingtoeducateher,completelyinnocently,tryingtoinciteherto
protest....ItwasonlytheprotestIwanted,butSofiyaSemyonovnaherselffelt
thatshecouldn’tremainhereinthisapartmenthouse!”

“Wasshebeinginvitedtojointhecommunethen?”
“Youkeeplaughing;allowmetoobservethatit’snotveryappropriate.You
don’tunderstandathing!Therearenosuchrolesinacommune.Acommuneis
organizedsothattherewon’tbeanyroleslikethat.Inacommune,herrolewill
changeitspresentmeaning;thatwhichisfoolishherewillbecomecleverthere;
thatwhichisunnaturalhere,underpresentcircumstances,willbecome
completelynaturalthere.Everythingdependsoncircumstanceandenvironment.

Italldependsontheenvironment,andthepersonhimselfmeansnothing.I’mon
goodtermswithSofiyaSemyonovnaevennow,andyoucantakeitasproofthat
sheneverconsideredmeherenemyorheroffender.Yes!I’mtryingtotempther
tojointhecommunenow,butonacompletelydifferentbasis!What’ssofunny?

Wewanttoorganizeourcommuneinaspecialway,butonlyonabroader
foundationthanpreviously.We’vegonefurtherinourconvictions.Wereject
morethings!IfDobrolyubovweretorisefromthegrave,I’dhaveaquarrelwith
him.AsforBelinsky,I’dmakemincemeatofhim! ‡ Meanwhile,Icontinueto
educateSofiyaSemyonovna.Sheisasplendid,splendidindividual!”

“Well,andyou’retakingadvantageofthissplendidindividual,eh?He-he!”

“No,no!Oh,no!Onthecontrary!”

“Well,then,onthecontrary!He-he-he!Whatathingtosay!”

“Youmustbelieveme!ForwhatreasonwouldIhideitfromyou,pleasetell
me!Onthecontrary,thisseemsstrangeeventome:she’ssomehowintensely,
timidlychasteandshywithme!”

“And,ofcourse,you’reeducatingher...he-he!You’reprovingtoherthat

allthisshynessisnonsense?”

“Notatall.Notatall!Oh,you’resorude,youeveninterpret—forgiveme—

theword‘development’inastupidmanner!Youdon’tunderstandathing,nota
thing!Oh,Lord,you’restillso...undeveloped!We’reworkingforthe
emancipationofwomen,whileyouhaveonlyonethingonyour
mind....Ignoringcompletelythequestionofchastityandwomen’sshynessas
uselessthingsinandofthemselves,andevenprejudicial,Ifully,absolutely
supportherchastitywithmebecausethat’samatterofherownfreewill,her
ownright.Ofcourse,ifsheherselfweretosay,‘Iwanttohaveyou,’thenI’d
considermyselfveryfortunate,becauseIreallydoliketheyoungwoman;but
now,nowatleast,noone,ofcourse,evertreatedhermorepolitelyand
courteouslythanIdo,orwithmorerespectforherdignity....Iwaitandhope—

andthat’sall!”

“Itwouldbebetterifyougavehersomesortofgift.Ibetyouhaven’teven
thoughtofthat.”

“Youdon’tunderstandathing,Itoldyou!Ofcourse,that’stheposition
she’sin,butthere’sanotherquestioninvolvedhere!Completelydifferent!You
simplydespiseher.Seeingafactthatyoumistakenlyconsiderworthyof
contempt,yourefusetoregardahumanbeinginahumaneway.Youstilldon’t
knowwhatsortofpersonsheis!I’mmerelysorrythatoflatesheseemstohave
stoppedreadingandnolongerborrowsanybooksfromme.Previouslyshedid.

It’salsoapitythatwithallherenergyandresolvetoprotest—whichshe’s
demonstratedbefore—shestillseemstohavelittleself-reliance,sotospeak,
littleindependence,toolittlenegationinhertofreeherselfcompletelyfrom
variousprejudicesand...stupidities.Thisisinspiteofthefactthatshe
understandssomeofthesequestionsperfectly.Forexample,sheunderstoodthe
matterofkissingawoman’shandperfectly—thatis,thatamanoffendsa
womanbyunequaltreatmentifhekissesherhand.Thisquestionwasdebated
amongus,andItoldheraboutitimmediately.Shealsolistenedveryattentively
whenItoldherabouttheworkers’associationsinFrance.NowI’mexplaining
toherthematterofacouple’sfreeaccesstoeachother’sroomsinafuture society. ”§

“What’sthatabout?”

“Thequestionhasbeendebatedrecently:doesamemberofthecommune
havetherighttoenteranothermember’sroom,aman’sorawoman’s,atany
time....Well,itwasdecidedthattheydo...”

“Whatifheorsheisoccupiedatthemomentwithanaturalnecessity,he-he!”
AndreySemyonovichgrewveryangry.

AndreySemyonovichgrewveryangry.

“Yougoonaboutthesamething,thesedamned‘necessities’!”hecriedwith
hatred.“Bah!I’msoangryandannoyedthatinexplainingthesystemI
mentionedtoyouprematurelythesenaturalnecessities!Damnitall!It’sa
stumblingblockforanyonelikeyou,andworstofall—youridiculeitbefore
findingoutwhatit’sallabout!Asiftheywereright!Asiftheyhadsomethingto
beproudof!Bah!I’veinsistedseveraltimesthatthisquestioncanbeexplained
tonovicesonlyattheveryend,whenaperson’salreadycommittedtothe
system,whenhe’seducatedandpoliticallyprogressive.Pleasetellmewhatyou
findsoembarrassingandcontemptible,evenincesspools?Imyselfwouldbethe
firsttocleanoutanycesspoolsyoulike!There’snokindofself-sacrifice
involved!It’ssimplywork,anoble,usefulactivitytosociety,oneworthasmuch
asanyother,andisamuchhigheractivity,forexample,thanthatofsome
RaphaelorPushkin,becauseit’smoreuseful!” ¶

“Andmorenoble,morenoble,he-he-he!”

“What’s‘morenoble’?Idon’tunderstandsuchexpressionswhenusedto
describehumanactivity.‘Morenoble,’‘moremagnanimous’—that’sall
nonsense,foolishness,oldprejudicialwordsthatIreject!Everythingthat’s useful
tohumanity,that’snoble!Iunderstandonlyoneword: useful!Sneeras
muchasyoulike,butthat’sthetruth!”

PetrPetrovichwaslaughingwholeheartedly.Hehadalreadyfinished
countinghismoneyandhadhiddenitaway.However,forsomereason,acertain
amountofcashhadbeenleftonthetable.This“questionofcesspools,”inspite
ofallitsvulgarity,hadservedseveraltimesasthecauseofadisputeand
disagreementbetweenPetrPetrovichandhisyoungfriend.Thestupidthingwas
thatAndreySemyonychwasreallyangry.Luzhin,ontheotherhand,hadgotten
aloadoffhischestbymentioningitandatthepresenttime,particularly,feltlike
teasingLebezyatnikovalittle.

“It’sbecauseofyourbadluckyesterdaythatyou’resomeanandyou’re
pesteringme,”Lebezyatnikovburstoutatlast;generallyspeaking,inspiteofall
his“independence”andhis“protests,”hewassomehowafraidtoopposePetr
Petrovich;ingeneral,hetreatedhimwithdeference,ashehadinpreviousyears.

“Itwouldbebetterforyoutotellme,”PetrPetrovichsaid,interruptinghim
arrogantlyandwithannoyance,“whetheryoucan...or,toputitbetter,areyou
ongoodenoughtermswiththeaforementionedyoungpersontoinviteherin
hereforaminute,intothisroom?Theyseemtohavereturnedfromthe
cemetery....Ihearthesoundofpeoplemovingaround....I’dliketohavea
wordwithher,sir,withthatperson,sir.”

“Whatdoyouwantherfor?”Lebezyatnikovaskedinsurprise.

“Justso,sir,I’dliketo,sir.I’llbeleavingheretodayortomorrow,and
thereforewouldliketotellherthat....However,pleasestayhereduringmy
conversationwithher.Thatwouldbeevenbetter.Orelse,Godknowswhatyou
mightthink.”

“Iwon’tthinkanythingatall....Imerelyaskedyou.Ifyouhavesome
business,there’snothingeasierthaninvitingherhere.I’llgoatonce.Andyou
canbesurethatIwon’tinterferewithyou.”

Asamatteroffact,aboutfiveminuteslater,Lebezyatnikovreturnedwith
Sonechka.Sheenteredinextremesurpriseand,aswasherusualstate,very
timidly.Shewasalwaystimidinsimilarcircumstancesandwasveryafraidof
newpeopleandnewacquaintances;she’dbeenafraidevenbefore,from
childhood,andwasnowallthemoreso....PetrPetrovichgreetedher“ina
friendlyandpolitemanner,”however,withacertainhintofcheerfulfamiliarity,
which,inhisopinion,wasappropriateforsuchanesteemedandsolidpersonas
hewas,inrelationtosuchayoungand interesting(inacertainsense)creatureas
Sonya.Hehastenedto“reassure”herandseatedheratthetableopposite
himself.Sonyasatdown,lookedaround—atLebezyatnikov,atthemoneylying
onthetable,atPetrPetrovichagain,andthendidn’ttakehereyesoffhim,asif
hergazewererivetedtohim.Lebezyatnikovstartedtoheadforthedoor.Petr
Petrovichstoodup,indicatedthatSonyashouldstaywhereshewas,andstopped
Lebezyatnikovinthedoorway.

“IsthatfellowRaskolnikovthere?Hashecome?”heaskedinawhisper.
“Raskolnikov?He’sthere.Whatofit?Yes,heis....He’sjustarrived,Isaw
him....Why?”

“Well,Iespeciallywantyoutostayherewithus,andnotleavemealone
withthis...girl.Mybusinessisinconsequential,butGodknowswhatpeople
mightthink.Idon’twantRaskolnikovtalkingaboutit there....Doyou
understandwhatI’msaying?”

“Ah,Iunderstand,Iunderstand,”Lebezyatnikovcriedsuddenly,realizing
whatwashappening.“Yes,youhavetheright....Ofcourse,inmypersonal
opinion,you’reexaggeratingtherisks,but...still,youhavetheright.Allright,
I’llstayhere.I’llstandbythewindowandwon’tinterfere....Ithinkyouhave
theright...”

PetrPetrovichreturnedtothesofa,satdownoppositeSonya,lookedather
intently,andsuddenlyassumedanextremelyimposing,evensomewhatstern
appearance:“Now,don’tyougetanyideas,younglady.”Sonyawascompletely
baffled.

“Inthefirstplace,pleaseextendmyapologies,SofiyaSemyonovna,toyour
esteemedmama....That’sright,isn’tit?KaterinaIvanovnahastakentheplace

ofyourmother,hasn’tshe?”PetrPetrovichbeganveryimposingly,butrather
tenderly.Itwasapparentthathehadthefriendliestintentions.

“Yes,sir,that’sso,sir;theplaceofamother,sir,”Sonyarepliedhastilyand timidly.

“Well,pleaseapologizetoher:duetocertainunforeseeablecircumstances,
I’llbeforcedtomissthepancakes...thatis,thefuneralfeast,inspiteofyour
mama’skindinvitation.”

“Yes,sir;I’lltellher,sir;rightaway,sir.”Sonechkahastenedtojumpup
fromherchair.

“That’s still noteverything,”PetrPetrovichsaid,stoppingher,smilingather

simplicityandherunfamiliaritywithproperdecorum.“Andyouknowmetoo
little,dearestSofiyaSemyonovna,ifyouthoughtI’ddisturbyoupersonallyto
summonapersonsuchasyouforsuchanunimportantreasonconcerningme
alone.Ihaveadifferentaim.”
Sonyasatdownhastily.Thegray-andrainbow-coloredbanknotes,stillleft
onthetable,flashedinhereyesonceagain,butshequicklyturnedherfaceaway
andraisedittolookatPetrPetrovich:allofasuddenitfeltterribly
inappropriate,especiallyfor her, tostareatsomeoneelse’smoney.Shesuddenly
begantofixhergazeonPetrPetrovich’sgoldenlorgnette,whichheheldinhis
lefthand,andonalarge,massive,verybeautifulringwithayellowstoneonthe
middlefingerofthathand—butsuddenlysheavertedhereyesfromthat,too,
andnotknowingwheretolook,woundupstaringonceagaindirectlyintoPetr
Petrovich’seyes.Afteranevenmoreimposingsilencethanbefore,he continued:

“IhappenedtohavehadabriefchatwiththeunfortunateKaterinaIvanovna
yesterday.Afewwordswereenoughtolearnthatshe’sinavery...unnatural
condition,ifImayexpressitthatway...”

“Yes,sir...unnatural,sir,”Sonyahastenedtoagree.

“Or,it’ssimplerandmoreunderstandabletosay...she’sill.”

“Yes,sir,it’ssimplerandunderstand—...yes,sir.She’sill,sir.”

“Wellthen.So,outofafeelingofhumanenessand,and,and,sotospeak,
compassion,Iwouldlike,onmypart,tobeusefulinsomeway,foreseeingher
inevitablyunhappyfate.Itseemsthattheentiredestitutefamilynowdependson
youalone.”

“Allowmetoask,”Sonyasaid,suddenlystandingup,“whetheryouspoke
withheryesterdayaboutthepossibilityofreceivingapension?Becauseshetold
meyesterdaythatyouhadtakenonyourselfthetaskofobtainingapensionfor
her.Isthattrue,sir?”

“No,notatall,it’sevenridiculousinacertainsense.Imerelyhintedabout

temporaryassistancetothewidowofacivilservantwhodieswhilestillin service—
ifshehappenstohavesomepatronage—butitseemsthatyour
deceasedfathernotonlyfailedtoserveouthistime,butrecentlydidn’teven
workatall.Inaword,thoughtheremightbesomehope,it’sextremelyslight,
becauseinthiscasethere’snorighttoassistance,evenmaybethe
opposite....Andshewasalreadythinkingaboutapension,he-he-he!Whata
daringlady!”
“Yes,sir,aboutapension....Becauseshe’sgullibleandkind;she’ssokind
thatshebelieveseverything,and...and...and...shehasthatsortof
mind....Yes,sir...excuseher,sir,”saidSonya,andshegotuptoleaveonce again.

“Ifyouplease,youstillhaven’theardmeout.”

“Yes,sir,Ihaven’theardyouout,sir,”mutteredSonya.

“Dositdown.”

Sonyawasterriblyembarrassedandsatdownagain,forthethirdtime.

“Seeinghersituation,withtheunfortunateyoungchildren,Iwouldlike—as
Ialreadyindicated—tobeusefulinsomeway,asbestIcan,thatis,asbestIcan,
butnomore.Forexample,itmightbepossibletoorganizeasubscriptionforher,
oralottery,sotospeak...orsomethingofthatsort—asisalwaysdonein
similarcasesbyrelativesorevenbystrangers,butingeneralbypeoplewishing
toassist.Ihadtheintentionofinformingyouaboutthis.Itmightbepossible.”

“Yes,sir,verygood,sir....Godwillrewardyou,sir...”Sonyamurmured,
staringintentlyatPetrPetrovich.

“Itmightbepossible...butwe’lltalkaboutitlater...thatis,wecould
startiteventoday.We’llseethisevening;we’lldiscussitandlay,sotospeak,
thefoundation.Cometoseemeherethiseveningaroundseveno’clock.Andrey
Semyonych,Ihope,willalsoparticipatewithus....But...there’sone
circumstanceinvolvedthatmustbementionedbeforehandandindetail.That’s
whyIhavedisturbedyou,SofiyaSemyonovna,withmysummonshere.

Namely,it’smyopinionthatmoneymustnotbegivendirectlytoKaterina
Ivanovna:it’sdangerous;theevidenceforthatisthefuneralfeastplannedfor
today.Withouthaving,sotospeak,acrustofbreadfortomorrow’smeals
and...well,anymoneyforshoesoranythingelse,she’spurchasedJamaican
rumandeven,itseems,Madeira,and—and—andcoffee.IsawitasIcamepast.

Tomorrowitwillallfalluponyouagain,forthelastpieceofbread;thisis
absurd.Therefore,eventhesubscription,inmypersonalopinion,mustbe
carriedoutsothattheunfortunatewidow,sotospeak,doesn’tknowaboutthe
money,butthatyou,forexample,aretheonlyonewhoknows.AmIright?”
“Idon’tknow,sir.She’sonlydoingthistoday,sir...it’sonceina

lifetime...sheverymuchwantedtorememberhim,tohonorhim,his
memory....Butshe’sverysmart,sir.Butit’sasyoulike,sir,andI’llbevery,
very,very...they’llallbe...andGodwill,sir...andtheorphans,sir...”

Sonyadidn’tfinishandinsteadburstintotears.

“Well,then.So,keepthisinmind;andnowbesokindastoaccept,inthe
interestsofyourrelative,inthefirstinstance,thismodestsumfromme
personally.Ivery,verymuchhopethatmynamewon’tbementionedin
connectionwiththisgift.Hereyouare...having,sotospeak,myown
concerns,I’mnotinapositionto...”

PetrPetrovichextendedacarefullyunfoldedten-rublenotetoSonya.Sonya
acceptedit,blushed,jumpedup,mutteredsomething,andhastilybegantotake
herleave.PetrPetrovichceremoniouslyescortedhertothedoor.Atlastshe
boltedfromtheroom,allagitatedandexhausted,andreturnedtoKaterina
Ivanovnainextremeconfusion.

Allduringthisscene,AndreySemyonychstoodnexttothewindoworpaced
theroom,notwishingtointerrupttheconversation;afterSonyaleft,hesuddenly
approachedPetrPetrovichandformallyextendedhishand.

“IheardeverythingandI saw everything,”hesaid,placingspecialemphasis

ontheword“saw.”“It’snoble,thatis,Iwantedtosay,humane!Youwantedto
avoidhergratitude,Isaw!Andalthough,Iconfess,Ican’t,inprinciple,
sympathizewithprivatecharity,becauseitnotonlyfailstoeradicateradically
theevilandevensustainsitfurther,nevertheless,Ican’thelpconfessingthatI
lookeduponyouractwithpleasure—yes,yes,Ilikeitverymuch.”

“Eh,it’sallnonsense!”mutteredPetrPetrovich,appearingsomewhat
agitatedandlookingsomehowcloselyatLebezyatnikov.

“No,it’snotnonsense!Amanwho’sbeeninsultedandprovokedasyou
werebyyesterday’sincident,andwhoisatthesametimeabletothinkaboutthe
misfortuneofothers—suchaman,sir...althoughbyhisactionsheis
committingasocialblunder—nevertheless...isworthyofrespect!Icertainly
didn’texpectitfromyou,PetrPetrovich,allthemoresogivenyour
understandingofthings—oh!Howyourunderstandingstillhindersyou!How,
forexample,yourfailureyesterdayupsetsyou,”exclaimedthetenderhearted
AndreySemyonych,onceagainfeelingmorestronglydisposedtoPetr
Petrovich.“Andwhy,whyexactlydoyouwantthismarriage,this legal
marriage,mydearest,mostgenerousPetrPetrovich?Whypreciselymustyou
havethis legality inmarriage?Well,ifyouwishto,beatme,butI’mglad,very
gladthatitdidn’tsucceed,thatyou’refree,thatyou’restillnotaltogetherlostfor
humanity,glad....Yousee:I’vehadmysay!”

“Because,sir,inthiscommon-lawmarriageofyoursIdon’twanttoweara
cuckold’shornsandbringupsomeoneelse’schildren.That’swhyIwantalegal

cuckold’shornsandbringupsomeoneelse’schildren.That’swhyIwantalegal
marriage,”saidLuzhin,inordertohavesomethingtoreply.Hewasparticularly
preoccupiedandthoughtful.

“Children?Youmentionedchildren?”AndreySemyonychshudderedlikea
warhorsewho’dheardthesoundofthetrumpet.“Childrenareasocialquestion
andoneofprimaryimportance,Iagree;butthequestionofchildrenwillbe
resolvedinanothermanner.Somepeopleevenrejecttheideaofchildren,like
anyotherindicationoffamilylife.We’lltalkaboutchildrenlater,butfornow,
we’lldealwithacuckold’shorns!Iconfessthatthisismyweakpoint.It’sa
nasty,hussar-like,Pushkinianexpressionevenunthinkableinafuturelexicon.

Andwhatarethosehorns?Oh,whatadelusion!Whathorns?Whyhorns?What
nonsense!Onthecontrary,therewon’tbeanyhornsinacommon-lawmarriage!

Hornsaremerelytheconsequenceofanylegalmarriage,sotospeak,its
correction,aprotest,sothatinthissensethey’renotevenhumiliatinginthe
least....Andifatsometime—let’sassumeanabsurdity—Iwereinalegal
marriage,thenIwouldevenbegladofyouraccursedhorns.ThenIwouldsayto
mywife:‘Myfriend,uptonowImerelylovedyou;now,however,Irespectyou
becauseyouwereabletoprotest!’#Areyoulaughing?That’sbecauseyou’renot
strongenoughtofreeyourselffromtheseprejudices!Damnit,butIunderstand
wheretheunpleasantnessresideswhenpeopledeceiveeachotherinalegal
marriage;butthat’smerelythevileresultofthevilefactinwhichbothparties
arehumiliated.Whenthecuckold’shornsarewornopenly,asinacommon-law
marriage,thentheynolongerexist;they’reinconceivableandevenlosethe
designationashorns.Onthecontrary,yourwifewillmerelyprovetoyouthat
sherespectsyou,consideringyouincapableofopposingherhappiness,andso
advancedinyourthinkingthatyouwon’ttakerevengeonherforhernew
husband.Damnitall,sometimesIdreamthatifIwereevergiveninmarriage—

bah!ImeanifIeverchosetomarry(byacommon-lawmarriageoralegalone,
itdoesn’tmatterwhich),Imightevenpersonallybringmywifealover,ifshe
tooktoolongtofindoneherself.‘Myfriend,’I’dsaytoher,‘Iloveyou,but
evenmorethanthat,Iwantyoutorespectme—sohere!’AmIrightinwhatI say?AmI?”

PetrPetrovichsnickeredashelistened,butwithoutanyspecialamusement.

Hedidn’tevenlistenveryattentively.Hewasreallythinkingaboutsomething
else,andevenLebezyatnikovfinallynoticedthis.PetrPetrovichwaseven
nervous,rubbinghishands,deepinthought.AndreySemyonychthoughtabout
thisandremembereditsubsequently...

*AnotherreferencetoChernyshevsky’snovel WhatIstoBeDone?
anditsprogressiveideasaboutthe liberationofwomen.

†“Let’sdistinguish”(French).

‡ BothNikolaiDobrolyubov(1836–1861)andVissarionBelinksy(1811–
1848)wereimportantradical criticsinthemid-nineteenthcentury.

§AnotherreferencetoChernyshevsky’snovel.

¶AnallusiontotheviewsoftheradicalcriticDmitryPisarev(1840–1868).

#AparodyofanideaexpressedinChernyshevsky’snovel.

II

Itwouldbedifficulttospecifypreciselythereasonwhytheideaofthis
ridiculousfuneralfeastwasconceivedinKaterinaIvanovna’sdistraughtbrain.

Asamatteroffact,almosttenrubleshadbeensquanderedonitoutofthemore
thantwentyrublesshehadreceivedfromRaskolnikovforMarmeladov’s
funeral.PerhapsKaterinaIvanovnaconsideredherselfobligatedtoherdeceased
husbandtohonorhismemory“asbefitting,”sothatallthelodgers,including
AmaliyaIvanovna,inparticular,wouldknowthat“notonlywashenoworse
thanthey,butperhaps,evenmuchbetter,”andthatnotoneofthemhadtheright
to“lookdownhisnose”athim.Perhapsthemostpowerfulinfluenceonherwas
thatparticular“prideofthepoor,”asaresultofwhichmanypoorpeople,in
observingthosesocialritualsrequiredofeachandeverypersonbyourwayof
life,strivewithalltheirstrengthandspendthelastkopecksoftheirlifesavings
inordertoappear“noworsethanothers,”andsothatthosesameotherswon’t

“criticizethem.”ItisalsoextremelylikelythatKaterinaIvanovnawanted,
preciselyinthiscase,preciselyatthismomentintime,whenitseemedasif
she’dbeenabandonedbyeveryoneinthewholeworld,toshowallthese

“worthlessandnastylodgers”thatshenotonly“knewhowtoliveandhowto
entertainguests,”buthadbeenbroughtupnotforsuchafateinlifebutinthe

“noble,onecouldevensay,aristocratichomeofacolonel,”andthatshehad
neverbeenraisedtosweepthefloorortowashthechildren’sragsatnight.

Theseparoxysmsofprideandvanitysometimesoccurinthepoorestandmost
downtroddenpeopleandattimesturnintoirritatingandirrepressiblenecessity.

Moreover,KaterinaIvanovnawasnotdowntrodden:circumstancesmightdefeat
herentirely,buttheycouldnotcrushhermorally,thatis,theycouldnot
intimidateheroroverpowerherwill.Inaddition,Sonechkahadsolidgrounds
forsayingthathermindwasderanged.True,itwasstillnotpossibletostatethis
absolutelyanddefinitively;lately,fortheentirepastyear,herpoorbrainhad
beentormentedtoomuchtoescapewithoutsomedamage.Therapidcourseof
consumption,asdoctorssay,alsopromotestheimpairmentofone’smental faculties.

Therewasn’tagreatdealof wine oranarrayofdifferentkinds,norwasthere any

Madeira:thatwasanexaggeration;buttherewassomewine.Therewas
vodka,rum,andLisbonwine,allofverypoorquality,butallinsufficient
quantity.Asforthefood,besidesthetraditional kutya, *therewerethreeorfour

dishes(includingpancakes,incidentally),allfromAmaliyaIvanovna’skitchen;
inaddition,twosamovarswerebroughtintoprovideteaandpunchafterthe
meal.KaterinaIvanovnahadprovidedthepurchasesherself,withthehelpofone
lodger,somepitifulPole,whowaslivingatMadameLippevekhsel’sforsome
reasonorother,andwho’dimmediatelyvolunteeredtoassistKaterinaIvanovna
withhererrands,andhadrunaroundallthedaybefore,andhadracedaroundall
thatmorningwithhistonguehangingout,apparentlyhopingthatthisactivity
wouldbenoticedbyeveryone.HekeptrunningconstantlytoKaterinaIvanovna
herselfforeverylittlething,evensearchingforherattheshoppingarcade,
persistentlycallingher“MadameEnsign.”Shefinallygrewsosickandtiredof
him,eventhoughatfirstshewouldsaythatshewouldhavebeencompletelylost
haditnotbeenforthis“obligingandgenerous”man.Itwascharacteristicof
KaterinaIvanovnatopainteverybodyandanybodyshemetinthebestand
brightestcolors,topraisehimsuchthatothersfeltembarrassed,toconceiveof
variouscircumstancesontheirbehalfthathadneverexisted,tobelieve
completelysincerelyandwholeheartedlyintheirexistence,andthenallatonce,
suddenly,tobedisillusioned,breakoffwiththem,humiliatethem,andbanish
thepersonshehadliterallyworshippedonlyafewhoursago.Bynatureshehad
ahumorous,cheerful,andpeace-lovingcharacter,butasaresultofcontinual
misfortunesandfailures,shehadbegun furiously todesireanddemandthat
everyoneliveinpeaceandjoyandthatthey darenot liveotherwise,thatthe
leastdissonanceinlife,thesmallestfailure,woulddriveherimmediatelyintoa
frenzy,andinonemoment,afterthebrightestaspirationsandfantasies,she
wouldbegintocursefate,tearingandsmashinganythingthatcametohandand
bangingherheadagainstthewall.AmaliyaIvanovna,forsomereason,hadalso
suddenlyacquiredunusualimportanceandunusualrespectfromKaterina
Ivanovna,perhapssolelybecausethefuneralfeastwasbeingpreparedand
AmaliyaIvanovnahadresolvedwithallherhearttotakepartinallthework:she
tookituponherselftosetthetable,procurethelinen,crockery,andsoforth,and
topreparethefoodinherkitchen.KaterinaIvanovnaentrustedeverythingtoher
andleftheralone,whilesheherselfsetoffforthecemetery.Asamatteroffact,
everythinghadbeenwonderfullyprepared:thetablewassetevenrather
elegantly;thedishes,forks,knives,goblets,glasses,cups—everything,of
course,hadbeencollectedfromvariouslodgersanddidn’tmatchinstyleor
quality,buteverythingwasinplacebytheappointedtime.AmaliyaIvanovna,
feelingthatshehadaccomplishedhertaskextremelywell,evengreetedthose
returningwithacertainpride;shehadchangedherclothesandwaswearinga
blackdressandacapwithnewmourningribbons.Forsomereason,Katerina
Ivanovnadidn’tappreciateherpride,eventhoughitwaswelldeserved:“Asif
nooneelseknowshowtosetatableexceptforAmaliyaIvanovna!”Andshe
alsodidn’tlikehercapwiththenewribbons:“Isn’tthisstupidGermanwoman
takingprideinthefactthatshe’sthelandladyandhasagreedtohelpsomepoor
lodgersoutofcharity?Outofcharity!Iaskyou,really!AtthehouseofKaterina
Ivanovna’spapa,whowasacolonelandhadalmostbecomeagovernor,the
tablewassometimessetforfortyguests;someonelikeAmaliyaIvanovna—or,
rather,AmaliyaLyudvigovna—wouldn’tevenbeallowedinthekitchen...”

However,KaterinaIvanovnadecidednottoventherfeelingsforthetimebeing,
althoughsheresolvedinherhearttoputherinherplaceandremindherofwho
shereallywas,orelseGodknowswhatshemightstartthinkingofherself;
meanwhile,shemerelytreatedherwithcoldness.Anotherunpleasant
circumstancefurtheredKaterinaIvanovna’sirritation:atthefuneral,almostno
one,notoneofthelodgerswhohadbeeninvited,showedup,exceptforthelittle
Pole,whoevenmanagedtomakeittothecemetery;butatthewake—thatis,for
therefreshments—themostinsignificantandpoorestofthemappeared,manyof
themevenalreadyintoxicated,thewretchedgood-for-nothings.Buttheolder
andmorerespectableofthemabsentedthemselves,asifonpurpose,asifthey
hadagreedinadvancetoskiptheevent.PetrPetrovichLuzhin,forexample,
perhapsthemostrespectableofallthelodgers,didnotattend;meanwhile,
yesterdayeveningKaterinaIvanovnahadmanagedtotelleveryoneonearth—

thatis,AmaliyaIvanovna,Polechka,Sonya,andthelittlePole—thatthismost
respectableandmostgenerousman,withhisvastnumberofconnectionsandhis
wealth,herfirsthusband’sformerfriend,someonewhohadbeenreceivedinher
father’shouseandwhohadpromisedtouseallpossiblemeanstoprocurea
considerablepensionforher,thissameLuzhindidnotappear.We’llobserve
herethatifKaterinaIvanovnabraggedaboutanyone’sconnectionsandwealth,it
waswithoutanyself-interest,withoutanypersonalcalculation,butwas
completelyinnocent,sotospeak,outofthefullnessofherheart,thesheer
pleasureofbestowingpraiseandconferringmorevaluetothepersonbeing
praised.LikeLuzhinand,probably,“followinghisexample,”“thatnasty
scoundrelLebezyatnikov”hadalsofailedtoshowup.“Justwhodoeshethinkhe is?
Hewasinvitedonlyoutofkindness,andonlybecausehesharesaroomwith
PetrPetrovichandishisacquaintance,sothatitwouldhavebeenawkwardnot
toincludehim.”Afashionableladywithher“overripespinster”ofadaughter
alsofailedtoappear;theyhadresidedatAmaliyaIvanovna’sroomsforonly
abouttwoweeks,buthadseveraltimescomplainedaboutthenoiseandshouts
comingfromtheMarmeladovs’,especiallywhentherecentlydeceasedarrived
homedrunk,aboutwhichKaterinaIvanovnahadbeeninformedbyAmaliya
Ivanovna,whenshewasquarrelingwithherandthreateningtothrowthewhole

familyout;shewasscreamingatthetopofherlungsthattheyweredisturbing
her“respectablelodgers,whoseshoelacesshewasunfittotie.”Katerina
Ivanovnamadeapointofintentionallyinvitingthisladyandherdaughter,
whose“shoelacesshewasunfittotie,”allthemoresosinceuptotheninany
incidentalmeeting,theladywouldhaughtilyturnherfaceaway—sothatthis
ladywouldknowthathere“respectablepeoplehavethoughtsandfeelings,and
inviteotherswithoutholdingagrudge,”andsothatshewouldseethatKaterina
Ivanovnawasnotusedtolivinginsuchcircumstances.Shedefinitelyintended
tomakethiscleartothematthetable,aswellasmakingthepointaboutherlate
papa’sneargovernorshipand,atthesametime,hintingindirectlythattherewas
noreasonforhertoturnawaywhenmeetingthemandthatsuchbehaviorwas
extremelyfoolish.Thefatlieutenantcolonel(inreality,aretiredsecond
lieutenant)alsodidn’tattend,butitturnedoutthathehadbeen“deadtired”

sinceyesterdaymorning.Inaword,theonlypeoplewhocamewere:thelittle
Pole,ashabby,silentpimplyclerkinasoiledjacketwhohadanastysmell;and
alsoadeafandalmostblindlittleoldmanwhoatonetimehadservedinapost
office;hewasamansomeonehadbeensupportingatAmaliyaIvanovna’sfor
agesandforunknownreasons.Therewasalsoaretireddrunkenlieutenant,in
factaquartermaster,withthemostunpleasantloudlaughand,“justimagine,”

whocamewithoutavest!Oneofthemsatrightdownatthetablewithouteven
greetingKaterinaIvanovna.Atlength,onepersonwasabouttoappearinhis
dressinggownbecausehedidn’townasuit,butthiswassoinappropriatethat
thecombinedeffortsofAmaliyaIvanovnaandthelittlePolesucceededin
excludinghim.ThelittlePolebroughtwithhimtwootherPoleswhohadnever
residedatAmaliyaIvanovna’s,andwhomnoonehadseenbeforeinthese
rooms.AllofthisirritatedKaterinaIvanovnainanextremelyunpleasant
manner.“Afterall,whowereallthesepreparationsmadefor?”Eventhe
children,tosavespace,werenotseatedatthemaintable,whichalready
occupiedtheentireroom.Theirplaceshadbeensetonatrunkinthefarcorner;
thetwolittleoneswereplacedonabench,andPolechka,asthebiggest,was
supposedtomindthem,feedthem,andwipetheirnoses“likerespectable
children.”Inaword,KaterinaIvanovnawasobligatedagainstherwilltogreet
everyonewithredoubleddignity,evenwithhaughtiness.Sheregardedseveralof
theguestswithparticularsternnessandcondescendinglyinvitedthemtosit
downatthetable.HavingdecidedforsomereasonthatAmaliyaIvanovnawas
responsibleforthosewhodidn’tappear,shesuddenlybegantoaddressherwith
excessiverudeness,whichAmaliyaIvanovnanoticedimmediately,becoming
extremelypiqued.Suchabeginningdidnotbodewellforagoodending.Atlast
everyonewasseated.

Raskolnikoventeredalmostexactlyatthesametimetheywerereturning

Raskolnikoventeredalmostexactlyatthesametimetheywerereturning
fromthecemetery.KaterinaIvanovnawasterriblygladtoseehim,inthefirst
placebecausehewastheonly“educatedguest”outofallthosepresentand,“as
iswellknown,hewaspreparingtooccupyaprofessor’schairatthelocal
universitytwoyearshence.”Inthesecondplace,itwasbecausehepromptlyand
respectfullyapologizedtoherthatinspiteofhisstrongdesire,hehadbeen
unabletoattendthefuneral.Shepouncedonhimatonceandsathimdownat
thetableonherleftside(AmaliyaIvanovnawassittingonherright);inspiteof
herconstantfussingandconcernthatthefoodwouldbeservedproperlyandthat
therebeenoughforeveryone,andinspiteofthetormentingcoughthatplagued
hercontinuallyandchokedherand,itseems,hadworsenedparticularlyinthe
lasttwodays,sheconstantlyturnedtoRaskolnikovandinahalfwhisper
hastenedtopourouttohimallherpent-upfeelingsandallherrighteous
indignationovertheunsuccessfulfuneralfeast;thisindignationalternatedwith
fitsofthemostcheerfulandmostunrestrainedlaughterattheassembledguests,
primarilydirectedatherlandlady.

“Thatcuckooistoblameforeverything.YouunderstandwhoI’mtalking
about:abouther,her!”KaterinaIvanovnanoddedatthelandlady.“Justlookat
her:hereyesarepoppingout;sheknowswe’retalkingabouther,butshecan’t
understand,andhereyesarewideopen.Phew,whatanowlsheis!Ha-ha-ha!

Cough-cough-cough! Andwhat’sshetryingtoprovewiththatcapofhers?

Cough-cough-cough! Haveyounoticedthatshewantseveryonetothinkshe’s
patronizingmeanddoingmeanhonorbycoming?Iaskedher,asarespectable
woman,toinviteabetterclassofpeople,especiallyacquaintancesofthe
deceased,butjustlookatwhoshe’sbrought:suchclowns!Sluts!Lookatthat
fellowwiththedirtyface:he’sasnotnoseontwolegs!Andthosenastylittle
Poles...ha-ha-ha! Cough-cough-cough! Noone,nooneatallhaseverseen
themherebefore,andI’veneverseenthemeither;whydidtheycome,Iask you?
They’resittingproperly,allinarow.Hey,sir!”shecriedoutsuddenlyto
oneofthem,“haveyouhadanypancakes?Havesomemore!Drinksomebeer,
morebeer!Wouldn’tyoulikesomevodka?Look:he’sjumpedupandis
bowing.Look,look:theymustbeveryhungry,thepoorfellows!Nevermind,let
themeat.Atleastthey’renotmakinganynoise,only...only,I’mafraidforthe
landlady’ssilverspoons!AmaliyaIvanovna!”shesaidalmostaudibly,suddenly
turninginherdirection,“ifbyanychancetheypinchyourspoons,I’mnot
responsibleforthem,Iwarnyouinadvance!Ha-ha-ha!”Sheroaredwith
laughter.TurningbacktoRaskolnikov,shenoddedagainatthelandladyand
enjoyedherlittleattack.“Shehasn’tunderstood,onceagainshedidn’t
understand!She’ssittingtherewithhermouthopenwide,justlook:she’slikean

owl,agenuinescreechowlinhercapwithnewribbons,ha-ha-ha!”

Againherlaughterturnedintounbearablecoughingthatlastedfiveminutes.

Somebloodwasleftonherhandkerchief,andbeadsofperspirationstoodouton
herforehead.ShesilentlyshowedthebloodtoRaskolnikovand,withhardlya
pause,whisperedtohimagainwithextremeanimationandwithredblotcheson
hercheeks:

“Justlook:Igaveheramostdelicatecommission,onecouldsay,toinvite
thatladyandherdaughter.DoyouunderstandwhomI’mtalkingabout?One
mustbehaveinthemostdelicatemanner,actinthemostskillfulway,butshe
carrieditoutsothatthisnewlyarrivedfool,thishaughtycreature,this
insignificantprovincialwoman,simplybecauseshe’ssomesortofmajor’s
widowwho’scometopetitionforapensionandisbeatingdownofficedoors,
andwho,attheageoffifty-five,dyesherhairblackandwearsbothpowderand
rouge(thisiswellknown)...thiscreaturenotonlydidn’tthinkitfittingto
appear,butdidn’tevensendamessageofapologythatshecouldn’tcome,as
consideredcorrectbythemostordinaryrulesofpolitenessinsuch
circumstances!Ican’tunderstandwhyPetrPetrovichdidn’tcome,either!And
where’sSonya?Wherehasshegone?Ah,heresheisatlast!Well,Sonya,
where’veyoubeen?It’sstrangethatyou’relateevenforyourfather’sfuneral.
RodionRomanovich,allowhertositnexttoyou.There’syourplace
Sonechka...takewhateveryouwant.Havesomeofthejelliedfish,that’sthe
best.Soonthere’llbepancakes.Havetheyfedthechildren?Polechka,doyou
haveeverythingoverthere? Cough-cough-cough! Well,allright.Beaclever
girl,Lenya,andyou,Kolya,don’tkickyourfeet;sitlikeawell-behavedchild.

Whatareyousaying,Sonechka?”

SonyahastenedtoconveyPetrPetrovich’sapology,tryingtospeakloud
enoughsothateveryonecouldhearandusingthemostcarefullychosen
respectfulexpressions,purposelycomposedbyPetrPetrovichandembellished
byher.SheaddedthatPetrPetrovichhadspeciallyorderedhertosaythatas
soonasitbecamepossible,hewouldcomeverysoontotalkprivately about
business andtoagreeonwhatcouldbedoneandwhattoundertakeinthefuture, etc.,
etc.

SonyaknewthatthiswouldpacifyandreassureKaterinaIvanovna,flatter her,and—
themainthing—herpridewouldbesatisfied.Shesatdownnextto
Raskolnikov,towhomshebowedhurriedly,andinpassingcastaninquisitive
glanceathim.However,forthemostpartsheavoidedbothlookingathimand
talkingtohim.Sheevenseemedtobedistracted,althoughshekeptlookingat
KaterinaIvanovna’sfaceandtriedtopleaseher.NeithershenorKaterina
Ivanovnawasdressedinmourning,becausetheylackedtheclothes;Sonyawas

wearingsomesortofdarkbrowndress,andKaterinaIvanovnahadonheronly
dress,adrabcottondresswithstripes.ThenewsaboutPetrPetrovichwaswell
received.KaterinaIvanovnaheardSonyaoutpretentiouslyand,withthesame
pretentiousness,inquiredaboutPetrPetrovich’shealth.Then,quicklyandalmost
outloud,she whispered toRaskolnikovthatitreallywouldbestrangeifa
respectedandsolidmanlikePetrPetrovichwouldfindhimselfinsuch“unusual
company,”inspiteofallhisdevotiontoherfamilyandhisformerfriendship
withherpapa.

“That’swhyI’mespeciallygratefultoyou,RodionRomanych,thatyou
didn’tdisdainmyhospitality,eveninsuchcircumstances,”sheaddedalmost
aloud.“However,I’mconvincedthatonlyyourspecialfriendshipwithmypoor
deceasedhusbandinspiredyoutokeepyourword.”
Thenshesurveyedherguestsagainwithprideanddignityandsuddenly,
withspecialsolicitude,inquiredloudlyacrossthetableofthedeafoldman
whetherhe’dlikesomemoreroastandhadhebeenservedsomeLisbonwine?

Theoldmandidn’treplyandforalongtimewasunabletounderstandwhathe
wasbeingasked,eventhoughhisneighborsbeganshakinghimtoamuse
themselves.Hemerelylookedaroundwithhismouthopenwide,whicharoused
generalmerriment.

“Whatanoaf!Look,look!Whydidtheybringhim?AsfarasPetrPetrovich
isconcerned,Iwasalwayscertainofhim,”KaterinaIvanovnacontinuedto
Raskolnikov.“And,ofcourse,he’snotlike...”shesaidloudlyandharshly,
turningtoAmaliyaIvanovnawithanextremelysternexpression,whichcaused
thelattertocringe,“notlikethoseoverdressedtaildraggersofyourswho
wouldn’thavebeenadmittedascooksintomypapa’skitchen;andmylate
husband,ofcourse,would’vedonethemagreathonorreceivingthem,even
thoughitwasonlyoutofhisinexhaustiblekindness.”

“Yes,ma’am.Helovedtodrink;hereallyloveditandheusedtodrink,
ma’am!”theretiredquartermastercriedsuddenly,draininghistwelfthglassof
vodka.

“Indeed,mylatehusbanddidhavethatweakness,andeveryoneknewthat,”

saidKaterinaIvanovna,pouncingonhiminaflash.“Buthewasakindand
generousmanwholovedandrespectedhisfamily;hisonefaultwasthatoutof
kindnessheusedtotrustallsortsofdepravedcreatures;Godknowswhoheused
todrinkwith,peoplewhoweren’tevenworthhisshoesole!Justimagine,
RodionRomanovich,theyfoundagingerbreadroosterinhispocket:hewas
deaddrunk,buthewasthinkingabouthischildren.”

“Aroo-ooster?Didyousayaroo-ooster?”criedthequartermaster.

KaterinaIvanovnadidn’tdeigntoreplytohim.Shewasdeepinthoughtand sighed.

sighed.

“Youprobablythink,likeeveryoneelse,thatIwastoostrictwithhim,”she
continued,turningtoRaskolnikov.“Butthatwasn’tthecase!Herespectedme,
herespectedmevery,verymuch!Hewasamanwithakindsoul!Iwould
sometimesfeelsosorryforhim!Heusedtositinthecornerlookingatme,andI
wouldfeelsosorryforhim;Iwantedtobenicetohim,andthenIthoughtto
myself,‘I’llbenicetohimandthenhe’llgooutandgetdrunkagain.’Onlyby
beingsostrictwasitpossibletorestrainhimsomewhat.”

“Yes,ma’am,hehadhishairpulled,ma’am,morethanonce,ma’am,”

roaredthequartermasteragainandpouredanotherglassofvodkadownhis gullet.

“Nevermindthehairpulling,butitmightevenbeusefultosweepoutsome
ofthosefools.I’mnottalkingaboutmylatehusbandnow!”KaterinaIvanovna
repliedtothequartermaster.

Theredblotchesonhercheeksweregrowingbrighterandbrighter,andher
chestwasheavingmoreandmore.Anotherminuteorso,andshe’dbereadyto
makeascene.Manypeoplegiggled;obviously,theyfoundthispleasant.Some
peoplebeganpokingthequartermasterandwhisperingsomethingtohim.

Clearly,theywereeagertoprovokethetwoofthem.

“All-lowmetoinquirewhatyou’rereferringto,ma’am,”thequartermaster
began,“thatis,onwhose...honorablename...youweregoodenoughjust
nowto....However,there’snoneed!It’snothing!Widow!Hey,widow!I
forgiveyou....Ipass!”hesaid,andhedownedanothervodka.

Raskolnikovsatthereandlistenedinsilenceandwithdisgust.Heateabit,
onlytastingoutofpolitenessthemorselsKaterinaIvanovnakeptpilingontohis
plate,andthathedidonlytoavoidoffendingher.HestaredintentlyatSonya.

Butshewasbecomingmoreandmoreagitatedandanxious;shealsoforesaw
thatthefeastwouldnotendserenely;withapprehensionsheobservedKaterina
Ivanovna’sgrowingirritation.Meanwhile,sheknewthatsheherselfwasthe
mainreasonwhybothoftheinvitedladieshadtreatedKaterinaIvanovna’s
invitationsodisdainfully.She’dheardfromAmaliyaIvanovnaherselfthatthe
motherhadbeenoffendedbytheinvitationandhadposedaquestion:“How
couldshepossiblyseatherowndaughternextto thatyoungwoman?”Sonya
foresawthatKaterinaIvanovnaalreadyknewaboutthissomehow,andaninsult
toSonyameantmoretoKaterinaIvanovnathananinsulttoherpersonally,her
children,orherpapa—inaword,itwasamortalinsult;Sonyaknewthat
KaterinaIvanovnawouldn’tcalmdown“untilshehadprovedtothesetwotail
draggersthatthey’reboth...”andsoonandsoforth.Asifonpurpose,
someoneattheotherendofthetablesentSonyaaplatedepictingtwohearts

piercedbyanarrow,allcarvedoutofblackbread.KaterinaIvanovnaflaredup
andimmediatelyremarkedinaloudvoice,acrossthetable,thattheperson
who’dsentitwas,ofcourse,a“drunkenass.”AmaliyaIvanovna,alsoforeseeing
somethingunpleasant,whileatthesametimefeelingoffendedtothedepthsof
hersoulbyKaterinaIvanovna’sarrogance,inanefforttodeflectthenastymood
ofthecompanyinanotherdirectionand,bytheway,toelevateherownstanding
inthegeneralopinion,suddenlybegan,fornogoodreason,torelateastory
aboutanacquaintanceofhers,“Karlfromzepharmazist’sshop,”whowas
takingacabonenightand“zedrivervantedtokillhim,undKarlbegtundbegt
nottokillhim,undheveptundclaspedzehands,andvasfrightened,andfrom
zefearhisheartvasvounded.”AlthoughKaterinaIvanovnasmiled,she
remarkedatoncethatAmaliyaIvanovnashouldn’tbetryingtotellstoriesin
Russian.Atthat,AmaliyaIvanovnawasevenmoreoffendedandobjected,
sayingthather“Vater fromBerlinvasavery,veryimportantmann,andalvayz
valkedmitzehendsinzepockets.”KaterinaIvanovnawassoamusedthatshe
couldn’trefrainandburstintoloudlaughter,asaresultofwhichAmaliya
Ivanovnalostherlastbitofpatienceandself-control.

“Lookatthatscreechowl!”analmostcheerfulKaterinaIvanovnawhispered
toRaskolnikovagain.“Shewastryingtosaythathewalkedaroundwithhis
handsinhispockets,butitcameoutthathepickedotherpeople’spockets.

Cough,cough! Anddidyounotice,RodionRomanovich,onceandforall,that
allthesePetersburgforeigners—thatis,mainlytheGermans—whocometous
fromsomewhereorotherareallstupiderthanweare?Well,youhavetoagree
thatyoucan’tjustsay,‘Karlfromzepharmazist’sshopfromzefearhisheart
vasvounded,’andthathe(thesnotnose!),insteadoftyingupthecabdriver,‘he
claspedzehands,undvept,undbegt.’Ah,whatanitwit!Andshethinksit’sa
verytouchingstory,anddoesn’tevensuspecthowstupidsheis!Inmyopinion,
thisdrunkenquartermasterismuchsmarterthansheis;atleastit’sapparentthat
theprofligatedrankawaythelastofhisbrains,butthey’reallsoprimand
proper....Justlookather:hereyesarepoppingout.She’sangry!Veryangry!
Ha-ha-ha! Cough,cough!”

Havingcheeredup,KaterinaIvanovnawasimmediatelydistractedby
variousdetailsandsuddenlybegantalkingabouthow,withtheassistanceofan
obtainedpension,shewoulddefinitelyopenaboardingschoolfornobleyoung
ladiesinherhometownofT——.Raskolnikovhadnotheardofthisplanbefore
fromKaterinaIvanovna,andsheimmediatelydelvedintoallthemostalluring
details.Itwasnotatallclearhowthat“certificateofmerit”hadsuddenlyturned
upinherhands,theonethatthelateMarmeladovhadmentionedto
Raskolnikov,explainingtohiminthetavernthatKaterinaIvanovna,hiswife,

haddonetheshawldance“inthepresenceofthegovernorandother
distinguishedpeople”attheinstitutegraduationball.Thiscertificateofmerit,
obviously,wasnowsupposedtobearwitnesstoKaterinaIvanovna’srightto
establishaschool;butthemainthingwas,itwaskeptinreservewiththegoalof
finallyputtingthose“twooverdressedtaildraggers”intheirplace,incasethey
cametothefuneralfeast,andtodemonstrateclearlytothemthatKaterina
Ivanovnawasdescendedfromanoble,“onecouldevensayaristocratic,
householdandwasacolonel’sdaughter,andthatshewasmuchbetterthan
certainadventureseekerswhohadbecomesoverycommonasoflate.”The
certificateofmeritwasimmediatelypassedaroundbythedrunkenguests,which
KaterinaIvanovnadidnotprevent,becauseitreallydidindicate entouteslettres
thatshewasthedaughterofadecoratedcourtcouncillor,andasaresult,almost
infactacolonel’sdaughter.Nowinspired,KaterinaIvanovnasoonenlargedon
allthedetailsofherfuturesplendidandserenewayoflifeinT——;aboutthe
gymnasiumteachersshewouldinvitetogivelecturesatherschool;abouta
respectableoldFrenchman,M.Mangot,whohadoncetaughtKaterinaIvanovna
FrenchinschoolandwhowaslivingouthisyearsinT——andwouldcertainly
agreetoteachintheschoolforaveryreasonablefee.Finallytheplanincluded
evenSonya,“whowouldaccompanyKaterinaIvanovnatoT——andthere
wouldassistherineverything.”Butheresomeoneattheotherendofthetable
suddenlystartedchuckling.AlthoughKaterinaIvanovnatriedtopretendthatshe
disregardedthelaughterattheendofthetable,sheimmediatelyraisedhervoice
andbegananimatedlydescribingSofiyaSemyonovna’sunquestionableabilities
toserveasherassistant,“hergentleness,patience,self-sacrifice,nobility,and
hereducation”;thenshepattedSonyaonthecheekand,standingup,kissedher
warmlytwice.Sonyablushed,butKaterinaIvanovnasuddenlyburstintotears,
remarkingthat“shewasanervousfoolandwastoodistraught,thatitwashigh
timeshestopped,andsincethemealwasfinished,itwasnowtimetoservetea.”

AtthatverymomentAmaliyaIvanovna,nowabsolutelyoffendedthatshehad
takennottheleastpartintheentireconversation,andthatothersweren’teven
listeningtoheratall,suddenlyriskedalastattemptand,withsecretanguish,
venturedtomakeoneextremelypracticalandprofoundremarktoKaterina
Ivanovna,abouthowinherfutureschoolitwouldbeimportanttopayparticular
attentiontothegirls’cleanundergarments( dieWäsche)andthat“shemusthaff
onesuchgoodvoman”—“dieDame”—“whothelinenlooktafter,”and,second,

“thatallzegirlsmustatnightsecretlynonovelsread.”KaterinaIvanovna,who
wasreallydistraughtandverytiredandalreadyfedupwiththefuneralfeast,
immediatelysnappedatAmaliyaIvanovnaandsaidthatshewas“talking
nonsense”anddidn’tunderstandathing;that dieWäsche wastheconcernofthe

womaninchargeofthelinen,andnotthedirectorofaboardingschoolfornoble
youngwomen;andasfarasreadingnovelswasconcerned,thatwassimply
indecent,andsheaskedhertokeepquiet.AmaliyaIvanovnaflushed;now
angered,sheremarkedthat“shevishtzebest,”andthat“shevishtonlyzevery
best,”andthatKaterina“forzeapartmenthadyettopayzerent.”Katerina
Ivanovnaimmediately“putherinherplace,”sayingthatshewaslyingwhenshe
saidthat“shevishtzebest,”becauseasrecentlyasyesterday,whenthedeceased
wasstilllyingonthetable,shehadpesteredherabouttherentfortheapartment.

TothisAmaliyaIvanovnarepliedextremelylogicallythat“sheinvitedzose
ladies,butzoseladiesdidn’tcomebecausezoseladieswererespectableladies
undcouldn’tdisreputableladiesvisit.”KaterinaIvanovnaimmediately

“emphasized”toherthatsinceshewasaslut,shecouldn’tjudgewhatgenuine
nobilityreallywas.AmaliyaIvanovnawouldn’tacceptthisanddeclaredatonce
thather“Vater fromBerlinvasavery,veryimportant Mann andvalkedmitze
hendsinzepocketsandalwayssaid,‘Poof!Poof!’”andinordertorepresenther Vater
moreaccurately,AmaliyaIvanovnajumpedupfromthechair,shoved
bothherhandsintoherpockets,puffedouthercheeks,andbeganmakingsome
sortofvaguesoundswithhermouthsimilartopuff,puff,totheaccompaniment
ofloudguffawsfromalltheotherlodgers,whointentionallyencouraged
AmaliyaIvanovnawiththeirapproval,expectingafight.ButKaterinaIvanovna
couldnolongerstanditandrapidly,foralltohear,“blurtedout”thatperhaps
AmaliyaIvanovnaneverevenhada Vater, thatAmaliyaIvanovnawassimplya
drunkenPetersburgFinn,andthatmostlikelyshehadworkedsomewhereasa
cookbefore,perhapsevenworsethanthat.AmaliyaIvanovnaturnedredasa
lobsterandshriekedthatperhapsKaterinaIvanovna“hadno Vater atall;thather
Vater vasfromBerlin,andhevorezelongfrockcoatundkeptmitzepuff,puff,
puff!”KaterinaIvanovnaremarkedwithcontemptthatherownbackgroundwas
knowntoeveryoneandthatthesamecertificateofmeritindicatedinprintthat
herfatherwasacolonel;whileAmaliyaIvanovna’sfather(ifsheevenhadone)
wasprobablysomepoorPetersburgFinnwhopeddledmilk;thatmostlikelyshe
didn’thaveafatheratall,becauseevenuptonowAmaliyaIvanovna’s
patronymicwasstillunknown:IvanovnaorLyudvigovna.ThenAmaliya
Ivanovna,furiousatlast,bangingherfistonthetable,tooktoshoutingthatshe
wasAmal-Ivan,andnotLyudvigovna,thather Vater“vascalledJohannundhe vasze
Burgmeister, ” † andthatKaterinaIvanovna’s Vater“vasneverze
Burgmeister.”KaterinaIvanovnastoodupfromherplaceandsternly,inan
apparentlycalmvoice(althoughshewascompletelypaleandherchestwas
heavingdeeply),remarkedtoherthatifshedared“tocompareforonemoment

herworthless Vater”withherownpapa,thatshe,KaterinaIvanovna,“would
tearoffAmaliya’scapandtrampleitunderfoot.”Afterhearingthis,Amaliya
Ivanovnaranaroundtheroom,shoutingwithallhermightthatshewasthe
landladyandthatKaterinaIvanovna“mustzisveryminutevacatethe
apartment.”Thenforsomereasonsherushedtocollecthersilverspoonsfrom
thetable.Anuproarandcommotionensued;thechildrenbegancrying.Sonya
hastenedtorestrainKaterinaIvanovna;butwhenAmaliyaIvanovnasuddenly
yelledsomethingaboutayellowticket,KaterinaIvanovnapushedSonyaaway
andwentafterAmaliyaIvanovnatocarryoutherthreataboutthecap
immediately.AtthatverymomentthedooropenedandPetrPetrovichLuzhin
suddenlyappearedonthethresholdoftheroom.Hestoodregardingtheentire
companywithasevereandattentiveglance.KaterinaIvanovnarushedtohim.

*Boiledricewithraisinsandhoney,traditionallyeatenatafuneralrepast.

†“Mayor”(German).

III
“PetrPetrovich!”shecried,“atleastyouwillprotectus!Makethisstupid
creatureunderstandthatshehasnorighttotreatarespectableladyindistress
thatway.Therearelawsaboutsuchthings....I’llgotothegovernor-general
himself....She’llhavetoanswerforit.Inmemoryofmyfather’shospitality,
protecthisorphans.”

“Excuseme,madam....Excuseme,excuseme,madam,”PetrPetrovich
said,wavingheraway.“Asevenyoumustknow,Ididn’thavethehonorof
knowingyourpapaatall...excuseme,madam!”Someoneguffawedloudly.

“AndI’mnotinclinedtogetinvolvedinyourendlessquarrelswithAmaliya
Ivanovna,ma’am....Icamehereonnecessarybusiness...andIwishtospeak
atoncewithyourstepdaughter,Sofiya...Ivanovna....That’sit,isn’tit?

Allowmetopass,ma’am...”

PetrPetrovich,sidlingpastKaterinaIvanovna,headedtotheoppositecorner,
whereSonyastood.

KaterinaIvanovnaremainedstandinginthesameplaceasifthunderstruck.

Shecouldn’tunderstandhowPetrPetrovichcoulddisavowherpapa’s
hospitality.Havingonceimaginedthishospitality,shehadcometobelieveinit
asasacredthing.ShewasalsostruckbyPetrPetrovich’sdry,businessliketone,
evenfullofsomecontemptuousmenace.Everyonegraduallyfellsomehow
silentathisappearance.Besides,this“businesslikeandearnest”manseemedin
suchdisharmonywiththeentiregathering;inaddition,itwasclearthathehad
comeforsomethingimportant,probablyonlysomeunusualreasoncouldbring
himintosuchcompany;thereforesomethingwasabouttohappen,something
wouldoccur.Raskolnikov,standingnexttoSonya,steppedasidetolethim
approach;PetrPetrovich,itseemed,didn’tevennoticehim.Amomentlater,
Lebezyatnikovappearedonthethreshold;hedidn’tentertheroom,butpaused,
alsowithsomeparticularcuriosity,almostinastonishment;helistened,though
foralongtimeseemednottounderstandanything.

“ExcusemeifI’minterrupting,butI’vecomeonratherimportantbusiness,
ma’am,”PetrPetrovichremarkedtoeveryoneingeneral,notaddressinganyone
inparticular.“I’mevengladotherpeoplearehere.AmaliyaIvanovna,Ihumbly
requestthatyou,inyourcapacityaslandladyofthisapartment,payspecial
attentiontotheconversationI’mabouttohavewithSofiyaIvanovna.Sofiya
Ivanovna,”hecontinued,turningdirectlytoanextremelysurprisedandalready

frightenedSonya,“immediatelyafteryourvisittomyfriendAndrey
SemyonovichLebezyatnikov,agovernmentbanknotebelongingtomeworth
onehundredrublesdisappearedfrommytable.Ifthereisanywayyouknow
aboutitandcanshowuswhereitisnow,thenIgiveyoumywordofhonor,
whicheveryoneherecanwitness,thatwillbetheendofthematter.Inthe
oppositecase,Iwillbeforcedtotakeveryseriousmeasures,andthen...you
willhaveonlyyourselftoblame,ma’am!”

Completesilencereignedintheroom.Eventhecryingchildrenquieted
down.Sonyastoodthere,deathlypale,regardingLuzhin,unabletoutterany
reply.Itwasasifshestilldidn’tunderstand.Severalsecondspassed.

“Well,ma’am,howaboutit?”askedLuzhin,staringatherintently.

“Idon’tknow....Idon’tknowanything...”Sonyafinallyutteredina weakvoice.

“No?Youdon’t?”Luzhinrepeatedhisquestionandwassilentforseveral
seconds.“Think,mademoiselle,”hebegansternly,asitwere,stillexhortingher,

“considercarefully.I’mwillingtogiveyoumoretimetoreflect.Please
understand,ma’am:ifIwerenotsocertain,withmyexperience,ofcourse,I
wouldn’triskaccusingyousoopenly;forsuchadirectandopen,butfalse,even
erroneousaccusation,Iwould,inacertainsense,beheldresponsible.Iknow
this,ma’am.ThismorningIexchanged,forsomenecessaryexpenses,several
fivepercentbillswiththenominalvalueofthreethousandrubles.Ihavea
receipttothateffectinmywallet.Uponreturninghome,I—Andrey
Semyonovichismywitness—begancountingthemoney;aftercountingtwo
thousandandthreehundredrubles,Iplacedthatsuminmywalletandthenput
mywalletinthesidepocketofmyjacket.Aboutfivehundredrublesin
banknoteswereleftonthetable;amongthemwerethreenotesofonehundred
rubleseach.Atthatmomentyouarrived(atmyrequest);allthewhileyouwere
extremelyagitated,sothatthreetimesinthemiddleofourconversationyou
evenstoodupandpreparedtoleaveforsomereason,eventhoughthe
conversationhadnotyetended.AndreySemyonychcanbearwitnesstoallthis.
Mostlikely,youyourself,mademoiselle,won’trefusetoconfirmanddeclare
thatIaskedyoutocome,throughAndreySemyonych,solelyinordertotalk
abouttheorphanedanddesperatesituationofyourrelativeKaterinaIvanovna
(whosefuneraldinnerIwasunabletoattend),andabouthowitmightbeuseful
toorganizesomethinglikeasubscription,alottery,orsomethingsimilar,forher
benefit.Youthankedmeandevenshedsometears(I’mrelatingeverythingasit
happenedinorder,first,toremindyouand,second,toshowyouthatnotthe
smallestdetailhasbeenerasedfrommymemory).Itookaten-rublenotefrom
thetableandgaveittoyou,onmyownbehalf,asacontributionforyourrelative

andasthefirstformofassistance.AndreySemyonovichsawallthis.ThenI
escortedyoutothedoor—whileyouwerestillagitated—afterwhich,leftalone
withAndreySemyonovich,andconversingwithhimforalmosttenminutes,he
leftandIturnedbacktothetablewherethemoneywaslying,withtheaimof
finishingmycountingandthenputtingitaside,asIhadplannedtodo
previously.Tomysurprise,aone-hundred-rublenotewasnottobefoundamong
alltheothers.Pleasethinkcarefully:Ican’tsuspectAndreySemyonovich,
ma’am;I’mevenashamedofthesuggestion.Ican’tbemakingamistakeinthe
amount,becausejustbeforeyourarrival,I’dfinishedmycountingandfoundthe
totalcorrect.You’llagreethatrecallingyouragitation,yourhastetoleave,and
thefactthatforawhileyouhadyourhandsonthetable,and,finally,takinginto
accountyoursocialpositionanditsassociatedhabits,Iwascompelled,soto
speak,againstmywillandwithhorror,toreachaconclusion—acruelone,of
course,butjustified,ma’am!Iwilladd,andIrepeat,thatinspiteofallmy evident
certainty,Iunderstandthatthereisstillsomeriskformeinmakingthis
accusationnow.Butasyousee,Ihaven’tleftthematterunattended;Ihaverisen
upandwilltellyouwhy:solely,madam,solelybecauseofyourblackest
ingratitude!What?Iinvitedyoutostopbyintheinterestsofyourpoorrelative;
Igaveyoutenrublesasacontributionwithinmypowers;andyou,righthere,
arerepayingmeforeverythingwithsuchanaction!No,ma’am,thisisnotvery
nice,ma’am!Alessonisneeded,ma’am.Considercarefully;moreover,asyour
truefriend,Iaskyou(sinceatthismomentyoudon’thaveabetterfriendthanI)
toreconsider!Otherwise,Iwillbemerciless!Well,ma’am,howaboutit?”

“Ididn’ttakeanythingfromyou,”Sonyawhisperedinhorror.“Yougaveme
tenrubles;here,takethemback.”Shedrewherhandkerchieffromherpocket,
untiedtheknot,pulledoutaten-rublenote,andextendedherhandtoLuzhin.
“Soyoudenyknowledgeoftheotherhundredrubles?”hesaidreproachfully
andinsistently,nottakingthenote.

Sonyalookedaround.Everyonewasstaringatherwithsuchhorrified,
severe,mocking,hatefulfaces.SheglancedatRaskolnikov...hewasstanding
nearthewall,armsfoldedacrosshischest,regardingherwithafierygaze.

“Oh,Lord!”Sonyaburstforth.

“AmaliyaIvanovna,we’llhavetoinformthepolice;thereforeIhumbly
requestthatyousendforthecaretaker,”Luzhinremarkedquietly,evenpolitely.

“Gottderbarmherzige!*Iknewshevasathief!”Amaliyaexclaimed,
claspingherhands.

“Youknew?”Luzhinrepeated.“Thatmeansyoualreadyhadsomereason
forcomingtothatconclusion.Ibegyou,mostrespectedAmaliyaIvanovna,

rememberthewordsyoujustspokehereinthepresenceofwitnesses.”

Loudconversationsuddenlyaroseonallsides.Everyonebeganstirring.

“Wha-a-at?”KaterinaIvanovnacriedsuddenly,comingtohersenses—and,
asifbreakingloose,sherushedatLuzhin.“What?You’reaccusingheroftheft?

Sonya?Ah,whatscoundrels,scoundrels!”RushingtoSonya,sheclutchedher
tightlyinherwastedarms.

“Sonya!Howdareyoutaketenrublesfromhim!Oh,youstupidgirl!Giveit
tome!Givemethetenrubles—here!”

AftersnatchingthebanknotefromSonya,KaterinaIvanovnacrumpleditin
herhandandhurleditstraightatLuzhin’sface.Theballofpaperhithiminthe
eyeandbouncedontothefloor.AmaliyaIvanovnarushedtopickupthemoney.

PetrPetrovichgrewangry.

“Restrainthismadwoman!”heshouted.
Justatthatmoment,severalpeopleappearedinthedoorwaytogetherwith
Lebezyatnikov,amongwhomwerethetworecentlyarrivedladies.

“What?Madwoman?I’mamadwoman,amI?Youfool,you!”Katerina
Ivanovnashrieked.“You’reafool,ashyster,avilecreature!Sonya,Sonyasteal
hismoney?Sonya,athief?Why,she’devengiveyoumoney,youfool!”

KaterinaIvanovnabeganlaughinghysterically.“Haveyoueverseensucha
fool?”Sherushedaroundtheroom,pointingoutLuzhintoeveryone.“What?

Andyou,too?”shesaid,catchingsightofthelandlady.“You,too,youGerman
sausagemaker,youstatethatshe‘stole,’yourevoltingPrussianchickenleg
dressedupincrinoline!Oh,you!You!Shehasn’tleftthisroom;assoonasshe
returned,youscoundrel,shesatdownrightnexttoRodionRomanovich!Search
her!Ifshedidn’tleavetheroom,themoneymuststillbeonher!Searchher,go
on,searchher!Butifyoudon’tfindit,then,excuseme,mydear,you’llhaveto
answerforit!Tothetsar,thetsar,I’llgotothetsarhimself,themercifultsar;
I’llthrowmyselfathisfeetatonce,today!I’manorphan!They’lladmitme!

Youthinktheywon’t?Youlie!I’llgettohim!Iwill!Youwerecountingonthe
factthatshe’stimid,right?Youwererelyingonthat,wereyou?But,myfriend,
I’mfearless!You’llpayforit!Searchher!Searchher,goon,searchher!!”

Inherfury,KaterinaIvanovnagrabbedLuzhinanddraggedhimoverto Sonya.

“I’mready,ma’am,andwillanswerforit...butcalmdown,madam,calm
down!Iseealltoowellthatyou’refearless!This...this...howtoproceed,
ma’am?”mutteredLuzhin.“Thepoliceshouldbepresent,ma’am...although,
asitis,therearemorethanenoughwitnesses....I’mready,ma’am....Butin
anycase,it’sdifficultformeasaman...becauseofmysex....If,with
AmaliyaIvanovna’shelp...although,thisisn’tthewayit’sdone....Howto

proceed?”

“Anyoneyoulike.Letanyoneyoulikesearchher!”criedKaterinaIvanovna.

“Sonya,emptyyourpockets!There,there!Look,youmonster,it’sempty;there
wasahandkerchiefandnowthepocket’sempty,yousee!Nowtheotherpocket,
there,there!Yousee?Yousee?”
AndKaterinadidn’tmerelyemptySonya’spocketssomuchasgrabbothof
them,oneaftertheother,andturntheminsideout.Butfromthesecondpocket,
theoneontheright,apieceofpapercameflyingout;describingaparabolain
theair,itfellatLuzhin’sfeet.Everyonesawit;manypeoplecriedout.Petr
Petrovichbentover,pickedupthepaperfromthefloorwithhistwofingers,
unfoldedit,andlifteditupforalltosee.Itwasaone-hundred-rublebanknote,
foldedineighths.PetrPetrovichmovedhisarmaroundinacircle,displayingthe
banknotetoeveryone.

“Thief!Get auss ofzisapartment!Police!Police!”howledAmaliya

Ivanovna.“ZeymusstoSiberiabesent!Get auss! ”

Exclamationsflewfromallsides.Raskolnikovkeptsilentanddidn’ttakehis
eyesoffSonya;fromtimetotimeheglancedquicklyatLuzhin.Sonyastoodin
thesameplace,asifunconscious:shedidn’tevenseemverysurprised.Suddenly
herentirefaceturnedred:shecriedoutandcoveredherfacewithherhands.

“Ididn’tdoit!Ididn’ttakeit!Idon’tknowanythingaboutit!”shecriedina heart-
rendingwailandrushedtoKaterinaIvanovna.SheembracedSonyaand
heldherclose,asifshieldingherwithherchestfromeveryoneelse.

“Sonya!Sonya!Idon’tbelieveit!Yousee,Idon’tbelieveit!”criedKaterina
Ivanovna(inspiteoftheclearevidence);sheshookSonyainherarmslikea
child,kissingherrepeatedly,catchingholdofherhandsandkissingthem,too,
almostdevouringthem.“Eventheideaofyourtakingit!Whatstupidpeople
theyare!Oh,Lord!You’restupid,stupid,”sheshouted,turningtoface
everyone.“Youstilldon’tknow,youdon’tknow,whatsortofgirlsheis,whata
heartshehas!Stealit?Sonya?Shewouldtakeoffherlastdress,sellit,go
barefoot,andgiveittoyou,ifyouneededit;that’sthesortofpersonsheis!She
gotayellowcardbecausemychildrenweredyingofhunger;shesoldherselffor
us!Ah,herpoordeceasedfather!Herpoorfather!Doyousee?Doyou?So
muchforyourfuneralfeast!GoodLord!Protecther!Whyareyouallstanding there?
RodionRomanovich!Whywon’tyouintervene?Doyoubelieveit,too?

You’renotworthherlittlefinger,allofyou,all,all,allofyou!GoodLord!

Defendheratlast!”
Thelamentofpoor,consumptive,bereavedKaterinaIvanovnaseemedto
produceastrongeffectonthepublic.Therewassomuchpathos,somuch
sufferinginherwasted,consumptivefacedistortedbypain,inherdried-outlips

cakedwithblood,inhervoice’shoarseshrieking,inhersobsresemblinga
child’scomplaint,inhertrusting,childish,and,atthesametime,desperate
prayerforhelpthateveryoneseemedtopitythepoorunfortunatewoman.At
leastPetrPetrovichimmediately pitiedher.

“Madam!Madam!”hecriedinanimposingvoice.“Thismatterdoesn’t
involveyou!Noonewillaccuseyouofhavingtheintentionorofcomplicity,
especiallysinceitwasyouwhodiscoveredthebanknotebyturningherpockets
insideout,whichmeansyouhadnoideaofitbeforehand.I’mabsolutely
preparedtosympathize,if,sotospeak,itwaspovertythatincitedSofiya
Semyonovna.Butwhy,mademoiselle,didn’tyouwanttoconfess?Wereyou
afraidofthedisgrace?Wasityourfirsttime?Didyoubecomeflustered, perhaps?
It’sunderstandable,ma’am,completelyunderstandable,
ma’am....Butwhydidyouembarkonsuchacourse?Ladiesandgentlemen!”

Heturnedtoeveryonepresent.“Ladiesandgentlemen!Sympathizingand,soto
speak,pitying,Imaybereadytoforgive,evennow,inspiteofthepersonal
insultsI’vereceived.Andletyourpresentshame,mademoiselle,bealessonto
youforthefuture,”hesaid,turningtoSonya,“andIshallleavethematterhere;
sobeit,I’llstop.Enough!”

PetrPetrovichcastasidelongglanceatRaskolnikov.Theireyesmet.

Raskolnikov’sfierylookwasreadytoincineratehim.Meanwhile,Katerina
Ivanovnaseemednottohearanythingmore;likeamadwomanshewas
embracingandkissingSonya.ThechildrenalsoembracedSonyafromallsides
withtheirlittlearms,whilePolechka—whodidn’tquiteunderstandwhatitwas
allabout—seemedtobedrowningintears,shakingwithsobs,buryingherpretty
littleface,nowswollenfromhercrying,intoSonya’sshoulder.

“Howdespicable!”aloudvoicesuddenlyboomedfromthedoorway.

PetrPetrovichglancedaroundquickly.

“Whatbaseness!”repeatedLebezyatnikov,staringdirectlyathim.
PetrPetrovichactuallyseemedtoshudder.Everyonenoticedthis.(They
recalleditlater.)Lebezyatnikovtookastepintotheroom.

“Andyoudaredcallmeasawitness?”hesaid,approachingPetrPetrovich.

“Whatdoesthismean,AndreySemyonych?Whatareyoutalkingabout?”

mutteredLuzhin.

“Itmeansyou’reaslanderer,that’swhatI’msaying!”Lebezyatnikovcried
passionately,regardinghimseverelywithhisshortsightedlittleeyes.Hewas
terriblyirate.Raskolnikovfixedhiseyesonhim,asifseizingonandweighing
everyword.Silenceprevailedonceagain.PetrPetrovichseemedalmostata
loss,especiallyatfirst.

“Ifyou’reaccusingme...”hebegan,stuttering.“What’swrongwithyou?

Areyouinyourrightmind?”

“Iaminmyrightmind,sir,andyou...areascoundrel!Oh,thisissovile!I
heardeverything;Iwaitedintentionallytounderstanditall,because,Iconfess,
evenuptothismomentithasn’tbeenquitelogical....ButIdon’tunderstand
whyyoudidallthis.”

“ButwhathaveIdone?Willyoustoputteringyournonsensicalriddles?

Perhapsyou’vebeendrinking?”

“It’syou,youvileman,whomayhavebeendrinking,notme!Inevertouch
vodka,becauseit’sagainstmyprinciples!Justthink,itwashe,hehimself,who
gaveSofiyaSemyonovnathatone-hundred-rublenotewithhisownhands—I
sawit,I’mawitness,I’llswearanoath!Itwashim,him!”repeated
Lebezyatnikov,turningtoeachandeverypersonpresent.

“Haveyougonemadorwhat,youpipsqueak?”criedLuzhin.“Rightherein
frontofyou—righthere,justnow,sheconfirmedtoeveryonethatshereceived
nothingfrommebutthetenrubles.HowcouldIhavepossiblygivenher
anythingmore?”
“Isawit,Isawit!”shoutedandaffirmedLebezyatnikov.“Althoughit’s
againstmyprinciples,I’mpreparedtoswearanysortofoathincourtthisvery
minute,becauseIsawhowyousecretlyslippeditintoherpocket!But,foolthat
Iam,Ithoughtyougaveittoheroutofgenerosity!Inthedoorway,asyouwere
sayinggood-bye,whensheturnedawayandyouwereshakingherhandwith
yourrighthand,yousecretlyslippedthebanknoteintoherpocketwithyourleft.

Isawit!Isawit!”

Luzhinblanched.

“Whatliesyou’retelling!”hecriedvaliantly.“Andhowcouldyou,standing
overbythewindow,tellthatitwasabanknote?Youjustimaginedit...inyour
shortsightedway.You’redelirious!”

“No,Ididn’timagineit!EventhoughIwasstandingfaraway,Isaw
everything,everything,andeventhoughfromthewindowitwashardtomake
outabanknote—you’rerightaboutthat—byaspecialcircumstanceIknowfor
certainthatitwasindeedahundred-rublebanknote,becausewhenyouwerejust
abouttogiveSofiyaSemyonovnaaten-rublenote—Imyselfsawit—atthesame
timeyoutookfromthetableahundred-rublenote.(IsawitbecauseIwas
standingnearbyandthethoughtoccurredtomejustthen;therefore,Ididn’t
forgetthatyouhadabanknoteinyourhand.)Youfoldeditandheldittightin
yourhandallthewhile.ThenIalmostforgotagain,butwhenyouwenttostand
up,youtransferreditfromyourrighthandtoyourleftandalmostdroppedit;
thenIrememberedthebanknoteoncemorebecausethatsamethoughtoccurred
tomeagain,namely,thatyouwantedtodosomethinggenerousforherwithout
myknowing.YoucanimaginehowIbegantofollowthings—andIsawhow

myknowing.YoucanimaginehowIbegantofollowthings—andIsawhow
youmanagedtoslipitintoherpocket.Isawit,Isawit,andI’llsweartoit!”

Lebezyatnikovwasalmostgaspingforbreath.Exclamationsofvariouskinds
rangoutfromallsides,mostofthemexpressingastonishment;buttherewere
alsosomeexclamationsthattookonamoremenacingtone.Everyonecrowded
towardPetrPetrovich.KaterinaIvanovnarushedtoLebezyatnikov.
“AndreySemyonych!I’vebeenmistakenaboutyou!Protecther!You’rethe
onlyonewhostandsupforher!She’sanorphan;Godhassentyou!Andrey
Semyonych,mydearfriend,youkindman!”

KaterinaIvanovna,almostunawareofwhatshewasdoing,threwherselfon
herkneesbeforehim.

“Nonsense!”wailedLuzhin,enragedtoafury.“You’retalkingnonsense,sir.

‘Youforgot,youremembered,youforgot’—what’sallthatabout?SoIplantedit
onher?Why?Forwhatreason?WhatdoIhaveincommonwiththis...”

“Whatfor?That’sjustwhatIdon’tunderstandmyself;butwhat’sforsureis
thatI’mstatingthefacts!I’msocertain,youdisgusting,wickedman,thatIcan
recallpreciselyhowthatsamequestionoccurredtomejustasIwasthanking
you,shakingyourhand.Whyindeeddidyouslipitsecretlyintoherpocket?

Thatis,whysecretly?Wasitreallysimplybecauseyouwishedtoconcealit
fromme,knowingthatIholdoppositeprinciplesandrejectprivatecharity,
whichachievesnoradicalsolutions?Well,Idecidedthatyouwereembarrassed
togiveawaysuchalargesuminfrontofme.Besidesthat,perhaps,Ithought,
youwantedtosurpriseher,astonishherwhenshefoundonehundredrubles
hiddeninherpocket.(Becausesomebenefactorsverymuchliketoshowoff
theircharity;Iknowthis.)Thenitalsooccurredtomethatyouwantedtotest
her;thatis,afterfindingit,wouldshecomebacktothankyou?Then,thatyou
wantedtoavoidhergratitude.Whatdoesitsaythere:sotherighthand,isn’tit,
doesn’tknow...inaword,somethinglikethat....Well,alotofdifferentideas
occurredtomeatthattime,soIdecidedtoconsideritalllater,butstillIthought
itindelicatetorevealthatIknewyoursecret.However,onequestionoccurredto
meatthetime:thatSofiyaSemyonovnamightlosethemoneybeforeshe
noticedyourgooddeed;therefore,Idecidedtocomehere,callherover,and
informherthatonehundredrubleshadbeenslippedintoherpocket.Ontheway
here,IdroppedintotheKobylyatnikovs’totakethem AGeneralDeductionfrom
thePositiveMethod † and,inparticular,torecommendanarticlebyPiderit(as
wellasonebyWagner);thenIcamehere,andwhatasceneIfoundinprogress!

Well,howcouldIhavehadallthesethoughtsandideasifIreallyhadn’tseen
thatyouputonehundredrublesintoherpocket?”
WhenAndreySemyonychfinishedhislengthyexplanation,withsucha

WhenAndreySemyonychfinishedhislengthyexplanation,withsucha
logicalconclusionattheendofhisspeech,hewasterriblytired;sweatwaseven
drippingfromhisface.Alas,hedidn’treallyknowhowtoexpresshimself
properlyinRussian(notknowing,however,anyotherlanguage),sonowhewas
suddenlyutterlyexhausted,asifhehadevenwastedawayfollowinghis
lawyerlyfeat.Nevertheless,hisspeechproducedanextraordinaryeffect.He’d
spokenwithsuchfervor,suchconviction,thateveryoneapparentlybelieved
him.PetrPetrovichfeltthatthingswerenotgood.

“WhatdoIcareifsuchfoolishquestionsoccurredtoyou?”hecried.“That’s
noproof,sir!Youcouldhavedreamtallthisravinginyoursleep,andthat’sall
thereistoit,sir!Itellyou,sir,you’relying!You’relyingandslanderingmeout
ofsomemalicetowardme,outofangerthatIdon’tagreewithyour
freethinking,godlesssocialpropositions,that’swhat,sir!”

Butthislatestturndidn’tworktoPetrPetrovich’sadvantage.Onthe
contrary,grumblingresoundedonallsides.

“Ah,sothat’swhereyou’vegotto!”criedLebezyatnikov.“You’relying!

Callthepolice,andI’llswearanoath!There’sonlyonethingIdon’t
understand:whydidyouriskyourreputationonsuchavileact?Oh,youpitiful,
baseman!”

“Icanexplainwhyhetookariskonthatact,andifnecessary,Imyselfwill
takeanoath!”Raskolnikovspokeatlastinasteadyvoiceandsteppedforward.

Hewasapparentlysteadyandserene.Itsomehowwascleartoeveryone,
merelybyglancingathim,thathereallyknewwhatitwasallaboutandthatthe
matterhadreacheditsdenouement.

“NowI’veclarifieditalltomyself,”continuedRaskolnikov,turningdirectly
toLebezyatnikov.“Fromtheverybeginningofthisstory,I’dalreadybegunto
suspectthattherewassomedirtytrickinvolved,asaresultofseveralspecial
circumstancesknownonlytome,whichI’llnowexplaintoeveryone:they
embracethewholepoint!Itwasyou,AndreySemyonych,withyourvaluable
evidence,whoclarifiedeverythingformeonceandforall.Iaskyouall,allof
you,tolisten:thisgentleman”—hepointedtoLuzhin—“wasrecentlyengagedto
ayoungwoman,namely,tomysister,AvdotyaRomanovnaRaskolnikova.But
uponarrivalinPetersburgtwodaysago,hequarreledwithmeatourfirst
meetingandIdrovehimaway,towhicheventtherearetwowitnesses.Thisman
wasveryangry....Thedaybeforeyesterday,Ididn’tknowhewasrentinga
roomhere,fromyou,AndreySemyonych;therefore,thesamedaywequarreled

—thatis,twodaysago—hewasawitnesstohowI,asanacquaintanceofthe
lateMr.Marmeladov’s,presentedhiswife,KaterinaIvanovna,withsome
moneyforfuneralexpenses.Heimmediatelywroteanotetomymotherand
informedherthatI’dgiventhemoneynottoKaterinaIvanovna,buttoSofiya

Semyonovna;inaddition,hemadereferenceinthevilestlanguagetoher...her
character,thatis,hehintedatthenatureofmyrelationswithSofiya
Semyonovna.Hedidallthis,youunderstand,withthegoalofcausingarift
betweenmeandmymotherandsister,convincingthemthatIwassquandering
theirlastkopecks,withwhichtheyweresupportingme,forunworthypurposes.

Yesterdayevening,inthepresenceofmymotherandmysister,andinhis
presence,IestablishedthetruthafterprovingthatIhadgiventhemoneyto
KaterinaIvanovnaforthefuneral,andnottoSofiyaSemyonovna,andthattwo
daysagoIwasstillunacquaintedwithherandhadnotevenonceseenherface-to-
face.Furthermore,Iaddedthathe,PetrPetrovichLuzhin,withallhismerits,
wasn’tworthSofiyaSemyonovna’slittlefinger,aboutwhomhe’dexpressed
himselfsooffensively.Tohisquestion,‘WouldIseatSofiyaSemyonovnanext
tomysister?’IrepliedthatI’ddonesoalready,thatveryday.Hegrewangry
thatmymotherandmysister,inspiteofhisslander,didn’twanttoquarrelwith
me;wordforword,hebegantoutterunforgivablyimpudentthingstothem.A
definitivebreakoccurred,andwedrovehimfromtheroom.Allofthisoccurred
lastevening.NowIbegyourparticularattention:imagineifhewerenowableto
demonstratethatSofiyaSemyonovnaisathief.Firsthewouldprovetomysister
andmymotherthathewasalmostrightinhissuspicions;thathehadbeen
justifiedingettingangryatmeforhavingplacedmysisteronalevelwithSofiya
Semyonovna;thatbyattackingme,hewasthereforedefendingandpreserving
thehonorofmysisterandhisfiancée.Inaword,throughitallhecouldeven
provokeariftbetweenmyfamilyandme,and,ofcourse,hehopedoncemoreto
restorehimselftotheirgoodfavor.I’mnotevenmentioningthefactthathe’d
gethispersonalrevengeagainstme,becausehewouldhavethegroundsto
supposethatSofiyaSemyonovna’shonorandhappinesswereimportanttome.

Thosewereallhiscalculations!That’showIunderstandthisaffair!That’sthe
wholereason;therecan’tbeanyother!”

Raskolnikovfinishedhisspeechthisway,oralmostthisway;hewas
frequentlyinterruptedbyexclamationsfromthelisteners,whowere,ofcourse,
payinggreatattention.But,inspiteofalltheinterruptions,hespokebriskly,
calmly,precisely,clearly,anddecisively.Hissharpvoice,hispersuasivetone,
andhissternfaceproducedanextraordinaryeffectoneveryone.

“Yes,yes,that’strue!”Lebezyatnikovaffirmedinecstasy.“Itmustbeso,
becauseassoonasSofiyaSemyonovnaenteredtheroom,PetrPetrovichasked
me,‘Wereyouhere?Hadn’tIseenyouamongKaterinaIvanovna’sguests?’He
calledmeovertothewindowsohecouldquestionmeinsecret.Thereforeitwas
essentialtohimthatyoubehere!It’strue,it’salltrue!”

Luzhinremainedsilentandsmiledcontemptuously.However,helooked

verypale.Heseemedtobethinkingabouthowhecouldextricatehimself.

Perhapshewouldhavedroppedtheentirematterwithpleasureandwalkedout,
butatthepresentmomentthatwasalmostimpossible;thatwouldmean
admittingtheaccuracyoftheaccusationsagainsthim—namely,thathereally
wasslanderingSofiyaSemyonovna.Inaddition,thepeoplehere,manyofwhom
hadalreadydrunkafairamount,weretooagitated.Thequartermaster,although
hedidn’tunderstandeverything,wasshoutingmorethananyoneandproposed
someveryunpleasantmeasuresagainstLuzhin.Buttherewerealsosomepeople
whowerenotdrunk;theycameinfromtheotherroomsandgatheredtogether.

AllthreeofthelittlePoleswereterriblyangryandwereshoutingconstantly:

‘Panjestłajdak! ’‡Inaddition,theyweremutteringstillotherthreatsinPolish.

Sonyalistenedwitheffort,butalsoseemednottounderstandeverything,asif
shewererecoveringfromafaintingspell.Butshedidn’ttakehereyesoff
Raskolnikov,feelingthathewasherbestdefense.KaterinaIvanovnawas
breathingwithdifficultyandwheezing;sheseemedtobeterriblyexhausted.
AmaliyaIvanovnastoodthere,lookingthemostfoolishofall,hermouthopen
wideandwithoutathoughtinherhead.ShemerelysawthatPetrPetrovichhad
somehowbeenexposed.Raskolnikovwasabouttospeakagainbutwasn’t
allowedtodoso:everyonewasshoutingandcrowdingaroundLuzhinwith
cursesandthreats.ButPetrPetrovichdidn’tcringe.Seeingthathisattemptto
accuseSonyahadfailedcompletely,heresorteddirectlytoeffrontery.

“Allowme,ladiesandgentlemen,allowme;don’tcrowdme.Allowmeto
pass!”hesaid,makinghiswaythroughthecrowd.“Andbesokindastostop
yourthreats;Icanassurethatnothingwillcomeofthem;youwon’tdoanything.

I’mnoteasilyscared,sirs.Onthecontrary,ladiesandgentlemen,youwillbe
responsibleforconcealingacriminalact.Thethiefhasbeenunmasked,andI
intendtoprosecute,sirs.Thecourtwillnotbeasblind...nordrunk,sirs,and
theywillnotbelievetwoacknowledgedatheists,troublemakers,andfreethinkers
whoareaccusingmeoutofpersonalrevenge,which,intheirownstupidity,they
evenadmit....Yes,sirs,allowmetopass!”

“Iwantyououtofmyroomatonce;besogoodastoleave,andeverything
betweenusisover!Justthink,Ididmyutmost,I’vebeenexplainingto
him...fortwowholeweeks!”

“ImyselftoldyourecentlythatIwasleaving,AndreySemyonovich,while
youwerestilltryingtodetainme;nowI’lladdsimplythatyou’reafool,sir.I
hopeyou’llbecuredofyourmentalillnessandyourshortsightedness.Allowme
topass,ladiesandgentlemen!”

Hepushedhiswaythrough;butthequartermasterdidn’twanttolethimgo

soeasily,withonlyverbalabuse:hegrabbedaglassfromthetable,swunghis
arm,andhurleditatPetrPetrovich;buttheglassflewdirectlyatAmaliya
Ivanovna.Shescreamed,butthequartermaster,whohadlosthisbalancefrom
theswing,fellclumsilyunderthetable.PetrPetrovichpassedintohisroom,and
ahalfhourlaterwasnolongerinthebuilding.Sonya,whowastimidbynature,
hadknownbeforehandthatitwaseasiertodemolishherthananyoneelseand
thatanyonecouldinsultheralmostwithimpunity.Nevertheless,uptothisvery
moment,ithadseemedtoherthatshecouldsomehowavoidmisfortune—byher
caution,meekness,andhumilitybeforeeachandeveryperson.Her
disappointmentwastoopainful.Ofcourse,shecouldtolerateeverythingwith
patienceandalmostwithoutcomplaint—eventhis.Butatfirstallthiswastoo
painful.Inspiteofhertriumphandvindication—afterthefirstfrightandthe
passingofherstupor,whenshehadgraspedandunderstoodeverythingclearly

—afeelingofhelplessnessandinsultweighedpainfullyonherheart.She
becamehysterical.Finally,unabletorefrain,sherushedoutoftheroomandran
home.ThiswasalmostimmediatelyfollowingLuzhin’sdeparture.Amaliya
Ivanovna,whentheglasshadhitheramidstsoundsofloudlaughterfromthose
present,hadalsobeenunabletostandbeingmadeascapegoat.Withtheshriek
ofamadwoman,sherushedatKaterinaIvanovna,holdinghertoblamefor
everything.

“Get auss ofmyapartment.Rightnow. Marsch! ”Withthesewordsshe

begangrabbingholdofallofKaterinaIvanovna’sthingsshecouldlayherhands
onandflingingthemontothefloor.Alreadyalmostcompletelyexhausted,
practicallyinafaint,paleandgaspingforbreath,KaterinaIvanovnajumpedoff
thebed(whereshehadcollapsedinexhaustion)andthrewherselfatAmaliya
Ivanovna.Butthestrugglewastoouneven;AmaliyaIvanovnapushedheraway
likeafeather.

“What?It’snotenoughthey’veslanderedmegodlessly—nowthiscreature’s
attackingme!What?Tobedrivenoutoftheapartmentontothestreetthedayof
myhusband’sfuneral,afterallmyhospitality,drivenoutwithorphans!Where
willIgo?”thepoorwomanhowled,sobbingandpanting.“GoodLord!”she
criedsuddenly,hereyesflashing.“Istherereallynojustice?Who’ssupposedto
defendus,poorwidowsandorphans?Butwe’llsee!There’sjusticeandtruthon
earth,thereis,andI’llfindit!Justyouwaitnow,yougodlesscreature!

Polechka,stayherewiththechildren;I’llcomeback.Waitforme,evenouton
thestreet!We’llseeifthere’struthtobehadonthisearth.”

Throwingoverherheadthesamelightweightgreenshawlthelate
Marmeladovhadmentionedinhisaccount,KaterinaIvanovnasqueezedthrough
thedisorderlydrunkencrowdoflodgers,whowerestillpushingintotheroom.

Sheranoutontothestreetwithatearfulwail—andwiththevagueintentionof
findingjusticesomewhere,thisverymoment,nomatterwhat.Polechka,
terrified,coweredwiththechildrenonatrunkinthecorner,where,embracing
thetwolittleonesandtrembling,shebeganwaitingforhermother’sreturn.

AmaliyaIvanovnarushedaroundtheroom,screaming,moaning,brawling,and
flingingeverythingshecouldlayherhandsonontothefloor.Thelodgerswere
bawling,eachdoinghisownthing—somewerediscussing,asbesttheycould,
whathadjustoccurred;otherswerequarrelingandcursing;stillothersstruckup
asong.

“Nowit’stimeformetoleave,too!”thoughtRaskolnikov.“Well,then,
SofiyaSemyonovna,we’llseewhatyouhavetosayforyourselfnow!”

AndhesetofftowardSonya’sapartment.

*“MercifulLord!”(German).

† AcollectionofarticlestranslatedfromFrenchandGermanandpublishedinPetersb
urgin1866.

‡“Themanisascoundrel!”(Polish).

IV

RaskolnikovwasanactiveandboldadvocateforSonyaagainstLuzhin,in
spiteofthefactthathecarriedsomuchofhisowndistressandsufferinginhis
soul.Buthavingenduredsomuchthatmorning,hewasgladforthechanceto
alterhisfocus,whichhadbecomesointolerable,nottomentionthesincereand
personalemotionsinhisdesiretointerveneforSonya.Inaddition,hehadin
viewandattimesfeltterriblyagitatedabouthisforthcomingmeetingwith
Sonya:hefelt obligated totellherwho’dkilledLizaveta;heforesawterrible
sufferingforhimself,whichhetriedtopushaway.Therefore,uponleaving
KaterinaIvanovna’s,whenheexclaimed,“Well,then,SofiyaSemyonovna,
we’llseewhatyouhavetosayforyourselfnow!”hewasobviouslystillinan
externallyexcitedstateofelation,occasionedbythechallengeandrecentvictory
overLuzhin.Butsomethingstrangehappenedtohim.Whenhearrivedatthe
Kapernaumovs’apartment,hefeltasuddenweaknessandfear.Hestoodinfront
ofthedoor,deepinthought,withastrangequestion:“DoIhavetosaywho
killedLizaveta?”Thequestionwasstrangebecausehesuddenly,justatthat
moment,feltnotonlythatitwasimpossiblenottosay,butthatitwasimpossible
toputoffthismomentforevenalittlewhile.Hestilldidn’tknowwhyitwas
impossible;hemerely felt it,andthistormentingawarenessofhisfrailtybefore
thisnecessityalmostoverpoweredhim.Inordertoceasehisdeliberationsandto
endhissuffering,heopenedthedoorquicklyandlookedatSonyafromthe
threshold.Shewassittingthere,restingherelbowsonthelittletable,covering
herfacewithherhands;uponseeingRaskolnikov,shestooduphastilyandwent
tomeethim,asifshewereexpectinghim.

“Whatwouldhavehappenedtomewithoutyou?”shesaidrapidly,greeting
himinthemiddleoftheroom.Apparentlyshewantedtosaythisonethingto
himasquicklyaspossible.Thatwaswhyshe’dwaitedforhim.

Raskolnikovwenttothetableandsatdownonthechairfromwhichshehad
juststoodup.Shestoppedafewstepsawayfromhim,justasshehadyesterday.

“Well,Sonya?”hesaid;suddenlyhefelthisvoicetrembling.“Thewhole
matterdependedonyour‘socialpositionanditsassociatedhabits.’Didyou
understandthatjustnow?”

Herfaceexpressedsuffering.

“Justdon’ttalktomeasyoudidyesterday!”sheinterruptedhim.“Please,
don’tstart.There’senoughsufferingasitis...”

Shesmiledquickly,afraidthathewouldn’tlikethereproach.

Shesmiledquickly,afraidthathewouldn’tlikethereproach.

“Itwasfoolishofmetoleave.What’shappeningtherenow?Iwantedtogo
backatonce,butIkeptthinkingthatyou’d...you’dcomehere.”

HetoldherthatAmaliyaIvanovnawasdrivingthemoutoftheapartment
andthatKaterinaIvanovnawasrushingoff“tolookforjustice.”

“Ah,myGod!”Sonyacried.“Let’sgorightnow...”

Andshegrabbedholdofhercape.
“It’salwaysthesame!”criedRaskolnikovirritably.“They’reallyouever
thinkabout.Stayhereawhilewithme!”

“Butwhatabout...KaterinaIvanovna?”

“Ah,KaterinaIvanovna,ofcourse,youcan’tmissher.Ifshe’sgoneoutof
thehouse,she’llcometoseeyouherself,”headdedpeevishly.“Ifshedoesn’t
findyouhere,thenit’llbeyourfault...”

Sonyasatdownonachairintormentingindecision.Raskolnikovwassilent,
staringatthefloor,thinkingaboutsomething.

“Let’sassumethatLuzhindidn’twanttodoitrightnow,”hebegan,without
lookingatSonya.“Butwhatifhehadwantedtoorithadbeenpartofhisplans?

HecouldhavehadyouputinjailifLebezyatnikovandIhadn’thappenedtobe
there!Right?”

“Yes,”shesaidinaweakvoice.“Yes!”sherepeated,distractedandalarmed.

“AndIreallymightnothavebeenthere!AndLebezyatnikov?Heturnedup
completelybychance.”

Sonyawassilent.

“Andifyouweretakentojail,whatthen?DoyourememberwhatIwas
sayingyesterday?”

Oncemoreshemadenoreply.Hewaited.

“Ithoughtyou’dcryoutagain,‘Ah!Don’tsayit!Stop!’”Raskolnikovsaid
withalaugh,buthislaughwassomehowforced.“Whythissilenceagain?”he
askedamomentlater.“Wehavetotalkaboutsomething,don’twe?I’dbe
interestedinknowinghowyouwouldnowresolveone‘question,’as
Lebezyatnikovsays.(Heseemedtogetabitmuddled.)No,really,I’mbeing
serious.Imagine,Sonya,thatyouknewallofLuzhin’sintentionsbeforehand,
youknew(thatis,forcertain)thatasaresultKaterinaIvanovnawouldcometo
grief,andthechildren;andyou,too,inthebargain(sinceyouconsideryourself
worthless,let’ssay inthebargain).Polechkaaswell...becauseshe’lltakethe
sameroad.Well,then:supposethatsuddenlyallthisdependedonyourdecision:
whetherthispersonistolive,thatis,shouldLuzhinliveanddonastythings,or
shouldKaterinaIvanovnadie?Howwouldyoudecide:whichofthemhasto die?
Iaskyou.”

Sonyalookedathimwithanxiety:sheheardsomethingpeculiarinhis

Sonyalookedathimwithanxiety:sheheardsomethingpeculiarinhis
unsteadyvoice,whichseemedtocomefromfaraway.

“Ihadafeelingyou’daskmesomethinglikethat,”shesaid,regardinghim
inquisitively.

“Allright,sobeit;buthowwouldyoudecide?”

“Whydoyouasksomethingsoimpossible?”Sonyasaidwithdistaste.

“ThatmeansitmightbebetterforLuzhintoliveanddonastythings!Surely
youwouldn’tdaretodecidethat?”

“ButIcan’tknowGod’splan....Whyareyouaskingsomethingthat’sso impossible?
Whyposesuchemptyquestions?Howcouldithappenthatitwould
dependonmydecision?Whomademeajudgetodecidewhogetstoliveand
whodoesn’t?”

“IfGod’splanismixedupinthismatter,there’snothingwecandoabout
it,”Raskolnikovgrumbledsullenly.

“Tellmeplainlywhatitisyouwant!”Sonyacried,clearlysuffering.

“You’releadinguptosomethingagain....Didyoureallycomeherejustto
tormentme?”

Shecouldn’trestrainherselfandsuddenlyburstintobittertears.Helooked
atheringloomyanguish.Somefiveminutespassed.

“Butyou’reright,Sonya,”hesaidsoftlyatlast.Hehadinthatmomentbeen
transformed;hisartificiallyarrogantandweaklychallengingtonehad
disappeared.Evenhisvoicesuddenlyslackened.“YesterdayItoldyouthatI’d
comenottoaskforgiveness,yetIalmostbeganbyaskingforit....WhatIsaid
aboutLuzhinandaboutGodwasformyself....Iaskedforgiveness,Sonya...”

Hebegantosmile,buttherewassomethingfeebleandincompleteinhispale
smile.Hebenthisheaddownandcoveredhisfacewithhishands.

Atonceastrange,unexpectedsensationofsomescathinghatredforSonya
passedthroughhisheart.Asifsurprisedbythissensationandfrightenedbyit,
hesuddenlyraisedhisheadandstareddirectlyather;hemetheranxiousand
painfullysolicitousglancedirectedathim;therewaslovereflectedinit;his
hatredvanishedlikeashadow.Thatwasnotit;hehadmistakenonefeelingfor
another.Itonlymeantthat themoment hadcome.

Oncemorehecoveredhisfacewithhishandsandbenthisheaddown.

Suddenlyhegrewpale,stoodupfromhischair,lookedatSonya,and,without
utteringaword,satdownautomaticallyonherbed.

Thismomentinhisfeelingwasterriblysimilartotheonewhenhe’dstood
overtheoldwoman,afterhehadfreedtheaxefromitsloopandfeltthat“hehad
notamomenttolose.”

“What’sthematterwithyou?”Sonyaasked,feelingextremelyfrightened.

Hecouldn’tutteraword.Thiswasnotatallthewayhehadplannedto announce
it;hehimselfdidn’tunderstandwhatwashappeningtohim.She
approachedhimgently,satdownonthebednexttohim,andwaited,without
takinghereyesoffhim.Herheartwaspoundingandskippingbeats.Itbecame
unbearable:heturnedhisdeathlypalefacetowardher;hislipstwisted
helplessly,tryingtouttersomething.TerrorpassedthroughSonya’sheart.

“What’sthematterwithyou?”sherepeated,withdrawingslightlyfromhim.

“Nothing,Sonya.Don’tbeafraid....It’sallrubbish.Really,ifyouthink aboutit—
itisrubbish,”hemutteredwiththelookofapersonunawareof
himselfandindelirium.“WhyintheworlddidIcometotormentyouwith
this?”headdedsuddenly,lookingather.“Really.Why?Ikeepposingthat
questiontomyself,Sonya...”
Perhapshehadevenposedthisquestiontohimselfaquarterofanhourago,
butnowheuttereditincompletehelplessness,hardlyawareofhimselfand
feelingconstanttremorsthroughouthiswholebody.

“Oh,howyoutormentyourself!”sheuttered,withfeeling,lookingintently athim.

“It’sallrubbish!...That’swhat,Sonya.”Suddenlyhesmiledforsome
reason,apaleandfeeblesmile,forafewseconds.“DoyourememberwhatI
wantedtotellyouyesterday?”

Sonyawaitedanxiously.

“AsIwasleaving,IsaidthatImightbesayinggood-byetoyouforever;but
ifIcametodayIwouldtellyou...whokilledLizaveta.”

Allatonceherwholebodyshuddered.

“Well,then,I’vecometotellyou.”

“Soyesterdayyouwerereally...”shewhisperedwitheffort.“Howdoyou
know?”sheaskedquickly,asifcomingtohersensessuddenly.

Sonya’sbreathingbecamelabored.Herfacegrewpalerandpaler.

“Iknow.”

Shewassilentforaminute.

“Didtheyfind him?”sheaskedtimidly.

“No,theydidn’t.”

“Sohowdoyouknowaboutit?”sheasked,barelyaudibly,onceagainafter
almostaminute’ssilence.

Heturnedtowardherandstaredathervery,veryintensely.

“Guess,”hesaidwithhisprevioustwisted,feeblesmile.

Convulsionsseemedtopassthroughherwholebody.
“You’re...I...whyareyou...scaringme?”sheasked,smilinglikea child.

“ItmustmeanthatI’m his closefriend...ifIknow,”Raskolnikov

continued,staringsteadfastlyatherfaceasifhelackedthepowertolookaway.

“Hedidn’twantto...killLizaveta....Hekilledher...accidentally....He
onlywantedtokilltheoldwoman...whenshewasalone...andhe
came....ThenLizavetawalkedin...Hewasthere...andhekilledher.”

Anotherterribleminutepassed.Theybothcontinuedstaringateachother.

“Soyoucan’tguess?”heaskedabruptly,withthefeelingthathewas
throwinghimselfdownfromabelltower.

“N-no,”Sonyawhispered,barelyaudibly.

“Takeagoodlook.”

Assoonashesaidthis,onceagainaprior,familiarfeelingallatonceturned
hissoultoice:heglancedatherandallofasuddenheseemedtoseeLizaveta’s
faceinhers.HeclearlyrecalledLizaveta’sexpressionasheapproachedherwith
hisaxeandsheretreatedfromhimtowardthewall,holdingupherhand,
childlikefearinherface.Itwasjustlikelittlechildrenwhentheysuddenlyget
frightenedofsomething:theystaremotionlesslyandanxiouslyatwhat’sscaring
them,theyretreatand,stretchingouttheirlittlehands,theygetreadytoburst
intotears.AlmostthesamethingwashappeningnowwithSonya:justas
weakly,withthesamefright,shelookedathimforawhile,andallofasudden,
stretchingoutherlefthand,shegentlypushedherfingersagainsthischestand
slowlybeganstandingupfromthebed,movingfartherandfartherawayfrom
him,fixingherintensestareonhimallthewhile.Herhorrorwassuddenly
communicatedtohim:itwasasifthesamefrightshowedinhisface;hebegan
staringatherthesameway,almostevenwiththesame childlike smile.

“Haveyouguessed?”hewhisperedatlast.

“GoodLord!”burstforthfromherbreastwithaterriblewail.Shefell
helplesslyontothebedandburiedherfaceinthepillow.Butamomentlatershe
quicklyraisedherselfup,movedswiftlytowardhim,seizedhistwohands,
squeezingthemtightlywithherslenderfingers,asifinavise,andoncemore
fixedherunmovinggazeonhisfaceasifitweregluedtoit.Withthislast,
despairinglookshewantedtosearchforandfindsomelastvestigeofhope.But
therewasnohope;nodoubtremainedwhatsoever;itwasall true!Even
afterward,subsequently,whensherecalledthismoment,shefeltstrangeandfull
ofwonder:whywasitthatsherealized immediately atthattimethattherewas
nodoubt?Shecouldn’tsay,forexample,thatsheforesawsomethingofthissort.

Meanwhile,now,assoonashehadsaidit,itsuddenlyseemedtoherthatitwas
justasifshehadforeseenexactly that.

“Enough,Sonya,enough!Don’ttortureme!”hebeggedherpitifully.

Thiswasn’tatallthewayhehadplannedtorevealittoher,butthiswashow
itturnedout.

itturnedout.

Asifshewereunawareofwhatshewasdoing,shejumpedup;wringingher
hands,shereachedthemiddleoftheroom,butquicklyreturnedandsatdown
nexttohimonceagain,hershoulderalmosttouchinghis.Allofasudden,asif
pierced,sheshuddered,criedout,andthrewherselfonherkneesbeforehim,not
reallyknowingwhyshedidso.

“Whathaveyoudone,whathaveyoudonetoyourself?”shesaid

desperately.Jumpingupfromherknees,shethrewherselfaroundhisneck,
embracedhim,andsqueezedhimtightlyinherarms.

Raskolnikovrecoiledandregardedherwithasadsmile.

“You’resostrange,Sonya—youhugmeandkissmewhenIjusttoldyou
aboutthat.Youdon’tknowwhatyou’redoing.”

“No,there’snoonemoremiserablethanyouinthewholeworld!” *shecried
asifinafrenzy,withouthearinghislastremark;sheburstintosobsasif hysterical.

Along-unfamiliarfeelingpouredlikeawaveintohissoulandinstantly
softenedit.Hedidn’tresistit;twotearsformedinhiseyesandclungtohis eyelashes.
“Soyouwon’tdesertme,Sonya?”heasked,regardingheralmostwithhope.

“No,no;neverandnowhere!”Sonyacried.“I’llfollowyou,I’llfollowyou
everywhere!Oh,Lord!...Oh,I’msounhappy!...Why,oh,whydidn’tIknow
youbefore?Whydidn’tyoucomesooner?Oh,Lord!”

“I’vecomenow.”

“Now!Oh,whatcanbedonenow?...Together,together!”sherepeatedas
ifdistractedandembracedhimagain.“I’llgowithyoutoprison!”Allofa
sudden,hefeltaconvulsionandhisprevious,hateful,almosthaughtysmile
appearedonhislips.

“Sonya,perhapsIdon’twanttogotoprisonyet,”hesaid.

Sonyalookedathimquickly.

Afterherinitial,passionate,tormentingsympathyfortheunfortunateman,
theterriblethoughtofthemurderstruckheronceagain.Inhisalteredtoneof
voiceshesuddenlyheardamurderer.Shelookedathiminamazement.Shestill
didn’tknowanythingaboutit,neitherwhy,norhow,norwhatfor.Nowallof
thesequestionsfloodedintohermind.Onceagainshedidn’tbelieveit:“He’s,
he’samurderer!Couldthatbepossible?”

“What’sthis?WhereamIstanding?”sheasked,deeplyperplexed,asif
unabletocometohersenses.“Buthowdidyou,you, amanlikeyou... howdid
youdecidetodothis?...Whatisthis?”

“Well,yes.Torobher.Stop,Sonya!”herepliedwearily,almosteven

“Well,yes.Torobher.Stop,Sonya!”herepliedwearily,almosteven irritated.

Sonyastoodasifthunderstruck,butcriedout:

“Youwerehungry!Youdidit...tohelpyourmother?Isthatso?”

“No,Sonya,no,”hemuttered,turningasideandhanginghishead.“Iwasn’t
thathungry....Ireallydidwanttohelpmymother,but...that’snot
completelytrue....Don’ttormentme,Sonya!”
Sheclaspedherhands.

“Isthisreally,reallyalltrue?GoodLord,whatsortoftruthisit?Whocan
believethis?...Howthen,howcouldyougiveawayyourlastkopecks,butyou
killedtorobher!Oh!”shecriedsuddenly.“ThemoneyyougaveKaterina
Ivanovna...thatmoney....GoodLord,couldithavebeenthatmoney...?”

“No,Sonya,”heinterruptedhastily.“Itwasn’tthatmoney,calmdown!My
mothersentmethatmoneythroughacertainmerchant;IreceiveditwhenIwas
ill,thesamedayIgaveitaway....Razumikhinsawit...hetookthemoney
forme....Thatwasmymoney,myown,reallymine.”

Sonyalistenedtohiminbewildermentandtriedwithallhermightto
understandsomething.

“Asfor that money...Idon’tevenknowiftherewasanymoneythere,”he

addedquietly,asifindeepthought.“Itookthepursefromherneck,aleather
one...full,tightlypacked....Ididn’tlookinit;Imustnothavehad
time....Asfortheitems,somecufflinksandchains—Iburiedthosethingsand
thepursethenextmorninginacourtyardonVoznesenskyProspectundera
stone.Everything’sstillthere.”

Sonyalistenedattentively.

“Well,thenwhy...howdidyousay:torobher,butyoudidn’ttake
anything?”sheaskedquickly,graspingatstraws.

“Idon’tknow....Istillhadn’tdecidedwhetherIwouldtakethemoneyor
not,”hesaid,oncemoreasifindeepthought;then,comingtohissenses
suddenly,hesmiledquicklyandbriefly.“WhatnonsenseIjustblurtedout,eh?”

AthoughtflashedthroughSonya’smind:“Ishemad?”Butsherepressedit
atonce:no,it’ssomethingelse.Shedidn’tunderstandathing,notonething!

“Youknow,Sonya,”hesaidsuddenlywithinspiration.“DoyouknowwhatI
cantellyou:ifI’dmerelykilledbecauseIwashungry,”hecontinued,
emphasizingeverywordandregardingherenigmaticallybutsincerely,“thenI
wouldbe... happy now!Youshouldknowthat!
“Whatdoyoucare,whatdoyoucare,”hecriedwithactualdesperationafter
amoment,“whatdoyoucareifIevenconfessnowthatIdidsomethingwrong?

Whatdoyoucareaboutthisstupidtriumphoverme?Ah,Sonya,isthatwhyI
cametoseeyounow?”

Sonyawantedtosaysomething,butshekeptsilent.

Sonyawantedtosaysomething,butshekeptsilent.

“That’swhyIwantedyoutocomewithmeyesterday,becauseyou’reallI haveleft.”

“Gowhere?”Sonyaaskedtimidly.

“Nottorobormurder,don’tbealarmed,notforthat.”Hesmiled
sarcastically.“We’reverydifferent....Youknow,Sonya,onlynow,justthis
moment,didIunderstand: where Iwasaskingyoutogoyesterday.Yesterday,
whenIaskedyoutocomewithme,Ididn’tknowwheremyself.Iaskedyoufor
onereason;Icameforonereason:soyouwouldn’tleaveme.Youwon’tleave
me,willyou,Sonya?”

Shesqueezedhishand.

“Why,whydidItellher?WhydidIrevealittoher?”hecriedindespaira
momentlater,regardingherwithendlesssuffering.“Youexpectsome
explanationfromme,Sonya;you’resittingtherewaiting,Iseethat;butwhatcan
Itellyou?Youwon’tunderstandanything;you’llmerelybewornoutwith
suffering...allbecauseofme!Justlook,you’recryingandembracingmeagain

—whyareyouembracingme?BecauseImyselfcouldn’tendureitandcameto
unburdenmyselfonsomeoneelse:‘you’llsuffer,too,andit’llbeeasierforme!’

Canyoupossiblylovesuchascoundrel?”

“Canitbethatyou’renotsufferingaswell?”criedSonya.

Onceagainthesamefeeling,likeawave,floodedintohissoulandsoftened
himinamoment.
“Sonya,Ihaveawickedheart,takenoteofthat:thatcanexplainagreatdeal.

IcametoseeyoupreciselybecauseI’mwicked.Thereareotherswhowouldn’t
havecome.ButI’macoward...andascoundrel!But...letthatbe!Allthis
isn’tthepoint....Imustspeaknow,butIdon’tknowhowtobegin...”

Hepausedandbecamethoughtful.

“Oh,we’renotlikeeachother,”hecriedagain,“wedon’tmatch.Why,why
didIcome?I’llneverforgivemyselfforit!”

“No,no,it’sgoodthatyoucame!”Sonyaexclaimed.“It’sbetterformeto
know!Muchbetter!”

Helookedatherwithagony.

“Whatifitreallywasthat?”hesaid,asifhe’dmadeuphismind.“That’s
howitreallywas!Here’sthething:IwantedtobecomeNapoleon,that’swhyI
killed....Well,doyouunderstandnow?”

“N-no,”Sonyawhisperedinnocentlyandtimidly.“But...speak,goon!I’ll
understand,I’llunderstandeverything inmyownway!”shebeggedhim.

“You’llunderstand?Well,allright,we’llsee!”

Hefellsilentandthoughtforalongtime.

“Thethingis—Ionceposedthisquestiontomyself:whatwouldhappen,for
example,ifNapoleonwereinmyplace,andif,tobeginhiscareer,therewasno
Toulon,noEgypt,andnocrossingMontBlanc; † insteadofallthesebeautiful
andmonumentalthings,therewasmerelysomeridiculousoldwoman,acivil
servant’swidow,who,moreover,mustbekilledsohecouldstealmoneyfrom
hertrunk(forhiscareer,doyouunderstand?);well,wouldhedaretodoitif
therewasnootherwayout?Wouldhehavebeenrepulsedbythefactthatitwas
toocolossaland...andsinful?Well,I’mtellingyouthatIspentaterriblylong
timesufferingoverthis‘question,’asaresultofwhichIbecameextremely
ashamedwhenatlastIguessed(somehowallofasudden)thatnotonly
wouldn’theberepulsed,butitwouldn’tevenhaveenteredhisheadthatthis
wasn’tcolossalatall...andhewouldn’tevenhaveunderstoodonebit:what
wastheretoberepulsedby?Andifhehadnootherwayopentohim,hewould
havestrangledherwithoutlettingherutterasound,withoutevenstoppingto
think!AndsoI...stoppedthinking...andstrangledher...accordingtothe
exampleofmyauthority....That’spreciselyhowitwas!Doyoufindit amusing?
Yes,Sonya,themostamusingthingofallmaybethatthiswasexactly howitwas...”

Sonyadidn’tfinditamusingintheleast.

“Itwouldbebetterifyoutoldmedirectly...withoutexamples,”shesaid
evenmoretimidlyandbarelyaudibly.

Heturnedtowardher,lookedatherglumly,andtookherhands.

“You’rerightagain,Sonya.Thisisallnonsense,almostallidletalk!You
see:youknowthatmymotherhasalmostnothing.Mysisterreceivedan
educationbychanceandiscondemnedtoseekpositionsasagoverness.Alltheir
hopeswereplacedonmealone.Iwasastudent,butwasunabletosupport
myselfattheuniversityandwasforcedtoleaveitforawhile.Evenifthings
would’vedraggedonlikethat,intenortwelveyearsorso(ifcircumstances
provedfavorable),Icouldhopetobecomesomesortofteacherorcivilservant,
withasalaryofathousandrubles....”(Hewasspeakingasifhehad
memorizedthesewords.)“Bythattime,mymotherwouldhavewitheredaway
fromworryandgrief,andIstillwouldn’thavehadthechancetocomforther,
andmysister...well,somethingevenworsecouldhavehappenedtoher!Who
wouldwanttospendhiswholelifepassingthingsby,turningawayfrom
everything,forgettinghismother,and,forexample,politelyenduringinsultsto
hissister?Forwhat?Merelytoburythemandthenacquirenewresponsibilities

—awifeandchildren,andthenleavethemalsowithoutakopeckoracrustof bread?
Well,well,soIdecided,onceIgottheoldwoman’smoney,touseitfor

myearlyyears,soasnottotormentmymother,tosupportmyselfatthe
universityandformyfirststepsafterward—andtodoallthatbroadly,radically,
tostartawholenewcareerandsetoutonanew,independentwayof
life....Well,well,that’sallthereistoit....Ofcourse,thefactthatIkilledthe oldwoman
—thatwasabadthing....Well,that’senough!”
Hehaddraggedhimselfinsomesortofexhaustiontotheendofhisstory
andnowhunghishead.

“Oh,that’snotit,notit,”Sonyaexclaimedinanguish.“Howcould
you....No,that’snotright,notright.”

“Youyourselfcanseethatit’snotright!ButItoldyousincerely,thewhole truth!”

“Whatsortoftruthisthat?Oh,goodLord!”

“Imerelykilledalouse,Sonya,auseless,vile,perniciouslouse!”

“Thatlousewasahumanbeing!”

“EvenIknowshewasn’talouse,”hereplied,lookingatherstrangely.“But
I’mlying,Sonya,”headded.“I’vebeenlyingforalongtime....Thisisn’tright
atall;you’retellingthetruth.Thereareotherreasons,completelydifferent
reasons!...Ihaven’ttalkedtoanyoneforalongtime,Sonya....Myhead
achesverybadlynow.”

Hiseyesburnedwithafeverishfire.Hewasalmostbeginningtorave;an
anxioussmilewanderedacrosshislips.Aterribleweaknessshowedthroughhis
agitatedstateofmind.Sonyaunderstoodthathewastormented.Herheadalso
beganspinning.Andhewasspeakingsostrangely:asifitwerecoherent,“but how?
Howcoulditbe?Oh,Lord!”Shewrungherhandsindespair.

“No,Sonya,that’snotit!”hebeganagain,suddenlyraisinghisheadasif
struckandarousedagainbyanunexpectedturnofthought.“That’snotit!It
wouldbebetter...tosuppose(yes!thatwouldreallybebetter!),tosupposethat
I’mproud,envious,wicked,loathsome,vengeful,well...and,perhaps,even
disposedtomadness.(Letitallcomeoutinonecleansweep!Peoplementioned
madnessbefore,Inoticed!)ItoldyoupreviouslythatIwasn’tabletosupport
myselfattheuniversity.ButdoyouknowthatImightevenhavebeenabletodo so?
Mymotherwould’vesentmoneyfortherequiredfees,andIcould’veearned
enoughforboots,clothes,andbread—mostlikely!Therewerelessonstogive;I
wasofferedhalfarubleforeach.Razumikhin’sworking!ButIturnedspiteful
anddidn’twanttodoit. Turnedspiteful, precisely.(That’sagoodphrase!)Then,
likeaspider,Itookrefugeinmycorner.Youwereinmylair,yousawit....Do
youknow,Sonya,thatlowceilingsandcrampedroomsoppressthesoulandthe
mind!Oh,howIhatedthatlair!AndyetIdidn’twanttoleaveit.Istayedthere
intentionally!Ididn’tgooutfordays;Ididn’twanttowork,anddidn’teven

wanttoeat;Ijustlaythere.IfNastasyacameandbroughtmefood—I’deat;if
shedidn’tbringanything—thedaywouldpass;Ididn’taskforanything
deliberately,fromspite!Therewasnolightatnight;Ilaythereinthedarkness
becauseIdidn’twanttoearnmoneytobuycandles.Iwassupposedtostudy,but
Isoldallmybooks;nowthere’sathicklayerofdustonthetablecoveringmy
papersandnotebooks.Imuchpreferredtolietherethinking.Ithoughtallthe
time....Ihadsuchdreams,strange,diversedreams;there’snopointintryingto
tellyouaboutthem!ButitwasonlywhenIstartedtoimaginethat....No,
that’snotright!OnceagainI’mnottellingthetruth!Yousee,atthetimeIkept
askingmyself:whyamIsostupid,whatifotherpeoplearestupidandIknow
forsurethattheyare?Don’tIwanttobesmarterthantheyare?ThenIfound
out,Sonya,thatifIwaitedforeveryonetobecomesmart,itwouldtakemuch
toolong....Idiscoveredthiswouldneverhappen,thatpeoplewouldn’tchange,
there’snoonetoremakethem,andit’snotworththeeffort!Yes,that’strue!

That’stheirlaw....Alaw,Sonya!It’strue!...AndnowIknow,Sonya,thathe
who’sstrongofmindandspirit,heistheirmaster!Hewhodaresmuchisright
intheireyes.Hewhocanspitonmostthingsisconsideredtheirlawgiver,andhe
whodaresmorethananyone,he’stheonemostintheright!Thisishowthings
havealwaysbeenandthisishowtheyalwayswillbe!Onlyablindmancan’t seethis!”

Sayingallthis,eventhoughRaskolnikovwaslookingatSonya,henolonger
worriedaboutwhethershewouldunderstandhimornot.Afeverhadseizedhim
completely.Hewasinastateofgloomyecstasy.(Itreallywasalongtimesince
he’dhadanyonetotalkto!)Sonyaunderstoodthatthisgloomycatechismhad
becomehisfaithandhislaw.

“That’swhenIguessed,Sonya,”hecontinuedwithenthusiasm,“thatpower
isgivenonlytotheonewhodarestobenddownandpickitup.There’sonlyone
thingthatmatters,onlyone:tobeabletodare!ItwasthenIconceivedanidea,
forthefirsttimeinmylife,onethatnobodyhadeverthoughtupbeforeme!

Nobody!Itsuddenlybecameclearasday:howcoulditbethatuptonownotone
personhaddaredordares,whilebypassingallthisabsurdity,simplytoseizeit
bythetailandheaveittothedevil?I...Iwantedto dare andsoIkilled....I
onlywantedtodare,Sonya,andthat’sthewholereason!”

“Oh,stopit,bequiet!”Sonyacried,claspingherhands.“You’vestrayed
fromGod,andGodhasstruckyouandgivenyouovertothedevil!”

“Bytheway,Sonya,whenIwaslyingthereinthedarknessandimagining
allthesethings,wasthatthedevilwhowasmisleadingme?Huh?”

“Stopit!Don’tmakefun,youblasphemer;youdon’tunderstandathing,not
onething!Oh,Lord!Hewon’tunderstandanything,notonething!”

“Bequiet,Sonya,I’mnotmakingfunatall.Imyselfknowthatthedevilwas
leadingmeastray.Bequiet,Sonya,bequiet!”herepeatedgloomilyand
insistently.“Iknowitall.I’vethoughtthisthroughmanytimesalreadyand
whispereditalltomyselfwhileIlaythereinthedarkness....Iarguedit
throughwithmyselfmanytimes,totheverylastdetail:Iknowitall,everything!

ThenIbecamesofedupwithallthischatter,soveryfedup!Iwantedtoforget
everythingandstartalloveragain,Sonya,andtostopchattering!Doyoureally
thinkthatIwentlikeafool,withoutthinking?Iwentlikeacleverman,and
that’sjustwhatdestroyedme!DoyoureallythinkIdidn’tknow,forexample,
thatifIstartedtoaskandexaminewhetherIhadtherighttotakepower,that
meantofcoursethatIdidn’thavethatright.OrthatifIposedthequestion,isa
personalouse,thenofcoursethatpersonisnotalouse forme, butisalousefor
someonetowhomthatquestionneveroccursandwhoactswithoutasking
questions....IfIagonizedforsolongaboutwhetherNapoleonwould’ve
advancedornot,thenclearlyIfeltIwasnotaNapoleon....Ienduredallthe
tormentofthischatter,Sonya,andwantedtoshakeitalloffmyshoulders:I
wanted,Sonya,tokillwithoutcasuistry,tokillformyself,formyselfalone!I
didn’twanttolieaboutit,eventomyself!Ididn’tkilltohelpmymother—that’s
nonsense!Ididn’tkilltoacquirethemeansandpowertobecomeabenefactorof
humanity.That’snonsense!Isimplykilled:Ikilledformyself,formyselfalone.

WhetherIbecamesomeone’sbenefactororelse,likeaspider,caughteveryone
inmywebandsuckedoutalltheirvitaljuices—atthattimeitdidn’tmatterto
me!...Themainthing,Sonya,wasthatIdidn’tneedthemoneywhenIkilled;
itwasn’tthemoney,somuchasitwassomethingelse....Iknowallthis
now....Understandme:perhapsproceedingalongthesamepath,Imightnever
commitanothermurder.Ihadtofindoutsomethingelse;somethingelsewas
urgingmealong.Ihadtofindoutthen,andfindoutquickly,whetherIwasa
louselikeeveryoneelseorahumanbeing?CouldIoverstepornot?DareIstoop
andtakepowerornot?AmIaquiveringcreatureordoIhavethe right...”

“Tokill?Havetherighttokill?”Sonyaclaspedherhands.

“Oh,Sonya!”hecriedirritably.Hewasabouttoprotestbutremained
contemptuouslysilent.“Don’tinterruptme,Sonya!Iwantedtoproveonlyone
thingtoyou:thatyes,itwasthedevilwholedmeastraythen,buthelater
showedmethatIdidn’thavetherighttoactlikethatbecauseI’mthesamekind
oflouseaseveryoneelse!Hemadeafoolofme;that’swhyI’vecometoyou
now!Receiveyourguest!IfIweren’talouse,wouldIhavecometoseeyou?

Listen:whenIwenttotheoldwomanthen,itwasonlyatest....Youshould knowthat!”

“Andyoukilled!Youkilled!”

“ButhowdidIkill?Isthathowpeoplekill?DopeoplegotokillthewayI didthen?
I’lltellyousometimehowIacted....DidIevenkilltheoldwoman?

Ikilledmyself,nottheoldwoman!RightthenandthereIdidmyselfin,
forever!...Butitwasthedevilthatkilledtheoldwoman,notme....Enough,
enough,Sonya,enough!Leaveme,”hecriedsuddenlyinafeverishagony.

“Leaveme!”

Herestedhiselbowsonhiskneesandsqueezedhisheadtightinhispalms.

“Whatsuffering!”burstforthfromSonyainatormentedwail.

“Well,tellmewhattodonow!”heasked,liftinghisheadsuddenlyand
lookingather,hisfacehideouslydistortedbydespair.

“Whattodo?”shecried,jumpingupfromherplace;hereyes,previouslyfull
oftears,suddenlybegantoflash.“Standup!”(Shegrabbedhimbytheshoulder;
hegotup,lookingatheralmostinbewilderment.)“Goatonce,thisveryminute,
andstandatthecrossroads,bowdown,andbeginbykissingthegroundthat
you’vefouled;thenbowdowntotheentireworld,allfoursides,andsayaloud
toeveryone:‘Ikilled!’ThenGodwillsendyoulifeoncemore.Willyougo?

Willyou?”sheaskedhim,tremblinginherwholebody,asifinaconvulsion;
shehadgrabbedhishandsandwasholdingthemtightlyinhers,directingher
fierygazeathim.

Hewasamazedandevenstruckbyhersuddenenthusiasm.

“Areyoutalkingaboutprison,Sonya?DoyoumeanthatIhavetodenounce
myself?”heaskedglumly.

“Youmustacceptsufferingandatonethatway.”

“No!Iwon’tgotothem,Sonya.”

“Buthowwillyoulive?Whatwillyoulivewith?”shecried.“Isthat possiblenow?
Howwillyouspeakwithyourmother?(Oh,whatwillhappento
themnow,what?)WhatamIsaying?You’vealreadyforsakenyourmotherand
sister.You’veforsakenthem,abandonedthem.Oh,Lord!”shecried.“Buthe
knowsthisallhimself!Howonearth,howcanyoulivewithoutanyone?What
willbecomeofyou?”

“Don’tbeachild,Sonya,”hesaidsoftly.“WhatamIguiltyofbeforethem?

WhyshouldIgo?WhatwillIsay?Allthisismerelyaphantom....They
themselvesdestroymillionsofpeopleandconsideritavirtue.They’reliarsand
scoundrels,Sonya!...Iwon’tgo.WhatwouldIsay:thatIkilledbutdidn’tdare
takethemoneyandhiditunderastone?”headdedwithabittersmile.“They
themselveswilllaughatme;they’llsayI’mafoolfornottakingit.Acoward
andafool!Theywon’tunderstandathing,notathing,Sonya,andthey’renot
worthyofunderstanding.WhyshouldIgo?Iwon’t.Don’tbeachild, Sonya...”

“You’llsufferanddiesuffering,”sherepeated,stretchingherarmstoward

“You’llsufferanddiesuffering,”sherepeated,stretchingherarmstoward
himindesperateentreaty.
“PerhapsI’m still slanderingmyself,”heremarkedglumly,asifindeep
thought.“PerhapsI’m still ahumanbeing,notalouse,andIrushedtocondemn
myself....I’ll still fightawhilelonger.”

Ahaughtygrinappearedonhislips.

“Whatatormenttobear!Andforyourentirelife,yourentirelife...!”

“I’llgetusedtoit...”hesaidgrimlyandthoughtfully.“Listen,”hebegana
momentlater,“enoughcrying;it’stimeforaction.Icametotellyouthatthey’re
lookingformenow,they’retryingtocatchme...”

“Ah!”screamedSonya,terrified.

“Whydidyouscream?Youyourselfsaidyouwantedmetogotoprison,but
nowyou’refrightened?Here’sthething:Iwon’tgivemyselfup.I’llstill
strugglewiththem,andtheywon’tdoathing.Theyhavenorealevidence.

YesterdayIwasingreatdangerandthoughtallwaslost;todaythingshave
improved.Alltheirevidencecutstwoways—thatis,Icanturntheiraccusations
tomyownadvantage,doyouunderstand?AndI’lldosobecausenowI’ve
learnedhow....Butthey’llcertainlysendmetoprison.Ifithadn’tbeenforone
accidentaloccurrence,thenperhapsthey’dhavesentmetoprisontoday;perhaps
theymay still sendmetoprisontoday....Butthatdoesn’tmeananything,
Sonya:I’llbetherealittlewhileandthenthey’llreleaseme...becausethey
havenorealproofandtheywon’thave,Igiveyoumyword.Andit’simpossible
todragamanoffwithwhattheyhave.Well,enough....I’msayingthissoyou
know....I’lltrytoreassuremymotherandsistersotheywon’tbe
frightened....Nowmysisterseemstobeprovidedfor...soismymother,
too....Well,that’severything.Butbecareful.Willyoucometoseemein
prisonwhenIhavetospendtimethere?”

“Oh,Iwill!Iwill!”

Theysatsidebyside,miserableanddazed,asiftheyhadbeencastupona
desertedshoreafterastormatsea.HelookedatSonyaandfelthowmuchlove
wasdirectedathim;strangetosay,hesuddenlyfeltoppressedandpainedat
beingsoloved.Yes,itwasastrangeandhorriblesensation!Comingtosee
Sonya,hefeltthatshewashisonlyhopeandhisonlywayout;hethoughthe
coulddivestatleastapartofhistorments.Now,allofasudden,whenherentire
heartwasturnedtowardhim,hefeltandwasawarethathehadbecome
immeasurablyunhappierthanbefore.

“Sonya,”hesaid,“it’dbebetternottocomeseemewhenI’minprison.”

Sonyamadenoreply;shewept.Severalminutespassed.

“Doyouhaveacross?”sheaskedsuddenlyandunexpectedly,asifshehad
justremembered.

justremembered.

Atfirsthedidn’tunderstandthequestion.

“No,probablynot.Here,takethisone,it’scypresswood.Ihaveanotherone,
acopperone;itwasLizaveta’s.SheandIexchangedcrosses;shegavemehers,
andIgavehermylittleicon.NowI’llwearLizaveta’scross,andthisoneisfor
you.Takeit...it’smine!It’smine!”sheurgedhim.“We’llgosuffertogether,
we’llbearourcrossestogether!”

“Giveittome!”saidRaskolnikov.Hedidn’twanttodistressher.Butatonce
hewithdrewthehandhehadextendedtotakethecross.

“Notnow,Sonya.It’dbebetterlater,”headded,toappeaseher.

“Yes,yes,thatwouldbebetter,muchbetter,”sherespondedwithfeeling.

“Whenyouacceptyoursuffering,thenyou’llwearit.CometoseemeandI’ll
putitonyou;we’llprayandgotogether.”

Atthatmoment,someoneknockedonthedoorthreetimes.

“SofiyaSemyonovna,mayIcomein?”averyfamiliarvoiceaskedpolitely.

Sonyarushedtothedoorinafright.Lebezyatnikov’sblondheadglanced
intotheroom.
*TheRussianindicatesasignificantchangeinSonya’sspeechfromtheformal
vy(“you”)totheinformal ty.

† ReferencestoNapoleon’ssignificantmilitaryvictoriesandaudaciouscrossingof
MontBlanc.

Lebezyatnikovlookeduneasy.

“I’vecometoseeyou,SofiyaSemyonovna.Excuseme....IthoughtI
mightfindyouhere,”hesaid,turningsuddenlytoRaskolnikov.“Thatis,Ididn’t
thinkanything...likethat...butIdidthink....KaterinaIvanovna’slosther
mind,”heblurtedoutsuddenlytoSonya,turningawayfromRaskolnikov.

Sonyascreamed.

“Thatis,itseemstobethecase.However....Wedon’tknowwhattodo,
that’swhat!Shecameback—itseemsshewasdrivenawayfromsomewhere,
andperhapsshewasevenbeaten...itseemsthatway,atleast....Sheranto
SemyonZakharych’ssuperior,buthewasn’thome;hewashavingdinnerwith
anothergeneral....Justimagine,sherushedtowheretheywereeating...to
theothergeneral,andimagine—sheinsistedoncallingSemyonZakharych’s
superior,yes,itseems,callinghimawayfromthetable.Youcanimaginewhat
occurredthere.Ofcourse,theychasedheraway;butsheherselfsayssheabused
himandthrewsomethingathim.Onecanevenimaginethescene....Idon’t
understandwhytheydidn’tarresther!Nowshe’stellingthistoeveryone,
includingAmaliyaIvanovna,butit’shardtounderstandher;she’sshoutingand
thrashingabout....Oh,yes:she’stalkingandshoutingthatsinceeveryone’s
desertedhernow,she’lltakethechildrenandgooutontothestreetwithabarrel
organ;thechildrenwillsinganddance,andshewill,too;they’llcollectmoney
andgotothegeneral’swindowtoplayeveryday....‘Lethim,’shesays,‘let
himseehowthewell-bornchildrenoftheirfatherwhowasacivilservantnow
gobegginginthestreets!’She’sbeatingthechildrenandthey’recrying.She’s
teachingLyonyatosing‘TheLittleHut,’andteachingherlittleboytodance,
PolinaMikhailovna,too,andshe’stearingtheirclothes;she’smakingthemlittle
capsliketheonesactorswear;sheherselfwantstocarryawashbasinandbeat
timeinsteadofmakingmusic....Shewon’tlistentoanything....Justimagine
whatit’slike!It’ssimplyimpossible!”

Lebezyatnikovwouldhavegoneon,butSonya,whohadbeenlisteningto
him,hardlydaringtobreathe,suddenlygrabbedhercloakandhatandranoutof
theroom,dressingasshewent.Raskolnikovranoutafterher,and
Lebezyatnikovfollowed.

“She’ssurelygonemad!”hekepttellingRaskolnikovastheyemergedonto
thestreet.“Imerelydidn’twanttofrightenSofiyaSemyonovna,soIsaid‘it
seems,’butthere’snodoubt.Theysaythatinconsumptiontherearelittle

seems,’butthere’snodoubt.Theysaythatinconsumptiontherearelittle
tuberclesthatinvadethebrain;it’sapitythatIdon’tknowanythingabout
medicine.Itried,however,todissuadeher,butshewon’tlistentoathing.”

“Didyoutalktoherabouttubercles?”

“Thatis,notexactlyabouttubercles.Besidesshewouldn’thaveunderstood
anything.WhatImeanisthis:ifyouconvincesomeonelogicallythatinessence
theyhavenothingtocryabout,they’llstopcrying.That’sclear.Isityourbelief
thattheywon’tstop?”

“Itwouldbetooeasytolivelikethat,”repliedRaskolnikov.

“Asyouplease,justasyouplease;ofcourse,KaterinaIvanovnawouldfind
itratherdifficulttounderstand;butareyouawarethatinParisthey’vealready
conductedseriousexperimentsregardingthepossibilityoftreatingtheinsane,
usingonlylogicalpersuasion?Oneprofessorthere,whodiednotlongago,a
veryseriousscholar,formulatedthatitwaspossibletocurepeople.Hismain
ideaisthattheinsanehavenoparticularderangementoftheirorganism,butthat
insanityis,sotospeak,alogicalerror,anerrorinjudgment,anincorrectviewof
things.Hegraduallycontradictedhispatientand,justimagine,theysayhe
achievedresults!Butsincehewasalsousingcoldshowerswhiledoingthis,the
resultsofthistreatmentcannaturallybesubjecttoquestion....Atleast,that’s
thewayitseems...”

Raskolnikovhadlongsincestoppedlistening.Havingdrawnevenwithhis
building,henoddedtoLebezyatnikovandturnedintothecourtyard.
Lebezyatnikovcameto,lookedaround,andranonahead.

Raskolnikoventeredhislittleroomandstoodinthemiddleofit.“Whyhad
hecomebackhere?”Helookedaroundatthewornyellowishwallpaper,atthe
dust,hiscouch....Somesortofsharp,continuousknockingsoundcouldbe
heardinthecourtyard;somethingsomewherewasbeinghammered,somesortof
nail....Hewentovertothewindow,stoodonhistiptoes,andforalongtime
surveyedthecourtyardwithextraordinaryattention.Butthecourtyardwas
deserted,andnoonecouldbeseenknocking.Ontheleft,inthebuilding’swing,
therewereafewopenwindows;potsofstragglygeraniumsstoodonthe
windowsills.Laundrywashangingoutsidethewindows....Heknewallthisby
heart.Heturnedawayandsatdownonthecouch.

Never,neverbeforehadhefelthimselfsoterriblyalone.

Yes,onceagainhefeltthathemightreallycometohateSonya,precisely
now,whenhehadmadeherevenunhappier.Whyhadhegonetoseekhertears?

Whywasitsonecessaryforhimtoruinherlife?“Oh,howvile!”

“I’llstayalone!”hesaidsuddenlyanddecisively;andshewon’tvisitmein prison!”

Aboutfiveminuteslater,heraisedhisheadandsmiledstrangely.Astrange

Aboutfiveminuteslater,heraisedhisheadandsmiledstrangely.Astrange
thoughtoccurredtohimsuddenly:“Perhapsitwouldreallybebetterinprison.”

Hedidn’trememberhowlonghesatthere,hisheadswarmingwithvague
ideas.AllofasuddenthedooropenedandAvdotyaRomanovnawalkedin.At
firstshestoppedandregardedhimfromthethreshold,ashehadlookedatSonya
before;thenshecameinandsatoppositehimonachair,thesameplaceshehad
beensittingyesterday.Helookedatherinsilenceandwithoutanyparticular thoughts.

“Don’tbeangry,brother;I’vecomeforonlyafewminutes,”Dunyasaid.

Herexpressionwasthoughtful,butnotstern.Hergazewasclearandcalm.He
sawthatthiswomanhadalsocometohiminlove.
“Brother,nowIknoweverything, everything.DmitryProkofichtoldmeand
explainedeverything.You’rebeingpursuedandtormentedonastupid,foul
suspicion....DmitryProkofichtoldmethatthere’snodangerandthatyou
shouldn’tbesodismayedbyit.Idon’tagreewithhim;I understandcompletely
howoutragedyouareateverythingandhowthisindignationmightleaveits
tracesonyouforever.That’swhatI’mafraidof.Idon’tjudgeyou,nordareI,
forhavingdesertedus;forgivemeforhavingreproachedyoupreviously.I
myselffeelthatifIhadsuchdeepunhappiness,Itoowouldwanttogetaway
fromeveryone.Iwon’tsayawordtoourmother aboutthis, butI’lltalkabout
youconstantlyandtellheryou’llcometoseeherverysoon.Don’tworryabout her;
I’ll calmherdown;butdon’ttormenther—comejustonce;remember,she’s
yourmother!AndnowI’vecomemerelytosay”—Dunyabegantostandup

—“thatif,byanychance,youneedmeorwillneedmeforanything...my
wholelife,oranything...justcallmeandI’llcome.Good-bye!”

Sheturnedabruptlyandheadedforthedoor.

“Dunya!”Raskolnikovstoppedher,stoodup,andwenttoher.“This
Razumikhin,DmitryProkofich,isaveryfineman.”

Dunyablushedslightly.

“Well!”sheasked,afterwaitingaminute.

“He’sapracticalman,hardworking,honest,andcapableofloving deeply....Good-
bye,Dunya.”

Dunyablushedfully,thensuddenlybecameanxious:

“What’sthis,brother,arewepartingforeverthatyou’re...givingmesuch
instructions?”

“Itdoesn’tmatter.Good-bye.”

Heturnedandmovedawayfromher,overtothewindow.Shestoodthere,
lookingathimuneasily,andthenleftinalarm.

No,hewasnotbeingcoldtoher.Therewasonemoment(theverylastone)
whenhe’ddesperatelywantedtoembracehertightlyand saygood-bye toher,
evento tell her,buthecouldn’tresolveeventotakeholdofherhand:

“AfterwardshemightshudderwhensherecallsthatIembracedhernow,and
she’dsayIstoleherkiss.”

“Will thisone endureitornot?”hewonderedtohimselfafterafewminutes.

“No,shewon’tendureit;suchpeopleareunabletoendure somethinglikethis!

Peoplelikeherneverendureit...”

ThenhethoughtaboutSonya.

Freshairwaftedinthroughthewindow.Thelightwasnolongersobrightin
thecourtyard.Hesuddenlytookhiscapandleft.

Ofcourse,hewasunableanddidn’tevenwanttoworryabouthisunhealthy
condition.Butallofthisconstantanxietyandmentalanguishcouldn’tpass
withoutconsequences.Ifheweren’tstilllyingthereinarealfever,thenperhaps
itwaspreciselybecausethisconstantinneranxietywaskeepinghimonhisfeet
forthetimebeingandaware,atleastartificially.

Hewanderedwithoutanygoal.Thesunwassetting.Somesortofpeculiar
sadnesshadbeguntomanifestitselfinhimlately.Therewasnothing
particularlycausticorburningaboutit;butfromittherearosesomething
constant,eternal;hehadapremonitionofendlessyearsofthiscold,deadening
sadness,apremonitionofsomeeternityin“one arshin ofspace.” *This
sensationusuallybegantotormenthimmoreduringtheeveninghours.

“Withsuchaverystupid,purelyphysicalsicknessthatdependson
somethinglikeasunset,justtrynottodosomethingstupid!NotonlytoSonya,
butnextyou’llgotoDunya!”hemutteredhatefully.

Someonecalledhim.Heturnedaround;Lebezyatnikovcamerunningtoward him.

“Imagine,Iwenttoyourroom;I’vebeenlookingforyou.Imagine,shemade
goodonherpromiseandtookthechildren!SofiyaSemyonovnaandIhave
finallyfoundthem.She’sbangingafryingpanandmakingthechildrensingand
dance.Thechildrenarecrying.Theystopatcrossroadsandinfrontofshops.

Stupidpeoplearerunningafterthem.Let’sgo.”

“AndSonya?”askedRaskolnikovanxiously,hasteningafterLebezyatnikov.

“She’ssimplyinafrenzy—thatis,notSofiyaSemyonovna,butKaterina
Ivanovnaisinafrenzy;butsoisSofiyaSemyonovna.However,Katerina
Ivanovna’sinacompletefrenzy.Itellyou,she’scompletelyinsane.They’llbe
cartedofftothepolice.Youcanimaginehowthat’llaffecther....They’reat
thecanalnow,bytheVoznesenskyBridge,notfarfromwhereSofiya
Semyonovnalives.It’sclose.”

Atthecanal,notfarfromthebridge,andnottwohousesawayfromwhere
Sonyalived,acrowdofpeoplehadgathered.Mostlytheywerestreeturchins,
boysandgirls.KaterinaIvanovna’shoarse,strainedvoicecouldbeheardasfar
awayasthebridge.Itreallywasastrangespectacle,capableofarousingthe
interestofastreetcrowd.KaterinaIvanovnawasinherolddress,hergreen
shawl,andhertatteredstrawhatwithitsbrimbentawkwardlytooneside;she
reallywasinagenuinefrenzy.Shewaswearyandgaspingforbreath.Her
exhaustedandconsumptivefacelookedmoremartyr-likethaneverbefore
(besideswhich,outsideinthesunlight,aconsumptivealwaysseemssickerand
moreunattractivethanathome);butheragitatedstatehadnotabated,andwith
eachpassingminuteshebecamemoreirritated.Shethrewherselfonher
children,shoutedatthem,urgedthemon,instructedtheminfrontofeveryone
howtodanceandwhattosing,beganexplainingtothemwhythiswas
necessary,despairedattheirlackofunderstanding,andbeatthem....Then,
withoutevenfinishing,shethrewherselfatthepublic;ifshenoticedsomeone
whowasdecentlydressed,shestoppedtolookandimmediatelybegan
explainingtohim,inherwords,thatthisiswhatchildren“fromarespectable,
onemightevensayaristocratic,home”werereducedto.Ifsheheardany
laughterfromthecrowdorsomeprovocativeremark,shewouldimmediately
hurlherselfattheimpertinentfellowandbeginarguingwithhim.Asamatterof
fact,somepeoplereallywerelaughing,whileotherswereshakingtheirheads;in
general,everyonewascurioustoseethismadwomanandherterrifiedchildren.
ThefryingpanLebezyatnikovhadmentionedwasnowheretobeseen;but
insteadofthat,KaterinaIvanovnabegantoclapoutthetimewithherhandsas
sheforcedPolyatosingandLyonyaandKolyatodance;thensheherselfeven
begantojoininthesinging;but,asaresultofhertormentingcough,shebroke
offeachtimeonthesecondnoteandcollapsedintodespairagain,cursedher
owncough,andevenwept.Worstofall,shewasinfuriatedbyKolyaand
Lyonya’scryingandfear.Shereallyhadmadeanefforttodressthechildrenlike
streetsingers.Thelittleboyworeaturbanmadeofsomered-and-whitematerial,
sothatheresembledaTurk.Lyonyadidn’thaveacostume;sheworeonlythe
lateSemyonZakharych’sredknittedworstedcap(or,rather,nightcap),into
whichabrokenpieceofwhiteostrichfeatherhadbeeninserted:ithadbelonged
toKaterinaIvanovna’sgrandmotherandhadbeenkeptinatrunkuptonowasa
familytreasure.Polechkawaswearingherusualdress.Sheregardedhermother
timidly;flustered,shedidn’tleavehermother’sside;shehidherowntears,
guessedathermother’smadness,andglancedarounduneasily.Thestreetand
thecrowdfrightenedherterribly.SonyafollowedKaterinaIvanovnaclosely,
weepingandconstantlyimploringhertoreturnhome.ButKaterinaIvanovna

wasimplacable.

“Stopit,Sonya,stopit!”shecriedrapidly,hurrying,gaspingforbreath,and
coughing.“Youdon’tknowwhatyou’reasking;you’rejustlikeachild!I’ve
alreadytoldyouthatIwon’tgobacktothatdrunkenGermanwoman.Let
everyonesee,allPetersburg,howthechildrenofarespectablefatherbegfor
charity,afatherwhoservedthetruthandingoodfaithallhislife,andwho,one
mightsay,diedintheservice.”(KaterinaIvanovnahadalreadymanagedto
createthisfantasy,andshebelievedinitblindly.)“Letthatworthlessgeneral
see.You’rebeingfoolish,too,Sonya:whatdowehavetoeatnow,tellme!

We’vetormentedyouenough;Idon’twanttodosoanymore!Ah,Rodion
Romanych,it’syou!”shecried,catchingsightofRaskolnikovandrushingupto
him.“Pleaseexplaintothislittlefoolthatthere’snothingbetterwecando!Even
organgrinderscanscrapemoneytogether;noweveryonewillpayspecial
attentiontousandwillrealizethatwe’reapoor,respectablefamilyoforphans,
reducedtopoverty.Thatworthlessgeneralwilllosehisjob,you’llsee!We’ll
standbyhiswindoweveryday,andwhenthetsardrivesby,I’llgodownonmy
knees.I’llpushtheselittleonesforwardandpointtothem:‘Protectthem,
Father!’He’sthefatheroforphans;he’smerciful;he’lldefendthem,you’llsee,
whilethatworthlessgeneral....Lyonya! Tenez-vousdroite! † You,Kolya,start
dancingagain.Whyareyouwhining?Whiningagain!Well,whatareyouafraid
of,youlittlefool!GoodLord!WhatwillIdowiththem,RodionRomanych!If
youonlyknewhowstupidtheyare!Whatcanonedowithchildrenlikethis?”

Almostcryingherself(whichdidn’thinderherincessantanduninterrupted
rapidspeech),KaterinaIvanovnapointedathersnivelingchildren.Raskolnikov
triedtopersuadehertogohome,andevensaid,hopingtoappealtoherpride,
thatitwasindecentforhertobeoutonthestreetlikeanorgangrinder,because
shewasplanningtobecomethedirectorofaboardingschoolforrespectable
youngladies...

“Boardingschool,ha-ha-ha!Thegrassisalwaysgreener!”criedKaterina
Ivanovna,overcomebyacoughingfitimmediatelyafterherlaughter.“No,
RodionRomanych,thatdreamisgone!Everyone’sabandonedus!Asforthat
wretchedgeneral....Youknow,RodionRomanych,Ithrewaninkwellathim.

Thereintheservants’quarters;itwasonthetable,nexttothebookwhereyou
signin;soIsignedin,threwtheinkwell,andranoff.Oh,thevilescoundrels.

ButIdon’tcare;nowI’llfeedthemmyself;Iwon’tbowdowntoanyone!

We’vetormentedherenough!”SheindicatedSonya.“Polechka,howmuchdid
wecollect?Showme.What?Onlytwokopecks?Oh,whatdreadfulpeople!

Theydon’tgiveusanything,merelychaseafteruswiththeirtongueshanging

out!Whyisthisblockheadlaughing?”Shepointedatsomeoneinthecrowd.

“It’sallbecausethiswretchedKolya’ssostupid,he’ssuchabother!What’sthe
matter,Polechka?SpeakFrenchwithme, parlez-moifrançais. ‡ Itaughtyou
afterall,andyouknowsomephrases!Howelsecantheytellyou’refroma
respectablefamily,you’rewell-brought-upchildren,andnotatalllikeallthose
organgrinders;we’renotpresentingsomePunchandJudyshowonthestreets;
we’llsingafewrespectableromances....Ah,yes!Whatshallwesing?You
keepinterruptingme,andwe...yousee,westoppedhere,RodionRomanych,
tochoosewhattosing—soKolyacoulddance...becauseallthis,asyoucan
imagine,iswithoutanypreparation;wemustagreesowecanrehearseitall
thoroughly,andthenwe’llheadforNevskyProspect,wherethere’llbefarmore
peopleofhighsocietyandthey’llnoticeusatonce;Lyonyaknows‘TheLittle
Hut.’That’stheonlysongsheknows,andeveryonesingsit!Wehavetosing
somethingmuchmorerespectable....Well,whathaveyoucomeupwith Polya?
Youcouldhelpyourmother!Ihavenomemory,noneatall,orI’d
remember!Let’snotsing‘AHussarLeanedonHisSword, ’§forheaven’ssake.

Ah,let’ssing‘Cinqsous’inFrench!¶Itaughtittoyou,Idid.Andthemain
thing,it’sinFrench,sopeoplewillseethatyou’rerespectablechildren,and
that’llbemuchmorepoignant....Wecouldevensing‘Marlboroughs’enva-t-
enguerre,’#sinceit’sagenuinechildren’ssongandissunginallaristocratic
homeswhenthey’reputtingthechildrentosleep:

Marlboroughs’enva-t-enguerre,

Nesaitquandreviendra...” **

Shebegansinging....“Butno,it’sbettertosing‘Cinqsous’!Well,Kolya,
handsatyoursides,quickly,andyou,Lyonya,turnaroundintheopposite
direction;PolechkaandIwillsingandclapourhandsintime!

Cinqsous,cinqsous,

Pourmonternotreménage...” ††

Sheeruptedinaspellofcoughing.“Fixyourdress,Polechka,theshouldershave
slippeddown,”sheremarkedthroughhercoughasshecaughtherbreath.“Now
youreallyhavetobeprimandproper,sothateveryonewillseethatyou’re
respectablechildren.Isaidbeforethatthebodiceshouldbemadelongerand
sewnintwopieces.Butatthetime,Sonya,youchimedinwithyouradvice:

‘Shorter,muchshorter,’andnowit’smadethechildlookawful....Well,
you’reallcryingagain!What’sthematter,yousillychildren?Well,Kolya,
beginquickly,quickly,quickly.Oh,whatanunbearablechildheis...

Cinqsous,cinqsous...

Anotherpoliceman!Well,whatdoyouwant?”
Asamatteroffact,apolicemanwasmakinghiswaythroughthecrowd.But
atthesametime,agentlemaninacivilservant’suniformandanovercoat,a
respectablemanofaboutfiftywithamedalaroundhisneck(thiswasespecially
pleasantforKaterinaIvanovnaandhadaneffectonthepoliceman),drewnear
andsilentlypresentedKaterinaIvanovnawithagreenthree-rublenote.Hisface
expressedsincerecompassion.KaterinaIvanovnareceiveditandbowedtohim
politely,evenceremoniously.

“Ithankyou,kindsir,”shebeganfromonhigh.“Thereasonsthathave
promptedus...here,takethemoney,Polechka.Yousee,therearerespectable
andgenerouspeoplepreparedtohelpapoornoblewomanindistress.Yousee,
kindsir,respectableorphans,onecouldevensaywitharistocratic
connections....Andthatwretchedgeneraljustsatthereandatehis
grouse...stampinghisfeetbecauseIdisturbedhim....‘YourExcellency,’I
said,‘protecttheseorphans,becauseyouknew,’Isaid,‘thelateSemyon
Zakharychsowell,andsincethemeanestofscoundrelsslanderedhisown
daughterthedayhedied...’There’sthatpolicemanagain!Defendus!”she
criedtothecivilservant.“Why’sthispolicemancomingafterme?We’ve
alreadyrunawayfromoneonMeshchanskayaStreet....Well,whatdoyou
want,youfool?”

“Thisisnotallowedonthestreets,ma’am.Pleasedon’tcreatea disturbance.”

“You’retheonemakingadisturbance!It’sjustasifIwereplayingabarrel
organ.Whatbusinessisitofyours?”

“Youhavetohavepermissiontoplayabarrelorgan;butyou’redoingthis
onyourownandgatheringacrowdofpeople.Wheredoyoulive,mayIask?”

“What?Permission?”criedKaterinaIvanovna.“Iburiedmyhusbandtoday.

WhatsortofpermissiondoIneed?”

“Madam,madam,calmyourself,”beganthecivilservant.“Let’sgo.I’ll
escortyou...It’sindecentherewiththiscrowd....You’renotwell...”

“Kindsir,kindsir,youdon’tknowathing!”shoutedKaterinaIvanovna.
“We’reheadingforNevskyProspect.Sonya,Sonya!Whereisshe?Also
weeping!What’swrongwithallofyou?Kolya,Lyonya,whereareyougoing?”

sheshriekedsuddenlyinafright.“Oh,youstupidchildren!Kolya,Lyonya,

sheshriekedsuddenlyinafright.“Oh,youstupidchildren!Kolya,Lyonya,
wherearetheygoing?”

IthappenedthatKolyaandLyonya,absolutelyterrifiedbythecrowdonthe
streetandbytheanticsoftheirderangedmother,havingatlastnoticedthe
policemanwhowantedtoarrestthemandtakethemaway,suddenly,asif
havingagreedinadvance,grabbedeachother’shandandsetoffrunning.

Wailingandweeping,poorKaterinaIvanovnatookoffafterthem.Itwasasorry
andpitifulsighttoseeherrunning,crying,andgaspingforbreath.Sonyaand
Polechkaranafterher.

“Bringthemback,Sonya,bringthemback!Oh,thosestupid,ungrateful
children!Polya!Catchthem....ItwasforyouthatI...”

Runningatfullspeed,shestumbledandfell.

“She’shurtherselfbadlyandisbleeding!GoodLord!”criedSonya,bending
overher.

Everyonecamerunning,crowdingallaround.Raskolnikovand
Lebezyatnikovrushedupfirst;thecivilservantfollowed,andthenthe
policeman,grumbling,“Oh,dear!”Hewavedhisarmdismissively,foreseeing
thatthiswouldturnouttobeabothersomeaffair.

“Getaway!Getaway!”hekeptsaying,tryingtobreakuptheassembled crowd.

“She’sdying!”someoneshouted.

“She’slosthermind!”saidanother.

“Lordpreserveus!”saidonewoman,crossingherself.“Havetheycaughtthe
littleboyandgirl?Theretheyare,they’rebringingthem;theolderonecaught
them....Thosecrazychildren!”
ButwhentheyhadtakenagoodlookatKaterinaIvanovna,theysawthatshe
hadn’thurtherselfonarock,asSonyahadthought,butthatthebloodcoloring
theroadwaywascomingupfromherchestandgushingoutherthroat.

“Iknowwhatthisis,I’veseenitbefore,”mumbledthecivilservantto
RaskolnikovandLebezyatnikov.“It’sconsumption,sir;thebloodgushesand
chokesthepatient.Iwasawitnessnotlongagowhenthishappenedtooneof
myrelatives;shelostaglassandahalfofblood...allofasudden,sir....What canwedo?
She’lldiesoon.”

“Thisway,thisway,tomyplace!”Sonyaimplored.“Iliverighthere!Over
here,inthishouse,thesecondone....Hurry,hurry,tomyplace!”Sherushed
fromonepersontothenext.“Sendforadoctor....Oh,goodLord!”

Thiswasorganizedwiththecivilservant’sefforts;eventhepoliceman
helpedcarryKaterinaIvanovna.TheybroughthertoSonya’sroomalmostdead
andlaidheronthebed.Shekeptlosingbloodbutwasbeginningtoregain
consciousness.BesidesSonya,RaskolnikovandLebezyatnikov,thecivil

consciousness.BesidesSonya,RaskolnikovandLebezyatnikov,thecivil
servant,andthepolicemanwhohaddispersedthecrowd,othersenteredthe
room;severalpeoplehadaccompaniedthemtothedoorway.Polechkaledthe
way,holdingKolyaandLyonyabythehand,bothofwhomweretremblingand
crying.PeoplealsogatheredfromtheKapernaumovs’apartment,including
Kapernaumovhimself,lameandblindinoneeye,astrange-lookingmanwith
bristlinghairandwhiskersstandingupstraight;hiswife,whoalwayshada
frightenedlook;andseveralofhischildren,theirexpressionsfixedinconstant
astonishmentandtheirmouthswideopen.SuddenlySvidrigaylovappeared
amidstthislargecrowd.Raskolnikovregardedhimwithsurprise,not
understandingwherehehadcomefrom,andnotrecallinghiminthecrowdon
thestreet.

Theyspokeaboutadoctorandapriest.Althoughthecivilservantwhispered
toRaskolnikovthatperhapsadoctorwasunnecessarynow,theysentforoneall
thesame.Kapernaumovwenttofetchonehimself.

Meanwhile,KaterinaIvanovnahadcaughtherbreathandthebleedinghad
stoppedforthetimebeing.Shecasthersicklybutintenseandpenetratingglance
atpoor,tremblingSonya,whowaswipingtheperspirationfromherforehead
withherscarf;atlastsheaskedtoberaisedup.Theysatherupinbed,
supportingheronbothsides.

“Wherearethechildren?”sheaskedinaweakvoice.“Didyoufindthem, Polya?
Oh,yousillychildren!Whydidyourunaway?Oh!”

Bloodwasstillcakedonherparchedlips.Shelookedaroundtheroom,
examiningeverything:

“Sothisishowyoulive,Sonya!Ihaven’tbeenherebefore...nowit’sjust happened...”

Shelookedatherwithsuffering:

“We’vesuckedyoudry,Sonya....Polya,Lyonya,Kolya,come

here....Well,heretheyare,Sonya,allofthem.Takethem...frommyhands
intoyours....I’vehadenough!Theparty’sover!” Cough! “Laymebackdown.

Letmedieinpeace...”

Theyloweredherontothepillowagain.

“What?Apriest?It’snotnecessary....Wherewouldwegetthemoneyto payhim?
Ihavenosins!EvenwithoutthatGodshouldforgiveme....He
knowshowI’vesuffered!AndifHedoesn’tforgiveme,sobeit!”

Arestlessdeliriumwastakingholdofhermoreandmore.Attimesshe
shuddered,casthereyesaround,recognizedeveryoneforamoment;butthenher
consciousnesswasreplacedbythedeliriumonceagain.Shewasbreathing
hoarselyandwithdifficulty,asifsomethingwerecaughtinherthroat.

“Isaidtohim,‘YourExcellency!’”shecried,restingaftereveryword.

“ThatAmaliyaLyudvigovna...ah!Lyonya,Kolya!Handsatyoursides,
quickly,quickly, glissez-glissez,pasdeBasque!‡‡Stampyourfeet....Be graceful.

DuhastDiamantenundPerlen.. .§§
Howdoesitgo?That’swhatweshouldsing...

DuhastdieschönstenAugen,

Mädchen,waswillstdumehr?¶¶

Well,yes,that’sit! Waswillstdumehr—thethingshethinksof,theblockhead!

Ah,yes,here’ssomemore:

Inthemiddayheat,inavalleyofDagestan... ##

Ah,howI’velovedit....Iusedtoadorethatromance.Polechka!Youknow
thatyourfather...usedtosingthatsongwhenhewascourtingme....Oh,
thosedays!That’swhatweoughttosingnow!Well,howdoesitgo?I’veeven
forgotten....Remindme,howdoesitgo?”Shewasextremelyagitatedand
triedtoliftherselfup.Atlastshebeganinaterrible,hoarse,brokenvoice,
cryingoutandgaspingoneveryword,withalookofgrowingterror:
Inthenoondayheat!...inavalley!...ofDagestan!

Withabulletinmybreast!

“YourExcellency!”shesuddenlywailedinaharrowingcry,overflowingwith
tears,“protecttheseorphans!KnowingthelateSemyonZakharych’shospitality!

Onecouldevensayaristocratic!” Cough! Sheshudderedsuddenly;shecameto

andlookedaroundateveryonewithhorror,andrecognizedSonyaimmediately.

“Sonya,Sonya!”shesaidgentlyandaffectionately,asifsurprisedtoseeher
there.“Sonya,mydear,areyouhere,too?”

Theyliftedherupagain.

“Enough!It’stime!Farewell,youpoorsoul!They’veriddenthispoornagto
death!I’malldonein!”shecriedwithdespairandhatred;herheadfellback
ontothepillow.

Shelostconsciousnessagain,butthisoblivionlastedonlyashortwhile.Her
paleyellow,emaciatedfacedroppedback,hermouthopened,andherlegs
paleyellow,emaciatedfacedroppedback,hermouthopened,andherlegs
stretchedoutconvulsively.Shesighedverydeeplyanddied.

Sonyafelluponherbody,embracedher,andremainedtheremotionless,her
headpressedagainstthedeceased’switheredchest.Polechkakneltather
mother’sfeetandkissedthem,sobbing.KolyaandLyonya,stillnot
understandingwhathadhappened,butsensingsomethingveryterrible,took
holdofoneanotherbytheshouldersand,staringateachother,allofasudden,
together,atthesameinstant,openedtheirmouthsandbeganhowling.Theywere
bothstillwearingtheircostumes:heinhisturbanandsheinhernightcapwith
theostrichfeather.

Howcouldthat“certificateofmerit”haveturnedupsuddenlyonthebed
nexttoKaterinaIvanovna?Itwaslyingthere,besidethepillow;Raskolnikov sawit.

Hewalkedovertothewindow.Lebezyatnikovrushedovertohim.

“She’sdead!”saidLebezyatnikov.

“RodionRomanych,IhaveafewwordsIwishtosaytoyou,”said

Svidrigaylov,approaching.Lebezyatnikovimmediatelyyieldedandwithdrew
politely.SvidrigaylovledtheastonishedRaskolnikovfartheraway,intoa corner.

“Iwilltakeonmyselfallthisbother,thatis,thearrangementsforthefuneral
andsoforth.Youknowthatittakesmoney,andI’vetoldyouthatIhavemore
thanenough.IshallplacethesetwolittleonesandPolechkainagoodorphanage
andwillsettleastipendoffifteenhundredrublesoneachofthemforwhenthey
comeofage.ThatwaySofiyaSemyonovnacanresteasy.Iwillalsorescueher
fromthemuckandmire,becauseshe’safinegirl,isn’tshe?Well,sir,youcan
tellAvdotyaRomanovnathatthisishowIusedhertenthousandrubles.”

“Whatpromptsthisfitofgenerosity?”askedRaskolnikov.

“Hey!You’reasuspiciousfellow!”Svidrigaylovsaidwithalaugh.“Itold
youthatIhadmoremoneythanIneed.Well,won’tyouallowmetoactsimply
outofhumanity?Afterall,shewasn’ta‘louse’”—hepointedhisfingerto
wherethedeadwomanwaslying—“likesomeoldwomanmoneylender.You’ll
agree,won’tyou:‘ShouldLuzhingoonlivinganddoingnastythings,orshould
shedie?’AndifIdon’thelp,then‘Polechka,forexample,willgodownthe
sameroad...’”

Hesaidthiswithalookofsometwinkling,cheerfulcraftiness,without
takinghiseyesoffRaskolnikov.Raskolnikovturnedpaleandgrewcold,hearing
hisownwordstoSonya.Hetookaquickstepbackandlookedwildlyat Svidrigaylov.

“How...howdoyouknow?”hewhispered,barelydrawingabreath.

“Why,I’mlivinghere,ontheothersideofthewall,atMadameResslikh’s.

Kapernaumovliveshere,andMadameResslikh’soverthere;she’sanoldand

Kapernaumovliveshere,andMadameResslikh’soverthere;she’sanoldand
devotedfriendofmine.I’maneighbor,sir.”

“You?”

“Me,”continuedSvidrigaylov,shakingwithlaughter.“Icanassureyouon
myhonor,mydearestRodionRomanych,thatyou’vereallyarousedmy
curiosity.Why,Isaidthatwe’dbecomeclose;Ipredictedit—well,andnowwe
have.Andyou’llseewhatanobligingfellowIam.You’llseethatyoucanget
alongwithme...”

*ARussianmeasureequivalenttotwenty-eightinches.

†“Standupstraight!”(French).

‡“SpeakFrenchtome”(French).

§AsongtowordsbythepoetKonstantinBatyushkov(1787–1855).

¶“Fivepennies”(French).Abeggar’ssongfromaFrenchmelodrama.

#ApopularFrenchsongabouttheDukeofMarlborough.

**“Marlboroughisleavingforthewar,/Hedoesn’tknowwhenhe’llreturn”(French)
.
††“Fivepennies,fivepennies,/Tostartourhousehold”(French).

‡‡“Slide,slide,theBasquestep!”(French).

§§“Youhavediamondsandpearls”(German).FromasongbyFranzSchubertsettow
ordsbyHeinrich Heine.

¶¶“Youhavethemostbeautifuleyes,/Girl,whatmoredoyouwant?”(German).

##AsongbyMilyBalakirevsettothewordsofapoembyMikhailLermontov.

AstrangetimebeganforRaskolnikov:itwasasifafoghadsuddenly
descendedinfrontofhimandsurroundedhiminhopelessandpainfulisolation.

Recallingthisperiodlater,afteraverylongtime,hesurmisedthathisawareness
hadseemedtogrowdim,andthatthisstatecontinued,withcertaininterruptions,
rightuptothedefinitivecatastrophe.Hewasabsolutelyconvincedthatatthat
timehehadbeenwrongaboutmanythings,forexample,thetimeandsequence
ofseveralevents.Atleastrememberingsubsequentlyandtryingtoexplainthese
recollections,helearnedagreatdealabouthimself,alreadybeingguidedby
informationreceivedfromotherpeople.Forexample,heconfusedoneevent
withanother;hewouldconsideranotheraconsequenceofsomethingthathad
happenedonlyinhisimagination.Attimeshewasovercomewithpainfully
tormentinganxiety,whichevengrewintopanic.Buthealsorecalledthatthere
weremoments,hours,andeven,perhaps,daysfullofapathythatoverwhelmed
him,asifinoppositiontohispreviousfear—apathyresemblingthepainfully
indifferentconditionofcertainpeopleontheedgeofdeath.Ingeneral,inthese
lastdayshehimselfseemedtobetryingtoescapeaclearandcomplete
understandingofhispredicament:hefoundespeciallyoppressivecertainurgent
factsdemandingimmediateclarification;hewouldhavebeensogladtobefree
ofthemandescapecertainworries,althoughtodosowouldhavethreatenedhim
withtotalandinevitableruin.

Svidrigaylovalarmedhimparticularly;onecouldevensaythatheseemedto
beobsessedwithhim.Fromthemomentofhisextremelythreateningandclearly
articulatedwordsinSonya’sapartmentatthetimeofKaterinaIvanovna’sdeath,
itseemedthatthenormalcourseofRaskolnikov’sthoughtshadbeeninterrupted.

Althoughthisnewfactupsethimagreatdeal,heseemedinnorushtoclarifythe
matter.Attimes,findinghimselfsomewhereinaremoteandisolatedpartof
town,insomepitifultavern,alone,atatable,deepinthought,barelyrecalling
howhe’dgottenthere,allofasuddenhewouldrememberSvidrigaylov;he’d
suddenlybecomealltooclearlyandalarminglyawarethathehadtocometo
termswiththismanand,assoonaspossible,hadtoresolvethismatterwithhim
onceandforall.Once,walkingsomewhereoutsidethecity,heevenimagined
thatSvidrigaylovwaswaitingforhimthereandthattheyhadmadean
appointmenttomeet.Anothertimeheawokebeforedawnlyingsomewhereon
theground,inthemidstofbushes,andhecouldhardlyrecallhowhehadwound

upthere.However,inthosetwoorthreedaysafterKaterinaIvanovna’sdeath,
hedidmeetSvidrigaylovafewtimes,almostalwaysatSonya’sapartment,
wherehewoulddropbywithoutanyreason,butalwaysstayforonlyaminute.

Theyalwaysexchangedonlyafewwordsbutnotoncedidtheymentionthe
mainpoint,asiftheyhadanagreementbetweenthemtokeepsilentaboutitfor
thetimebeing.KaterinaIvanovna’sbodywasstilllyingthereinitscoffin.

Svidrigaylovwasbusymakingallthefuneralarrangements.Sonyawasalsovery
preoccupied.Attheirlastmeeting,SvidrigaylovexplainedtoRaskolnikovthat
hehadmadeprovisionsforKaterinaIvanovna’schildrenandhadbeen
successful;thathehad,thankstosomeconnections,locatedcertainpeoplewith
whosehelphehadbeenabletoplaceallthreeorphans,immediately,inan
extremelyrespectableinstitution;thatthemoneyhehadsetasideforthem
helpedagreatdeal,sinceitwasmucheasiertoplaceorphanswhopossessed
somecapitalthanimpoverishedchildren.HealsosaidsomethingaboutSonya,
promisedtostopbytoseeRaskolnikovshortly,andremindedhimthathe

“wishedtoconferwithhim,thatheverymuchwantedtotalktohim,thathehad
certainmatters...”Thisconversationtookplaceinthehallway,nearthe
staircase.SvidrigaylovstaredintoRaskolnikov’seyesandallofasudden,aftera
shortpause,loweredhisvoiceandasked:

“What’sthematterwithyou,RodionRomanych?Youseemnottobe
yourself.Really!Youlookandlisten,butit’sasifyoudon’tunderstand.You
shouldpullyourselftogether.Let’shaveatalk;it’sapitythatIhavesomany
affairstoattendto,otherpeople’sandmyown....Hey,RodionRomanych,”he
addedsuddenly,“everyoneneedsair,air,air,sir....Firstandforemost.”

Hesuddenlysteppedasidetoallowapriestandadeaconwhowereclimbing
thestairstopass.Theywerecomingtoperformafuneralservice.Svidrigaylov
hadarrangedforarequiemtobesungpunctuallytwiceaday.Svidrigaylovwent
onhisownway.Raskolnikovstoodthere,thoughtforawhile,andfollowedthe
priestintoSonya’sapartment.

Hestoodinthedoorway.Theservicebegan,quietly,decorously,somberly.

Fromhischildhoodhehadalwaysfeltsomethingheart-rendingandmystically
terribleintheawarenessofdeathandinthefeelingofitspresence;andithad
beenalongtimesincehehadheardarequiem.Andtherewassomethingelse
involved,somethingtooawfulandupsetting.Helookedatthechildren:they
wereallontheirkneesatthecoffin;Polechkawascrying.Behindthem,weeping
quietly,almosttimidly,Sonyawaspraying.“Theselastfewdaysshehasn’t
lookedatmeevenonceorsaidasinglewordtome,”Raskolnikovthought
suddenly.Thebrightsunilluminatedtheroom;smokefromthecenserrosein
clouds;thepriestread,“Oh,Lord,granteternalrest.”Raskolnikovstoodthere

forthewholeservice.Asheblessedthosepresentandtookhisleave,thepriest
lookedaroundsomewhatstrangely.Aftertheservice,Raskolnikovwentupto
Sonya.Shesuddenlytookbothhishandsandrestedherheadonhisshoulder.

ThisbriefgesturestruckRaskolnikovwithconfusion;itwasevenstrange.
What?Nottheslightestrevulsion,nottheslightestloathingforhim,notthe
slightestshudderinherhand!Thiswassomesortofinfiniteself-humiliation.At
least,thatwasthewayheunderstoodit.Sonyadidn’tsayathing.Raskolnikov
shookherhandandleft.Hefeltterriblydistressed.Ifithadbeenpossiblefor
himtogosomewhereatthatmomentandremaincompletelyalone,evenforthe
restofhislife,hewouldhaveconsideredhimselffortunate.Butthethingwas
thatasoflate,eventhoughhewasalmostalwaysalone,hecouldinnowayfeel
thathewasalone.Itsometimeshappenedthathewouldbeoutsidethecityand
emergeontothemainroad,andoncehadevenmadehiswayintosomegrove;
butthemoreisolatedtheplace,themorestronglywasheawareofsomeone’s
closeandalarmingpresence,notexactlyfrightening,butsomehowvery
irritating,sothathewouldreturntotownassoonaspossible,minglewiththe
crowd,enteratavernorabar,gotothefleamarketortheHaymarket.Therehe
seemedtofeelbetterandevenmorealone.Inoneeatingplace,towardevening,
theyweresingingsongs:hesatthereforawholehourlisteningandlaterrecalled
thatheevenfeltverygood.Buttowardtheend,hesuddenlyfeltverydistressed
again;itwasasifpangsofconsciencesuddenlybegantotormenthim:“HereI
sit,listeningtosongs,asifthisiswhatIshouldbedoing!”hethoughttohimself.

However,heguessedrightawaythatthiswasn’ttheonlythingthatwas
upsettinghim;therewassomethingdemandingimmediateresolution,buthewas
unabletofigureoutwhatitwasortoputitintowords.Everythingwastangled
upinoneball.“No,somesortofstrugglewouldbebetterthanthis!Bettertosee
Porfiryagain...orSvidrigaylov....Ifthereweresomesortofchallengeagain,
someone’sattack....Yes,yes!”hethought.Helefttheeatingplaceandsetoff
almostatarun.ThethoughtofDunyaandhismotherforsomereasonsuddenly
plungedhimintosomesortofpanic.Latethatnight,justbeforemorning,he
awokeinthebushesonKrestovskyIsland,shiveringandinafever;heheaded
forhomeandgotthereearlyinthemorning.Afterafewhoursofsleepthefever
passed,butitwaslatewhenhewokeup:itwastwoo’clockintheafternoon.

HerememberedthatKaterinaIvanovna’sfuneralhadbeenscheduledforthat
dayandhefeltgladthathewasnotthereforit.Nastasyabroughthimsomething
toeat;heateanddrankwithaheartyappetite,almostgreedily.Hisheadwas
clearer,andhehimselffeltcalmerthaninthelastthreedays.Hewaseven
surprisedinpassingathispreviousboutsofpanic.Thedooropened,andin
walkedRazumikhin.
“Ah!He’seating;thereforehe’snotill!”saidRazumikhin.Hetookachair
andsatdownoppositeRaskolnikov.Hewasagitatedanddidn’ttrytohideit.He
spokewithvisibleannoyance,butwithouthurryingorraisinghisvoice.One
couldconcludethatsomesortofspecialintention,evenanexclusiveone,had
lodgedinhismind.“Listen,”hebegandecisively,“asfarasI’mconcerned,you
canallgotothedevil.ButfromwhatIknownow,IclearlyseethatIcan’t
understandathing;please,don’tthinkIcametointerrogateyou.Idon’tgivea
damn!Idon’twantto!Ifyouwerenowtorevealallyoursecretstome,Imight
notevenlisten;Imightjustspitandwalkaway.I’vecomemerelytofindoutfor
myselfonceandforall:inthefirstplace,isittrueyou’remad?Yousee,there’s
abeliefaboutyou(outthere,somewhere)thatyoumightbeinsaneorclosetoit.

Iconfess,Imyselfwasstronglyinclinedtosupportthatopinion,judging,inthe
firstplace,fromyourstupidandsomewhatvileactions(completely
inexplicable)and,inthesecond,fromyourrecentconducttowardyourmother
andsister.Onlyamonsterandascoundrel,ifnotamadman,couldbehavewith
themthewayyoudid;consequently,youareinsane...”

“Haveyouseenthemrecently?”

“Justnow.Haven’tyouseenthemsincethen?Wherehaveyoubeen
gallivanting,tellme,please?I’vestoppedbythreetimestoseeyou.Your
mother’sbeenseriouslyillsinceyesterday.Shewasplanningtocomeseeyou;
AvdotyaRomanovnatriedtorestrainher,butshedidn’twanttolisten.‘Ifhe,’

shesaid,‘isill,ifhismind’sinamuddle,who’llhelphimifnothismother?’We
allcameheretogether,sincewecouldn’tlethercomealone.Wekepturgingher
tocalmdownallthewaytoyourdoorstep.Wecamein,butyouweren’there;
shesatrighthere.Shewaitedfortenminutes,andwestoodoverherinsilence.

Shestoodupandsaid,‘Ifhewentout,thenhemustbewellandhe’sforgotten
hismother;thatmeansit’simproperandshamefulforhismothertostandonhis
doorstepandbegforaffection,asifforalms.’Shewentbackhomeandtookill;
nowshe’sinafever.‘Isee,’shesaid,‘hehastimeforhis owngirl.’She
supposesthatSofiyaSemyonovnaisyour owngirl,yourfiancéeoryourlover,I
don’tknowwhich.IwentatoncetoSofiyaSemyonovna,because,myfriend,I
wantedtofindouteverything—Iarrivedandlookedaround:thecoffinwas
standingthereandthechildrenwerecrying.SofiyaSemyonovnawastryingtheir
mourningclothesonthem.Youweren’tthere.Ilookedaround,excusedmyself,
andleft;IwenttotellAvdotyaRomanovna.Soallofthatwasjustnonsense,and
youdon’thaveyour owngirl, andso,mostlikely,youmustbeinsane!Buthere
yousitanddevourboiledbeefasifyou’dhadnothingtoeatforthelastthree
days.Let’ssupposethatmadmenalsohavetoeat;but,eventhoughyouhaven’t
saidasinglewordtome,you’re...notinsane!Icansweartothat.Firstand

foremost,notinsane.Andso,tohellwithallofyou,becausethere’ssomesortof
mysteryhere,somesecret;Idon’tintendtorackmybrainsoveryoursecrets.I
camejusttocurseyou,”heconcluded,gettingup,“torelievemysoul,andI
knowwhatIhavetodonow!”

“Whatdoyouwanttodonow?”

“Whatdoyoucareaboutthat?”

“Becareful,you’llstartdrinking!”

“How...canyoutell?”

“Iknowyouwell!”

Razumikhinwassilentforaminute.

“Youwerealwaysaveryreasonablemanandnever,neverwereyouinsane,”

heremarkedsuddenly,withfeeling.“It’strue:I’mgoingtogetdrunk!Good-
bye!”Andhewasabouttoleave.

“TwodaysagoIspokewithmysisteraboutyou,Razumikhin.”

“Aboutme?But...wheredidyouseeherthedaybeforeyesterday?”

Razumikhinstoppedsuddenly,evengrowingabitpale.Onecouldguessthathis
heartwaspoundingslowlyandintensely.

“Shecameherealone,satdown,andspokewithme.”

“Shedid!”
“Yes,shedid.”

“Whatdidyousay...thatis,whatdidyousayaboutme?”

“Itoldheryouwereafine,honest,hardworkingman.Ididn’ttellherthat
youloveher,becausesheknowsthatherself.”

“Shedoes?”

“I’llsayshedoes!WhereverIgo,nomatterwhathappenstome—youmust
remaintheirdivinecaretaker.I’mentrustingthemtoyou,sotospeak,
Razumikhin.I’mtellingyouthisbecauseIknowforsurethatyoudoloveher,
andI’mcertainofthepurityofyourheart.Ialsoknowthatshemightcometo
loveyou;perhapssheevendoesalready.Nowyoudecide,thebestwayyou know—
whetheryoushouldgetdrunkornot.”

“Rodka....Yousee....Well....Oh,damnitall!Andjustwhereareyou
planningongoing?Yousee:ifthisisallasecret,thensobeit!ButI...I’llfind
outyoursecret....I’mcertainit’sabsolutelysomesortofnonsenseandterrible
rubbish,andthatyoumadeitallupyourself.Butyou’reanexcellentfellow!An
excellentfellow!”

“AndIalsowantedtotellyou,butyouinterruptedme,thatyouwereright
justnowwhenyoudecidednottotrytolearnthesemysteriesandsecrets.Leave
italoneforthetimebeinganddon’tworryaboutit.You’llfindouteverythingin
itstime,preciselywhenit’llbenecessary.Yesterdaysomeonesaidtomethata
manneedsair,air,air!Iwanttogoseehimrightnowandfindoutwhathe

manneedsair,air,air!Iwanttogoseehimrightnowandfindoutwhathe meansbythat.”

Razumikhinstoodtheredeepinthoughtanduneasiness,tryingtoponder something.

“He’sapoliticalconspirator!Nodoubt!Andhe’sonthevergeofsome decisivestep
—that’sforsure!Itcan’tbeanythingelseand...andDunya
knows...”hethoughttohimself.

“SoAvdotyaRomanovna’scometoseeyou,”hesaid,enunciatinghiswords,
“andyouyourselfwanttogoseeamanwhosaysyouneedmoreair,air,
and...andtherefore,andthatletter...that’salsorelated,”heconcluded,asif
talkingtohimself.

“Whatletter?”

“Shereceivedalettertodaythatupsetherverymuch.Verymuch.Eventoo
much.Ibeganspeakingaboutyou—andsheaskedmetostop.Then...thenshe
saidthatperhapswe’dpartverysoon;shebeganthankingmewarmlyfor
something;afterwardshewenttoherroomandlockedthedoor.”

“Shereceivedaletter?”Raskolnikovinquiredpensively.

“Yes,shedid.Youdidn’tknow?Hmm.”

Theybothremainedsilentforawhile.

“Good-bye,Rodion.Myfriend,I...therewasatime...however,good-
bye.Yousee,therewasatime....Well,good-bye!Imustgo,too.Iwon’t
drink.NowIdon’thaveto...youwerelying!”

Hehurriedtoleave,butjustashewasgoing,almostclosingthedoorafter
him,hesuddenlyopeneditagainandsaid,glancingsomewhereofftotheside:

“Bytheway!Doyourecallthatmurder,well,theonewherePorfirywas
involved:theoldwoman?Well,youshouldknowthatthemurderer’sbeen
found;hehimselfhasconfessedandpresentedalltheevidence.Itwasoneof
thosetwoworkers,thepainters;justimagine,youremember,Iwasdefending
themhere?Wouldyoubelievethatheintentionallystagedthatwholesceneofa
strugglewithhisfriendandthelaughteronthestaircase,whenthosemenwere
goingupstairs,thecaretakerandthetwowitnesses,preciselyasadiversion.

Whatguile,whatpresenceofmindinsuchayoungpup!It’shardtobelieve;he
himselfexplaineditandconfessedtoeverything!AndIfellforit!Wellthen,in
myopinion,he’ssimplyageniusofpretendingandinventiveness,ageniusof
legaldiversion—andthereforethere’snothingtobeparticularlysurprisedabout!

Aretherereallypeoplelikethat?Andthefactthathedidn’tstandfirmandhe’s
confessedmakesmebelievehimallthemore.It’smorecredible....ButIreally
fellforit,Idid!Igotallworkedup!”

“Tellme,please,wheredidyoufindthisout,andwhyareyousointerested
init?”Raskolnikovaskedwithobviousagitation.

init?”Raskolnikovaskedwithobviousagitation.

“Whatdoyoumean?WhyamIinterested?Youhavetoask?Ilearnedabout
itfromPorfiry,amongothers.ButIfoundoutalmosteverythingfromhim.”

“FromPorfiry?”

“Yes.”

“What...whatexactlydidhesay?”Raskolnikovaskedfearfully.

“Heexplaineditalltomeverywell.Heexplaineditpsychologically,inhis
ownway.”

“Heexplainedit?Heexplainedittoyouhimself?”

“Yes,hedid;good-bye!I’lltellyoumorelater,butfornowIhavemyown
affairs.There...therewasatimewhenIthought....Well,sowhat?Later!

WhydoIneedtogetdrunknow?You’vegottenmedrunkevenwithout
drinking.I’mdrunk,Rodka!NowI’mdrunkwithoutdrinking.Wellthen,good-
bye;I’lldropinonyou,verysoon.”

Heleft.

“He’sapoliticalconspirator,that’sforsure,absolutely!”Razumikhin
resolveddefinitivelytohimselfasheslowlydescendedthestaircase.“Andhe’s
involvedhissister;that’svery,verypossible,withAvdotyaRomanovna’s
character.They’vebeenmeeting....Shealsohintedasmuchtome.Frommany
ofherwords...andhints...andallusions—it’sallveryclear.Howelseto
explainthisentiremuddle?Hmm!AndIwould’vethought....Oh,Lord,what
wouldIhavethought?Yes,indeed,itwasamentalimbalancethatcameupon
me.Damnit!Whatarude,vile,meanideaonmypart!GoodforMikolka,that
he’sconfessed....Thisnowexplainseverythingthathappenedbefore!His
illnessthen,allhisstrangeactions,evenbefore,whenhewasstillatthe
university,whenhewassomoroseandgloomy....Butwhatdoesthisletter meannow?
Theremaybesomethingtoit.Whosenttheletter?I

suspect....Hmm.No,I’llfinditallout.”

HerememberedandthoughtaboutDunechkaandhisheartskippedabeat.

Hewentrunningoff.

AssoonasRazumikhinleft,Raskolnikovstoodup,turnedtothewindow,
bumpedintoonecornerandthenanother,asifhehadforgottenhowsmallhis
roomwas,and...satdownonthesofaagain.Hefeltentirelyrefreshed;once
again,astruggle—inotherwords,awayouthadbeenfound.

Yes,thatmeantawayouthadbeenfound!Otherwiseeverythinghadbeen
toooverbearingandconfining,ithadstartedtooppresshimunbearably,asifhe
wereinastupor.FromthemomentofthescenewithMikolkaatPorfiry’s,he
hadbeguntogaspforbreathinthecrampedspacewithnowayout.After
Mikolka,onthatsameday,camethesceneatSonya’s;hehadconducteditand

concludeditnotatall,notintheleastashehadimagineditallbefore....In
otherwords,hehadgrownweak,instantlyandradically!Allatonce!Andhe
hadagreedwithSonyaatthetime,agreedhimself,agreedinhisheart,thathe
couldnolongergoonlivingalonewiththisthinginhissoul!ButSvidrigaylov?

Svidrigaylovwasariddle....Hewasmakinghimuneasy,thatwastrue,but
somehownotfromthatpointofview.Perhapstherewouldstillbeastruggle
withhim,too.Svidrigaylovmightalsobeanotherwayout;butPorfirywas
anothermatter.

So,PorfiryhimselfhadexplainedittoRazumikhin,explainedittohim
psychologically!Onceagainhehadbeguntobringinhisdamnedpsychology!

Porfiry?HowcouldPorfirybelieve,evenforamoment,thatMikolkawasguilty,
afterwhathadtakenplacebetweenthemthen,afterthatscene,face-to-face,
beforeMikolkaarrived?Surelyitwasimpossibletoarriveatanyothercorrect
interpretationexceptfor one.(Severaltimesduringthelastfewdays,
Raskolnikovhadrecalledfleetingly,insnatches,thatscenewithPorfiry;he
couldn’tbearthinkingaboutitasawhole.)Thewordsexchangedbetweenthem
atthattime,themovementsandgesturesthatoccurred,theglancesexchanged,
thetoneofvoiceemployedhadreachedsuchapointthatafterthisitwasn’tfor
Mikolka(whomPorfiryhadunderstoodcompletelyfromhisveryfirstwordand
gesture),itwasn’tforMikolkatoshakethebasisofhisconvictions.

“Howdoyoulikethat!EvenRazumikhinhadbeguntosuspecthim!The
sceneinthehall,nearthelamp,hadn’tpassedunnoticed.Hehadrushedoffto
seePorfiry....ButforwhatreasondidPorfirytrytodupehimlikethat?Why
washetryingtodivertRazumikhin’seyestoMikolka?Hemusthavehad
somethinginmind;theremusthavebeensomeintention,butwhat?True,since
thatmorningagreatdealoftimehadelapsed,toomuch,muchtoomuch,and
therehadbeennonewsatallaboutPorfiry.And,ofcourse,thatmadethings
worse...”Raskolnikovtookhiscap;stilldeepinthought,helefthisroom.This
wasthefirstday,inallthistime,thathehimselffeltinhisrightmindatleast.“I
mustsettlematterswithSvidrigaylov,”hethought,“nomatterwhat,asquickly
aspossible:he,too,seemstobewaitingformetocomeseehimmyself.”Atthat
moment,suchhatredsuddenlyarosefromhiswearyheartthatperhapshecould
haveevenmurderedoneofthetwoofthem:SvidrigaylovorPorfiry.Hefelt,at
least,thatifnotnow,hewouldbecapableofdoingitlater.“We’llsee,we’ll
see,”herepeatedtohimself.

Butassoonashehadopenedthedoorintotheentryway,hesuddenly
bumpedintoPorfiryhimself.Hewascomingtoseehim.Raskolnikovfrozefor
aninstant.Strangetosay,hewasnotverysurprisedtoseePorfiryandwas
almostunafraid.Hemerelyshuddered,butquickly,andimmediatelyprepared
himself.“Perhapsthisisthedenouement!Buthowhadheapproachedsoquietly,

himself.“Perhapsthisisthedenouement!Buthowhadheapproachedsoquietly,
likeacat,andwhydidn’tIhearathing?Coulditbethathewas

eavesdropping?”

“Youweren’texpectingaguest,RomanRomanych,”criedPorfiryPetrovich
withalaugh.“I’vebeenmeaningtolookinonyouforsometime;Iwaspassing
andthought—whynotdropinforavisitforfiveminutesorso.Wereyou
planningtogoout?Iwon’tdetainyou.Onlyonecigarette,ifyou’llallowme.”
“Goahead,takeaseat,PorfiryPetrovich,dositdown,”Raskolnikovsaid,
seatinghisguestwithsuchanapparentlysatisfiedandamicablelookthateven
hewouldhavebeensurprisedifhecouldhaveseenhimself.Theleftoversand
dregswerebeingscrapedup!Sometimesamanendureshalfanhourofmortal
fearwitharobberandthenassoonastheknifeisfinallyplacedagainsthis
throat,evenhisfeardisappears.HesatdownrightinfrontofPorfiryandlooked
directlyathim,withoutbattinganeyelash.Porfiryscreweduphiseyesand
beganlightingacigarette.

“Well,goon,speak.”Thesewordsseemedabouttoleapoutof

Raskolnikov’sheart.“Well,why,why,whyaren’tyousayinganything?”

II

“Oh,thesecigarettes!”PorfiryPetrovichbeganatlast,havinglithiscigarette
andinhaledafewpuffs.“Poison,purepoison,butIcan’tstop!Icough,sir,I
haveatickleinmythroat,andI’mshortofbreath.Youknow,I’macoward,sir;
afewdaysagoIwenttoseeDr.Botkin—hespendsaminimumofhalfanhour
examiningeachpatient;heevenstartedlaughingwhenhesawme;hetappedmy
chestandlistened—‘Tobacco,’hesays,‘isnogoodforyou;yourlungsare
inflamed.’Well,howcanIgiveitup?WhatwillIreplaceitwith?Idon’tdrink,
sir,that’sthewholeproblem,hee-hee-hee,thatIdon’tdrink,sir,itisaproblem!

Everything’srelative,RodionRomanych,it’sallrelative!”

“What’sallthisabout?Isheresortingtohispreviouspractice,orwhat?”

thoughtRaskolnikovwithrevulsion.Hesuddenlyrecalledtheentiresceneof
theirlastmeeting;thefeelingshehadexperiencedthenfloodedintohisheart
likeawave.

“Idroppedinonyoutwodaysago,intheevening;youdidn’tknowthat?”

continuedPorfiryPetrovich,examininghisroom.“Icamerightintothisroom.

Justliketoday,Iwaspassingby—andIthought,whynotpayhimalittlevisit?I
stoppedbyandyourroomwaswideopen;Ilookedaround,waitedabit,and
didn’teventellyourservant—thenIleft.Don’tyoulockyourdoor?”
Raskolnikov’sfacegrewdarkeranddarker.ItwasasifPorfiryhadguessed
histhoughts.

“Icametohaveitoutwithyou,mydearfellow,RodionRomanych,tohave
itoutwithyou,sir!Ioweyouanexplanationandfeelobligatedtoprovideyou
withone,sir,”hecontinuedwithalittlesmileandeventappedhishandon
Raskolnikov’skneelightly.Butatalmostthesametimehisfacesuddenly
assumedaseriousandworriedexpression;itevenseemedtobecloudedwith
sadness,toRaskolnikov’ssurprise.Hehadneverbeforeseensuchanexpression
orsuspecteditofhim.“Astrangesceneoccurredbetweenuslasttime,Rodion
Romanych.Perhapsasimilaronealsooccurredbetweenusatourfirstmeeting;
butatthattime....Well,nowit’sonethingontopofanother!Here’sthepoint:
perhapsI’mveryguiltybeforeyou;Ifeelthistobethecase,sir.Youremember,
don’tyou,howweparted:yournervesweretinglingandyourkneeswere
trembling,andmynervesweretinglingandmykneesweretrembling.You
knowthatatthetimeweevenbehavedinadishonorableandungentlemanly
manner.Afterall,we’rebothstillgentlemen;thatis,inanycase,gentlemenfirst

ofall;thatmustbeunderstood,sir.Yourecallthepointitreached...itwas
completelyunbecoming,sir.”

“What’shedoing?Whodoeshetakemefor?”Raskolnikovaskedhimselfin
astonishment,liftinghisheadandstaringintentlyatPorfiry.

“I’vereachedtheconclusionthatit’snowbestforustobeforthrightwith
oneanother,”continuedPorfiryPetrovich,tiltinghisheadbackslightlyand
loweringhiseyes,asifnotwishingtoembarrasshisformervictimwithhisgaze
anddisregardinghisprevioustricksandsubterfuge.“Yes,sir,suchsuspicions
andsuchscenescannotgoonforlong.Mikolkaresolvedthingsthen,orelseI
don’tknowwhatmighthaveoccurredbetweenus.Thatdamnedtradesmanwas
sittingbehindthepartitioninmyoffice—canyouimaginethat?Ofcourse,you
knowthatalready;andImyselfknowthathecametoseeyouafterward;but
whatyousupposedthendidn’treallyhappen:Ihadn’tsentforanybodyand
hadn’tmadeanyarrangementsatthetime.You’llask,whynot?HowcanIsay it?
ItwasasifImyselfwascompletelydumbfoundedthen.Icouldscarcely
arrangetosummonthecaretakers.(Youprobablysawthemasyouwentby.)An
ideaoccurredtomeatthetime,quickly,likelightning;yousee,Rodion
Romanych,Iwasfirmlyconvincedthen.Even,Ithought,evenifIletthisonego
forawhile,Icangrabtheotheronebythetail—myown,myown,atleastI
won’tletthatonego.You’reveryirritable,RodionRomanych,bynature,sir,
eventoomuchso,sir,inthefaceofalltheothermainqualitiesofyourcharacter
andyourheart,whichIflattermyselfwiththehopethatIhavepartially
understood,sir.Well,ofcourse,eventhenIcouldn’tconcludethatitdoesn’t
alwayshappenthatamangetsupandblurtsoutthewholetruthtoyou.Itdoes
happen,especiallywhenyouwearoutaman’slastdropofpatience,but,inany
case,it’srare.Icould’vereachedthatconclusion.No,Ithought,Ihavetofind
someshred,sometinyshred,onlyone,butonethatIcouldgrabholdof,sothat
itwasarealthingandnotmerelysomepsychology.Therefore,Ithoughtifthe
man’sguilty,thenofcourseonecould,inanycase,expectsomethingsubstantial
fromhim;onecouldevencountonamostunexpectedresult.Iwascountingon
yourcharacteratthetime,RodionRomanych,onyourcharactermostofall,sir!

Iwasverymuchrelyingonyouthen.”

“Butyou...whyonearthareyoutalkinglikethisnow?”muttered
Raskolnikovatlast,notevencomprehendingthequestionverywell.“What’she
goingonabout?”hewonderedtohimself.“Doeshereallytakemeforan
innocentman?”

“WhatamItalkingabout?Icame,sir,toexplainmyself,sotospeak;I
consideritmysacredobligation.Iwanttolayitallouttoyou,howitall
occurred,thewholestoryofthatentireconfusion,sotospeak.Icausedyoua

greatdealofsuffering,RodionRomanych.I’mnotamonster,sir.Afterall,I
understandwhatit’slikeforamantolugallthisonhisback,amanwho’s
despondentbutproud,strong,andimpatient,especiallyimpatient!Inanycase,I
regardyouasamosthonorableman,sir,evenpossessingtherudimentsof
magnanimity,althoughIdon’tagreewithallyourconvictions,whichIconsider
itmyobligationtoinformyouaboutinadvance,directly,andincomplete
sincerity,primarilybecauseIdon’twishtodeceiveyou.Aftermakingyour
acquaintance,Ifeltanattachmenttoyou.Perhapsyou’lllaughatsuchwords?

Youhavetheright,sir.Iknowthatyoudidn’tlikemefromthefirstglance
because,inessence,therewasnoreasontolikeme,sir.Butthinkwhatyouwill;
now,formypart,Iwishtomakeamendsforthatfirstimpressionandtoprove
thatI’mamanwithaheartandaconscience.I’mspeakingsincerely,sir.”
PorfiryPetrovichpausedwithdignity.Raskolnikovfeltafloodofsomenew
fear.TheideathatPorfiryconsideredhimaninnocentmanbegantofrighten him.

“It’shardlynecessarytorelatethewholestoryinorder,howitallsuddenly
beganatthattime,”continuedPorfiryPetrovich.“Ithinkthat’seven
superfluous.AndI’dhardlybeabletodoso.Becausehowcoulditbeexplained
properly?Firstofallthereweretherumors.Whatsortofrumorsandfromwhom
andwhen...andwhy,precisely,didtheyinvolveyou—Ialsothinkit
superfluoustosay.Forme,personally,itallbeganbychance,withthemost
accidentalchance,whichinthehighestdegreecouldorcouldnothave
happened.Whatwasit?Hmm,Ithinkthere’salsonoreasontosay.Allthis,the
rumorsandtheaccident,combinedtoproduceanideaatthetime.Iconfess candidly
—because,ifI’mtoconfess,thenitmustbecomplete—itwasthenthat
Ifirstseizeduponyou.Theoldwoman’sscribblesontheitems,let’ssay,soon
andsoforth—allthat’srubbish,sir.Youcancounthundredsofsimilarthings.I
alsohadtheopportunitytolearnindetailaboutthesceneinthepoliceoffice,
alsobychance,sir,notmerelyinpassingbutfromaparticular,reliablesource,
who,withoutknowingwhyhimself,graspedthescenesurprisinglywell.You
see,itwasonethingontopofanother,sir,onethingontopofanother,Rodion
Romanych,mydearfellow!Well,howcouldIhelpitifIfocusedonaspecific
direction?Ahundredrabbitsnevermakeahorse,andahundredsuspicions
nevermakeaproof,asanEnglishproverbhasit,butthat’smerelygoodsense,
sir.Butjustyoutrytodealwithpassions,sir,passions,becauseevenan
examiningmagistrateisahumanbeing,sir.ThenIrecalledyourlittlearticlein
thatjournal,youremember,theonewetalkedaboutatlengthduringyourfirst
visit.Iderideditthen,butthatwasinordertodrawyououtfurther.Irepeat,
you’reveryimpatientandunwell,RodionRomanych.Thefactthatyou’re

daring,arrogant,seriousand...thatyou’vefelt,feltagreatdeal—allthatI’ve
knownforalongtime,sir.I’mfamiliarwithallthosefeelings,andasIreadyour
article,itsideasseemedfamiliartome.Itwasconceivedonsleeplessnightsand
inastateofecstasy,withmuchracingandpoundingoftheheart,with
suppressedenthusiasm.Butthisproud,suppressedenthusiasmisdangerousin
youth!Iderideditthen,butnowI’llsaythatingeneralIreallydoappreciate,
thatis,asanadmirer,thatfirst,ardent,youthfulliteraryeffort.Smoke,mist,and
astringechoinginthemist.Yourarticleisabsurdandfantastic,butthere’sa
flashofsuchsincerity;itcontainsayouthful,incorruptiblepride,andthe
audacityofdespair;it’sagloomyarticle,sir,butagoodone,sir.Ireadyour
littlearticleandputitaside...andafterIputitaside,Ithought:‘That’snotthe
lastfromthisperson.’Wellthen,tellmenow,aftersuchabeginning,howcould
Inotbecarriedawaybywhatfollowed?Ah,goodLord!WasIsaying something?
WasIallegingsomethingnow?It’sjustwhatInoticedatthetime.

‘Whatisit?’Ithought.There’snothing,thatis,nothingatall,andperhaps
absolutelynothing.Andit’simproperforme,anexaminingmagistrate,tobe
carriedawaylikethat;IhadMikolkaonmyhands,andalreadyhadfacts—say
whatyouwill,therewerefacts!Andhebroughtinhispsychology,too;Ihadto
devotesometimetohim,becausethiswasamatteroflifeanddeath.WhyamI
explainingallthistoyounow?Soyouknowandsowithyourmindandheart
youwon’taccusemeofbehavingwickedlytowardyouthen.Itwasn’t
vindictive,sir,Itellyouthatsincerely,sir,hee-hee!Whatdoyouthink:thatI
didn’tcometoconductasearchthen?Iwashere,sir,Iwas,sir,hee-hee,Iwas
here,sir,whenyouwerelyingsickinbed.Notofficiallyandnotmepersonally,
butwewerehere,sir.Withoutlosinganytimeyourroomwassearcheddownto
thesmallestthread;but umsonst!*Ithought:nowthismanwillcome,he’llcome
onhisownandverysoon;ifhe’sguilty,he’lldefinitelycome.Anotherperson
wouldn’t,butthisfellowwillcome.DoyourememberhowMr.Razumikhin
beganlettingthecatoutofthebag?Wearrangedallthattoupsetyou,therefore
weintentionallyspreadtherumorthathewouldleaktoyou.ButMr.

Razumikhinisthesortofpersonwhowon’tendureindignation.Mostofall,Mr.

Zametovwasstruckbyyourangerandyourevidentboldness:howsomeoneina
taverncouldsuddenlyblurtout,‘Ikilledher!’Itwastoobold,sir,tooarrogant,
sir,andif,Ithought,heisguilty,thenhe’saterrifyingfighter!Itwasatthattime
Ithought,sir,I’llwait,sir!I’llwaitforyouwithallmymight,butyousimply
crushedZametovthen...thewholepointisthatallthisdamnedpsychology
cutstwoways!Well,thenIwaitedforyou;IlookedaroundandGoddelivered you—
youcameonyourown!Myheartstartedpounding.Hey!Whydidyou

comethen?Thatlaughter,yourlaughterwhenyoucameinthattime,doyou recall?
Iguesseditasifseeingthroughaclearpaneofglass;ifIhadn’tbeen
waitingforyouinthatexactway,thenIwouldn’thavenoticedanythingabout
yourlaughter.That’swhatitmeanstobeinacertainmood.AndMr.
Razumikhinthen—ah!Thatstone,thatstone,youremember,thestoneunder
whichallthoseitemsarehidden?Well,Icanalmostseeitsomewhereina garden—
agarden,isn’tthatwhatyoutoldZametov,andthenrepeatedtomea secondtime?
Andwhenwestartedscrutinizingyourarticlethen,whenyou beganexpoundingonit
—weunderstoodeachandeveryoneofyourwordsin
twoways,asiftherewereanotherwordimpliedbyeach!Wellnow,Rodion
Romanych,that’showIreachedtheutmostlimit,howIbumpedmyhead
againstit,andthencametomysenses.No,Isaid,whatamIdoing?Ifyoulike,
allthis,Isaid,couldbeexplainedinanentirelydifferentway,anditevenwinds
upbeingmorenatural.Agony,sir!‘No,’Ithought,‘it’dbebetterifIhadone
smalldetail!’AndthenwhenIheardaboutthosedoorbells,Ifrozecompletely
andevenfeltashudder.‘Well,’Ithought,‘there’sasmalldetailatlast!That’s
it!’Ididn’teventhinkaboutitatthetime,Isimplydidn’twantto.I’dhave
givenathousandrublesatthatmoment,ofmyownmoney,tohaveobserved you
withmyowneyes: howyouwalkedsidebysidewiththattradesmanfora
hundredpacesafterhecalledyoua‘murderer’toyourface,whileyoudidn’t
dareaskhimanythingallalongtheway!Well,andthechillthatrandownyour spine?
Thosedoorbells,inthatillnessofyours,inyoursemi-delirium?Andso,
RodionRomanych,whyshouldyoubesurprisedifIplayedafewtricksonyou?

Andwhydidyoucomeonyourownatthatverymoment?Itwas,sohelpme
God,asifsomeonehadmadeyoucome,andifMikolkahadn’tdistractedus,
then...doyourememberMikolka?Doyourememberhimclearly?Thatwasa
thunderbolt,sir!Itwasapealofthunderfromastormcloud,athunderousbolt!

Well,howdidImeetit?Ididn’tbelieveinthatthunderboltevenforamoment,
asyoucouldsee!Quitethecontrary!Later,afteryou’dleft,whenhebegan
replyingtovariouspointsinanextremelycoherentway,Imyselfwassurprised,
anddidn’tbelievehimthen,notintheleast....That’swhatitmeanstobehard
asarock.No,Ithought, Morgenfrüh! †WhatdoesMikolkahavetodowith this?”

“Razumikhinjusttoldmethatevennowyou’reaccusingNikolaiandyou
assuredhimofthat...”

Raskolnikovwasoutofbreathanddidn’tfinishwhathewassaying.He
listenedininexpressibleagitationasthisman,whohadseenrightthroughhim,
disavowedhisownwords.Hewasafraidtobelievehimanddidnot.Hegreedily
searchedforandtriedtocatchsomethingmorepreciseanddefinitiveinhis
searchedforandtriedtocatchsomethingmorepreciseanddefinitiveinhis
ambiguouswords.

“Mr.Razumikhin!”criedPorfiryPetrovich,asifoverjoyedbythequestion
fromRaskolnikov,whouptothenhadmaintainedhissilence.“Hee-hee-hee!

Mr.Razumikhinhadtobedeflected:two’scompany,butthree’sacrowd.Mr.

Razumikhin’snottheone,sir;he’sanoutsider;hecamerunningtome
completelypale....Well,nevermindabouthim.Whyinvolvehiminthis?As
farasMikolka’sconcerned,wouldyoucaretoknowwhatsortoffellowheis,in
thesensethatIunderstandhim?Firstofall,he’sstillanimmaturechild;not
exactlyacoward,butmorelikesomeartist.It’strue,sir,don’tlaughattheway
I’mexplaininghim.He’sinnocentandveryimpressionable.Hehasaheartanda
vividimagination.Heknowshowtosinganddance,and,theysay,hetells
storiessowellthatpeoplecomefromafartolisten.Hegoestoschool,istoo
easytomakelaugh,anddrinkshimselfsilly,notfromdebauchery,butinspurts,
whensomeoneplieshimwithdrink,againjustlikeachild.Andatthattime
whenhestolesomething,hehimselfdidn’tknowwhathewasdoing,because‘if
hepickeditupfromthefloor,whatsortoftheftwasthat?’Doyouknowthat
he’soneoftheschismatics, ‡ notexactlyaschismatic,butsimplyasectarian;
somepeopleinhisfamilywereRunners.§Notlongago,hehimselfranoffand
spenttwowholeyearsinthecountryunderthespiritualguidanceofanelderly
monk.IfoundallthisoutfromMikolkaandfromhisfriendsinZaraysk.

Imaginethat!Hewantedtorunoffintothewilderness!Hewasazealot,prayed
toGodatnight,studiedthe‘genuine’oldbooksandreadhimselfsilly.

Petersburgmadeaverystrongimpressiononhim,especiallythefemalesex,and
thevodkaaswell.He’sveryimpressionable,sir,andheforgotallabouthiselder
andabouteverythingelse.Iknowthatalocalartisttookalikingtohim:he
startedvisitingMikolka,andthenthisincidentoccurred!Well,helostheart—

andattemptedtohanghimself.Hetriedtorunaway!Whatcanbedoneabout
thisviewofourjudicialsystemwidespreadamongthepeople?Somefindthe
words‘hewillbecondemned’simplyterrifying.Who’stoblame?Thenew
courtsmaychangeallthat.Oh,Godgranttheywill!Well,sir,nowthathe’sin
prison,he’sapparentlyrememberedhishonestelder;hisBible’salsoreappeared.
Doyouknow,RodionRomanych,whattheword‘suffering’meansforsomeof
thesepeople?It’snotexactlyforanyoneelse,butit’ssimply‘necessaryto
suffer.’Thatmeanstoacceptsuffering;ifit’sfromthepowersthatbe,somuch
thebetter.Inmytime,therewasanextremelysubmissiveconvictwhospenta
wholeyearinprison;hereadtheBibleatnightsittingonthestovebench,and
readhimselfsillytosuchanextentthatfornoreasonatallhegrabbedholdofa
brickandhurleditattheprisonwardenwithoutanyparticulargrievance.And

howdidhethrowit?Heintentionallythrewitayardwidesoitwouldn’thurt
anybody!Well,youknowwhathappenstoaprisonerwhoattacksasupervisor
withaweapon:‘heacceptedhissuffering.’SoIsuspectthatnowMikolkawants
to‘accepthissuffering’orsomethinglikethat.Iknowthisforcertain,evenfrom
thefacts,sir.Onlyhehimselfdoesn’tknowthatIknow.What,don’tyouthink
thatsuchwildlyimaginativetypescancomefromthecommonpeople?There
arealotofthem!Theelder’sbeguninfluencinghimagain,especiallyafter
Mikolkatriedtohanghimself.However,he’llcometomeandtellme
everything.Youthinkhe’llbeabletoholdout?Justwait,he’lldenyitall!I’m
waitingforhimtocomeatanymomentandrecanthistestimony.I’vetakena
likingtothisMikolkaandaminvestigatinghimthoroughly.Whatdoyouthink?

Hee-hee!Herepliedtoseveralpointsextremelycoherently;obviouslyhe’d
receivedthenecessaryinformationandhadpreparedhimselfskillfully;buthe
simplydoesn’tknowanythingaboutcertainothermatters,andhewadedintoo
deep;heknowsnothing,andhehimselfdoesn’tevensuspectthathedoesn’t
know!No,mydearRodionRomanych,Mikolka’snotinvolvedinthisaffairat
all!Thisisafantasticcase,anominous,contemporarycase,andaninstanceof
ourtime,sir,whenthehumanhearthasgrowndark;whenonecanhearitsaid
thatblood‘refreshes’;whenalloflifeisdevotedtocomfort.Therearebookish
dreamshere,sir,aheartthat’sirritatedbytheories;oneseesdecisivenessat
everystep,butdecisivenessofaspecialkind—hedidresolve,butasiffalling
offamountainorjumpingfromabelltower,andhewentouttocommitthe
crimeasifunwillingly.Heforgottolockthedoorbehindhim,andhekilled,he
killedtwopeopleinaccordancewithatheory.Hekilled,buthedidn’tknowhow
tostealthemoney;andwhathemanagedtograb,hehidunderastone.Itwasn’t
enoughforhimtoendurethetormentashestoodbehindthedoor,asthey
bangedonitandrangthedoorbell—no,laterhegoesbacktothisempty
apartmentinasemi-deliriumtorecallthatdoorbell;heneedstoexperienceyet
againthatcoldshiverrunningupanddownhisspine....Well,thatwas
probablyhisillness,buthere’swhatelse:hekilled,butheconsidershimselfan
honestman;hedespisespeople,hewalksaboutlikesomepaleangel—no,how
canMikolkabeconnectedwiththis,mydearRodionRomanych?Mikolka’snot
involvedatall!”

Theselastwords,afterallthathadbeensaidbefore,whichhadseemedlikea
disavowal,weretoounexpected.Raskolnikovstartedshudderingasifhehad
beenstabbed.

“Sothen...whois...themurderer?”heasked,gaspingforbreath,unable
torefrain.PorfiryPetrovichleanedbackagainsthischair,asifastonishedbythe
suddenquestion.

“Who’sthemurderer?”herepeated,asifunabletobelievehisownears.

“Why you are,RodionRomanych!You’rethemurderer,sir...”headdedwith

completeconviction,almostinawhisper.

Raskolnikovjumpedupfromthesofa,stoodthereafewseconds,andsat
downagainwithoutsayingoneword.Slightconvulsionspassedsuddenlyacross
hisentireface.

“Yourlipistremblingagain,asitdidthen,”mutteredPorfiryPetrovich,asif
sympathetically.“Itseems,RodionRomanych,thatyoudidn’tunderstandme,
sir,”headdedafterabriefsilence,“andthat’swhyyouweresoastounded.I
camepreciselytotellyoueverythingandtobringthismatteroutintotheopen.”

“I’mnotthemurderer,”whisperedRaskolnikov,thewayfrightenedlittle
childrendowhenthey’recaughtatthesceneofacrime.

“No,itisyou,sir,RodionRomanych,you,sir,andnooneelse,sir,”Porfiry
whisperedsternlyandcompellingly.

Theybothremainedsilent,andthatsilencelastedforapeculiarlylongtime,
abouttenminutes.Raskolnikovrestedhiselbowsonthetableandsilentlyran
hisfingersthroughhishair.PorfiryPetrovichsattherequietlyandwaited.

SuddenlyRaskolnikovglancedatPorfirywithcontempt.
“You’reuptoyouroldtricks,PorfiryPetrovich!Stillthosesamemethodsof
yours:howisityou’rereallynotfedupwiththem?”

“Oh,enoughofthat!WhatmethodsdoIneednow?Itwouldbeanother
matteriftherewerewitnesseshere;butwe’reallalone,whisperingtoeach
other.YouyourselfcanseethatIdidn’tcometochaseyouandcatchyoulikea
hare.Whetheryouconfessornot—itmakesnodifferencetomenow.I’m
completelycertainofitevenwithoutyou.”

“Ifthat’sso,thenwhydidyoucome?”Raskolnikovaskedirritably.“I’ll
posemypreviousquestiontoyou:ifyouconsidermeguilty,whydon’tyoutake
metoprison?”

“Wellnow,that’sthequestion!I’llansweryouinorder:inthefirstplace,it’s
notadvantageousformetoarrestyousosoon.”

“Notadvantageous!Ifyou’reconvinced,thenyoushould...”

“Oh,sowhatofitifI’mconvinced?Forthetimebeing,thisisallmydream,
sir.AndwhyshouldIputyouawaytheretolive inpeace?Ifyou’reaskingfor
it,thenyouyourselfknow.Forexample,ifIbringthattradesmanheretotestify
againstyou,you’llsaytohim,‘Wereyoudrunkornot?Whosawmewithyou?

Imerelytookyouforadrunk,butyoureallyweredrunk.’WhatwouldIreplyto
youthen,allthemoresosinceyourversion’smorecrediblethanhis,becausehis
testimonyispurepsychology—whichdoesn’tfithismugatall—whileyouhitit
rightonthemark,becausethatscoundreldrinksheavilyandthat’sevenvery

wellknown.AndImyselfconfessedtoyoucandidly,severaltimesalready,that
thispsychologycutsbothways,andthesecondwayisgreaterandmorecredible
thanthefirst;and,besidesthat,Ihavenothingmoreagainstyouatthistime.

AndeventhoughIstillintendtoarrestyou,andevencame(notintheusual
way)totellyoueverythinginadvance,stillIcansaycandidly(alsonotinthe
usualway),thatthiswouldnotbeadvantageousforme.Well,sir,inthesecond
place,I’vecometoseeyou...”

“Wellthen,inthesecondplace?”(Raskolnikovwasstillgaspingforbreath.)
“BecauseasIstatedtoyoubefore,Iconsidermyselfobligatedtoprovidean
explanation.Idon’twantyoutothinkofmeasamonster,allthemoreso
becauseI’msincerelywelldisposedtowardyou,believeitornot.Asaresultof
which,inthethirdplace,I’vecometoyouwithanopenandhonestproposal:
thatyoushouldcomeforwardandconfess.Thatwouldbeinfinitelymore
advantageousforyou,formeaswell—becauseitwouldbealoadoffmymind.

Wellthen,amIbeingopenwithyouornot?”

Raskolnikovthoughtforaminute.

“Listen,PorfiryPetrovich.Youyourselfsayit’smerepsychology;
meanwhile,you’veveeredoffintomathematics.Whatifyouyourselfare
makingamistakenow?”

“No,RodionRomanych,I’mnotmakingamistake.Ihaveacertainpieceof
evidence.Ifounditevenbackatthetime,sir;Godsentittome!”

“Whatkindofevidence?”

“Iwon’tsay,RodionRomanych.Besides,inanycase,Ihavenorightto
delayanyfurther;Ishallarrestyou,sir.Soyoubethejudge:it’sallthesameto me
now;consequently,I’mdoingthissolelyforyou.SohelpmeGod,Rodion
Romanych,it’llbebetterforyou!”

Raskolnikovlaughedspitefully.

“Thisisnotmerelyamusing,it’sevenshameless.EvenifIwereguilty
(whichisnotatallwhatI’msaying),forwhatreasonshouldIcometoyouand
confess,whenyouyourselfsaythatifI’marrested,I’llbe atpeace? ”

“Oh,RodionRomanych,don’tbelieveeverythingIsay;perhapsyouwon’t be
atpeace atall!Afterall,it’sonlyatheoryandmytheoryatthat,sir,andwhat
sortofauthorityamI?PerhapsevennowI’mhidingsomethingfromyou,sir.I
can’tjustupandrevealeverythingtoyou,hee-hee!Anotherthing:whatdoyou
mean,howcoulditbeadvantageoustoyou?Don’tyouknowwhatsortof
reducedsentencewouldfollowfromthis?Whenwouldyouappear,atwhat moment?
Justuseyourownjudgment!Whensomeoneelsehasalready
confessedtothecrimeandmuddiedthewholeaffair.Asforme,IsweartoGod
thatI’llarrangemattersandcontrivethings‘there’insuchawaythatyour

appearancewillseemasifitwerecompletelyunexpected.We’lltotallydisprove
allthispsychology,I’llmakeallthosesuspicionsagainstyoudisappear,soyour
crimewillappearastheresultofconfusion,because,inallgoodconscience,
that’sjustwhatitwas.I’manhonestman,RodionRomanych,andI’llkeepmy word.”

Raskolnikovmaintainedagloomysilenceandloweredhishead;hethought
foralongtimeandsmiledagainatlast,buthissmilewasmeekandgloomy.

“Hey,that’sunnecessary!”hesaid,asifnolongerconcealinganythingfrom
Porfiry.“It’snotworthit!Idon’tneedyoursentencereductionatall!”

“Well,that’sjustwhatIwasafraidof!”Porfiryexclaimedwarmlyandasif
unwillingly.“That’sjustwhatIwasafraidof,thatyouwouldn’tneedour reduction.”

Raskolnikovregardedhimgloomilyandimpressively.

“Hey,don’tscornyourlife!”continuedPorfiry.“Youstillhaveagreatdeal
ofitaheadofyou.Whatdoyoumean,youdon’tneedthesentencereduction,
howcanthatbe?You’reahastyman!”

“Agreatdealofwhataheadofme?”

“Life!Areyousomesortofprophet?Howmuchdoyouknow?Seekandye
shallfind.PerhapsGodwaswaitingforthismoment.Youwon’twearthose
fettersforever...”

“There’llbeareductioninthesentence...”Raskolnikovsaidwithalaugh.

“Wellthen,areyouafraidofthebourgeoisshame?Itmaybethatyoufearit
withoutevenknowingit—becauseyou’reyoung!Nevertheless,youshouldn’tbe
afraidorashamedofmakingaconfession.”

“Hey!Idon’tgiveadamn!”Raskolnikovwhisperedwithcontemptand
revulsion,asthoughnotwishingtospeak.Hestoodupagain,asifwantingtogo
somewhere,butthenhesatdownagain,invisibledespondency.
“Youdon’tgiveadamn!You’velostyourfaithandyouthinkI’mflattering
youcrudely;buthaveyoureallylivedmuchyet?Doyouunderstandallthat much?
Youconceivedatheoryandfeltashamedthatitfailed,thatitprovedto
benotveryoriginal!Itturnedoutpoorly,that’strue,butyou’restillnota
hopelessscoundrel.You’renotsuchascoundrelatall!Atleastyoudidn’t
deceiveyourselfforlong;youheadedstraightforthefinalposts.Doyouknow
howIregardyou?Iconsideryouoneofthosepeoplewho,iftheirinnardswere
beingcutout,they’dstandtheresmilingattheirtormentor—ifonlythey’ve
foundfaithorGod.Well,finditandyou’llgoonliving.Inthefirstplace,
you’veneededachangeofairforsometime.So,suffering’salsoagoodthing.

Goon,suffer.ThatMikolkamayevenberighttowanttosuffer.Iknowyou
don’tbelieveit—butdon’tphilosophizetoocleverly;giveyourselfuptolife
directly,withoutdeliberating;don’tworry—it’llcarryyouovertotheother

directly,withoutdeliberating;don’tworry—it’llcarryyouovertotheother
shoreandstandyouonyourfeet.Ontowhatshore?AndhowdoIknow?I
merelybelievethatyoustillhavealonglifeaheadofyou.Iknowthatnowyou
hearmywordsasalong,boringpreparedexhortation;butyoumayrecallit
afterward,itmaybeofusetoyouatsometime;that’swhyI’mspeaking.It’sa
goodthingthatyoukilledonlyanoldwoman.Ifyou’dconceivedofanother
theory,youmightevenhavedonesomethingahundredmilliontimesworse!

PerhapsyoushouldthankGod;howdoyouknow?PerhapsHe’ssavingyoufor
something.Haveagreatheartandbelessafraid.Areyouafraidofsomegreat
impendingresponsibility?No,thatwouldbeshameful.Ifyou’vetakensucha
step,thenhavecourage.That’sjustice.Youmustfulfillwhatjusticedemands.I
knowthatyoudon’tbelieveitbut,sohelpmeGod,lifewillcarryyouover.

Afterwardyou’llevencometolikeit.Fornowyouneedonlyair,air,air!”

Raskolnikovshudderedsuddenly.

“Andjustwhoareyou?”hecried.“Somesortofprophet?Fromwhatheights
ofmajesticserenitydoyouutterthesephilosophicalprophecies?”

“WhoamI?I’mamanwho’sfinishedwithlife,nothingmore.Amanwho,
perhaps,hasfeelingsandsympathies,whomayknowathingortwo,butwho’s
livedhislife.Butyou—you’resomethingaltogetherdifferent:Godhasprepared
alifeforyou(butwhoknows,perhapsitwillonlyvanishlikesmokeand
nothingwillcomeofit).Wellthen,sowhatifyouhavetojoinadifferent
categoryofmen?Withyourheart,willyoulongforcomfort?Whatwillitmatter
ifperhapsnooneseesyouforaverylongtime?It’snottimethatmatters,but
youyourself.Becomeasunandeveryonewillseeyou.Mostofall,thesun
shouldbethesun.Whyareyousmilingagain:becauseIsoundlikeSchiller?I
betyousupposethatI’mnowtryingtowormmyselfintoyourgoodgraces!

Well,perhapsthat’sjustwhatI’mtryingtodo,hee-hee-hee!Perhaps,Roman
Romanych,youshouldn’tbelievewhatIsay,andshouldneverbelieveit completely
—that’smydisposition,Iagree.However,here’swhatI’lladd:you
canjudgeforyourselfhowbaseorhonestIam!”

“Whendoyouplantoarrestme?”

“Icanallowyoutoroamfreelyforanotherdayandahalfortwodays.Think
aboutit,mydearfellow,andpraytoGod.It’llbemoreadvantageous,sohelp
meGod,moreadvantageous.”

“AndwhatifIrunaway?”Raskolnikovaskedwithastrangegrin.

“No,youwon’trunaway.Apeasantrunsaway,oramodernsectarian—a
lackeyofsomeoneelse’sideas—becauseifyoujustshowhimtheendofyour
finger,likeGogol’smidshipmanDyrka, ¶he’llbelieveinanythingyoulikefor

therestofhislife.Butyounolongerbelieveinyourowntheory—whyshould
yourunaway?Whatgoodwoulditdoyou?Runningawayisvileanddifficult;
mostofallyouneedlife,adefinedposition,andsuitableair;well,whatsortof
airwouldyouhave?Ifyouranawayyou’dreturnonyourown. Youcan’tget
alongwithoutus.IfIweretolockyouupinaprisoncell—well,andifyousat
thereamonthortwo,orthree,andallofasuddenyourecalledmywords,you’d
comeforwardonyourown,perhapsnotevenexpectingityourself.Youwon’t
knowitevenanhourbeforethatyou’llcomeforwardwithaconfession.I’m
evensurethat‘you’lldecidetoacceptsuffering’;youdon’tbelievewhatI’m
sayingnow,butyou’llcometothesameconclusion.Becausesuffering,Rodion
Romanych,isagreatthing;paynoattentiontothefactthatI’vegrownfat,
there’snoneed;ontheotherhand,don’tlaughatthis,butIknowthatsuffering
containsanidea.Mikolka’sright.No,youwon’trunaway,RodionRomanych.”

Raskolnikovstoodupandtookhiscap.PorfiryPetrovichalsostoodup.

“Areyouplanningtogoforastroll?Theeveningwillbeafineone,ifonly
therewon’tbeastorm.However,it’dbebetterifitfreshenstheair...”

Healsotookhiscap.

“Andasforyou,PorfiryPetrovich,pleasedon’tgetitintoyourhead,”

Raskolnikovstatedwithsterninsistence,“thatI’veconfessedtoyoutoday.

You’reastrangeman,andIlistenedtoyoumerelyoutofcuriosity.Ihaven’t
confessedtoanything....Rememberthat.”

“Yes,Iknowthat,I’llremember—look,he’seventrembling.Don’tworry,
mydearfellow;letitbejustasyoulike.Gooutforastroll;butdon’tgotoofar.

Inanycase,Ihaveasmallrequesttomakeofyou,”headded,loweringhis
voice.“It’sabitdelicatebutimportant:if,thatis,inanycase(butonethatI
don’tthinkwillhappenandconsideryoucompletelyincapableof),ifbyany chance
—well,justincase—theideaoccurstoyouduringthesefortyorfifty
hourstoconcludethisaffairinsomeotherway,insomesortoffantasticmanner

—toraiseyourhandagainstyourself(anabsurdsupposition,forgivemefor
saying),thenleaveashortbutdetailednote.Justafewlines,onlyafewlittle
lines,andmentionthestone:it’llbemoredecentofyou,sir.Well,sir,good-
bye....Iwishyougoodthoughtsandauspiciousundertakings!”

Porfiryleft,slouchingalittleandtryingtoavoidlookingatRaskolnikov.

Raskolnikovwenttothewindowandwithirritableimpatiencewaitedforthe
timewhen,byhiscalculation,Porfiryhademergedontothestreetandgone
somedistance.Thenhehimselfhurriedlylefttheroom.

*“Invain!”(German).
†“Earlymorning!”(German).

‡ Areferencetothe
raskolniki,schismatics,orOldBelievers,whosplitfromtheRussianOrthodoxChur
ch inthemid-seventeenthcentury.Notethesimilaritywiththehero’ssurname.

§AradicalsectofOldBelieverswhofledfromeverysortofobediencetosocialinstitu
tions.

¶Areferencetoacharacterintheplay TheMarriage(1842)byNikolaiGogol.

III

HehurriedtoSvidrigaylov’s.Hehimselfdidn’tknowwhathecouldhopefor
fromthisman.ButconcealedwithinSvidrigaylovwassomesortofpowerover
him.Oncehewasawareofthis,Raskolnikovwasunabletocomposehimself;
besides,nowthetimehadcome.

Alongtheway,onequestiontroubledhimespecially:hadSvidrigaylovbeen
toseePorfiry?

Asfarashecouldtell,no,hehadn’t,andhewaspreparedtosweartoit!He
keptthinkingaboutitoverandover,recallingPorfiry’sentirevisit,andhe
concluded:no,hehadn’tbeenthere,ofcoursehehadn’t!

ButifSvidrigaylovstillhadn’tbeenthere,wouldheorwouldhenotgoto seePorfiry?

Now,forthetimebeing,itseemedtohimthathewouldn’tgo.Whynot?He
wasunabletoexplainit,butevenifhecouldhave,hewouldn’trackhisbrains
overthatrightnow.Allofthistormentedhim;yetatthesametimehefeltthat
hecouldn’tbebotheredwithit.Itwasstrange:perhapsnoonewouldbelieveit,
butheseemedtocareonlyslightly,absentmindedlyabouthispresent,
impendingfate.Hewastormentedbysomethingelse,muchmoreimportant,
extraordinary—abouthimselfandnooneelse,butsomethingdifferent,
somethingmajor.Inaddition,hefeltendlessmoralexhaustion,eventhoughhis
reasoningwasfunctioningbetterthanithadforalltheselastfewdays.

Andwasitworthitnow,afterallthathadhappened,totrytoovercomethese
paltrynewdifficulties?Wasitworthit,forexample,toattempttoconspireso
thatSvidrigaylovdidn’tgotoseePorfiry?Ortostudy,investigate,andwaste
timeoverthisfellowSvidrigaylov?

Oh,hewassosickandtiredofitall!

Meanwhile,hestillhurriedtoSvidrigaylov’s;didheexpectsomething new
fromhim,asignorawayout?Washegraspingatstraws?Wasitfateorsome
instinctthatwasbringingthemtogether?Perhapsitwasjusthisexhaustion,his
desperation;perhapshedidn’tneedSvidrigaylovatall,butsomeoneelse;but
Svidrigaylovhadturnedupfornoparticularreason.Sonya?Andwhywouldhe
gotoseehernow?Tobegforhertearsonceagain?HewasafraidofSonya.She
representedaninexorablesentence,anirreversibledecision.Here—itwaseither
herroadorhis.Especiallynow,hewasnotinanystatetoseeher.No,wouldn’t
itbebettertotrySvidrigaylov:tofindoutwhatthatwasallabout?Hecouldn’t

helpbutadmittohimselfthatforalongtimehereallyhadfeltaneedforhim.

However,whatcouldtheyhaveincommon?Eventheirevildeedscouldnot
beconsideredequivalent.Besides,thismanwasveryunpleasant,obviously
extremelydepraved,absolutelydeviousanddeceitful,perhapsevenevil.Tales
werecirculatingabouthim.True,hewasmakingeffortsonbehalfofKaterina
Ivanovna’schildren;butwhoknowswhyorwhatthatmeant?Thismanalways
hadhisownintentionsandschemes.

Duringallthesedays,anotherthoughthadkeptconstantlyrunningthrough
Raskolnikov’sheadandupsettinghimterribly,althoughhe’dtriedtodriveit
awaybecausehefounditsopainful!Hesometimesthought:Svidrigaylovwas
constantlyskulkingaroundhimandwasdoingsonow;Svidrigaylovknewhis
secret;hehadharboreddesignsagainstDunya.Whatifhestilldidnow?One couldsay
yes,hedid,almostforcertain.Andwhatifnow,knowinghissecret
andhavingthusacquiredpoweroverhim,Svidrigaylovwantedtousethat
powerasaweaponagainstDunya?

Sometimesthisideatormentedhimeveninhisdreams;butnow,ashemade
hiswaytoSvidrigaylov’s,itwasthefirsttimetheideahadsoclearlyappeared
inhisconsciousness.Thisideaalonedrovehimintoadarkrage.Inthefirst
place,everythingwouldbechanged,evenhisownsituation:hewouldhaveto
revealhissecrettoDunechkaimmediately.Hemighthavetogivehimselfupto
saveherfromtakingsomecarelessstep.Theletter?ThismorningDunyahad
receivedsomesortofletter!WhoinPetersburgcouldshebereceivingletters from?
(CoulditbefromLuzhin?)True,Razumikhinwasstandingguard;buthe
didn’tknowanything.Perhapshe’dhavetorevealhimselftoRazumikhinas well?
Raskolnikovponderedallthiswithloathing.

“Inanycase,ImustseeSvidrigaylovassoonaspossible,”hedecided
definitively.“Thankgoodnessthedetailsaren’tnecessary,asmuchastheheart
ofthematter;butif,ifonlyhewascapable,ifSvidrigaylovwasdevisingsome
intrigueagainstDunya,then...”

Raskolnikovhadbeensoexhaustedduringallthistime,forthewholepast
month,thattherewasnowayhecouldresolvesimilarquestionsexceptforone
solution:“ThenI’llkillhim,”hethoughtincolddesperation.Apainfulfeeling
grippedhisheart;hestoppedinthemiddleofthestreetandbeganlooking
around:whatroadwasheonandhowfarhadhecome?Hefoundhimselfon
ObukhovskyProspect,aboutthirtyorfortypacesfromtheHaymarket,whichhe
hadjustcrossed.Thewholesecondfloorofthehouseontheleftwasoccupied
byatavern.Allthewindowswereopenwide;thetavern,judgingbythe
movementofthefiguresinthewindows,waspackedfullofpeople.Fromthe
largeroomcamethesoundofsongs,themusicofaclarinet,aviolin,andthe

beatofaTurkishdrum.Hecouldhearwomensquawking.Hewasabouttoset
offintheoppositedirection,notunderstandingwhyhehadturnedonto
ObukhovskyProspect,whenallofasudden,inoneofthefarthestopenwindows
ofthetavern,hesawSvidrigaylovsittingtherebythewindowatateatable,a
pipeinhismouth.Thiswasterrifyingandstruckhimwithhorror.Svidrigaylov
wasobservingandscrutinizinghiminsilence,whichalsostruckRaskolnikovat
once;itseemedasifhewantedtogetupandslipoutofthetavernsurreptitiously
sothatnoonewouldnoticehim.Raskolnikovimmediatelypretendedthathe
himselfdidn’trecognizehim;helookedtoonesidepensively,whilehe
continuedobservinghimoutofthecornerofhiseye.Hisheartpoundedin
agitation.Soitwas:Svidrigaylovobviouslydidn’twanttobeseen.Hetookthe
pipeoutofhismouthandstartedtogetaway;but,afterhestoodupandpushed
hischairback,hesuddenlynoticedthatRaskolnikovwaslookingatand
observinghim.Betweenthemoccurredsomethinglikethesceneoftheirfirst
meetingatRaskolnikov’sroomwhenhewasasleep.Amischievoussmile
appearedonSvidrigaylov’sfaceandbeganspreadingacrossit.Bothknewthat
eachwaslookingatandobservingtheother.AtlastSvidrigaylovburstintoloud
laughter.

“Well,well!Comeonin,ifyoulike;I’mhere!”hecriedthroughthe window.

Raskolnikovwentupstairstothetavern.

Hefoundhiminaverysmallbackroom,withonewindow,adjoiningthe
biggerroomwheremerchants,civilservants,andalargenumberofworking
peopleweredrinkingteaattwentysmalltablesamidsttheshoutingofaforlorn
chorusofmalepeasants.Fromtheretheclatteringofbilliardballscouldbe
heard.OnthetableinfrontofSvidrigaylovstoodanopenbottleofchampagne
andaglasshalffullofwine.Intheroomstoodayoungladwithasmallhand
organandahealthy,ruddygirlwearingastripedskirt,tuckedup,andaTyrolean
hatwithribbons;shewasasinger,aroundeighteenyearsold,and,inspiteofthe
songsfromthechorusintheotherroom,shewassingingsomesentimentalditty
inaratherhoarsecontraltototheaccompanimentoftheorgan...

“Well,that’senough!”Svidrigaylovsaid,interruptingheratRaskolnikov’s
entrance.

Thegirlimmediatelybrokeoffandstoodinrespectfulexpectation.Shehad
beensingingherrhymeddittywiththesameseriousandrespectfullookonher face.

“Hey,Filipp,aglass!”criedSvidrigaylov.

“Iwon’thaveanywine,”saidRaskolnikov.

“Asyoulike.That’snotforyou.Drinkup,Katya!Nothingmore’sneeded

today.Goaway!”Hepouredherafullglassofwineandputdownayellow
banknote.Katyadranktheglassatonego,thewaywomenusuallydrink,thatis,
intwentygulps,withoutpausing;shetookthebanknote,kissedSvidrigaylov’s
hand,whichhehadsolemnlyextendedtoherforthatreason,andlefttheroom;
theboywiththehandorgantrailedalongafterher.Theyhadbothbeenbrought
infromthestreet.Svidrigaylovhadn’tbeeninPetersburgaweek,buteverything
aroundhimwasalreadyonapatriarchalfooting.Thewaiteratthetavern,Filipp,
wasalreadyan“acquaintance”andfawnedoverhim.Thedoortothelarger
roomcouldbelocked;Svidrigaylovfeltathomeinthislittleroomandmayhave
spententiredaysinit.Thetavernwasdirty,dilapidated,andnotevenofaverage
quality.

“Iwasgoingtoyourapartmenttolookforyou,”beganRaskolnikov,“but
whydidIsuddenlyturnintoObukhovskyProspectfromtheHaymarket?Inever
turnthereandIdon’tcomehere.IusuallyturntotherightfromtheHaymarket.

Besides,thisisn’tthewaytoyourplace.Ijustturnedandhereyouare!It’s strange!”

“Whydon’tyoujustsayitoutright:it’samiracle!”

“Becauseitmaybeonlyanaccident.”

“Whatacastofmindallthesepeoplehave!”laughedSvidrigaylov.“You
won’tadmititevenifyoureallybelievethatmiraclesoccur.Why,youyourself
saythat‘itmaybe’it’sonlyanaccident.Youcan’timagine,RodionRomanych,
whatcowardspeopleareabouthavingtheirownopinions!I’mnottalkingabout
you.Youhaveyourownopinionsandaren’tafraidtodoso.That’swhyyou’ve
attractedmycuriosity.”

“Nothingelse?”

“Why,that’ssufficient.”

Svidrigaylovwasobviouslyinanexcitedstate,butonlyslightly;hehad
drunkonlyhalfaglassofwine.

“ItseemsthatyoucametoseemebeforeyoufoundoutIwascapableof
havingwhatyoucallmyownopinion,”observedRaskolnikov.

“Well,thatwasanothermatter.Eachofushasourownstepstotake.Asfor
amiracle,I’llsaythatyouseemtohavesleptthroughtheselasttwoorthree
days.Imentionedthistaverntoyoumyself,andit’snomiraclethatyoucame
heredirectly;Imyselfexplainedthewayhere,saidwhereitwas,andnamedthe
timewhenIcouldbefoundhere.Don’tyouremember?”

“Iforgot,”Raskolnikovrepliedwithastonishment.
“Ibelieveit.Itoldyoutwice.Thelocationmusthaveregisteredinyour
memoryautomatically.Youturnedhereautomatically,andwithouteven
knowingit,youcamerighttothisaddress.WhenIwasspeakingtoyouthen,I

wasn’tatallsurethatyouunderstoodme.Youreallygiveyourselfaway,
RodionRomanych.There’ssomethingelse:I’mcertainthatinPetersburgthere
aremanypeoplewhowalkaroundtalkingtothemselves.It’sacityfullofhalf-
crazypeople.Ifwehadrealscience,thendoctors,lawyers,andphilosophers
couldconductthemostvaluableresearchaboutPetersburg,eachaccordingtohis
ownspecialty.Therearefewplaceswhereyoucanfindsomanygloomy,harsh,
andstrangeinfluencesonman’ssoulasyoucaninPetersburg.Considerthe
impactoftheclimatealone!Meanwhile,it’stheadministrativecenterofall
Russiaanditscharactermustbereflectedineverything.Butthat’snotthepoint
now;thethingis,I’veobservedyoufromthesideseveraltimes.Youleaveyour
housewithyourheadheldhigh.Aftertwentypacesorso,youdropyourhead
andclaspyourhandsbehindyourback.Youlook,butobviouslyyoudon’tsee
anythingeitherinfrontofyouortotheside.Atlastyoubeginmovingyourlips
andtalkingtoyourself;moreover,yousometimesfreeonearmandstart
declaiming;finallyyoupauseinthemiddleofthestreetforalongtime.That’s
notgoodatall,sir.Someonemaynoticeyoubesideme,andthatwon’tbeto
youradvantage.Ireallydon’tcare;I’mnotheretocureyou,but,ofcourse,you
understandme.”

“DoyouknowwhetherI’mbeingfollowed?”askedRaskolnikov,glancingat
himinquisitively.

“No,Idon’tknowanything,”Svidrigaylovrepliedasifsurprised.

“Thenwhynotleavemeinpeace,”Raskolnikovmutteredwithafrown.

“Fine;we’llleaveyouinpeace.”

“Tellme,rather,ifyoucomeheretodrinkandmentionedittometwiceso
thatI’dcometoyou,thenwhynow,asIsawyouthroughthewindowfromthe
street,whydidyouhideandwishtoleave?Iobservedthatverywell.”

“Hee-hee!Andwhy,whenIwasstandingthereonyourthreshold,andyou
werelyingthereonyoursofawithyoureyesclosed,didyoupretendyouwere
asleep,whenyoureallyweren’tasleepatall?Iobservedthisplainly.”

“Icouldhavehadmy...reasons...youknowthatyourself.”

“AndIcouldhavehadmyreasons,althoughyouwon’tlearnthem.”

Raskolnikovplacedhisrightelbowonthetable,restedhischinonthe
fingersofhisrighthand,andstaredintentlyatSvidrigaylov.Foraboutaminute
heexaminedhisface,whichhadalwaysstruckhim,evenpreviously.Itwasa
somewhatstrangefacethatseemedtoresembleamask:white,ruddy,withrosy,
scarletlips,alightblondbeard,andaheadofratherthickblondhair.Hiseyes
weresomehowtooblue,andtheirgazewastoointenseandunmoving.There
wassomethingterriblyunpleasantinthishandsome,extremelyyoung-looking
face,judgingbyhisage.Svidrigaylov’sclotheswerefashionable,summery,and

light;hislinenwasparticularlyelegant.Heworeahugeringonhisfingerwitha
valuablestone.

“DoIreallyhavetotroublemyselfalsowithyou?”Raskolnikovasked
suddenly,comingstraighttothepointwithfeverishimpatience.“Eventhough
youmightperhapsbeamostdangerouspersonifyouchosetoharmme?ButI
don’twanttoburdenmyselfanymore.I’llshowyounowthatIdon’tregard
myselfashighlyasyouprobablythink.YoushouldknowthatIcametoseeyou
totellyououtrightthatifyouperseverewithyourpreviousintentions
concerningmysister,andifyou’rethinkingofmakinguseofwhat’sbeen
revealedlately,thenIwillkillyoubeforeyoucansendmetoprison.Mywordis
good:youknowthatIcankeepit.Inthesecondplace,ifyouwishtotellme anything—
becauseit’sseemedtomeallthewhilethatyou’vewantedtosay somethingtome—
thentellmequicklywhatitis,becausetimeisvaluableand
perhapsit’llsoonbetoolate.”

“Whereareyougoinginsuchahurry?”askedSvidrigaylov,glancingathim
inquisitively.

“Eachofushasourownstepstotake,”Raskolnikovreplieddarklyand impatiently.

“Youyourselfwerejustdemandingcandor,yetyourefusetoanswermyfirst
question,”remarkedSvidrigaylovwithasmile.“YouseemtothinkIhavesome
specialaims;thereforeyouregardmewithsuspicion.Wellthen,that’s
completelyunderstandableinyoursituation.But,howevermuchIwishto
becomeclosertoyou,Iwon’ttakeituponmyselftoconvinceyouofthe
opposite.SohelpmeGod,thegameisn’tworththecandle,andIwasn’t
intendingtotalktoyouaboutanythingveryspecial.”

“Thenwhydidyouneedme?Whywereyouhangingaround?”

“Simplyasaninterestingsubjectforobservation.Thefantasticnatureof
yourpositionappealedtome—that’swhat!Besides,you’rethebrotherofa
personwho’sinterestedmeagreatdeal;lastly,atthetimeIheardaconsiderable
amountaboutyoufromthatperson,fromwhichIconcludedthatyouhavegreat
influenceonher.Isn’tthatenough?Hee-hee-hee!Besides,Iconfess,your
questionisextremelycomplicatedforme,andIfinditdifficulttoanswer.Well
then,forexample,haveyoucometoseemenownotonlyaboutthatmatterbut
aboutsomethingnew?That’sso,isn’tit?”insistedSvidrigaylovwitha
mischievoussmile.“Well,justimaginethatasIwasonthetrainonmyway
here,Iwascountingonyoutotellmesomething new andonthefactthatImight
beabletoborrowsomethingfromyou!That’showrichweare!”

“Borrowwhat?”

“WhatcanItellyou?HowdoIknowwhat?YouseethesortoftavernI

spendmytimein;itgivesmepleasure—thatis,notexactlypleasure,butImust
havesomewheretosit.TakethatpoorKatya—didyouseeher?Well,ifIwerea
glutton,forexample,oraclubhousegourmet,butyouseewhatsortoffoodI
eat!”(Hepointedhisfingertothecornerwheretheremainsofanawful
beefsteakwithpotatoessatonasmalltinplate.)“Bytheway,haveyouhad dinner?
I’veeatenalittleanddon’twantanymore.Wine,forexample,Idon’t
drinkatall.Exceptforchampagne,nothingatall,andonlyoneglassof
champagneforthewholeevening,andeventhenmyheadaches.Iorderedit
nowtofortifymyselfbecauseIplantogosomewhere,andyouseemeina
peculiarframeofmind.ThatwaswhyIwashidingbefore,likeaschoolboy,
becauseIthoughtyoumightdisturbme;butitseems”—hetookouthiswatch

—“thatIcanspendanhourwithyou;it’snowhalfpastfour.Believeme,Iwish
Iweresomething;well,alandowner,afather,alancer,aphotographer,a
journalist...but,nothing,Ihavenospecialty!Sometimesit’sevenboring.
True,Ithoughtyoumighttellmesomethingnew.”

“Whoareyou,andwhydidyoucomehere?”

“WhoamI?Youknow:amemberofthegentrywhoservedtwoyearsinthe
cavalry,thenwanderedaroundhereinPetersburg,marriedMarfaPetrovna,and
livedinthecountry.That’smybiography!”

“Itseemsyou’reagambler?”

“No,whatsortofgambleramI?Acardsharp’snotagambler.”

“Youwereacardsharp?”

“Yes,Iwas.”

“Wereyoueverbeatenforit?”

“Iwas.Sowhat?”

“Well,thereforeyoucould’vechallengedmentoaduel...ingeneral,it
livensthingsup.”

“Iwon’tcontradictyou,andbesides,Idon’tlovephilosophizing.Iconfess,I
camehereassoonasIcouldmostlybecauseofthewomen.”

“You’vejustburiedMarfaPetrovna?”

“Well,yes.”Svidrigaylovsmiledwithproudcandor.“Whatofit?Youseem
tofinditwrongthatItalkaboutwomeninthisway?”

“Thatis,doIseeanythingwrongindebauchery?”

“Indebauchery!Sothat’swhatyou’redrivingat!However,I’llreplyin
orderandansweryouaboutwomeningeneral;youknow,I’minclinedtorattle
on.Tellme,whyshouldIrestrainmyself?WhyshouldIgiveupwomenifI
reallylikethem?Atleastit’ssomethingtodo.”

“Soyou’rehereonlycountingonengagingindebauchery?”
“Well,whatofit?Soit’sdebauchery!Peopleareobsessedwithdebauchery.

ButatleastIlikeadirectquestion.Inthisdebauchery,atleast,there’s

ButatleastIlikeadirectquestion.Inthisdebauchery,atleast,there’s
somethingconstant,evenbasedonnatureandnotsubjecttofantasy,something
alwayspresentinthebloodlikeaburningcoal,readytoignite,whichyoumight
notbeabletoputoutforalongtime,formanyyears.Youyourselfwillagree
thatit’ssomethingtodo,isn’tit?”

“What’stheretocelebrate?It’sadisease,andadangerousone.”

“Sothat’swhatyou’redrivingat!Iagreethatit’sanillness,justlike
everythingelsethat’sinexcess—andit’sessentialthatitgotoexcess—but,in
thefirstplace,it’sdifferentforeveryone,andinthesecondplace,ofcourse,one
mustmaintainmoderation,judiciousness,evenifit’sbase,butwhat’stobe done?
Ifitweren’tforthis,onemighthavetoshootoneself.Iagreethatadecent
manisobligedtobebored,butstill...”

“Andcouldyoushootyourself?”

“Well,really!”Svidrigaylovretortedwithrevulsion.“Domeafavor:don’t
speakofthat,”headdedhurriedly,withoutthebraggingthathadaccompanied
allhispreviouswords.Evenhisfaceseemedsomehowtochange.“Iconfessto
unforgivableweakness,butwhat’stobedone?I’mafraidofdeathandIdon’t
liketotalkaboutit.YouknowI’mpartmystic?”

“Ah!MarfaPetrovna’sghost!Doesitstillhauntyou?”

“Don’tmentionthat;ithasn’thappenedinPetersburg;thedeviltakeit!”he
criedwithanirritatedexpression.“No,let’stalkabout...however....Hmm!

Hey,timeisshort;Ican’tstayherewithyouforverylong.It’sapity!Icould
tellyousomething.”

“Whatisit,awoman?”

“Yes,awoman,anunexpectedchance....But,I’mnottalkingaboutthat.”
“Well,doesn’tthesqualorofthissettinghavesomeimpactonyou?Have
youalreadylostthestrengthtostop?”

“Anddoyouclaimtohavethestrength?Hee-hee-hee!Youjustastonished
me,RodionRomanych,thoughIknewbeforethatitwouldbethecase.You’re
talkingtomeaboutdebaucheryandaesthetics!You’reaSchiller,you’rean
idealist!Allthis,ofcourse,hadtobeso,andonewouldbesurprisedifitwere
anydifferent;however,it’sstillsomehowstrangeinreality....Ah,it’sapity
there’ssolittletime,becauseyou’resuchaninterestingsubject!Bytheway,do
youlikeSchiller?Ilikehimverymuch.”

“Whatabraggartyouare!”Raskolnikovremarkedwithsomerevulsion.

“No,sohelpmeGod,I’mnot!”Svidrigaylovrepliedwithaloudlaugh.

“However,Iwon’targue.PerhapsI’mabraggart.Butwhyshouldn’tIbragif
it’sharmless?IlivedinthecountrywithMarfaPetrovnaforsevenyearsand
therefore,nowhavingcomeuponaclevermanlikeyou—cleverandinteresting

inthehighestdegree—I’msimplygladtohaveachat;besidesthat,Idrankthis
halfaglassofwine,andit’sgonetomyheadabit.Themainthingis,there’s
somethingI’mveryagitatedabout,butaboutwhichI...Iwillkeepsilent.

Whereareyougoing?”Svidrigaylovaskedsuddenlyinalarm.

Raskolnikovhadbegungettingup.Hefeltoppressed,confined,and
somehowawkwardabouthavingcomehere.Hewasconvincedthat
Svidrigaylovwasthemostshallowandworthlessvillainintheworld.

“Hey!Sitdown;stayhere,”beggedSvidrigaylov.“Orderyourselfsometea
atleast.Sithereawhile;Iwon’tblathernonsense—aboutmyself,thatis.I’lltell
yousomething.Well,ifyoulike,I’lltellyouhowawomantriedto‘save’me,to
useyourlanguage.Itwillevenbeananswertoyourfirstquestion,becausethis
personisyoursister.MayItellyou?Itwillkillsometime.”

“Goon,butIhopethatyou...”

“Oh,don’tworry!Besides,AvdotyaRomanovnacaninspireonlythedeepest
respect,eveninsuchadespicableandshallowmanlikeme.”
IV

“Youmayknow(however,Ialreadytoldyoumyself),”beganSvidrigaylov,“I
servedindebtors’prisonhere,withanenormousdebt,andwithoutanywayto
settleit.There’snoneedtogointodetailabouthowMarfaPetrovnaboughtme
outatthattime:doyouknowtowhatdegreeofstupefactionlovecansometimes
transportawoman?Shewasanhonestwoman,quitesmart(althoughcompletely
uneducated).Imaginethatthissamejealous,honestwoman,aftermuchfrenzy
andterriblereproaches,resolvedtostooptoforgesomesortofcontractwithme
thatsheupheldallduringourmarriage.Thepointisthatshewasmucholder
thanme;besidesthat,sheconstantlykeptsomesortofcloveinhermouth.Iwas
enoughofaswineandsufficientlyhonesttodeclareopenlythatIcouldn’tbe
completelyfaithfultoher.Thisconfessiondroveherintoafrenzy,butitseems
thatshesomewhatappreciatedmyrudefrankness:‘Thatmeans,’shesaid,‘ifhe
announceditinadvance,hedoesn’twanttodeceiveme.’Well,that’sthemost
importantthingforajealouswoman.Aftermanytearfulscenes,somethinglike
anoralcontractwasconcludedbetweenus:first,IwouldneverleaveMarfa
Petrovnaandwouldalwaysbeherhusband;second,Iwouldneverabsentmyself
withoutherpermission;third,Iwouldnevertakeapermanentlover;fourth,in
exchange,MarfaPetrovnawouldallowmetocastaneyeattheservantgirls
fromtimetotime,butnotwithouthersecretknowledge;fifth,GodhelpmeifI
weretofallinlovewithawomanofourownsocialclass;sixth,ifbychance,
Godforbid,Iweretoconceivesomesortofmajor,seriouspassion,Ishould
discloseittoher.Asforthelastpoint,however,MarfaPetrovnawasfairlycalm
allalong;shewasacleverwomanand,therefore,couldn’tregardmeinany
otherwaythanasadepravedanddissoluteman,incapableofgenuinelove.But
acleverwomanandajealouswoman—thosearetwodifferentthings,andthat
wastheproblem.However,tojudgeinanimpartialwayaboutcertainpeople,
it’snecessarytodiscardsomepreconceivednotionsandone’shabitualwayof
regardingthepeopleandobjectsthatusuallysurroundus.Ihavetherighttorely
onyourjudgmentmorethanonanyoneelse’s.Youmayhavealreadyheard
muchaboutMarfaPetrovnathatwasamusingandabsurd.Infact,shedid
possesssomeveryamusinghabits;butI’lltellyouopenlythatIsincerelyregret
thenumeroussorrowsIcausedher.Well,thatseemsenoughforanextremely
respectable oraisonfunèbre*onthemostlovingwifeofthemostloving
husband.Ontheoccasionofourquarrels,Iremainedsilentforthemostpartand
didn’tgetirritated;this‘gentlemanization’almostalwaysachievedmygoal;it
hadanimpactonher,andsheevenlikedit;therewereincidentswhenshewas
evenproudofme.Butshestillcouldn’tstandyoursister.Howdidithappenthat
sheriskedtakingsuchabeautyintoherhouseasagoverness?Iexplainitby
sayingthatMarfaPetrovnawasapassionateandimpressionablewomanandthat
shesimplyfellinlove,literallyfellinlove,withyoursister.Yes,indeed,
AvdotyaRomanovna!Irealizedverywellfromthefirstthatthiswasnotgood, and—
whatdoyouthink?—Iwasevenreadynottolookather.ButAvdotya
Romanovnaherselftookthefirststep—believeitornot!Wouldyoubelievethat
MarfaPetrovnawentsofaraseventobeangryatmeatfirstbecauseofmy
constantsilenceaboutyoursister,thatIwassoindifferenttoherincessantand
adoringtributestoAvdotyaRomanovna?Imyselfdon’tunderstandwhatshe
wanted!Well,ofcourseMarfaPetrovnatoldAvdotyaRomanovnathewhole
truthaboutme.Shehadtheunfortunatetraitoftellingallourfamilysecretsand
complainingcontinuouslytoabsolutelyeveryoneaboutme;howcouldshe
possiblymisstheopportunitytotalkaboutsuchanewandsplendidfriend?I
supposethatalltheytalkedaboutwasme;withoutadoubt,AvdotyaRomanovna
heardallthosedark,mysterioustalesthatareascribedtome....Ibetyou’ve
heardsomethingofthatsort,too?”

“Ihave.Luzhinsaidyouwereeventhecauseofayoungchild’sdeath.Is thattrue?”

“Domeafavor,leaveallthosevulgartalesalone,”Svidrigaylovreplied
squeamishlyandwithrevulsion.“Ifyouabsolutelywishtoknowaboutthat
nonsense,I’lltellyouaboutitsometime,butfornow...”

“Theyalsomentionedsomeservantladinthecountry,thatyouwerealsothe
causeofwhatbecameofhim.”

“Enough,please!”Svidrigaylovinterruptedhimagain,withobvious impatience.

“Wasn’thetheservantwhocame,afterhisdeath,tofillyourpipe...that
youtoldmeaboutyourself?”Raskolnikovsaid,growingirritable.

SvidrigaylovglancedcloselyatRaskolnikov;andtoRaskolnikovitseemed
thatamalicioussmirkmomentarilyflashedlikelightninginhisglance,but
Svidrigaylovrestrainedhimselfandrepliedwithextremepoliteness:
“Theverysame.Iseethatyoualsofindallthisintriguing,andIwill
consideritmydutytosatisfyyourcuriosityonallmattersatthefirstconvenient
opportunity.Damnitall!IseethattosomepeopleIcanreallyseemtobea
romanticfigure.JudgeforyourselftowhatdegreeI’mobligatedtothankthelate
MarfaPetrovnaforhavingtoldyoursistersomanymysteriousandintriguing
thingsaboutme.Ican’tjudgetheimpressionitmade;butinanycase,itwas

advantageousforme.InthefaceofallthenaturalrevulsionAvdotya
Romanovnafelttowardme,andinspiteofmygloomyandrepulsiveappearance

—atlastshebegantofeelpityforme,pityforafallenman.Andwhentheheart
ofayoungwomanexperiences pity forsomeone,then,naturally,that’sthemost
dangerousthingforher.Sheconceivesatonceadesire‘tosave’him,tomake
himlistentoreason,torestorehimtolife,tosummonhimtonobleraims,andto
initiatehimintoanewlifeandnewactivity—it’swellknownwhatcanbe
dreamtupinthisvein.Irealizedatoncethatthebirdwasflyingintotheneton
itsown,andIpreparedmyself.Youseemtobefrowning,RodionRomanych?

There’snoneedforthat,sir.Asyouknow,thewholeaffairturnedouttobe nothing.
(Deviltakeit!HowmuchwineI’mdrinking!)Youknow,Ialwaysfelt
sorry,fromtheverybeginning,thatfatehadn’tallowedyoursistertobebornin
thesecondorthirdcenturyofourera,somewhereasthedaughterofaruling
princeorsomegovernororproconsulinAsiaMinor.Withoutdoubt,she’dhave
beenoneofthosewhosufferedmartyrdom,and,ofcourse,shewould’vesmiled
whentheysingedherbreastwithred-hotpincers.She’dhaveembracedthisfate
intentionally,andinthefourthorfifthcenturyshe’dhavegoneofftothedesert
inEgyptandlivedthereforthirtyyears,nourishingherselfonroots,ecstasies,
andvisions.She’sapersonwhohungersanddemandstoacceptsomesortof
tormentforsomeoneelse,andifshe’sdeniedthistorment,thenshemightthrow
herselfoutawindow.I’veheardsomethingaboutaMr.Razumikhin.He’ssaid
tobeareasonablefellow(whichhissurnameshows;hemustbeaseminarian);
well,lethimwatchoveryoursister.Inaword,itseemsthatIunderstoodher;I
considerthattomycredit.Butthen—thatis,inthebeginningofanacquaintance

—asyouyourselfknow,you’realwaysmoresuperficialandfoolish,youmake
mistakesandseewhat’snotthere.Damnitall,whyisshesopretty?I’mnotto
blame!Inaword,itallbeganwithafitofuncontrollablevoluptuousness.
AvdotyaRomanovna’sterriblychaste,toadegreeneverseenorheardbefore.

(NoticethatI’mtellingyouthisaboutyoursisterasafact.Shemaybechasteto
amorbiddegree,inspiteofherbroadintelligence,andthiswillharmher.)There
happenedtobeayounggirlinourhouse,Parasha,dark-eyedParasha,who’d
justbeenbroughtinfromanothervillage;shewasaserfgirlI’dneverseteyes
onbefore—veryprettybutunbelievablystupid:sheburstintotears,raisedaloud
howl,andcreatedascandal.Once,afterdinner,AvdotyaRomanovna
intentionallysoughtmeoutaloneonapathinthegardenand,withflashingeyes,
demanded thatIleavepoorParashainpeace.Thiswasalmostthefirsttimewe
talkedone-on-one.Naturally,Iconsidereditanhonortofulfillherrequest;I
triedtopretendtobeastoundedandembarrassed;inaword,Iplayedmypart
verywell.Relationsbeganbetweenus,secretconversations,moralinstructions,

sermons,entreaties,implorations,eventears—doyoubelieveit,tears!That’sthe
degreetowhichsomeyoungwomenfeelapassionforpropaganda!Ofcourse,I
blameditallonmyfate,pretendedtohungerandthirstforlight,andfinallyset
inmotionthegreatestandmostcertainmeansofconqueringawoman’sheart,a
meansthatneverdeceivesanyoneandthatactsdecisivelyoneverywoman,
withoutexception.Thatmeansiswellknown—it’sflattery.There’snothing
moredifficultintheworldthanstraightforwardness,andthere’snothingeasier
thanflattery.Ifinstraightforwardnessthere’sonlyaone-hundredthpartofa
falsenote,thendissonanceresultsatonce,followedbyascandal.Ifinflattery
everythinguptothelastnoteisfalse,it’sreceivedandheardnotwithout
enjoyment;eventhoughit’scrude,it’senjoymentnonetheless.And,however
crudetheflattery,atleasthalfofitwillcertainlyseemtobetrue.That’struefor
allstagesofdevelopmentandeverysocialclass.Evenavestalvirgincouldbe
seducedbyflattery.There’snoneedeventospeakaboutordinarypeople.Ican’t
recallwithoutlaughinghowIwastryingtoseduceanobleladywhowas
devotedtoherhusband,herchildren,andhervirtue.Itwassoenjoyableand
requiredsolittleeffort!Theladyreallywasvirtuous,atleastinherownway.

Myentirestrategyconsistedofbeingcrushedallthetimeandgrovelingbefore
herchastity.Iflatteredhershamelessly;nosoonerhadIreceivedasqueezeof
thehandorevenaglancethanIreproachedmyselfforhavingobtaineditby
force,forthefactthatshe’dresistedme,resistedmesothatI’dneverhave
achievedathingifImyselfhadn’tbeensodepraved;thatshe,inherinnocence,
hadn’tforeseenanytreacheryandsubmittedunintentionally,withoutknowingor
suspecting,andsoonandsoforth.Inaword,Iattainedeverything,andmylady
remainedcertainintheutmostdegreethatshewasinnocentandchaste,thatshe
wasfulfillingallherdutiesandobligations,andthatshe’dfallencompletelyby
accident.HowangryshewasatmewhenIfinallydeclaredthatitwasmy
sincereconvictionthatshewasmerelyinsearchofpleasure,justasIwas.Poor
MarfaPetrovnawasalsoterriblysusceptibletoflattery,andifI’donlywanted
to,then,ofcourseIcould’veappropriatedherwholeestatewhileshewasstill alive.
(ButI’mdrinkingagreatdealofwineandprattlingon.)Ihopeyouwon’t
getangryifImentionthatthissameeffectbegantoshowonAvdotya
Romanovna.ButImyselfwasfoolishandimpatientandspoiledthewhole
affair.AvdotyaRomanovnahadseveraltimesbefore(andonceinparticular)
takenadisliketotheexpressionofmyeyes.Doyoubelieveit?Inaword,a
certainfireflaredupinthemmorebrightlyandmorecarelessly,andthatfire
frightenedher,andshefoundithatefulintheend.There’snoneedtogointo
detail,butweparted.ThenIactedstupidlyagain.Inthecrudestmanner,I
mockedallherpropagandaandherattitude;Parashasteppedontothescene

again,andnotjusther—inaword,itwasarealSodom.Oh,ifonlyyou’dseen,
RodionRomanych,evenonceinyourlife,howyoursister’seyescansometimes
flash!Itdoesn’tmatterthatI’mdrunknowandhaveconsumedanentireglassof
wine:I’mtellingthetruth.IassureyouthatIsawthislookinmydreams;inthe
endIwasunabletobeartherustleofherdress.Really,IthoughtIwouldhave
somesortoffit;IneverimaginedthatIcouldreachsuchastateoffrenzy.Ina
word,itwasnecessarytomakepeace;butthatwasnolongerpossible.Andjust
imaginewhatIdidthen!Towhatdegreeofstupefactionragecandriveaman!

Neverundertakeanythinginafrenzy,RodionRomanych.Consideringthat
AvdotyaRomanovna,inessence,wasimpoverished(ah,excuseme,Ididn’t
wantto...butdoesitmatterhowthatidea’sexpressed?),inaword,shelived
bytheworkofherhands,shehelpedsupportbothhermotherandyou(oh,damn
it,you’rescowlingagain...);Idecidedtoofferherallmymoney(Icouldraise
aroundthirtythousandrublesatthattime)ifshe’drunawaywithme,evenhere
toPetersburg.Naturally,Iwouldhavepledgedmyeternallove,happiness,and
soonandsoforth.DoyoubelievethatI’dfalleninlovetosuchanextentthat
hadshesaidtome:cutMarfaPetrovna’sthroatorpoisonherandmarryme—it
would’vebeendoneatonce!Butitallendedincatastrophe,whichyoualready
know,andyouyourselfcanjudgewhatapitchofrageIreachedwhenIlearned
thatMarfaPetrovnahadfoundthatvileofficialLuzhinandpracticallyarranged
amarriage—onethat,infact,wasjustliketheoneIwasoffering.Isn’tthatso?

Well?Isn’tit?Inoticethatyou’vebegunlisteningveryattentively....Suchan
interestingyoungman...”

Svidrigaylovstruckhisfistonthetablewithimpatience.Hisfacehadturned
red.Raskolnikovclearlysawthattheglassorglassandahalfofwinehe’d
consumed,drinkingitgradually,insmallsips,hadaffectedhimadversely—he
decidedtomakeuseoftheopportunity.HewasverysuspiciousofSvidrigaylov.

“Well,afterthisI’mcompletelyconvincedthatyoucameherealsowithmy
sisterinmind,”hesaidfranklytoSvidrigaylov,withoutconcealingit,inorderto
irritatehimevenmore.

“Hey,enoughofthat,”saidSvidrigaylov,suddenlyrecovering,“I’vetold
you...andbesides,yoursistercan’tstandme.”

“I’mcertainaboutthat,too,butthat’snotthepoint.”

“Areyoucertainthatshecan’tstandme?”Svidrigaylovsquintedandsmiled
mockingly.“You’reright,shedoesn’tlikeme;butyoumustn’tvouchforwhat
happensbetweenahusbandandhiswife,orbetweenamanandhismistress.

There’salwaysonelittlecornerthatremainsasecrettothewholeworldand
that’sknownonlytothetwoofthem.CanyouvouchforthefactthatAvdotya
Romanovnaregardsmewithloathing?”

“Fromseveralwordsandhintsduringyouraccount,Iseethatevennowyou

“Fromseveralwordsandhintsduringyouraccount,Iseethatevennowyou
haveyourownviewsandthemostpressingdesignsagainstDunya—vileones,
ofcourse.”

“What?DidIletslipsuchwordsandhints?”Svidrigaylovwassuddenly
naïvelyalarmed,withoutpayingtheleastattentiontotheepithetcharacterizing
hisintentions.
“Yes,andtheycontinuetoslipout.Well,whatareyousoafraidof?Whyare
yousuddenlyscared?”

“I’mafraidandscared?Scaredofyou?Yououghttobeafraidofme, cher ami.

† Inanycase,whatnonsensethatis....However,IseethatI’mdrunk;I
almostletthecatoutofthebagagain.Tohellwiththewine!Hey,bringme somewater!”

Hegrabbedthebottleofwineandhurleditoffhandedlyoutthewindow.

Filippbroughthimsomewater.

“It’sallnonsense,”saidSvidrigaylov,wettingatowelandapplyingittohis
head.“Icanputyouinyourplacewithonewordanddemolishallyour
suspicions.Doyouknow,forexample,thatI’mgettingmarried?”

“Youtoldmethatbefore.”

“Idid?I’dforgotten.ButatthetimeIcouldn’tbepositivebecauseIhadn’t
evenseenmyfuturewife;Imerelyintendedtomarry.Well,nowIhavea
fiancée,it’sallarranged,andifitweren’tforsomepressingmatters,I’d
definitelytakeyoutomeetherrightaway—becauseIwanttoaskyouradvice.

Hey,deviltakeit!There’sonlytenminutesleft.Lookatmywatch;butI’lltell
youaboutitbecauseit’saninterestinglittlematter,mymarriage,thatis,inits
ownway.Whereareyougoing?Areyouleavingagain?”

“No,I’mnotgoingawaynow.”

“You’renot?We’llsee!I’lltakeyouthere,it’strue,andI’llshowyoumy
fiancée,butnotnow;you’llhavetoleavesoon.Yougototheright,whileIturn
totheleft.DoyouknowthisResslikh?TheoneinwhosehouseI’mliving?

Well?Doyouhear?No,whatdoyouthink,thesameoneaboutwhomit’ssaid
thatthisgirl...waspulledfromthewater...lastwinter—well,areyou listening?
Areyou?Well,shewastheonewhoarrangedallthisforme.‘You,’

shesays,‘seembored.Amuseyourselfforawhile.’ButI’magloomy,dreary
person.YouthinkI’mcheerful?No,I’mgloomy:Idon’tdoanyharm,justsitin
acorner;sometimestheycan’tmakemetalkforthreedaysinarow.Butthat
Resslikhwomanisarascal,Itellyou,andhere’swhatshehadinmind:I’llget
bored,desertmywife,andleave;she’llgetcontrolofmywifeandputherinto
circulation,inoursocialclass,thatis,andhigher.‘Thereis,’shesays,‘an

invalidfather,aretiredcivilservant,whositsinawheelchairandhasn’tbeen
abletomovehislegsforthreeyears.Thereis,’shesays,‘amother,avery
reasonablelady,thismama.Theirsonworkssomewhereintheprovinces,buthe
doesn’thelpout.Thedaughtergotmarriedbutdoesn’tvisit;shehastwosmall
nephewsonherhands(asifherownchildrenweren’tenough);theytooktheir
youngestdaughteroutofschoolbeforeshefinishedhercourse;she’llturn
sixteeninamonth,whichmeansthatthenshecanbemarriedoff.That’swhereI
comein.Wewenttoseethem;whatanamusingsituationitwas.Iintroduced
myself:landowner,widower,fromawell-knownfamily,withcertain
connections,andwithsomecapital—sowhatifI’mfiftyandshe’sonlysixteen
yearsold?Who’llpayanyattentiontothat?Well,it’stempting,isn’tit?Itis
tempting,ha-ha!YoushouldhaveseenhowIchattedwithherpapaandmama!

Itwouldhavebeenworthpayingjusttoseemethen.Shecomesout,curtsies,
justimagine,stillwearingashortskirt,likeanunopenedbud;sheblushesand
flaresuplikethedawn(they’dtoldher,ofcourse).Idon’tknowwhatyouthink
ofwomen’sfaces,butinmyopinion,thesesixteenyears,thosestillchildish
eyes,thatshyness,andherlittletearsofembarrassment—inmyopinion,all
that’sevenbetterthanbeauty;inaddition,she’squiteapicture.Fairhairinlittle
ringletslikelamb’swool,full,rosylips,littlefeet—charming!Well,wegot
acquainted;IdeclaredthatIwasinahurrybecauseofsomefamilymatters;the nextday
—thatis,thedaybeforeyesterday—wewerebetrothed.Sincethen,
wheneverIgothere,Itakeheronmykneeandwon’tlethergo....Well,she
flaresuplikethedawn,butIkeeponkissingher;hermother,naturally,
reassuresherthat‘heisyourfuturehusband:thisiswhatyouhavetodo’;ina
word,it’sapieceofcake!Andthispresentstate,thatis,beingbetrothed,might
evenbebetterthanbeingmarried.It’swhat’scalled lanatureetlavérité! ‡ Ha,
ha!I’veexchangedafewwordswithher—she’snotatallstupid;sometimesshe
stealsaglanceatme—itburnsrightthroughme!Youknow,shehasafacelike
Raphael’sMadonna.HasiteveroccurredtoyouthattheSistineMadonnahasa
fantasticface,thefaceofasadholyfool?Well,somethinglikethat.Theday
afterwe’dreceivedherparents’blessing,Ibroughtheraboutfifteenhundred
rubles’worthofthings:asetofdiamonds,oneofpearls,andalady’ssilver
dressingcase—aboutsobig,withallsortsofitemsinit,sothateventhislittle
Madonna’sfaceflusheddeeply.Isatheronmykneesyesterday,anditmust
havebeenveryunceremoniously—sheflaredupandlittletearsformedinher
eyes,butshedidn’twanttoshowmehowexcitedshewas.Everyoneelsehad
goneawayforaminute;sheandIremainedcompletelyalone;thenshesuddenly
threwherselfaroundmyneck(forthefirsttimeherself),embracedmewithher

littlearms,kissedme,andsworethatshe’dbeanobedient,faithful,goodwife;
thatshe’dmakemehappyandwoulduseherentirelife,everyminuteofit,
sacrificingeverything,absolutelyeverything,andforallthisshewishedmerely
tohave onlymyrespect. Beyondthat,shesaid,‘Ineednothingatall,nomore
gifts!’You’llagreethattohearsuchaconfessionprivatelyfromsuchasixteen-year-
oldlittleangel,wearingatulledress,withlovelyringlets,blushingwitha
maiden’sshame,andwithlittletearsofenthusiasminhereyes—you’llhaveto
agreethatit’sratherseductive.Isn’tit?It’sworthsomething,right?Well,isn’t it?
Well...well,listen...well,let’sgovisitmyfiancée...butnotrightnow!”

“Inaword,”saidRaskolnikov,“thismonstrousdifferenceinyearsand
developmentarousesyourvoluptuousness!Willyoureallybemarriedlikethat?”

“Whatofit?Absolutely.Everymanmustfendforhimself,andtheonewho
deceiveshimselfthebestwindsupthehappiestofall.Ha-ha!Whyhaveyou
embracedvirtuesowholeheartedly?Havemercy,kindsir,I’masinfulman.

Hee-hee-hee!”

“Yetyou’vemadearrangementsforKaterinaIvanovna’schildren.

However...however,youhadyourownreasonsforthat...Iunderstand
everythingnow.”

“I’mfondofchildreningeneral,veryfondofthem,”Svidrigaylovsaidwith
alaugh.“Onthatscore,Icaneventellyouaboutamostinterestingincident,one
thatcontinuesuptonow.Onthefirstdayaftermyarrival,Ivisitedanumberof
foulplaces—well,aftersevenyears,Ithrewmyselfintoit.You’veprobably
noticedthatIhaven’thurriedtorejoinmyoldpals,myformerfriendsand
acquaintances.Iintendtogoonwithoutthemaslongaspossible.Youknow,
livinginthecountrywithMarfaPetrovna,Iwastormentedtodeathbymemories
ofallthesemysteriousnooksandcrannieswhereonecanfindsomanythings.
Damnitall!Commonpeoplegetdrunk,educatedyoungpeoplehavingnothing
todobutburnwithunrealizabledreamsandfantasiesanddeformthemselves
withtheories;Yidshaveflockedherefromsomewhere,theyhoardallthe
money,whilealltherestleaddebauchedlives.That’showthistown’saffected
mefromtheverybeginning,withitsfamiliarstench.OnceIhappenedtofind
myselfataso-calleddanceevening—ahorriblecesspool(butIdolove
cesspools,withalltheirfilth);well,naturally,theyperformedacancan,adance
suchasthereneverwasinmyowntime.Yes,sir,that’srealprogress.Suddenly
Ilookandseeagirlofaboutthirteen,welldressed,dancingwithaprofessional;
therewasanotheroneinfrontofher,vis-à-vis.Hermotherwassittingonachair
nearthewall.Well,youcanimaginewhatsortofcancanitwas!Thegirl’s
embarrassed,blushes,finallytakesoffense,andbeginstocry.Theexpertgrabs
holdofherandbeginstotwirlheraroundandshowoffinfrontofher;around

themeveryonewaslaughing—Iloveourpublicatsuchtimes,eventhoughit
wasourcancanpublic—theywerelaughingandshouting,‘That’sit,that’sthe
way!Don’tbringchildreninhere!’Itwasallthesametome;itwasn’tanyof
mybusiness:wasitlogicalornotforthemtoconsolethemselveslikethat!I
madeadecision,satdownnexttohermother,andbegantellingherthatIwasa
recentarrival,andsayingwhatboorsthesepeoplewere,thattheydidn’tknow
howtodistinguishgenuineworthortoshowduerespect.IletherknowthatI
hadafairamountofmoney;Iofferedtotakethemhomeinmycarriage;I
escortedthemhomeandbecameacquaintedwiththem(they’djustcometo
Petersburgandlivedinsomesmallroomrentedfromtenants).Shetoldmethat
bothsheandherdaughterregardedmyacquaintanceonlyasanhonor;Ilearned
thattheyhaveneitherhousenorhome,andtheycameheretopleadfor
somethingorotherfromsomecivilservant;Iofferedmyservicesandsome
money;Idiscoveredthattheycamethateveningbymistake,thinkingthatitwas
aplacewheretheygivedancinglessons.IofferedtoassistasbestIcouldwith
theyounggirl’seducation,arrangingFrenchanddancinglessons.Theyaccepted
myofferwithenthusiasmandconsidereditanhonor;sincethenwe’vebeen
acquainted....Ifyoulike,we’llgoseethem—butnotnow.”

“Enough,that’senoughofyourvile,basestories,youdebauched,base,
voluptuousman!”

“ASchiller,aRussianSchiller,anabsoluteSchiller! Oùva-t-ellelavirtuse nicher?

§Youknow,I’lltellyousuchtalesonpurpose,justtohearyourshrieks.
Whatapleasure!”

“I’llsay.Don’tyouthinkIseemridiculoustomyselfrightnow?”

Raskolnikovmutteredwithmalice.

Svidrigaylovlaughedraucously;hefinallycalledtoFilipp,paidhisbill,and
wenttostandup.

“Well,I’mdrunk, assezcausé! ”¶hesaid.“Whatapleasure!”

“Ofcourse,youfinditapleasure,”criedRaskolnikov,alsostandingup,“a worn-
outlecherlikeyoutalkingaboutyouradventures—havinginmindsome
monstrousintention—talkingparticularlytoapersonlikemeandinsuch
circumstances....Itarousesyou.”

“Well,ifthat’sso,”repliedSvidrigaylovwithsomesurprise,scrutinizing
Raskolnikov,“ifthat’sso,thenyouyourselfareaconsiderablecynic.Atleast
youhaveenormousmaterialforbeingone.Youcanrecognizemanythings,a
greatmany...andyoucanalsodomanythings.Well,enoughofthis,however.

IsincerelyregretthatI’veconversedsolittlewithyou,butyouwon’tgetaway
fromme....Justwaitalittle...”

Svidrigaylovleftthetavern.Raskolnikovfollowedhim.Svidrigaylovwas,

Svidrigaylovleftthetavern.Raskolnikovfollowedhim.Svidrigaylovwas,
however,notsodrunkatall;ithadaffectedhisheadjustforamoment,butthe
effectwaspassingwitheveryminute.Hewasverypreoccupiedbysomething,
somethingveryimportant,andhewasfrowning.Someexpectation,apparently,
wasagitatinganddisturbinghim.Inthelastfewminuteshehadsuddenlyaltered
hisbehaviorwithRaskolnikov;witheachpassingmomenthewasbecoming
ruderandmoremocking.Raskolnikovnoticedallthisandwasalsoalarmed.He
foundSvidrigaylovverysuspicious;hedecidedtofollowhim.

Theydescendedontothesidewalk.

“Yougototheright,whileIturntotheleft,or,perhaps,justtheopposite, but—
adieu,monplaisir, #untilournextjoyfulmeeting!”
Heturnedright,towardtheHaymarket.

*“Funeraloration”(French).

†“Dearfriend”(French).

‡ “Natureandtruth!”(French).AnironicreferencetotheideasofJean-
JacquesRousseau.

§“Whereisvirtuegoingtobuildhernest?”(French).AnalmostexactquotationfromV
oltaire’slifeof Molière.

¶“Enoughtalk!”(French).

#“Good-bye,mypleasure”(French).

Raskolnikovfollowedhim.

“What’sthis?”criedSvidrigaylov,turningaround.“Butdidn’tItellyou...”

“ThismeansthatfromnowonIwon’tletyououtofmysight.”

“Wha-a-at?”

Theybothstoppedandstaredateachotherforaminute,asifsizingeach otherup.

“Fromallyourhalf-drunkenstories,”Raskolnikovrepliedabruptly,“I’ve
definitelyconcludedthatnotonlyhaveyoufailedtogiveupyourvileintentions
concerningmysister,butthatyou’reevenmorepreoccupiedwiththemthanyou
werebefore.Ihappentoknowthatmysisterreceivedsomesortofletterthis
morning.Andallthiswhile,youhaven’tbeenabletositstill....Let’ssuppose
you’vemanagedtocomeupwithawifealongtheway;thatdoesn’tmeana
thing.Iwishtomakecertainpersonallythat...”

Raskolnikovcouldhardlydefineforhimselfwhatitwasthathewantednow
andwhatpreciselyitwasthathewantedtoascertain.
“Sothat’sit!Doyouwantmetocallthepolicerightnow?”

“Goahead!”

Onceagaintheystoodfacingeachotherforaminute.AtlastSvidrigaylov’s
facechanged.HavingbecomeconvincedthatRaskolnikovwasnotfrightenedby
anythreats,hesuddenlyassumedthemostcheerfulandamicablelook.

“Whatafellowyouare!Ididn’tmentionthatmatterofyoursintentionally,
although,needlesstosay,I’mtormentedbycuriosity.It’safantasticbusiness.I
nearlyputoffspeakingaboutituntilanothertime,butreally,you’recapableof
frustratingadeadman....Allright,comealong,butIwarnyouinadvance:I’m
goingtomyapartmentonlyforaminutetograbsomemoney;thenI’lllockmy
door,takeacab,andspendtheentireeveningontheIslands.Sowhyshouldyou
followme?”

“I’llfollowyoutoyourapartment,butnottoyourrooms;I’llgotoSofiya
Semyonovnatoaskherforgivenessfornothavingbeenatthefuneral.”

“Asyoulike,butSofiyaSemyonovna’snotathome.Shetookallthe
childrenofftoacertainlady,anelderlyaristocrat,aformerlongtime
acquaintanceofmine,thedirectorofseveralorphanages.Idelightedthislady
whenIprovidedmoneyfortheupkeepofallthreeofKaterinaIvanovna’s
fledglings,inadditiontocontributingmoremoneyfortheinstitutions;thenItold
herSofiyaSemyonovna’shistoryingreatdetail,withoutconcealingathing.It

herSofiyaSemyonovna’shistoryingreatdetail,withoutconcealingathing.It
hadanindescribableeffectonher.That’swhySofiyaSemyonovna’sbeen
summonedtoappeartodayatthehotelwherethearistocraticladyisstaying
temporarily,havingjustarrivedintownfromherdacha.”

“Itdoesn’tmatter;I’llcallinanyway.”

“Asyoulike,butyou’reonyourown;what’sittome?Hereweareatmy
house.Tellme,I’mconvincedthatyouregardmewithsuspicionbecauseI’ve
beensotactfulwithyouanduptonowhaven’tpesteredyouwithany
questions...doyouunderstand?Thisseemedextraordinarytoyou;Ibetthat’s
thetruth.ThatshowswhatIgetforbeingtactful.”
“Andforeavesdroppingbehindthedoor!”

“Sothat’swhatyou’reonabout!”Svidrigaylovsaidwithalaugh.“Yes,I’d
havebeensurprisedifafterallthisyou’dletthatpasswithoutsomecomment.

Ha-ha!Imanagedtounderstandalittlebitofwhatyouweresaying
then...there...toSofiyaSemyonovna,thetricksyouwereplaying.But
what’sallthatabout?PerhapsI’mold-fashionedandunabletounderstanda
thing.Explainit,forheaven’ssake,mydearfellow!Enlightenmewiththelatest
principles.”

“Youcouldn’thearathing.It’salllies!”

“I’mnotgoingonaboutthat,notthat(although,however,Ididmanageto
hearsomething).No,I’mtalkingaboutthewayyousighallthetime!The
Schillerinyouisalwaysgettingconfused.Andnowitseemsoneisn’tsupposed
toeavesdropbehindthedoor.Ifthat’sso,goonandtelltheauthoritiesthat‘such
andsuchanamazingthinghappenedtome:Idiscoveredasmallerrorinmy
theory.’Ifyou’reconvincedthatoneshouldn’teavesdrop,butthatyoucancrack
opentheskullsofoldladieswithanythingathandforyourownenjoyment,then
you’dbestbeofftoAmericaassoonaspossible!Runaway,youngman!

Perhapsthere’sstilltime.Imeanitsincerely.Youdon’thaveanymoney?I’ll
giveyousomeforthejourney.”

“I’mnotthinkingaboutthatatall,”Raskolnikovsaid,tryingtointerrupthim
disgustedly.

“Iunderstand(however,don’ttroubleyourself:youdon’thavetosaymuch,
ifyoudon’twantto),Iunderstandwhatsortofcurrentquestionsyou’rethinking
about:moralissues,right?Questionsofacitizenandahumanbeing?Letthem
alone;whyworryaboutthemnow?Hee-hee!Becauseyou’restillacitizenanda
humanbeing?Andifso,therewasnoneedtogetinvolvedinthismatter;there
wasnoreasontopokeyournoseintootherpeople’sbusiness.Well,goshoot
yourself;ordon’tyoufeellikeit?”

“Youseemtobetryingtoinfuriatemeonpurpose,sothatI’llleaveyou

alone...”
“Whataneccentricyouare.Butwe’vealreadyarrived;welcometomy
staircase.Yousee,here’stheentrancetoSofiyaSemyonovna’s;yousee,no
one’shome!Youdon’tbelieveme?AskKapernaumov;sheleavesherkeywith
them.Here’sMadamedeKapernaumovherself.What?(She’salittledeaf.)Did
shegoout?Whereto?Wellthen,nowdidyouhear?She’snothere,andshe
mightnotbebackuntilverylateatnight.Well,nowcomeintomyrooms.You
wantedtoseeme?Well,hereweare.MadameResslikhisn’tathome.That
woman’salwaysbusy,butshe’sagoodperson,Icanassureyou....Shemight
beofusetoyouifyouwereabitmoresensible.Wellnow,pleasetakealook:
I’mtakingthisfivepercentnote(Istillhavesomanyofthem)fromthewriting
desk,andI’lltakeitrighttothemoneychangertoday.Well,didyouseethat?I
can’tloseanymoretime.Thedesk’slockedup,theapartment’slockedup,and
we’rebackonthestaircase.Well,ifyoulike,wecanhireacab!I’mheadingto
theIslands.Wouldn’tyoulikeadrive?I’lltakethiscarriagetoYelaginIsland.

Yourefuse?Youcan’tbearit?Let’sgoforaride,itdoesn’tmatter.Itseemsthat
rainismovingin;nevermind,we’llputthehoodup.”

Svidrigaylovwasalreadysittinginthecarriage.Raskolnikovdecidedthathis
suspicions,atleastfornow,wereunfounded.Withoutsayingaword,heturned
andheadedbackinthedirectionoftheHaymarket.Ifhehadturnedaroundeven
oncealongtheway,hewouldhavemanagedtoseehowSvidrigaylov,after
drivingnomorethanahundredpaces,paidforthecarriageandsetoffonfoot
onceagain,walkingalongthesidewalk.ButRaskolnikovcouldn’tseeathing
andhadalreadyturnedthecorner.Profoundrevulsiondrovehimawayfrom
Svidrigaylov.“HowcouldIhaveexpectedanythingevenforamomentfrom
thatcrudevillain,fromthatvoluptuousdebaucherandscoundrel?”hecried
involuntarily.ItwastruethatRaskolnikovpronouncedhisjudgmenttoohastily
andthoughtlessly.TherewassomethinginSvidrigaylov’smanner,atleast,that
conveyedanairoforiginality,ifnotmysteriousness.Asfarashissisterwas
concerned,RaskolnikovstillremainedconvincedthatSvidrigaylovwouldnot
leaveherinpeace.Butitwastoopainfulandunbearabletothinkaboutand
ponderallofthis!

Aswashishabitwhenleftalone,aftertwentypacesorsoheslippedinto
deepthoughtfulness.Walkingontothebridge,hepausedbytherailingand
beganlookingatthewater.AllthewhileAvdotyaRomanovnawasstanding
abovehim.
Heencounteredherattheentrancetothebridgebutwalkedonby,without
recognizingher.Dunechkahadnevermethimbeforelikethis,outonthestreet,
andshewasstruckbyfear.Shestoppedanddidn’tknowwhethertocallhimor
not.AllofasuddenshenoticedthatSvidrigaylovwasrapidlyapproachingfrom

not.AllofasuddenshenoticedthatSvidrigaylovwasrapidlyapproachingfrom
thedirectionoftheHaymarket.

ButSvidrigaylovseemedtobemovingmysteriouslyandcautiously.He
didn’tstepontothebridgebutpausedalongsideit,tryingwithallhismightnot
toletRaskolnikovcatchsightofhim.HehadnoticedDunyasometimeagoand
wassignalingtoher.Itseemedtoherthatbyhissignalsthathewassummoning
herandaskingthatshenotcallherbrotherandleavehiminpeace.

That’sjustwhatDunyadid.Shewalkedquietlypastherbrotherand
approachedSvidrigaylov.

“Let’swalkfaster,”Svidrigaylovwhisperedtoher,“Idon’twantRodion
Romanychtofindoutaboutourmeeting.IshouldtellyouthatIwasjustsitting
nearherewithhiminatavern,wherehehimselfhadcomelookingforme,andit
waswithdifficultythatImanagedtogetawayfromhim.Forsomereasonhe
knowsaboutmylettertoyouandsuspectssomething.Ofcourse,youdidn’ttell
himaboutit,didyou?Butifitwasn’tyou,whocouldithavebeen?”

“We’vealreadyturnedthecorner,”interruptedDunya.“Nowmybrother
won’tseeus.Iwon’tgoanyfartherwithyou.Tellmeeverythinghere;youcan
sayeverythingyouhavetosayoutinthestreet.”

“Inthefirstplace,it’simpossibletosayithereonthestreet;secondly,you
mustalsohearwhatSofiyaSemyonovnahastosay;inthethirdplace,Ihave
somedocumentstoshowyou....Well,andfinally,ifyouwon’tagreetodrop
inonme,thenI’llrefusetoprovideanyexplanationsandwillleave
immediately.Inaddition,Iaskyounottoforgetthatyourbelovedbrother’s
extremelycurioussecretliescompletelyinmyhands.”

DunyapausedindecisivelyandregardedSvidrigaylovwithapenetrating glance.

“Whatareyouafraidof?”heaskedcalmly.“Thetownisdifferentfromthe
country.EveninthecountryyoudidmemoreharmthanIdidyou,while here...”
“HasSofiyaSemyonovnabeeninformed?”

“No,Ihaven’tsaidawordtoher,andI’mnotevensureshe’shomenow.

However,sheprobablyis.Sheburiedherstepmothertoday:it’snotthesortof
daytogovisiting.Untiltherighttimecomes,Idon’twanttosayanythingto
anyone;I’mevenalittlesorrythatItoldyou.Heretheleastcarelessnessis
equivalenttodenunciation.Ilivecloseby,inthishousewe’reapproaching.

Here’sthecaretakerofourbuilding;heknowsmeverywell;he’sbowingtous;
heseesthatI’mcomingwithalady,and,ofcourse,he’smanagedtoobserve
yourface;thatwillserveyouwellifyou’reafraidofmeandsuspicious.Forgive
meforspeakingsocrudely.Imyselfamrentingaroomfromlodgers.Sofiya

Semyonovnalivesontheothersideofthewall,whereshe’salsorentingfrom
lodgers.Alltheroomsonthefloorarebeingrented.Whyareyoufrightenedlike
alittlechild?OramIreallysofrightening?”

Svidrigaylov’sfacewasdistortedintoacondescendingsmile;butheno
longerfeltlikesmiling.Hisheartwaspounding,andhecouldscarcelybreathe.

Hewasintentionallyspeakinginaloudvoicetoconcealhisgrowingexcitement;
butDunyahadn’tmanagedtoobservethispeculiarexcitement;shewastoo
irritatedbyhisremarkaboutherchildishfearandhowterribleshethoughthe was.

“EventhoughIknowthatyou’reaman...withouthonor,I’mnotafraidof
youatall.Goonahead,”shesaid,withapparentserenity,thoughherfacewas
verypale.

SvidrigaylovstoppedinfrontofSonya’sapartment.

“Withyourpermission,I’llaskifshe’shome.No.Noluck.ButIknowshe
maycomebackverysoon.Ifshewentout,itmustbetoseeaparticularladyon
accountofherorphans.Theirmotherdied.Ialsogotinvolvedinthisandmade
arrangements.IfSofiyaSemyonovnadoesn’treturnintenminutes,I’llsendher
toseeyou,ifyoulike,evenlatertoday.Well,here’smyapartment.Herearemy
tworooms.Mylandlady,Mrs.Resslikh,livesbehindthisdoor.Nowlookin
here;I’llshowyoutheprincipaldocuments:frommybedroomthisdoorleads
intotwocompletelyemptyrooms,whichareforrent.Heretheyare...youmust
lookinheremorecarefully...

Svidrigaylovoccupiedtworatherspaciousfurnishedrooms.Dunechka
lookedarounddistrustfullybutdidn’tnoticeanythingparticularinthe
furnishingsorinthearrangementoftherooms,althoughtherewassomethingto
observe;forexample,Svidrigaylov’sapartmentwaslocatedinbetweentwo
almostuninhabitedapartments.Theentrancetohisroomswasnotstraightfrom
thecorridorbutthroughtwoofthelandlady’salmostemptyrooms.Fromhis
bedroom,unlockingadoorwithakey,SvidrigaylovshowedDunechkaanother
emptyapartment,alsoforrent.Dunechkapausedonthethreshold,not
understandingwhyshewasbeinginvitedtolook,butSvidrigaylovhastenedto
provideanexplanation:

“Here,lookhere,atthissecondlargeroom.Seethatdoor?It’slockedwitha
key.Nearitstandsachair,onlyonechairinbothoftheserooms.Ibroughtitin
frommyapartmentsothatIcouldlistenmorecomfortably.Justbehindthisdoor
isSofiyaSemyonovna’stable;shewassittingthere,conversingwithRodion
Romanych.AndIwaseavesdroppinghere,sittingonthischair,twoeveningsin
arow,forabouttwohourseachtime—and,ofcourse,Iwasabletofindouta
thingortwo,don’tyouthink?”

“Youwereeavesdropping?”

“Youwereeavesdropping?”

“Yes,Iwas;nowcomeintomyrooms;there’snowheretosithere.”

HeledAvdotyaRomanovnabackintothefirstroom,whichservedashis
sittingroom,andinvitedhertotakeachair.Hehimselfsatattheotherendof
thetable,atleasttwoyardsawayfromher;however,mostlikelythesameflame
thathadfrightenedDunechkabeforewasnowgleaminginhiseyes.She
shudderedandlookedaroundagaindistrustfully.Thiswasaninvoluntaryaction.

Apparentlyshedidn’twanttoshowherdistrust.Buttheisolatedsituationof
Svidrigaylov’sapartmentfinallystruckher.Shewantedtoaskifatleasthis
landladywashome,butshedidn’tsayanything...outofpride.Besides,
anothersourceofagony,oneincomparablygreaterthanfearforherself,was
growinginherheart.Shewassufferingunbearably.

“Here’syourletter,”shebegan,placingitonthetable.“Iswhatyouwrote
reallypossible?Youhintatacrimesupposedlycommittedbymybrother.You
hinttooopenly;youdon’tdareretractitnow.Youshouldknowthatevenbefore
thisI’dheardthisabsurdtaleanddon’tbelieveonewordofit.It’savileand
ridiculoussuspicion.Iknowthestory—howandwhyitwasconceived.You
can’thaveanyproof.Youpromisedtoproveit:well,speak!Butyoushould
knowinadvancethatIdon’tbelieveyou!Idon’t!”

Dunechkasaidallthisveryrapidly,andforamomentsheblusheddeeply.

“Ifyoudidn’tbelievethatthiscouldhavehappened,whyhaveyoutakenthe
riskofcomingtoseemealone?Whyhaveyoucome?Onlyoutofcuriosity?”

“Don’ttormentme;saywhatyouhavetosay!”

“It’scertainlytruethatyou’reabraveyoungwoman.SohelpmeGod,I
thoughtyoumightaskMr.Razumikhintoaccompanyyou.Buthewasneither
withyounornearyou,thatmuchIcouldsee:thatwascourageousofyou.It
meansyouwantedtoprotectRodionRomanych.However,everythingaboutyou
isdivine....Asfarasyourbrother’sconcerned,whatcanItellyou?You
yourselfjustsawhim.Whatwashelike?”

“Isthatallyouhavetobaseyourcaseon?”

“No,notonthat,butonhisownwords.HecameheretoseeSofiya
Semyonovnatwoeveningsinarow;Ishowedyouwheretheysat.Hemadea
completeconfessiontoher.He’samurderer.Hekilledanoldwoman,acivil
servant’swidow,amoneylenderwithwhomhehimselfhadpawnedseveral
things;healsokilledhersister,atradernamedLizaveta,whocamein
accidentallywhenhewaskillingthepawnbroker.Hemurderedthembothwith
anaxehe’dbroughtwithhim.Hekilledtorobthem,andhedidso;hetookthe
moneyandseveralitems....HetoldSofiyaSemyonovnaallofthiswordfor
word;she’stheonlyonewhoknowshissecret,butshedidn’tparticipateinthe

murder,neitherinwordnorindeed;onthecontrary,shewashorrified,justas
youarenow.Restassured,shewon’tgivehimaway.”
“Thiscan’tbetrue!”mutteredDunechkathroughherdeathlypalelips;she
wasgaspingforbreath.“Itcan’tbe.There’snoreason,nottheleast,no
cause....It’salie!Alie!”

“Herobbedthem,thatwastheonlyreason.Hetookmoneyandsomeitems.

True,accordingtohisownconfession,hehasn’tmadeuseofthemoneyorthe
items;hehidthemsomewhereunderastone,wheretheystillare.Butthat’s
becausehehasn’tdaredtousethem.”

“Butisitlikelythathecouldmurderandrob?Thathecouldevenconceive
ofsuchathing?”criedDunya,jumpingupfromherseat.“Youknowhim,
you’veseenhim.Couldhereallybeathief?”

ShewasalmostentreatingSvidrigaylov;shehadforgottenallherfear.

“Therearethousandsandmillionsofcombinationsandpossibilities,
AvdotyaRomanovna.Athiefsteals,butknowshe’sascoundrel;ontheother
hand,Iheardaboutawell-bornfellowwhorobbedthemail;whoknows,
perhapshethoughthewasdoingadecentthing!Needlesstosay,Imyself
wouldn’thavebelievedit,justlikeyou,ifI’dheardaboutitindirectly.ButI
believemyownears.HeexplainedallthereasonstoSofiyaSemyonovna;atfirst
evenshedidn’tbelievewhatsheheard,butatlastshebelievedherowneyes,her
veryowneyes.Hehimselfreporteditalltoher.”

“Whatkindof...reasons?”

“It’salongstory,AvdotyaRomanovna.HowcanIexplainittoyou?There’s
akindoftheoryinvolved,accordingtowhichonefinds,forexample,thata
singlecrimeispermissibleifthemaingoalisagoodone.Asingleevilactanda
hundredgooddeeds!Besides,it’sinfuriatingforayoungmanofmeritand
inordinatepridetoknowthatifonlyhehadsomethreethousandrubles,his
entirecareer,thefuturecourseofhislifewouldbedifferent;meanwhilehelacks
thethreethousandrubles.Addtothisirascibilityfromhunger,fromcramped
quarters,fromraggedclothes,fromtheclearconsciousnessofthebeautyofhis
socialposition,togetherwiththatofhissisterandhismother.Worstofall,
vanity,prideandvanity;however,Godonlyknowstheremightalsobesome
goodproclivities....Don’tthinkIblamehim;it’snoneofmybusiness.There
wasalsothisparticularlittletheoryofhis—anordinaryone—accordingto
whichpeoplearedivided,don’tyousee,intorawmaterialandspecialpeople,
thatis,peopleforwhom,bymeansoftheirhighposition,thelawhasnotbeen
written;onthecontrary,thesepeoplethemselvescreatethelawforothers,for
therawmaterial,therabble.Well,it’snotbadasalittletheory; unethéorie

commeuneautre.*Napoleonenthralledhimimmensely,thatistosay,hewas
fascinatedthatsoverymanymenofgeniusdidn’tpayanyattentiontoasingle
evilact,butadvancedoverthem,withouteventhinking.Apparently,healso
imaginedhimselftobeamanofgenius—thatis,hewasconvincedofitforsome
time.Hesufferedagreatdealandevennowsuffersfromthethoughtthathewas
abletodeviseatheorybutwasincapableofsteppingoverobstacleswithout
thinking;therefore,hewasnotamanofgenius.Well,andforayoungmanwith
suchself-esteem,thiswashumiliating,especiallyinourday...”

“Andpangsofconscience?Areyouthereforedenyinghimanymoral feeling?
Couldhereallybelikethat?”

“Ah,AvdotyaRomanovna,thesedayseverything’sallmixedup;however,it
wasneverinespeciallygoodorder.Russiansingeneralarebroad-minded
people,AvdotyaRomanovna,broadastheirland,andparticularlydisposedto
thefantasticandthechaotic;butit’samisfortunetobebroadwithoutbeinga
specialgenius.DoyourecallhowyouandIspokeprivatelyonthissubject,
sittingintheeveningsontheterraceinthegarden,eachtimeaftersupper?You
wereconstantlyreproachingmepreciselyforthisbroadness.Whoknows,
perhapsweweretalkingattheverysamemomenthewaslyinghere,devising
hisownplan.InoureducatedRussiansocietytherearenosacredtraditions,
AvdotyaRomanovna:someonemaycompilethemfrombooksforhimself...or
makesomeconclusionsfromthechronicles.Butthat’smorethescholars,and
youknow,they’reallsimpletons;amanoftheworldwouldfindthemindecent.

However,youknowmyopinionsingeneral;Idon’tblameanyonedefinitively.I
myselfamashirker,andI’mkeepingtothat.Wetalkedaboutthismanytimes.I
evenhadthepleasureofinterestingyouinmyopinions....Butyou’veturned
verypale,AvdotyaRomanovna!”

“Iknowhistheory.Ireadhisjournalarticleaboutpeopletowhom
everythingispermitted....Razumikhinbroughtittome...”
“Mr.Razumikhin?Yourbrother’sarticle?Inajournal?Istheresuchan article?
Ididn’tknow.Itmustbeinteresting!Butwhereareyougoing,Avdotya Romanovna?”

“IwanttoseeSofiyaSemyonovna,”Dunechkasaidinaweakvoice.“How
doIgetthere?Perhapsshe’sreturned;Idefinitelywanttoseehernow.Let her...”

AvdotyaRomanovnacouldn’tfinishwhatshewassaying;herbreathliterally
failedher.

“SofiyaSemyonovnawon’tbebackuntilnighttime.That’swhatIsuppose.

Sheshouldhavebeenherebynow;ifnot,shewon’treturnuntilverylate...”

“Ah,soyou’relying!Isee...youlied...youwerelyingallthetime!I
don’tbelieveyou!Idon’t!Idon’tbelieveyou!”criedDunechkainagenuine
frenzy,completelylosingherhead.

Almostfainting,shefellintoachairthatSvidrigaylovhastenedtoprovide.

“AvdotyaRomanovna,what’sthematter?Cometoyoursenses!Here’s
somewater.Takeasip...”

Hesprinkledherwithwater.Dunechkashudderedandcametoherself.

“Thathadapowerfuleffectonher!”Svidrigaylovmutteredtohimself,
frowning.“AvdotyaRomanovna,calmyourself!Youshouldknowthathehas
friends.We’llsavehim,we’llrescuehim.Ifyoulike,I’lltakehimabroad.I
havemoney;Icangetaticketinthreedays.Andasforthefactthathe
committedmurder,hecanstillperformmanygooddeeds,sothatallthatwillbe
wipedaway;calmyourself.Hecanstillbecomeagreatman.Well,what’sthe matter?
Howdoyoufeelnow?”

“Youevilman!You’restillmockingme.Letmego...”

“Whereto?Whereareyougoing?”

“Tohim.Whereishe?Doyouknow?Whyisthatdoorlocked?Weentered
throughthatdoor,andnowit’slockedwithakey.Whendidyoumanagetolock it?”
“Wedidn’twanttoshoutwhatweweretalkingaboutforeveryonetohear.

I’mnotmockingyou;Iwassimplyfedupwithtalkinglikethat.Wherewillyou
goinsuchastate?Doyouwanttogivehimaway?You’lldrivehimtomadness
andhe’llbetrayhimself.Youshouldknowthey’refollowinghim;they’reonhis
trail.You’llbetrayhim.Waitabit:Ijustsawhimandspoketohim;hecanstill
besaved.Waitabit,sitdown;we’llthinktogether.That’swhyIinvitedyou,so
wecouldspeakprivatelyandconsideritcarefully.Sitdown!”

“Howcanyousavehim?Isitreallypossible?”

Dunyasatdown.Svidrigaylovsatnexttoher.

“Italldependsonyou,onyou,onyoualone,”hebeganwithflashingeyes,
almostinawhisper,losingthethread,evenfailingtouttersomewordsbecause
ofhisexcitement.

Dunyarecoiledfromhiminfear.Hewasalsotremblingallover.

“You...onewordfromyouandhe’ssaved!I’ll...I’llsavehim.Ihave
moneyandfriends.I’llsendhimawayimmediatelyandI’llgetapassport,two
ofthem.Oneforhimandtheotherforme.Ihavefriends;Iknowuseful
people....Wouldyoulikethat?Icangetyouapassport,too...andonefor
yourmother...whatdoyouneedRazumikhinfor?Iloveyou,too.Iloveyou
withoutlimit.Letmekissthehemofyourdress,letme,please!Ican’tbear
listeningtoitrustle.Justtellme:dothisandI’lldoit!I’lldoeverything.I’lldo

theimpossible.Whateveryoubelieve,I’llbelievein,too.I’lldoeverything,
everything!Don’tlook,don’tlookatmelikethat!Youknowthatyou’rekilling me...”

Hewasevenbeginningtorave.Somethingsuddenlyhappenedtohim,as
thoughsomethoughthadstruckhim.Dunyajumpedupandrushedtowardthe door.

“Openit!Openit!”shecriedthroughthedoor,callingtoanyonewhocould
hear;sheshookthedoorwithherhands.“Openup!Isn’tanyonethere?”

Svidrigaylovstoodupandrecoveredhissenses.Amaliciousandmocking
smileslowlyformedonhisstilltremblinglips.
“Noone’shomeoutthere,”hesaidsoftlyandunhurriedly.“Thelandlady’s
goneout,andit’snouseshoutinglikethat:you’remerelyupsettingyourselfin vain.”

“Where’sthekey?Openthedooratonce,rightnow,youvileman!”

“Ilostthekeyandcan’tfindit.”

“Ah!Soyou’regoingtouseforce,areyou?”criedDunya;sheturneddeathly
paleandrushedtothecorneroftheroom,whereshequicklyshieldedherself
withthelittletablethatwasthere.Shewasn’tshouting;butshestaredather
tormentorandfollowedhiseverymovecarefully.Svidrigaylovdidn’tbudge
fromhisplace,either,andstoodfacingherattheotherendoftheroom.Heeven
managedtogaincontrolofhimself,atleastoutwardly.Buthisfacewasaspale
asbefore.Amockingsmilestillplayedonhislips.

“Youjustsaidtheword‘force,’AvdotyaRomanovna.Ifthere’stobeforce,
youknowyourselfthatI’vetakenappropriatemeasures.SofiyaSemyonovna’s
nothome;it’saverylongwaytotheKapernaumovs,fivelockedrooms.Lastof
all,I’matleasttwiceasstrongasyouare.Besides,Ihavenothingtofear
becauseit’simpossibleforyoutomakeacomplaintafterward:youreallywon’t
wanttogiveyourbrotheraway,willyou?Inaddition,noonewillbelieveyou:
forwhatreasonwouldayoungwomanvisitasinglemaninhisapartmentall alone?
So,evenifyousacrificeyourbrother,youwon’tbeabletoproveathing;
forceisveryhardtoprove,AvdotyaRomanovna.”

“Youscoundrel!”whisperedDunyairately.

“Asyoulike,butnotethatIwasspeakingonlyintheformofaproposal.In
mypersonalopinion,you’reabsolutelycorrect:forceisanabomination.Iwas
sayingonlythatyourconsciencewouldbecompletelyclearifyoueven...if
youevenwishedtosaveyourbrothervoluntarily,asI’msuggestingtoyou.It
meansthatyousimplysubmittedtocircumstances,well,eventoforce,ifinthe
lastanalysiswecan’tavoidthatword.Thinkaboutit;thefatesofyourbrother
andyourmotherareinyourhands.I’llbeyourslave...allmylife....I’llsit

andwaitrighthere...”

Svidrigaylovsatdownonthesofa,abouteightpacesawayfromDunya.She
hadnottheleastdoubtabouthisunshakabledetermination.Besides,sheknew him...
Allofasuddenshepulledarevolverfromherpocket,cockedit,andrested
herhandwiththegunonthelittletable.Svidrigaylovjumpedupfromhisplace.

“Aha!Sothat’showitis!”hecriedinastonishment,buthekeptsmiling
maliciously.“Well,thatchangesthingscompletely!You’remakingthingsmuch
easierforme,AvdotyaRomanovna!Wheredidyougetthatrevolver?Wasit
fromMr.Razumikhin?Bah!Butit’smyowngun!Anoldfriend!Iwaslooking
foritatthetime!Iseethatourshootinglessonsinthecountry,whichIhadthe
honorofgivingyou,werenotwasted.”

“It’snotyourrevolver,butMarfaPetrovna’s,whomyoukilled,youvillain!

Youdidn’thaveanypossessionsofyourowninherhouse.ItookitwhenI
startedtosuspectwhatyouwerecapableof.Ifyoudaretakeevenonestep
forward,Iswear,I’llkillyou!”

Dunyawasinafrenzy.Sheheldthegunready.

“Well,andyourbrother?I’maskingoutofinterest,”saidSvidrigaylov,
remainingwherehestood.

“Denouncehim,ifyoulike!Don’tmove!Don’tbudge!I’llshoot!You
poisonedyourwife,Iknow,you’reamurdereryourself!”

“AreyousofirmlyconvincedthatIpoisonedMarfaPetrovna?”

“Itwasyou!Youyourselfhintedatittome;youtalkedaboutpoison...I
know,youwenttofetchsome...youhaditprepared....Itwasdefinitely
you...youscoundrel!”

“Evenifthatweretrue,itwouldhavebeenbecauseofyou...youstill
wouldhavebeenthereasonforit.”

“You’relying!I’vealwayshatedyou,always...”

“Hey,AvdotyaRomanovna!Youseemtohaveforgottenhowintheheatof
themomentyousoftenedtowardmeandbecameexcited....Isawitinyour
lovelyeyes;don’tyouremembertheevening,themoonlight,thenightingale’s
singing?”
“You’relying!”Dunya’seyesshonewithfury.“You’relying,you slanderer!”

“I’mlying?Well,perhapsIam.Ilied.It’snotagoodideatoremindwomen
aboutsuchlittlethings.”Hegrinned.“Iknowyou’llshoot,youlovelylittle
beast.Well,goon,shoot!”

Dunyaraisedtherevolverand,lookingdeathlypale,herlowerlipblanched
andtrembling,regardedhimwithherlargeblackeyesflashinglikefire;shewas
determined,measuringthedistancebetweenthem,andawaitingthefirstmove

determined,measuringthedistancebetweenthem,andawaitingthefirstmove
onhispart.He’dneverbeforeseenherlooksomagnificent.Thefireflashingin
hereyesassheraisedthegunseemedtosethimonfire,andhisheartcontracted
inpain.Hetookastepforward,andashotrangout.Thebulletgrazedhishead
andhitthewallbehindhim.Hepausedandlaughedsoftly:

“Thewasphasstung!She’saimingrightforthehead....What’sthis?

Blood!”Hetookouthishandkerchieftowipeawaythebloodthatwasflowing
inathinstreamalonghisrighttemple;mostlikely,thebullethadgrazedtheskin
ofhisskull.DunyaloweredtherevolverandlookedatSvidrigaylovnotexactly
infear,butinsomesortofwildbewilderment.Sheherselfseemednotto
understandwhatshehaddoneandwhatwashappening.

“Wellthen,youmissed!Shootagain,I’mwaiting,”Svidrigaylovsaid
quietly,stillgrinning,butsomehowglumly.“OtherwiseIshallmanagetograb
youbeforeyoucancockthegun!”

Dunechkashuddered,quicklycockedtherevolver,andraiseditonceagain.

“Leavemealone!”shecriedindespair.“Iswear,I’llshoot

again....I’ll...killyou!”

“Wellthen...it’simpossiblenottokillmeatthreepaces.Butifyoudon’t
killme...then...”Hiseyesweregleaming,andhetooktwomoresteps forward.

Dunechkapulledthetrigger,butthegunmisfired.
“Youdidn’tloaditproperly.Nevermind!Youstillhaveanotherpercussion
cap.Fixit;I’llwait.”

Hestoodthereinfrontofher,sometwopacesaway,waitingandregarding
herwithawilddeterminationreflectedinhispassionatelyinflamed,painful
gaze.Dunyarealizedthathewouldsoonerdiethanlethergo.And...and,she
wouldcertainlykillhimnow,atadistanceoftwopaces!

Allofasudden,shethrewtherevolveraside.

“She’sgivenup!”Svidrigaylovsaidinsurpriseandtookadeepbreath.Some
burdenseemedtohavebeenliftedatoncefromhisheart;perhapsitwasn’t
merelythefearofdeath;it’sdoubtfulhefeltitatthatmoment.Thiswasrelief
fromanother,moresomberandgloomyfeeling,onehehimselfwasunableto
defineinallitsforce.

HewentuptoDunyaandquietlyputhisarmaroundherwaist.Shedidnot
resist;tremblinglikealeaf,shelookedathimwithimploringeyes.Hewasabout
tosaysomething,buthislipsmerelycurledandhewasunabletospeak.

“Letmego!”Dunyasaid,entreatinghim.Svidrigaylovshuddered:herwords
werespokeninamuchmoreintimatewaythanpreviously.

“So,youdon’tloveme?”heaskedsoftly.

Dunyashookherheadno.

Dunyashookherheadno.

“And...youcan’t?Notever?”hewhisperedindespair.

“Never!”Dunyawhispered.

Amomentofterrible,mutestruggletranspiredinSvidrigaylov’ssoul.He
lookedatherwithanindescribableexpression.Suddenlyheremovedhisarm,
turnedaway,walkedrapidlytothewindow,andstoodinfrontofit.

Amomentofsilencepassed.
“Here’sthekey!”Hetookitoutoftheleftpocketofhiscoatandplacedit
behindhimselfonthetable,withoutturningaroundtolookatDunya.“Takeit;
leaveimmediately!”

Hestaredsteadfastlyatthewindow.

Dunyawentuptothetabletotakethekey.

“Hurry!Hurry!”repeatedSvidrigaylov,stillwithoutmovingorturning
around.Butthatwordclearlycontainedsomesortofterriblesound.

Dunyaunderstoodit,grabbedthekey,rushedtothedoor,unlockedit
swiftly,anddashedoutoftheroom.Aminutelater,besideherself,likea
madwoman,sherantowardthecanalandheadedinthedirectionofthe
VoznesenskyBridge.

Svidrigaylovstoodatthewindowforanotherfewminutes;atlastheturned
slowly,lookedaround,andquietlypassedhispalmoverhisforehead.Astrange
smiledistortedhisface,apitiful,sad,weaksmile,oneofdesperation.Theblood,
whichwasalmostdry,wassmearedonhishand;helookedatitsullenly;thenhe
soakedatowelinwaterandwipedhistemple.TherevolverDunyahadthrown
away,hurlingatthedoor,suddenlycaughthiseye.Hepickeditupand
examinedit.Itwasasmall,old-fashionedpocketrevolverwiththreechambers;
therewerestilltwochargesandonepercussioncapleft.Itcouldbefiredonce
more.Hethoughtabit,stuffedtheguninhispocket,tookhishat,andleft.

*“Atheorylikeanyother”(French).

VI

Allthateveninghespentwanderingamongvarioustavernsandfoulplaces,
movingfromonetoanother.Katyaeventurnedupagainsomewhere,andshe
sanganotherofherservants’songsaboutsomeonewhowas“ascoundrelanda
tyrant”and“begantokissKatya.”

Svidrigaylovprovideddrinksforher,fortheorgangrinder,thesingers,and
twoclerks.Heassociatedwiththeseclerkspreciselybecausetheybothhad
crookednoses:one’snoseturnedsharplytotheright,whiletheother’sturnedto
theleft.ThiscircumstancestruckSvidrigaylovassignificant.Theyfinallylured
himintosomesortofpleasuregarden,wherehepaidfortheirdrinksandtheir
entrancefees.Onethinthree-year-oldfirtreeandthreebushesstoodinthis
garden.Inaddition,a“Vauxhall” *hadbeenbuilt,inrealityatavern,butthere
onecouldalsoordertea;moreover,therewereseveralgreentablesandchairs.A
chorusofsomepoorsingersandsomedrunkenMunichGermanclownwitha
rednose,whowasextremelymorose,entertainedthepublic.Thetwoclerks
quarreledwithsomeotherclerksandalmostcametoblows.Svidrigaylovwas
chosenbythemtobethejudge.Hetriedtoresolvethedisputeforaquarterofan
hour,buttheywereshoutingsoloudlythattherewasnopossibilityof
understandinganything.Themostlikelyexplanationwasthatoneofthemhad
stolensomethingandhadevenmanagedtosellittosomeYidwho’dhappened
toturnup;but,havingsoldit,hedidn’twanttosharetheproceedswithhis
fellowclerks.Itturnedout,atlast,thattheitemhe’dsoldwasateaspoon
belongingtotheVauxhall.TheitemwasmissedintheVauxhall,andtheaffair
begantotakeonatroublesomeaspect.Svidrigaylovpaidforthespoon,stood
up,andleftthegarden.Itwasaroundteno’clock.Hehimselfhadnothadeven
onedroptodrinkallthistimeandhadmerelyorderedteaintheVauxhall,and
thathe’ddonemoreforthesakeofappearances.Meanwhile,theeveningwas
stuffyandgloomy.Byteno’clockheavycloudshadamassedonallsides;there
wasthunder,andrainpelteddownlikeawaterfall.Watercascadedontothe
groundnotindrops,butinentirestreams.Lightningflashedcontinually;oncehe
couldcounttofivewhiletheflasheslasted.Drenchedtotheskin,Svidrigaylov
madehiswaybackhome,wherehelockedthedoor,openedhisbureau,tookout
allofhiscash,andtoreupseveralpapers.Then,afterstashingthemoneyinhis
pocket,hewantedtochangehisclothes,but,glancingatthewindowandhearing
thestormandtherain,hewavedhisarmdismissively,tookhishat,andleft,

withoutlockinghisapartment.HewentrighttoSonya’sroom.Shewasathome.

ShewasnotalonebutwassurroundedbyKapernaumov’sfourlittlechildren.

SofiyaSemyonovnawasservingthemtea.ShegreetedSvidrigaylovsilentlyand
politely,glancedathissoakingwetclotheswithastonishment,butdidn’tsaya
word.Thechildrenallranawayinindescribablefear.

SvidrigaylovsatdownatthetableandaskedSonyatotakeaseatnextto
him.Shetimidlypreparedherselftolistentohim.
“SofiyaSemyonovna,”hesaid,“ImaybegoingawaytoAmerica,and
thereforewe’remostlikelyseeingeachotherforthelasttime,soI’vecometo
makesomearrangements.Well,didyouseethatladytoday?Iknowwhatshe
saidtoyou,sothere’snoneedtoretellit.”(Sonyawasabouttomakesome
movementandbeganblushing.)“Thesepeoplehaveacertainwayofthinking.

Asfarasyoursistersandyourbrotherareconcerned,theyreallyareprovided
for,andIhavetransferredthemoneydueforeachofthemintoreliablehands
andhavereceiptsforit.Here,takethem.Well,nowthat’sdone.Herearethree
fivepercentnotes,worththreethousandrublesinall.Takethisforyourself,
strictlyforyourself,andletthisremainbetweenthetwoofus,sothatnoone
elseknows,nomatterwhatyouhearlater.You’llhaveneedforthembecause,
SofiyaSemyonovna,toliveasyouwerebeforeisunseemly;nowyou’llhaveno
needtodoso.”

“I’msogratefultoyou,sir,andtheseorphans,sir,andmylatemother,”

Sonyasaidhurriedly.“IfIhaven’tthankedyouproperlybefore,then...don’t
thinkthat...”

“Enough.That’senough.”

“I’mverygratefulforthismoney,ArkadyIvanovich,butIhavenoneedfor
itnow.Ihaveonlymyselftofeed;don’tthinkmeungrateful:ifyou’reso
generous,sir,thentakethismoneyand...”

“It’sforyou,foryou,SofiyaSemyonovna,andplease,withoutfurther
conversation,becauseIhavenotimeforit.Andyou’llneedit.Rodion
Romanovichhastwopathsopentohim:eitherabulletinhisbrainorSiberia.”

Sonyalookedathimwildlyandbegantrembling.“Don’tbeupset.Iknow
everything,fromhim,andI’mnotablabbermouth;Iwon’ttellasoul.Yougave
himgoodadvicebefore,whenyoutoldhimtogotothepoliceandconfess.That
wouldbemuchmorebeneficialforhim.Well,ifit’sSiberia—he’llgoandI
supposethatyou’llfollowhim.Isthatthecase?Isit?Well,ifso,thatmeans
you’llhaveneedofmoney.You’llneeditforhim,doyouunderstand?Givingit
toyouisthesameasgivingittohim.Besideswhich,youjustpromisedtopay
yourdebttoAmaliyaIvanovna;Iheardyou.Whydoyou,SofiyaSemyonovna,
assumeallthesecontractsanddebtssothoughtlessly?ItwasKaterinaIvanovna

whoowedmoneytothatGermanwoman,notyou;yououghtnottogiveadamn
abouther.That’snotthewaytogoonlivinginthisworld.Wellthen,ifsomeone
shouldeveraskyou—say,tomorroworthedayafter—aboutmeorconcerning
me(andtheywillask),don’tmentionthefactthatI’vecometoseeyounowand
don’tsayanythingtoanyoneorshowanyonethemoneyI’vegivenyou.Well,
nowit’sgood-bye.”Hestoodupfromthechair.“MyregardstoRodion
Romanych.Bytheway:keepthemoneywithMr.Razumikhinuntilit’stime.Do
youknowMr.Razumikhin?Ofcourseyoudo.He’snotabadfellow.Takeitto
himtomorrowor...whenthetimecomes.Anduntilthen,stashitaway.”

Sonyaalsojumpedupfromherchairandregardedhimwithfear.Shevery
muchwantedtosaysomething,butatfirstshedidn’tdareanddidn’tevenknow
howtobegin.

“Howcanyou...howcanyougooutnowinsuchheavyrain?”

“Well,IplantogotoAmerica,sohowcanIbeafraidofalittlerain?Hee,
hee!Farewell,mydear,SofiyaSemyonovna!Mayyoulivealong,longtime;
you’llbeneededbyothers.Bytheway...tellMr.RazumikhinthatIsendhim
myregards.Tellhimjustlikethat:saythatArkadyIvanovichsendshimregards.

Don’tforget.”

Hewentout,leavingSonyainastonishment,infear,andinastateofvague
andpainfulsuspicion.

Itturnedoutthataroundtwelveo’clockthatsameeveninghemadeonemore
extremelyeccentricandunexpectedvisit.Therainstillhadn’tended.Soakedto
theskin,attwentyminutespastelevenhecalledatthecrowdedapartmentofhis
fiancée’sparentsonVasilievskyIsland,atthecornerofMalyiProspectandthe
ThirdLine.Heknockedatthedoorforalongtime,untiltheyopenedit,andat
firstcreatedagreatdealofcommotion;butArkadyIvanovich,whenhewanted
tobe,wasamanofextremelycharmingmanners,sothatthesensiblesurmiseof
hisfiancée’sparents—namely,thatArkadyIvanovich,mostlikely,hadgottenso
drunksomewherethathedidn’tevenknowwhathewasdoing—waseasily
dispelled.ThetenderheartedandsensiblemotherofArkadyIvanovich’sfiancée
pushedherhusband’swheelchairouttohim,and,aswashercustom,
immediatelybeganwithsomeremotequestions.(Thiswomanneveraskeddirect
questions,butalwaysbeganfirstwithsmilesandhandrubbing,andthen,ifshe
neededtofindoutsomethingforsure—forexample,whenmightitsuitArkady
Ivanovichtosetthedateforthewedding—shewouldbeginwiththemost
peculiarandalmostexcitedquestionsaboutParisandlocalcourtlife,andonly
thenwouldshegettotheThirdLineofVasilievskyIsland.)Atanyothertime,
ofcourse,allofthiswouldinspiremuchrespect,butthistimeArkadyIvanovich
seemedtobeparticularlyimpatientandemphaticallywantedtoseehisfiancée,

eventhoughtheyhadinformedhimearlierthatshehadalreadygonetobed.

Naturally,hisfiancéeappeared.ArkadyIvanovichtoldherdirectlythathewas
obligedtoleavePetersburgforanextremelyimportantreason,andthereforehe
hadbroughtherfifteenthousandsilverrubles,inbillsofvariousdenominations,
askinghertoacceptthemfromhimintheformofagift,sincehehadlongbeen
planningtogiveherthistriflingsumbeforetheirwedding.Theparticularlogical
connectionofthisgiftwithhisimminentdepartureandtheurgentnecessityof
comingatmidnightintherain,ofcourse,wasnotatallapparentfromthis
explanation;however,thewholeaffairproceededextremelysmoothly.Eventhe
inevitableexclamationsandsighs,interrogationsandastonishment,suddenly
wereallunusuallymoderateandrestrained;ontheotherhand,themost
enthusiasticgratitudewasexpressedandevenaccompaniedwithtearsbythe
fiancée’smostsensiblemother.ArkadyIvanovichstoodup,beganlaughing,
kissedhisfiancée,pattedhercheek,andassuredherthathewouldreturnsoon;
havingobservedinhereyessomechildishcuriosity,combinedwithavery
serious,unspokenquestion,hethoughtforabit,kissedherasecondtime,and
sincerelyfeltsomeannoyanceinhissoulthathisgiftwouldimmediatelybe
lockedawayforsafekeepingbythismostsensibleofmothers.Hewentout,
leavingeveryoneinanunusuallyexcitedstate.Butthetenderheartedmama
immediatelybeganinalowvoiceandrapidspeechtoresolvecertainimportant
quandaries,namely,thatArkadyIvanovichwasanimportantman,amanof
affairsandconnections,awealthyman—Godknowswhathehadinmind;he
mightupandleave,mightgiveawaymoney,and,therefore,therewasnoreason
tobesurprised.Ofcourse,itwasstrangethathewassowet,butEnglishmen,for
example,areevenmoreeccentric,andallthesesmarttypesdon’tcarewhat
otherssayaboutthemanddon’tstandonceremony.Perhapshe’devencome
likethatonpurpose,toshowthathewasn’tafraidofanyone.Themainthing
was,nottosayawordaboutthistoanyone,becauseGodknowswhatwould
comeofit,andtolockthemoneyawayatonce,and,ofcourse,thebestthingof
allwasthatFedosyawasstillinthekitchen,andtheprimarythingwasthat
nothing,nothing,notonethingshouldbecommunicatedtothatrascalResslikh,
andsoonandsoforth.Theysatthereandwhispereduntilaroundtwoo’clockin
themorning.Thefiancée,however,hadgonetobedmuchearlier,inastateof
surpriseandsomewhatglum.

Meanwhile,atthestrokeofmidnight,SvidrigaylovcrossedtheTuchkov
BridgeinthedirectionofthePetersburgSide.Therainhadstopped,butthe
windwasstillblowing.Hebeganshiveringandforaminuteregardedtheblack
wateroftheLittleNevawithparticularcuriosityandevenwithaquestionin
mind.Butsoonhefeltverycoldstandingabovethewater;heturnedandsetoff

onBolshoiProspect.Hewalkedalongtheendlessprospectforalongtime,
almosthalfanhour,stumblingmorethanonceinthedarknessonthewooden
sidewalk,buthedidn’tceasesearchingforsomethingalongtherightsideofthe
prospect.Somewherethere,almostattheendoftheprospect,henoticed,
recentlyhavingpassedby,alargewoodenhotel,thenameofwhich,asbesthe
recalled,wassomethingliketheAdrianople.Hewasnotmistakeninhis
recollections:thisoutof-the-wayhotelwassoconspicuousthatitwas
impossibletomisseveninthedarkness.Itwasalongdarkwoodenbuildingin
which,inspiteofthelatehour,lightswerestillburningandtherewerecertain
signsoflife.Hewentinandaskedtheraggedfellowwhomethiminthe
corridorforaroom.ThisfellowlookedSvidrigaylovover,rousedhimself,and
atonceshowedhimtoaremoteroom,stuffyandcramped,somewhereatthefar
endofthecorridor,inthecornerunderthestaircase.Buttherewasnoother
vacantroom;alltheotherswereoccupied.Theraggedfellowregardedhim
inquiringly.

“Wouldyouhavesometea?”askedSvidrigaylov.

“It’spossible,sir.”

“Whatelseisthere?”

“Veal,sir,vodka,sir,andhorsd’oeuvres,sir.”
“Bringmesomevealandsometea.”

“Doyouneedanythingelse?”thefellowaskedinsomebewilderment.

“Nothing,nothing.”

Theraggedfellowleft,thoroughlydisappointed.

“Whatasplendidplace,”thoughtSvidrigaylov.“HowisitthatIdidn’tknow that?
I,too,musthavethelookofsomeonereturningfroma caféchantant who’s
hadsomeadventuresalongtheway.I’mcurious,however,aboutwhospendsthe
nighthere.”

Helitthecandleandexaminedhisroommorecarefully.Itwasatinyroom,
sosmallthatitwasbarelytallenoughforSvidrigaylov;ithadonewindow;the
bedwasverydirty;asimplepaintedtableandchairoccupiedalmosttheentire
space.Thewallslookedasiftheyhadbeenroughlyassembledfromboardsand
werecoveredwithworn-outwallpaper,sodustyandtornthatalthoughone
couldstillguessitscolor(yellow),itwasnolongerpossibletomakeoutthe
pattern.Onepartofthewallandtheceilingwascutawayatanobliqueangle,as
ifinanattic,butastaircasewaslocatedabovethisslope.Svidrigaylovsetdown
thecandle,satonthebed,andfellintothought.Butastrangeanduninterrupted
whisperinginthenextroom,sometimesrisingalmosttoshouting,atlast
attractedhisattention.Thiswhisperinghadn’tceasedfromthemomenthehad
enteredhisroom.Hebeganlistening:someonewascursingandimploringthe

otherpersonintears,butonlyonevoicecouldbeheard.Svidrigaylovstoodup,
shadedthecandlewithhishand,andsawthatlightwasshiningthroughacrack
inthewall;heapproacheditandbegantowatch.Inthenextroom,somewhat
largerthanhisown,thereweretwoguests.Oneofthemwasnotwearinga
jacket,hadextremelycurlyhair,andared,inflamedface;hewasstandinginan
oratoricalpose,hislegsspreadwidetomaintainhisbalance;beatinghischest,
hereproachedtheotherinemotionaltermsaboutthefactthathewaspoorand
didn’tpossessanyrank,thathehaddraggedhimoutofthegutter,thatwhenhe
wantedto,hecoulddrivehimaway,andthatonlythefingerofGodsaw
everything.Thepersonbeingreproachedwassittingonachairandhadthelook
ofamanwhoverymuchwantedtosneezebutwasunabletodoso.Fromtimeto
time,withasheepishandvaguelook,heglancedatthespeakerbut,obviously,
didn’thaveanyideawhathewastalkingabout,anditwasdoubtfulthatheeven
heardhim.Acandlewasburningdownonthetable;therewasanalmostempty
decanterofvodka,somegoblets,bread,glasses,cucumbers,anddishesfromtea
thathadbeenconsumedalongtimeago.Havingexaminedthesceneattentively,
Svidrigaylovmovedawayfromthecrackapatheticallyandsatdownonthebed.

Theraggedfellow,whohadreturnedwiththevealandtea,couldn’trefrain
fromaskingoncemore,“Doyouneedanythingelse?”Afterreceivinganegative
reply,hefinallydeparted.Svidrigaylovpouncedontheteatowarmhimselfup;
hedrankaglass,butasaresultofhislossofappetite,hecouldn’teatevenone
biteoftheveal.Apparentlyhewasbeginningtofeelfeverish.Hetookoffhis
coatandjacket,wrappedhimselfupinablanket,andlaydownonthebed.He
feltannoyed:“Itwouldbebettertobehealthyatthistime,”hethoughtand
smiledtohimself.Itwasstuffyintheroom,thecandlewasburningdimly,the
windwashowlingoutside,andsomewhereinthecorneramousewas
scratching;infactthewholeroomsmelledofmiceandsomekindofleather.He
laythereandseemedtobedaydreaming:oneideawasreplacedbyanother;he
wouldverymuchhavelikedtofixhisimaginationonsomethinginparticular.

“Underthiswindowtheremustbesomesortofgarden,”hethought.“Thetrees
arerustling;Ireallydon’tlikethesoundoftreesatnight,inastorm,inthe
darkness;whatanastyfeeling!”HerecalledhowhehadjustpassedPetrovsky
Park,andeventhoughtaboutitwithrevulsion.Intheprocess,healso
rememberedtheTuchkovBridge,theLittleNeva,andhefeltcoldagain,ashe
hadbeforewhenhewasstandingabovethewater.“I’veneverinmylifeloved
water,eveninlandscapepaintings,”hethoughtagainandsuddenlysmiledatone
strangethought:“Imean,allthosequestionsofaestheticsandcomfortshouldn’t
mattertomenow,yetI’masfussyasawildanimalchoosingaplacefor
himself...inasimilarsituation.IshouldhavegoneintoPetrovskyPark!I

guessIthoughtitseemedtoodarkortoocold,hee-hee!AsifIneededpleasant
sensations!Bytheway,whydon’tIsnuffthecandle?”Heblewitout.“They’ve
gonetobednextdoor,”hethought,nolongerseeinglightthroughthecrack.

“Now,MarfaPetrovna,itwouldbeagoodtimetopaymeavisit;it’sdark,the
placeisfitting,andthetimewouldbeoriginal.But,ofcourse,it’snowthatyou
won’tcome...”
Suddenly,forsomereasonherecalled,ashehadearlier,anhourbeforehe’d
carriedouthisplanforDunechka,thathehadadvisedRaskolnikovtoentrusther
well-beingtoRazumikhin.“Asamatteroffact,Iprobablysaidthatmoreformy
ownzeal,asRaskolnikovhadguessed.ThatRaskolnikov’sarascal!He’s
experiencedalotoftroubleinhislife.Hemayeventuallybecomeaproper
rascalintime,whenthatnonsensehasvanished,butnowhe’s too eagertolive!

Concerningthispoint,suchpeoplearerascals.Well,thehellwithhim;lethim
doashelikes;what’sittome?”

Hecouldn’tsleep.GraduallythepreviousimageofDunechkabeganto
appearbeforehim;allofasuddenatremorpassedthroughhiswholebody.“No,
Ihavetocastthataside,”hethought,comingbacktohissenses.“Imustthink
aboutsomethingelse.Itwasstrangeandamusing:I’veneverfeltgreathatredfor
anybody,neverevenwishedtotakerevenge,butthat’sabadsign,abadsign!I
didn’tlikearguinganddidn’tlosemytemper—anotherbadsign!AndI
promisedhersomuchthen—thehellwithit!Butshemighthaveremademe
somehow...”Hefellsilentagainandclenchedhisteeth:oncemoretheimage
ofDunechkaappearedbeforehim,exactlyasshehadbeenwhen,aftershe’d
firedthegunforthefirsttime,she’dbeenterriblyfrightened.Shehadlowered
herrevolverand,completelystunned,lookedathim;hecouldhavegrabbedher
twiceover—shewouldn’thaveraisedherarmsinherdefenseifhehadn’t
remindedherhimself.Herecalledhowatthatmomenthehadbeguntofeel
sorryforher,asifhishearthadcontracted....“Hey!Damnitall!Those
thoughtsagain;Ihavetocastallthisaside,Ido!”

Hewasstartingtodozeoff;hisfeverishtremblinghadsubsided;suddenly
somethingseemedtoberunningunderneaththeblanketalonghisarmandhis
leg.Heshuddered.“Damnitall!Ibetit’samouse!”hethought.“AllbecauseI
leftthevealonthetable...”Hehadnodesiretounwraphimself,getup,feel
cold,butonceagainsomethingunpleasantsuddenlycameandrubbedagainsthis
leg;hetoreoffhisblanketandlitthecandle.Tremblingwithafeverishchill,he
bentovertoexaminethebed—therewasnothingthere.Heshookouttheblanket
andsuddenlyamousescamperedontothesheet.Hetriedtocatchit,butthe
mousedidn’tjumpoffthebed;itdartedbackandforthinzigzags,slippedoutof
hisfingers,ranacrosshishand,andsuddenlyplungedunderneaththepillow;he
threwthepillowdown,butfeltatoncethatsomethingjumpedontohischestand
wasrunningacrosshisbody,downhisback,underhisshirt.Hebegantrembling
nervouslyandawoke.Itwasdarkintheroom;helayonthebed,wrappedupin
theblanketasbefore,andthewindhowledoutsidethewindow.“Whatfilth!”he
thoughtwithannoyance.

Hegotupandsatontheedgeofthebed,hisbacktothewindow.“It’sbetter
nottosleepatall,”hedecided.However,thecoldandthedampwerecomingin
throughthewindow;withoutmovingfromhisplace,hepulledtheblanketover
andwrappedhimselfinit.Hedidn’tlightthecandle.Hewasn’tthinkingabout
anythinganddidn’twanttothink;butimagesarose,oneafteranother,
disconnectedfragmentsofthoughtsflashedbywithoutbeginningorending.It
wasasifhehadfallenintoastateofsemi-drowsiness.Thecold,thedark,the
damp,thewindhowlingunderthewindowandshakingthetreesarousedinhim
somesortofstubbornfantasticinclinationanddesire—buthekeptonseeing
flowers.Heimaginedacharminglandscape;itwasabright,warm,almosthot
day,aholiday—Whitsunday.Therewasarich,luxuriouscountrycottageinthe
Englishstyle,completelyovergrownwithfragrantflowerbeds,surroundedby
floweryborderscirclingthehouse;theporchwasentwinedwithclimbingplants
andsurroundedbybedsofroses;therewasalight,coolstaircase,coveredwitha
luxuriouscarpetandbankedwithrareflowersinChinesevases.Henoticed
particularlythebouquetsofdelicatewhitenarcissisinvasesfilledwithwateron
thewindowsills;theflowerswereleaningontheirbrightgreen,long,thick
stems,emittingastrongaromaticfragrance.Hedidn’twanttoleavethem,buthe
climbedthestaircaseandenteredalarge,highroom,andonceagaintherewere
flowerseverywhere—onthewindowsills,nearthedoorsopeningontothe
terrace,andontheterraceitself.Thefloorswerestrewnwithfreshlycutgrass,
thewindowswereopen,andafresh,light,coolbreezewasblowingintothe
room;thebirdswerechirpingunderthewindows,andinthemiddleoftheroom,
ontablescoveredwithwhitesatinshrouds,therestoodacoffin.Thiscoffinwas
linedwithwhitesilkandborderedwithathickwhitefrill.Wreathsofflowers
surroundeditonallsides.Ayounggirlwaslyingamidsttheflowers;shewas
wearingawhitetulledress;herhandswerefoldedandpressedagainstherbreast

—asiftheywerechiseledoutofmarble.Butherloosenedhair,herfairblond
hair,waswet;agarlandofroseswasonherhead.Thesternandalreadyfixed
profileofherfacealsoseemedtohavebeenchiseledoutofmarble,butthesmile
onherpalelipswasfullofsomeunchildlike,infinitegriefandgreatpain.
Svidrigaylovknewthisgirl;therewasnoiconandnolitcandlenearthecoffin,
andnoprayerscouldbeheard.Thisgirlwasasuicidebydrowning.Shewas
onlyfourteen,butherhearthadbeenbrokenandhaddestroyeditself,ashamed

oftheinsultthathadsohorrifiedandamazedthisyoungchildishconsciousness,
hadoverwhelmedherangelicpuresoulwithundeservedshame,andhadtorn
fromheralastcryofdespair,unregarded,butboldlyshriekedintothedark
night,intotheblackness,thecold,dampthaw,whenthewindwashowling...

Svidrigaylovwokeup,stoodupfromthebed,andstrodeovertothewindow.

Hefoundtheboltbyfeelandopenedthewindow.Thewindrushedviolently
intohiscrampedlittleroomandclungtohisfaceasifwithcoldhoarfrost,andto
hischest,coveredonlybyashirt.Underthewindowtherereallywassomekind
ofgarden,apleasuregarden,itseemed;mostlikelyduringthedaytime
musicianssangthereandteawasservedonthelittletables.Nowsplashesofrain
flewinthewindowfromthetreesandbushes;itwasdarkasacellar,sothatone
couldbarelymakeoutobjectsasvaguedarkspots.Svidrigaylov,leaningoutand
restinghiselbowsonthewindowsill,staredintothisgloomforfiveminutesor
so,withouttearinghimselfaway.Amidstthedarknessandnighttherecamethe
soundofacannonshot,andthenanother.

“Ah,thesignal!Thewater’srising,”hethought.“Bymorning,inthelow-
lyingpartsoftown,waterwillpourontothestreets,floodingbasementsand
cellars;thesewerratswillemerge,andamidsttherainandwind,people,soaking
wetandcursing,willbeginhaulingtheirstuffuptothehigherfloors....But
whattimeisitnow?”Andjustashewonderedaboutthis,somewherenearby,
thesoftsoundofawallclock,seemingtorushahead,struckthehourofthree.

“Hey,it’llstartgettinglightinanhour!Whywait?I’llheadoutnow,to
PetrovskyPark:somewhereinthereI’llchoosealargebush,drippingwithrain,
suchthatifItouchitatallwithmyshoulder,millionsofdropswillsplashdown
onmyhead...”Heleftthewindow,lockedit,litthecandle,pulledonhisjacket
andcoat,putonhishat,andwalkedout,carryinghiscandle,intothecorridorto
findtheraggedfellow,asleepsomewhereinaroomamongallsortsoftrashand
discardedcandleends,payhimfortheroom,andleavethehotel.“Thisisthe
besttime;Icouldn’tpickabetterone!”
Hewalkedforalongtimedownthelong,narrowcorridorwithoutfinding
anyone;hewasabouttoshoutwhensuddenly,inadarkcorner,betweenanold
wardrobeandthedoor,hediscernedsomestrangeobject,somethingthatseemed
alive.Heleanedoverwithhiscandleandnoticedthatitwasachild—alittlegirl
agedfive,nomore,inasoaking-wetdress,dampasadishrag,shiveringand
crying.SheseemednottobeafraidofSvidrigaylov,butlookedathimwithdull
wonderfromherlargeblackeyes;fromtimetotimesheburstintosobs,likea
childwhohasbeencryingforalongwhilebuthasalreadystoppedandeven
beenconsoled,butnotquite,andthensuddenlyburstsintosobsagain.Thelittle
girl’sfacewaspaleandexhausted;shewasnumbfromthecold.“Buthowdid

shegethere?Shemusthavehiddenhereandnotsleptthewholenight.”He
begantoquestionher;thegirlcametolifeandveryquicklybegantobabble
somethingtohiminherchildishlanguage.Therewassomethingabout

“Mommy”and“howMommywillbeangry,”andaboutsomecupthatwas
broken.Thelittlegirltalkedonwithoutstopping;somehowhewasabletofigure
outthatshewasanunlovedchildwhosemotherwasacookandwasconstantly
drunk;sheprobablyworkedinthatveryhotelandwasinthehabitoffrightening
andbeatingthechild;thegirlhadbrokenacupbelongingtohermotherandwas
soscaredthatshehadrunawaythatveryevening;shehadprobablyhiddenfora
longtimeinthecourtyardinthepouringrain;finally,shehadcreptinhere,
hiddenbehindthewardrobe,andsatthereinthecornerthewholenight—crying,
tremblingfromthedamp,thedarkness,andfromthefearthatshewouldreceive
abeatingforallofthis.Hepickedherup,carriedherintohisroom,satheron
thebed,andbegantoundressher.Thewornshoesonherbarefeetwereaswet
asifshehadsatinapuddlethewholenight.Afterundressingher,heputherto
bed,coveredher,andwrappedherfromheadtofootinablanket.Shefellasleep
immediately.Whenhefinishedallthis,herelapsedintogloomythoughtsonce again.

“NowI’vegoneandgottenmyselfallinvolved!”hethoughtsuddenlywitha
painful,maliciousfeeling.“Whatnonsense!”Hepickeduphiscandlein
annoyancetogooutandfindthatraggedfellow,nomatterwhat,andgetoutof
thereassoonaspossible.“Oh,thelittlegirl!”hethoughtswearinganoath;just
ashewasopeningthedoor,hereturnedtotakeanotherlookather,tosee
whetherornotshewasasleep.Heliftedtheblanketcarefully.Thelittlegirlwas
sleepingsoundlyandpeacefully.Shehadgottenwarmundertheblanket,andthe
colorhadalreadyreturnedtoherpalecheeks.Butastrangethinghappened:this
colorseemedtobebrighterandstrongerthantheordinaryrosinessofchildhood.

“It’safeverishblush,”Svidrigaylovthought,butitwasmorelikeaflushfrom
wine,asifshe’dbeengivenawholeglasstodrink.Herscarletlipswereaglow,
burningorwhat?Itsuddenlyseemedtohimthatherlongblackeyelasheswere
flutteringandwinking,asiftheywereabouttoopen,andfromunderthem
lookedasly,sharp,somehowunchildlikeeye,asifthelittlegirlwerenotasleep,
andonlypretending.Yes,indeed,itwasso:herlipswerepartingintoasmile;
theendsofherlipswerequivering,asifstillrestrained.Butnowshestopped
restrainingherself;nowitwaslaughter,palpablelaughter;somethingimpudent
andinvitingshoneforthinherveryunchildlikeface;itwascorruption,theface
ofacourtesan,theimpudentfaceofamercenaryFrenchharlot.Nowshewasno
longerhiding;bothhereyeswereopenwide:theyenvelopedhimwithafiery
andshamelesslook,theybeckonedhim,laughing....Therewassomething

infinitelydisgustingandoffensiveinthatlaughter,inthoseeyes,inallthe
nastinessinthechild’sface.“What!Afive-year-old!”whisperedSvidrigaylovin
genuinehorror.“This...whatonearthisthis?”Butnowshewasturningher
glowingfacetowardhim,stretchingoutherarms....“Ah,theaccursedchild!”

Svidrigaylovshoutedinhorror,raisinghishandasiftostrikeher....Butatthat
verymomenthewokeup.

Hewasonthesamebed,wrappedupasbeforeinthesameblanket;the
candlewasnotlit;fulldaylightwasshowingthroughthewindow.

“Nightmaresallnight!”Heraisedhimselfupinabadtemper,feelingthathe
hadbeenpummeled;hisbonesached.Therewasathickfogoutside,anditwas
impossibletoseethroughit.Itwasnearingsixo’clock;hehadoverslept!Hegot
upandputonhisjacketandcoat,whichwerestillwet.Feelingfortherevolver
inhispocket,hepulleditoutandadjustedthepercussioncap;thenhesatdown,
tookhisnotebookoutofhispocket;onthefrontpage,inthemostnoticeable
place,hewroteafewlinesinlargeletters.Afterreadingthemover,hefellinto
thought,restingoneelbowonthetable.Therevolverandthenotebooklaythere
inthesameplace,nearhiselbow.Someflies,disturbedfromtheirsleep,
clusteredaroundtheuntouchedportionofvealstillsittingonthetable.He
regardedthemforalongtimeandfinallybegantryingtocatchoneflywithhis
freerighthand.Foralongtimehetriedtograsponebuthecouldn’t;hewas
growingtiredofhisefforts.Atlast,catchinghimselfinthisinterestingpastime,
hecametohissenses,shuddered,stoodup,andresolutelylefttheroom.A
momentlater,hewasoutonthestreet.

Athick,milkyfogenvelopedthetown.Svidrigaylovwentalongtheslippery,
muddywoodensidewalkinthedirectionoftheLittleNeva.Inhismindhesaw
thewatersoftheLittleNeva,PetrovskyIsland,thewetpaths,thewetgrass,the
wettreesandbushes,and,atlast,thatverybush....Withannoyancehebegan
surveyingthehousestothinkaboutsomethingelse.Hedidn’tmeetany
passersbyorcabsalongtheprospect.Thebrightyellowwoodenhouseswith
theirclosedshutterslookedglumanddirty.Coldanddamppenetratedhiswhole
body,andhebegantoshiver.Fromtimetotimehestumbleduponsignsforlittle
shopsandgreengrocers,andhereadeachonecarefully.Thewoodensidewalk
hadended.Hewasdrawingevenwithalargestonebuilding.Adirtymutt,
tremblingfromthecold,ranacrosstheroadinfrontofhim.Somesortofdead-
drunkfellowinanovercoatwassprawledfacedownonthepavement.Helooked
athimandwentfartheron.Atallwatchtowercaughthiseyeontheleft.“Bah!”

hethought.“Thisplacewilldo.WhygotoPetrovskyPark?Atleastthere’llbe
anofficialwitness...”Healmostlaughedatthisnewideaandturnedinto
SyezhinskayaStreet.Therewasalargebuildingwithawatchtower.Nearthebig

lockedgatesofthehousestoodalittleman,leaninghisshoulderagainstthe
building;hewaswrappedinasoldier’sgrayovercoatandwaswearingacopper
Achilles-likehelmet.Hedirectedhissleepygazecoldlyattheapproaching
Svidrigaylov.Onhisfacewaswrittenthatage-oldquerulousgriefsosourly
imprintedonthefacesofallmembersoftheJewishtribe,withoutexception.

Bothofthem,SvidrigaylovandAchilles,stoodlookingateachotherinsilence
forsometime.FinallyitseemedtoAchillesthatsomethingwasamiss;herewas
asoberman,standingonlythreepacesawayfromhim,lookinghimrightinthe
eye,sayingnothing.“Aaa,votdoyouvanthere?”hesaid,stillimmobileandnot
alteringhisposition.

“Notathing,brother;hello!”repliedSvidrigaylov.

“Zisizn’tzeplace.”
“I’mgoingofftodistantparts,brother.”

“Todistantparts?”

“ToAmerica.”

“ToAmerica?”

Svidrigaylovpulledouthisrevolverandcockedthehammer.Achillesraised
hiseyebrows.

“Aaa,vot’szis?Zisisnoplaceforjoking!”

“Whyisn’tthistheplace?”

“Itjustisn’t.”

“Well,brother,nevermind.Theplaceisright;iftheycomeandaskyou,tell
themthatIupandleftfor—oh,America.”

Heputtherevolvertohisrighttemple.

“Aaa—youmustn’there.Zisisnotzeplace!”Achillessaidwithashudder,
hispupilsgrowingwiderandwider.

Svidrigaylovpulledthetrigger.

*NamedforafamousLondonentertainmentgarden.

VII

Thatsameday,buttowardevening,ataroundseveno’clock,Raskolnikovwas
nearingtheapartmentofhismotherandsister—thesameoneinBakaleev’s
housewhereRazumikhinhadsettledthem.Theentrancetotheirstaircasewas
fromthestreet.Raskolnikovdrewnear,stillslowinghisstepsandseemingto
hesitate:shouldhegoinornot?Buthewouldn’tturnbackonanyaccount;the
decisionhadalreadybeenmade.“Besides,itdoesn’tmatter;theystilldon’t
knowanything,”hethought,“andthey’realreadyusedtothinkingofmeasan
eccentric...”Hisattirewasawful:alldirty,torn,andwrinkled,becausehe’d
spentthepreviousnightintherain.Hisfacewasalmostdisfiguredfrom
exhaustion,inclementweather,physicalfatigue,andhisdaylonginternal
struggle.Hehadpassedthewholenightalone,Godknowswhere.Butatleasthe
hadmadehisdecision.

Heknockedonthedoor;hismotheropenedit.Dunechkawasn’tathome.

Eventheservanthappenedtobeoutatthattime.AtfirstPulkheriya
Aleksandrovnawasspeechlesswithelatedsurprise;thensheseizedhishandand
draggedhimintotheroom.

“Well,hereyouare!”shebegan,stammeringfromjoy.“Don’tbeangrywith
me,Rodya,forgreetingyousofoolishly,withtears:I’mlaughing,notcrying.

YouthinkI’mcrying?No,I’moverjoyed,butIhaveasillyhabit:mytearsflow.

It’sbeenthatwaysinceyourfather’sdeath;Icryforeverything.Sitdown,my
dear;Iseethatyoumustbetired.Ah,you’resodirty.”

“Iwasoutintherainyesterday,Mama...”Raskolnikovstartedtosay.

“No,oh,no!”criedPulkheriyaAleksandrovna,interruptinghim.“You
thoughtIwasjustabouttointerrogateyou,likeafoolisholdwoman,butdon’t
worry.Iunderstand,Iunderstandeverything;nowI’velearnedhowthingswork
aroundhere,andImyselfseethatit’smoresensible.OnceandforallIrealize
thatit’snotformetotrytounderstandordemandtoknowyourreasons.God
knowswhatsortofideasandplansyouhaveinmindorwhatsortofthoughts
you’reconceiving;isitformetopesteryouandaskwhatyou’rethinkingabout?

I’mjust....Oh,Lord!WhatamIdoingracingabouthereandtherelikea madwoman?
I’mreadingyourjournalarticleforthethirdtime;Dmitry
Prokofichbroughtittome.IwassosurprisedwhenIsawit:youfool,you,I
thoughttomyself,here’swhathe’sbeendoing,here’stheanswertotheriddle!

Perhapshehasnewideasinhisheadjustnow;he’sthinkingaboutthem,while

I’mtormentinganddisturbinghim.Ireadit,mydear,and,ofcourse,Ididn’t
understandagreatdealofit;butthat’showitshouldbe;howcouldIunderstand it?”
“Showittome,Mama.”

Raskolnikovtookthepaperandcastafleetingglanceathisarticle.No
matterhowitcontradictedhispositionandstateofmind,hestillexperienceda
strange,sarcastic-sweetsensation,thesortanauthorfeelsuponseeinghimselfin
printforthefirsttime,besideswhich,hewasalloftwenty-threeyearsold.This
lastedforonlyamoment.Afterreadingthroughafewlines,hefrownedanda
terribleanguishgraspedhisheart.Hisentirespiritualstruggleofthelastfew
monthscametohimatonce.Hetossedthearticleontothetablewithdisgustand
annoyance.

“But,Rodya,howeverfoolishImaybe,Icanstillseethatverysoonyou’ll
becomeoneofourleadingfigures,ifnotthemostleadingfigureamongallour
learnedmen.Theydaredthinkthatyouweremad.Ha-ha-ha!Youdon’tknowit

—butthat’swhattheythought!Ah,whatvileworms—howcouldtheypossibly
understandwhattrueintellectis?EvenDunechkaalmostbelievedthem,too—

imaginethat!Yourlatefathersubmittedworktojournalstwice—thefirstwasa
poem(I’vesavedthenotebookandwillshowittoyousometime),andthenthere
wasawholestory(IaskedhimifIcouldrecopyitforhim).Howweprayedthat
they’dpublishit—buttheydidn’t!Rodya,sixorsevendaysagoIwasdistraught
lookingatyourclothes,howyoulive,whatyoueat,andwhatyouwear.But
nowIseethatIwasfoolishonceagain,becauseifyouwantto,you’llachieve
anythingyoudesirewithyourintellectandtalent.It’sjustthatinthemeantime,
youdon’twanttoandyou’rebusywithmuchmoreimportantmatters...”

“Isn’tDunyahome,Mama?”

“No,Rodya.Idon’tseeherathomeveryoften;sheleavesmeallalone.

DmitryProkofich,thanksbetohim,dropsintoseemeandtalksallaboutyou.

Helovesyouandrespectsyou,myfriend.I’mnotsayingthatyoursister’svery
disrespectfultome.I’mnotcomplaining.Shehashercharacter,andIhave
mine;shehassomesecretsofherown;butIhavenosecretsfromthetwoof
you.Ofcourse,I’mfirmlyconvincedthatDunya’stooclever,andbesides,she
lovesbothyouandme...butIdon’tknowwhereallthisisleading.You’ve
mademeveryhappy,Rodya,bydroppingin,butshemissedyoubytakinga
walk;whenshereturns,I’lltellher:yourbrotherwasherewhileyouwereout.

Andjustwherehaveyoubeenspendingyourtime?Rodya,don’tspoilmetoo
much:stopbyifyoucan;ifnot,thenthere’snothingtobedoneaboutit;I’ll
wait.StillI’llknowthatyouloveme,andformeeventhat’senough.I’llread
yourwritings,I’llhearaboutyoufromeveryoneelse,buteveryonceinawhile

you’llcometoseeme.Whatcouldbebetter?Why,youjustcamenowto
consoleyourmother,thatIcansee...”

HerePulkheriyaAleksandrovnasuddenlyburstintotears.

“ThereIgoagain!Don’tmindafoolisholdwoman!Oh,goodLord!Why
amIsittinghere?”shecried,jumpingupfromherplace.“There’scoffee.Idon’t
evenofferyouanything!That’sanoldwoman’sselfishness.Rightaway!At once!”

“Mama,there’snoneed.I’mgoingsoon.That’snotwhyIcame.Please,hear meout.”

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaapproachedhimtimidly.

“Mama,nomatterwhathappens,nomatterwhatyouhearaboutme,no
matterwhatpeoplesayaboutme,willyougoonlovingmeasyoudonow?”he
askedsuddenlyfromthefullnessofhisheart,asifnotthinkingabouthiswords
orweighingthem.

“Rodya,Rodya,what’sthematter?Howcanyouevenaskaboutthat?Who
willsaysomethingaboutyou?Iwon’tbelieveanyone,nomatterwhocomesto
seeme;I’llsimplydrivehimaway.”

“I’vecometoassureyouthatI’vealwayslovedyou,andnowI’mgladthat
we’realone,evengladthatDunya’snothere,”hecontinuedwiththesameburst
offeeling.“I’vecometotellyouplainlythateventhoughyou’llbeunhappy,
youshouldstillknowthatyoursonlovesyounowmorethanhimselfandthat
everythingyouthoughtaboutme,thatI’mcruelanddon’tloveyou,allofthatis
false.Iwillneverstoplovingyou....That’sall;itseemedtomethatthisis
whatIhadtodoandwhatIhadtostartwith...”
PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaembracedhimsilently,pressinghimtoherchest
andweepingsoftly.

“What’sthematter,Rodya,Idon’tknow,”shesaidatlast.“AllthistimeI
thoughtyouwerefedupwithus,butnowIseefromeverythingthatagreat
misfortuneisinstoreforyou,whichiswhyyou’resoupset.I’veknownthisfor
alongtime,Rodya.ForgivemethatIbeganspeakingofit;Ithinkaboutitall
thetime,andIcan’tsleepatnight.Alllastnightyoursisterwastalkinginher
sleepandkeptmentioningyou.Iheardsomething,butcouldn’tunderstandit.I
walkedaroundthismorningasifbeforeanexecution,waitingforsomething,
fullofforeboding,andnowit’scometopass.Rodya,Rodya,whereareyouoff to?
Areyougoingsomewhere?”

“Iam.”

“Ithoughtso!ButIcouldgowithyou,ifyouneedmeto.AndDunya;she
lovesyou,shelovesyouverymuch,andSofiyaSemyonovna,shecouldalsogo
withus,ifnecessary;yousee,I’mevenwillingtoacceptherasadaughter.

DmitryProkofichwillhelpusprepareforthejourney...but...where...are
yougoing?”

“Farewell,Mama.”

“What?Today?”shecried,asiflosinghimforever.

“Ican’tstay;it’stime;Imustgo...”

“Can’tIgowithyou?”

“No.KneeldownandpraytoGodforme.Yourprayer,perhaps,willbe heard.”

“Letmemakethesignofthecrossoveryou,letmegiveyoumyblessing!

That’sit,that’sit.Oh,God,whatarewedoing?”

Yes,hewasglad,hewasverygladthatnoonewasthere,thathewasall
alonewithhismother.Itwasasifduringallthishorribletimehishearthad
suddenlysoftened.Hefelldownbeforeher,kissedherfeet,andafterembracing,
bothofthemwept.Shewasnotsurprisedanddidnotaskanymorequestionsat
thistime.Forsometimeshehadunderstoodthatsomethinghorriblewas
happeningtoherson,andshesawthatnowsomesortofterriblemomentforhim
hadarrived.

“Rodya,mydear,myfirstborn,”shesaid,sobbing,“nowyou’rejustthe
sameasyouwerewhenyouwerelittle;youwouldcometomelikethis,
embracemeandkissmelikethis;whenyourfatherwasstillaliveandwewere
livinginpoverty,youconsoledusbybeingtherewithus;andwhenIburied yourfather
—wecriedathisgravesomanytimes,embracingeachotherjustas
wearenow.IfI’vebeencryingalongtime,it’sbecausemymaternalhearthas
foreseenmisfortune.AssoonasIsawyouthefirsttime,backthen,thatevening,
yourecall,whenwefirstarrivedhere,Iguesseditfromyourlookalone;my
heartfalteredthen.Today,whenIopenedthedoorforyou,Itookonelookand
thought,‘Well,thefatefulhourhascome.’Rodya,Rodya,you’renotgoingnow,
areyou?”

“No.”

“You’llcomehereagain?”

“Yes...Iwill.”

“Rodya,don’tbeangry,Iwon’tdaretoaskanymorequestions.Iknowthat
Iwon’t;butsayonlyafewwords:areyougoingfaraway?”

“Veryfar.”

“Whatisit?Someformofservice?Isitacareerforyou?”

“WhateverGodsendsmyway....Onlyprayforme...”

Raskolnikovwenttothedoor,butshegrabbedholdofhimand,witha
desperateglance,lookedhimintheeye.Herfacewasdistortedwithhorror.

“Enough,Mama,”saidRaskolnikov,regrettingdeeplythathehaddecidedto

come.
“It’snotforever?Surelyit’snotforever.You’llcomeagain.Willyoucome
tomorrow?”

“I’llcome,Iwill.Farewell.”

Atlasthetorehimselfaway.

Theeveningwasfresh,warm,andclear;theweatherhadimprovedsince
morning.Raskolnikovhurriedbacktohisapartment.Hewantedtofinish
everythingbeforesunset.Untilthen,hedidn’twanttomeetanybody.Ashe
climbedthestairstohisroom,henoticedthatNastasya,havingturnedaway
fromthesamovar,wasstaringathimfixedly,followinghimwithhereyes.“Is
theresomeoneinmyroom?”hewondered.Heimaginedwithrevulsionthatit
mightbePorfiry.But,reachinghisroomandopeningthedoor,hesawthatit
wasDunechka.Shewassittingthereallalone,indeepthought,andseemedto
havebeenwaitingforhimalongtime.Hepausedonthethreshold.Shegotup
fromthesofainalarmandstoodstraightbeforehim.Herglance,fixedonhis
face,expressedhorrorandinconsolablesadness.Bythisgazealoneherealized
atoncethatshekneweverything.

“Well,shouldIcomeinorgoaway?”heaskedwarily.

“I’vebeenwithSofiyaSemyonovnaallday;wewerebothwaitingforyou.

Wethoughtyou’ddefinitelycome.”

Raskolnikoventeredtheroomandsatdownonachairinexhaustion.

“I’mfeelingsomewhatweak,Dunya;I’mverytired;butnowatleastI’dlike
toregaincontrolofmyself.”

Hecastaguardedglanceather.

“Wherewereyoualllastnight?”

“Idon’trememberverywell;yousee,sister,Iwantedtodecideonceandfor
all.IwalkedalongtheNevaseveraltimes;thatIrecall.Iwantedtoenditall
there,but...Icouldn’tworkupthecouragetodoit...”hewhispered,once
againglancingwarilyatDunya.
“ThankGod!That’sexactlywhatSofiyaSemyonovnaandIwereafraidof!

Thatmeansyoustillbelieveinlife;thankGod,Rodya,thankGod!”

Raskolnikovsmiledbitterly.

“Ididn’tbelieve,yetjustnowIwasembracingandkissingmymother;Iam
notabeliever,yetIaskedhertoprayforme.Godknowshowthathappens,
Dunechka;Idon’tunderstandathingaboutit.”

“YouwenttoseeMother?Didyoutellher?”Dunyaexclaimedinhorror.

“Didyoureallydecidetotellher?”

“No,Ididn’ttellher...inwords;butsheunderstoodagreatdeal.Sheheard
youtalkinginyoursleeplastnight.I’mcertainthatshealreadyunderstandshalf

ofit.PerhapsIdidthewrongthingbygoingtoseeher.Idon’tevenknowwhyI
wentthere.I’mavilecreature,Dunya.”

“Avilecreature,butyou’repreparedtosuffer!Youare,aren’tyou?”

“Iam.Rightnow.Yes,toavoidthisshameIwantedtodrownmyself,
Dunya;butthenIthought,standingthereoverthewater,thatifIconsidered
myselfstronguptothistime,letmenotbeafraidoftheshamenow,”hesaid,
hurryingon.“Isthatpride,Dunya?”

“Itis,Rodya.”

Itwasasiffirehadflaredupinhislifelesseyes;itwasasthoughhewas
pleasedthathewasstillabletofeelproud.

“Doyouthink,sister,thatIwassimplyafraidofthewater?”heaskedwith
anuglygrin,glancingatherface.

“Oh,Rodya,stopit!”Dunyacriedbitterly.

Thesilencelastedforabouttwominutes.Hesattherewithhiseyes
downcast,lookingatthefloor;Dunechkastoodattheotherendofthetableand
regardedhimwithsuffering.Allofasuddenhestoodup.

“It’slate;it’stime.I’mgoingtoturnmyselfinnow.ButIdon’tknowwhy
I’mgoingtodoso.”

LargetearswereflowingdownDunya’scheeks.

“You’recrying,sister,butareyouabletogivemeyourhand?”

“Didyoureallydoubtthat?”

Sheembracedhimfirmly.

“Aren’tyouwashingawayhalfyourcrimebygoingtoacceptyour
suffering?”shecried,squeezinghiminherembraceandkissinghim.

“Crime?Whatcrime?”heexclaimedsuddenly,inanabruptfitof
indignation.“ThatIkilledavile,maliciouslouse,anoldmoneylender,needed
bynoone;tomurderherwouldpardonfortysins;sheusedtosuckthelifeblood
outofthepoor,andyoucallthatacrime?Idon’tthinkaboutitanddon’tseekto
wipeitaway.Everyone’spesteringmeonallsides,saying,‘It’sacrime,a
crime!’OnlynowdoIseeclearlythefullabsurdityofmyfaintheartedness,now
thatIhaveresolvedtofacethisunnecessaryshame!I’mdecidingthissimplyon
thebasisofmyvilenessandineptitude,andperhapstheideaofadvantageto
myself,asthat...Porfiryproposed!”

“Brother,brother,whatareyousaying?Butyoushedblood!”Dunyacriedin despair.

“Whicheveryonesheds,”herepliedalmostfrantically.“Whichflowsand
hasflowedonearth,likeawaterfall,whichhasbeenpouredoutlikechampagne,
andforwhichtheycrownpeopleontheRomanCapitolineanddesignatethem
benefactorsofmankind.Justlookmorecarefullyandyou’llsee!Imyself

wantedtodogoodforpeopleandI’dhavedonehundreds,thousandsofgood
deedsinsteadofthisstupidthing,notevenstupid,butsimplyclumsy,because
thisideawasnotatallasstupidasitseemsnow,givenmy

failure....(Everythingseemsstupidinfailure!)BythisstupidactImerely
wantedtoplacemyselfinanindependentposition,totakethefirststep,to
acquirethemeans,andthenthewholethingwouldhavebeenwipedawayby
relativelyimmeasurablebenefits....ButI,Ididn’tevensucceedintakingthe
firststep,because—I’mapitifulwretch!That’sallthereistoit!Allthesame,I
won’tlookatitthroughyoureyes:ifIhadsucceeded,I’dhavebeencrowned,
butnowI’vefallenintoatrap!”

“Butthat’snottrue,notatall!Brother,whatareyousaying?”

“Ah!It’stheformthat’sincorrect;itwasn’tthecorrectaestheticform!I
definitelydon’tunderstand:whyishurlingbombsatpeopleinapropersiege
morerespectable?Thefearofaestheticsisthefirstsignofweakness!Never,
neverdidIrealizethismoreclearlythanIdonow;andmorethaneverdoIfail
tounderstandthenatureofmycrime!Never,neverhaveIbeenstrongerand
moreconvincedthanIamnow!”

Hispale,exhaustedfaceevenflushedwithcolor.Butasheutteredhislast
exclamation,heunexpectedlymetDunya’sglance;therewassomuch,sovery
muchsufferinginhereyesthatheinstinctivelycametohissenses.Hefeltthat
hehadmadethesetwopoorwomenunhappy.Moreover,hewasthecauseof it...

“Dunya,mydear!IfI’mtoblame,forgiveme(althoughit’simpossibleto
forgivemeifIamtoblame).Farewell!Let’snotargue!It’stimeIwent,high
time.Don’tfollowme,Iimploreyou,Ihavetomakeastopalongthe
way....Butgonowandstaywithourmother.Ibegyoutodothis!It’sthelast
andlargestrequestImakeofyou.Don’tleaveherforaminute;Ileftherina
stateofalarm,whichshemaynotbeabletobear;she’lleitherdieorloseher
mind.Staywithher!Razumikhinwillbewithyou;Itoldhim....Don’tcryfor
me:I’lltrytobebothcourageousandhonestallmylife,eventhoughI’ma
murderer.Perhapsyou’llhearmynamesometime.Iwon’tdisgraceyou,you’ll
see;I’llstillprove....Meanwhile,good-bye,”hehastenedtoconclude,once
againhavingnoticedastrangeexpressioninDunya’seyesathislastwordsand
promises.“Whyareyoucrying?Don’tcry,don’t;we’renotpartingforever!Ah,
yes!Waitamoment;Iforgotsomething!”

Hewentovertothetableandpickedupathick,dustybook,openedit,and
extractedasmallportraitstoredbetweenitspages,awatercoloronivory.Itwas
aportraitofthelandlady’sdaughter,hisformerfiancéewhohaddiedinafever,
thatsamestrangeyoungwomanwhohadwantedtoenteranunnery.Fora
minuteorsohestaredatherexpressiveandsicklylittleface;thenhekissedthe

minuteorsohestaredatherexpressiveandsicklylittleface;thenhekissedthe
portraitandhandedittoDunya.

“Italkedtoheragreatdeal aboutthat, onlywithher,”hesaidpensively.“I

confidedtoherheartmuchofwhatlaterturnedoutsomonstrously.Don’tbe
upset,”hesaid,turningtoDunya.“Shedidn’tagreewithme,justasyoudon’t,
andI’mgladthatshe’snolongerwithus.Themainthingisthatnoweverything
willproceedinanewdirection;everythingwillbesplitintotwoparts,”hecried
suddenly,sinkingintomelancholyonceagain.“Everything,everything;amI
readyforthat?DoIwantthatmyself?Theysayit’snecessaryformyordeal!

Why,whyallthesemeaninglessordeals?What’stheirpurpose?WillIbebetter
ifIacknowledgethen,crushedbysufferingandidiocy,inold-ageimpotence
aftertwentyyearsofexile,whatIacknowledgenow,andwhyshouldIcontinue
tolive?WhydoIagreenowtolivelikethis?Oh,IknewthatIwasawretch
whenIstoodtodayabovetheNevaatdaybreak!”

Theybothwentoutatlast.ItwasdifficultforDunya,thoughshelovedhim!

Shewalkedawayfromhim,butafterproceedingsomefiftypaces,sheturned
aroundtoglanceathimoncemore.Shecouldstillseehim.Butwhenhereached
thecorner,healsoturnedaround;theireyesmetforthelasttime;afternoticing
thatshewaslookingathim,hewavedherawayimpatiently,eveninannoyance,
whilehehimselfturnedthecornerhastily.

“I’mspiteful,Iseethat,”hethoughttohimself,amomentlaterashamedof
hisdismissivegesturetoDunya.“Butwhydotheylovemesomuch,ifI’mnot
worthyofit?Oh,ifIwerealoneandnoonelovedme,andifImyselfnever
lovedanyone? Noneofthiswouldhaveoccurred! I’mcuriousastowhetherin
thenextfifteenortwentyyearsmysoulwillberesigned,whetherI’llwhimper
reverentlybeforepeople,callingmyselfacriminalwitheverywordIutter.Yes,
that’sit,precisely!That’sjustwhythey’regoingtoexilemenow,that’swhat
theyneedtodo....Lookatallthesepeoplerushingbackandforthonthestreet;
everyoneofthemisascoundrelandacriminalbyhisverynature;evenworse thanthat
—they’reidiots!Andiftherewasanattempttoavoidexilingme,they’d
allgomadfromrighteousindignation!Oh,howIhatethemall!”

Hefelltothinkingdeeplyabouthowitmighttranspirethatatlasthe’d
humblehimselfbeforethemallwithoutanyargument,humblehimselfby
conviction!Andwhynot?Ofcourse,that’showitmustbe.Won’ttwentyyears
ofuninterruptedoppressionfinishhimoff?Waterwearsawayastone.Andwhy,
whyliveafterthis?“WhyamIgoingnow,whenImyselfknowthatallofitwill
bejustasitisinthebooks,andnotanydifferent?”

Hehadbeenposingthisquestiontohimselfahundredtimessincelastnight,
andyethekeptgoing.

VIII

WhenhewenttoseeSonya,itwasalreadytwilight.Sonyahadbeenwaiting
forhimalldayinhorribleagitation.SheandDunyawerewaitingtogether.

Dunyahadcometoherthatmorning,afterrecallingSvidrigaylov’swords
yesterdaythatSonya“knowsaboutthis.”Wewon’tconveyallthedetailsof
theirconversationandthetearsofthesetwowomen,orhowclosetheyhad
become.FromthismeetingDunyatookawayatleastoneconsolation:thather
brotherwouldnotbealone.Hehadgonetoherfirst,toSonya,withhis
confession;inherhe’dsoughtanotherperson,whenhe’dneededtofindone;she
wouldfollowafterhimwhereverfatesenthim.Dunyadidn’thavetoask,but
sheknewthatthiswouldbeso.SheevenregardedSonyawithsomesortof
reverence,andatfirstalmostembarrassedherwiththereverentemotionwith
whichshetreatedher.Sonyawasabouttoburstintotears:ontheotherhand,she
consideredherselfunworthyofevenlookingather.Dunya’ssplendidimage,
whenshehadfirstbowedtoherwithsuchkindnessandrespectduringtheirfirst
meetingatRaskolnikov’s,hadremainedinhersoulsincethenasoneofthemost
beautifulandunattainablevisionsofherlife.

AtlastDunechkacouldn’tendureitanylongerandleftSonyatowaitforher
brotherinhisapartment;itseemedtoherthathewouldgotherefirst.Leftalone,
Sonyaimmediatelybegantormentingherselfwithfearatthethoughtthat
perhapshereallywouldcommitsuicide.Dunyawasafraidofthesamething.
Buttheyspentthewholedaytryingtoconvinceeachotherconstantlythatthis
couldn’tpossiblybe;theywerecalmerwhentheyweretogether.Now,having
justparted,theybothbeganthinkingonlyaboutthispossibility.Sonyarecalled
howSvidrigaylovhadtoldheryesterdaythatRaskolnikovhadonlytworoads
beforehim—Siberiaor....Inaddition,sheknewabouthisvanity,arrogance, self-
esteem,andlackoffaith.Indespairshewonderedtoherself,atlast,“Could
itbethatonlyhisfaintheartednessandfearofdeathcouldkeephimalive?”

Meanwhile,thesunwasalreadysetting.Shestoodglumlyinfrontofthe
windowandstaredatitintently,butallshecouldseewasonemain,
unwhitewashedwallofthebuildingnextdoor.Atlonglast,whenshehad
alreadybecomecompletelyconvincedoftheunfortunateman’sdeath,he
enteredtheroom.

Acryofjoyburstforthfromher.But,staringfixedlyathisface,she suddenlyblanched.

“Yes!”saidRaskolnikovwithasmile.“I’vecomeforyourcrosses,Sonya.

“Yes!”saidRaskolnikovwithasmile.“I’vecomeforyourcrosses,Sonya.

Youyourselfsentmetothecrossroads;whynow,whenit’stimeforaction,do
youhavecoldfeet?”

Sonyaregardedhiminastonishment.Thistoneofhisseemedstrange;acold
shiverranthroughherbody,butamomentlatersheguessedthathistoneand
thesewordswereallputon.Hewasspeakingtoherbutlookingtooneside,asif
hewantedtoavoidstaringherstraightintheeye.

“Yousee,Sonya,Idecidedthatperhapsit’dbemoreadvantageousthisway.

There’sacertaincircumstance....Well,it’lltakealongtimetoexplain,but
thatdoesn’tmatter.Doyouknowwhatreallyirritatesme?I’mannoyedthatall
thesestupid,boorishmugswillsurroundmenow,stareandgapeatme,askme
alltheirstupidquestions,whichI’llhavetoanswer—they’llpointat
me....Phew!Youknow,Iwon’tgoseePorfiry;I’mfedupwithhim.Iwould
rathergotomyfriendPorokh:I’llreallysurprisehim,producequitetheeffect
onhim.ButImustbehavemorecalmly;latelyI’vebecometoofullofbile.Do
youbelieveit:Ialmostthreatenedmysisterwithmyfistjustnowsimply
becausesheturnedaroundtolookatmeforthelasttime.WhataswineIam!
That’stheplaceI’vecometo!Well,so,wherearethecrosses?”

Heseemednottobehimself.Hecouldn’tevenremainstandinginthesame
placeforaminute,couldn’tfocushisattentionevenononeobject;histhoughts
keptjumpingahead,oneovertheother;hisspeechwasrambling;hishands
trembledslightly.

Sonyaquietlytooktwocrossesoutofadrawer,onecypressandtheother
copper;shecrossedherself,madethesignofthecrossoverhim,andhungthe
cypresscrossonhischest.

“This,then,isasymbolthatI’mtakingupmycross,hee-hee!AsifI’ve
sufferedverylittleuptonow!Thecypresscross,thatis,representsthecommon
people,thecoppercross—that’sLizaveta’s.Youkeepthatone.Showittome.

So,wasshewearingit...atthattime?Ialsoknowtwosimilaritems,asilver
crossandalittleicon.AtthattimeItossedthembackontotheoldwoman’s
chest.They’rereallytheonesIoughttobewearingnow....However,I’m
tellingliesandforgettingaboutthebusinessathand;I’msoabsentminded!You
see,Sonya,Ireallycamenowtoinformyou,sothatyouknow....That’sall
thereistoit....That’sreallywhyI’vecome.(Hmm,andIthoughtI’dhave
moretosay.)Youyourselfwantedmetogo;nowI’llbesittinginprisonand
yourwishwillbefulfilled;whyareyoucrying?You,too?Stopit,enoughof
that;oh,howpainfulallofthisisforme.”

However,emotionhadbeenawakenedinhim;lookingather,hisheart
contracted.“What’sallthisabout?”hewondered.“WhatamItoher?Whyis
shecrying,whyisshepreparingmeforajourneylikemymotherorDunya?

shecrying,whyisshepreparingmeforajourneylikemymotherorDunya?

She’llbelikemynanny!”

“Crossyourself,prayatleastonce,”Sonyabeggedinatrembling,timid voice.

“Oh,verywell,ifyouwishit!Andwithapureheart,Sonya,apure heart...”

Hewanted,however,tosaysomethingelse.
Hecrossedhimselfseveraltimes.Sonyapickeduphershawlandputitover
herhead.Itwasagreencottonshawl,probablythesameoneMarmeladovhad
mentionedbackthen,“thefamilyshawl.”Raskolnikovsuddenlywonderedabout
this,butdidn’task.Asamatteroffact,hehadalreadybeguntofeelterribly
distractedandextremelyagitated.Thisfrightenedhim.Hewassuddenlystruck
bythefactthatSonyawantedtogowithhim.

“Whatareyoudoing?Whereareyougoing?Stayhere,stayhere!I’llgo
alone,”hecriedinnervousannoyance,almostwithmalice,andheheadedforthe
door.“WhydoIneedawholeprocession?”hemutteredasheleft.

Sonyaremainedintheroom.Hedidn’tevensaygood-byetoher;hehad
alreadyforgottenher;onescathingandrebelliousdoubtflaredupinhissoul.

“Isthisallright,isthistherightthingtodo?”hewonderedonceagainashe
descendedthestairs.“Isn’titpossibletostopandmakeitallrightonce
again...andnotgo?”

Butheproceedednonetheless.Hesuddenlyfeltonceandforallthatthere
wasnoreasontoposefurtherquestionstohimself.Asheemergedontothe
street,herecalledthathehadn’tsaidgood-byetoSonya,andthatshehad
remainedalone,standinginthemiddleoftheroom,wearinghergreenshawl,
notdaringtomoveasaresultofhisshouting.Hepausedforamoment.Inthat
moment,anideasuddenlydawneduponhim—asifithadbeenwaitingtostrike
himforcefully.

“Well,whyandforwhatdidIgoseehernow?Isaid:thebusinessathand.

Whatbusiness?Therewasabsolutelynobusinessathand!Toannouncethat I’m
going; sowhatofit?Whatneedwasthereforthat?DoIloveher?Surelynot,
no.Idroveherawayjustlikeadog.DidIreallyneedtogetthecrossesfrom her?
Oh,howlowI’vefallen!No—Ineededhertears;Ineededtoseeherfear,
toseehowherheartachesandhowshesuffers!Ineededtohavesomethingto
clingto,somereasontodelay,toseeanotherperson!AndIdaredrelyon
myself,todreamaboutmyself;howbaseIam,howworthless,whatascoundrel
Iam,whatawretch!”
Hewalkedalongtheembankmentofthecanal,anddidn’thavemuchfarther
togo.Butwhenhereachedthebridge,hestopped,suddenlyturnedontothe
bridge,andwenttowardtheHaymarket.

bridge,andwenttowardtheHaymarket.

Helookedeagerlytotherightandtheleft,examinedeveryobjectwith
effort,andwasunabletofocushisattentiononanything;everythingslipped
awayfromhim.“Inaweekoramonththey’lltakemeawayinoneofthose
prisonwagons,acrossthissamebridge;howwillIglanceatthecanalthen—will
Irememberit?”flashedthroughhismind.“Thisstreetsign,howwillIreadthese
sameletters?Itsays‘Campany’;well,Ishouldrememberthat a, thatletter a,
andlookatitinonemonth’stime,atthatverysame a: HowwillIseeitthen?

WhatwillIbethinkingandfeeling?Oh,God,howvileallthisis,allthese
present...concernsofmine.Ofcourse,allthismustbeinteresting...inits ownway...
(Ha-ha-ha!ThethingsIthinkabout!)I’mbecomingachild,I’m
braggingtomyself;well,whyamImakingmyselffeelashamed?Phew,how
peopleshoveeachother!Thatfatfellow—hemustbeaGerman—theonewho
justshovedme:well,doeshehaveanyideawhohe’sjustpushed?Thatpeasant
womanwithachildisbeggingforalms;it’scuriousthatsheconsidersmemore
fortunatethansheis.Ishouldgivehersomethingforfun.Bah,afive-kopeck
pieceisstillleftinmypocket.Wherediditcomefrom?Here,here...takeit, Mother!”

“Godblessyou!”saidthebeggarwomaninamournfulvoice.

HeenteredtheHaymarket.Hefounditunpleasant,veryunpleasanttomingle
withthecommonfolk,buthewentpreciselywheretherewasthebiggestcrowd.

Hewouldhavegiveneverythingonearthinordertoremainalone,buthefelt
thathewouldn’tbealoneevenforamoment.Inthecrowdsomedrunkwas
makingaspectacleofhimself:hewantedtodancebutkepttopplingover.People
surroundedhim.Raskolnikovsqueezedthroughthecrowdandwatchedthe
drunkforseveralminutes;suddenlyhestartedlaughing,butitwasbriefand
abrupt.Amomentlaterhehadalreadyforgottenabouthim,didn’tevenseehim,
eventhoughhewaslookingrightathim.Atlasthewalkedaway,noteven
rememberingwherehewas;butwhenhereachedthemiddleofthesquare,he
suddenlyexperiencedatremor,asensationovercamehimatonce,seizedholdof
himentirely—bothhisbodyandhismind.

HesuddenlyrecalledSonya’swords:“Gotothecrossroads,bowdown
beforethepeople,kisstheearthbecauseyou’vesinnedbeforeit,andsayaloud
tothewholeworld,‘I’mamurderer!’”Rememberingthis,hebeganshaking.He
wassocrushedbytheweightofinescapablesadnessandagitationallthistime,
especiallythelastseveralhours,thatheeagerlyembracedthepossibilityofthis
new,complete,andpuresensation.Ithaddescendeduponhimlikeafit:it
startedburninginhissoullikeasparkandsuddenlyenvelopedhimcompletely,
likefire.Everythingsoftenedinhimatonce,andtearsgushedfromhiseyes.He

felltothegroundwherehestood...

Hewasonhiskneesinthemiddleofthesquare;heboweddowntotheearth
andkissedthedirtygroundwithpleasureandjoy.Hestoodupandboweddown
asecondtime.

“He’sdrunkasaskunk!”saidayoungmanwhowasnexttohim.

Laughterburstforthfromthecrowd.

“It’sbecausehe’sgoingtoJerusalem,lads;he’ssayinggood-byetohis
childrenandhismotherland;he’sbowingdowntothewholeworld,kissingthe
capitalcityofSt.Petersburgandthegrounditstandson,”addedatradesman
whowasalsoalittledrunk.

“He’sstillayoungman!”putinathird.

“Gentry,too!”someoneobservedinarespectablevoice.

“Thesedaysit’shardtotellwho’sgentryandwho’snot.”

AlltheseremarksandcommentsrestrainedRaskolnikov,andthewords“I
havekilled,”ready,perhaps,onthetipofhistongue,diedwithinhim.However,
heenduredalltheseshoutsserenelyand,withoutlookingaround,continued
directlythroughthecrossroadsinthedirectionofthepolicestation.Onevision
flashedbeforehimalongtheway,buthewasnotsurprisedbyit;he’dhada
premonitionthatallthismustbeso.Whenhe’dbowedtotheearthasecondtime
intheHaymarket,turningtothelefthe’dglimpsedSonyasomefiftypacesaway
fromhim.She’dbeenhidingbehindoneofthewoodenboothsinthesquare;
thusshewasaccompanyinghisentiresorrowfulprocession!Raskolnikovfelt
andrealizedatthatmoment,onceandforall,thatSonyawaswithhimnowand
forever;shewouldgowithhimtotheendsoftheearth,whereverfatemight
sendhim.Hisheartskippedabeat...but—hehadalreadyarrivedatthefateful
destination...

Heenteredthecourtyardratherboldly.Hehadtoclimbuptothethirdfloor.

“Itwilltakemeawhiletoclimbthestairs,”hethought.Itseemedthattherewas
stillplentyoftimebeforethefatefulmoment,agreatdealoftimeremaining,and
hecouldthinkaboutmanythings.

Onceagaintherubbish,thesameeggshellsonthespiralstaircase;oncemore
theapartmentdoorsleftwideopen,thesamekitchensfromwhichsmokeand
stenchemanated.Raskolnikovhadn’tbeenheresincethen.Hislegswereready
togivewaybeneathhim,buthekeptgoing.Hepausedforamomenttocatchhis
breath,tocollecthimself,inordertoenter likeaman.“Butwhatfor?Why?”he
wonderedsuddenly,whenherealizedwhathewasdoing.“IfImustdrainthis
cup,whatdifferencedoesitmake?Theworseitis,thebetter.”Atthatmoment
inhisimaginationthereflashedthefigureofIlyaPetrovich,LieutenantPorokh.

“AmIreallygoingtoseehim?Wouldn’titbepossibletoseesomeoneelse?

PerhapsNikodimFomich?ShouldIturnaroundnowandgorighttothepolice
superintendent’sapartment?Atleastitwouldalloccurinadomestic
setting....No,no!ToPorokh,Porokh!IfImustdrainthecup,thenImustdoso
allatonce...”

Feelingcoldandbarelyconscious,heopenedthedoortotheoffice.This
timetherewereveryfewpeopleinside;somecaretakerandamanofthe
commonpeoplewerethere.Thedoormandidn’tevenglanceupfrombehindthe
partition.Raskolnikovpassedthroughintothenextroom.“PerhapsIstilldon’t
needtosayanything,”flashedthroughhismind.Oneoftheclerkswearinga
frockcoatwasgettingreadytowritesomethingathisdesk.Anotherclerkwas
abouttotakeaseatinthecorner.Zametovwasn’tthere.AndNikodimFomich,
ofcourse,wasalsomissing.
“Isnoonehere?”askedRaskolnikov,turningtothepersonatthedesk.

“Whoareyoulookingfor?”

“Ah!Longtimenosee,buttheRussianspirit...howdoesitgointhat tale...Iforget!M-
m-mycom-pli-ments,sir!”criedafamiliarvoiceallofa sudden.

Raskolnikovshuddered.Porokhwasstandinginfrontofhim;hehad
suddenlyemergedfromathirdroom.“Thisisfateitself,”thoughtRaskolnikov.

“Whyishehere?”

“Haveyoucometoseeus?Onwhatbusiness?”criedIlyaPetrovich.(He
was,apparently,inanexcellentmoodandevenalittlebitoverexcited.)“Ifit’s
onbusiness,it’stooearly.Ijusthappenedtodropinhere....However,I’lldo
whatIcan.Iconfess...Mr....Mr....Forgiveme...”

“Raskolnikov.”

“Ofcourse,Raskolnikov!Surelyyoudidn’tthinkI’dforgotten!Pleasedon’t
thinkI’mthatsortofperson....RodionRo...Ro...Rodionych,isn’tit?”

“RodionRomanych.”

“Yes,yes,yes!RodionRomanych,RodionRomanych!Itwasonthetipof
mytongue.I’veinquiredaboutyoumanytimes.Iconfessthatsincethatlast
timeI’vefeltverysorrythatwetreatedyouthewaywedid.LaterIwastold,I
foundout,thatyou’reayoungwriterandevenascholar...and,sotospeak,
you’retakingyourfirststeps....Oh,Lord!Whoamongourwritersand
scholarshasnotbegunwithsomebizarrefirststeps?MywifeandI—weboth
respectliterature,andmywifeispassionateaboutit!Literatureandart!Ifa
man’sagentleman,hecanacquirealltherestthroughtalent,knowledge,
intelligence,andgenius!Ahat—well,whatdoesahatsignify?Ahat’sasplain
asapancake;IcanbuyonefromZimmerman’sshop;butwhat’sunderthehat
andwhat’scoveredbythehat,thatIcan’tpurchase,sir!Iconfess,Ievenwanted

tocallonyouandhaveitallout,butIthoughtthatperhapsyou’d....ButI
haven’tevenaskedyou:doyoureallyneedsomething?Ihearthatyourfamily
hasarrived.”
“Yes,mymotherandmysister.”

“Ievenhadthehonorofmeetingyoursister—she’saneducatedand
charmingperson.IconfessthatI’msorrywebecamesoheatedatthattime.

Whatanextraordinaryincident!Asaresultofyourfainting,Iregardedyouina
certainlight—thatwaslaterclarifiedinthemostbrilliantmanner!Bigotryand
fanaticism!Iunderstandyourindignation.Perhapsyou’reregisteringanew
addressbecauseyourfamilyhasarrived?”

“N-no,Imerely....Icametoask....IthoughtthatImightfindZametov here.”

“Ah,yes!You’vebecomefriends;Iheardthat,sir.Well,Zametovisn’there;
youmissedhim.Yes,sir,we’velostAleksandrGrigorevich!Sinceyesterday
we’vebeendeprivedofhispresence;he’sbeentransferred...andasheleft,he
quarreledwitheveryone...evenratherimpolitely....He’sanunstableyoung
fellow,nothingmore;hemighthaveseemedpromising.Justlookatwhat
happenstothem,toourbrilliantyoungpeople!Itseemsthathewantstotake
somesortofexam,butonlytotalkandbragaboutithere,that’salltherewasto
it.It’snotatalllikeyou,forexample,orthatMr.Razumikhin,yourfriend!Your
careerisascholarlyone,andyouwon’tbedislodgedbyfailures!Toyouallthe
beautiesoflife,onecansay— nihilest, *youareanascetic,amonk,ahermit!

Foryouabook,apenbehindyourear,learnedresearch—that’swhereyour
spiritsoars!Imyselfampartly....HaveyoubyanychancereadLivingstone’s journal?
Ӡ

“No.”

“Well,Ihave.However,therearesomanynihilistsaroundthesedays;it’s
easytounderstandwhythat’sso;whattimeswelivein,Iaskyou.However,you
andI....Why,you,ofcourse,aren’tanihilist,areyou?Answerhonestly, honestly!”

“N-no...”

“No,youcanbehonestwithme;don’tbeshy;speakasifwewerealone!

Publicserviceisadifferentmatter,verydifferent....YouthoughtIwasgoing tosay
friendship;no,sir,youguessedwrong!Notfriendship,butthefeelingofa
manandacitizen,thefeelingofhumanityandlovefortheAlmighty.Icanbe
bothapublicofficialandintheservice,butI’malwaysobligatedtofeelthatI’m
acitizenandahumanbeingmyselfandtorenderaccount....Youjust
mentionedZametov.He’llcreatesomesortofscandalintheFrenchmannerina

disreputableestablishmentoveraglassofchampagneorsparklingwine—that’s
whoyourZametovis!WhileI,perhaps,sotospeak,haveburnedwithdevotion
andloftyfeelings;inaddition,Ihaveimportance,rank,andposition!I’m
marriedandhavechildren.Ifulfillmydutyasacitizenandahumanbeing;
allowmetoinquire,whoishe?Itreatyouasapersonennobledbyeducation.

Andthenumberofmidwivesisstillincreasing.”

Raskolnikovraisedhiseyebrowsinquiringly.ThesewordsspokenbyIlya
Petrovich,whohadobviouslyjustfinishedeatingameal,rattledandscattered
beforehimforthemostpartlikeemptysounds.Butsomehowhestillunderstood
someofthem;helookedathimquizzicallyanddidn’tknowhowitwouldend.

“I’mtalkingaboutthosegirlswithshorthair,”continuedthetalkativeIlya
Petrovich.“Icalledthemmidwives,andIconsiderthatnamecompletely
appropriate.Hee-hee!Theycreepintotheacademyandstudyanatomy;well,tell
me,let’ssayI’mfeelingill,wouldIsummonayoungwomantotreatme?Hee-hee!”

IlyaPetrovichlaughed,completelysatisfiedwithhisownwitticisms.

“Let’ssupposethisthirstforenlightenmentisexcessive;aman’seducated,
andthat’ssufficient.Whyabuseit?Whyoffenddecentpeople,thewaythat
scoundrelZametovdoes?Whydidheinsultme,Iaskyou?Thereagain,there
haveoccurredsomanyofthesesuicides—youcan’tevenimagineit.Allthese
peoplespendtheirlastfewkopecksandthenkillthemselves.Younggirls,boys,
oldmen....Justthismorningwehadnewsofagentlemanwho’drecently
arrivedhere.NilPavlych,hey,NilPavlych!Thatgentleman,what’shisname?

Theoneweheardaboutjustbefore,whoshothimselfonthePetersburgSide?”

“Svidrigaylov,”someonerepliedfromthenextroominahoarseand
indifferentvoice.

Raskolnikovshuddered.
“Svidrigaylov!Svidrigaylovshothimself?”hecried.

“What?DoyouknowSvidrigaylov?”

“Yes...Ido....Herecentlyarrivedhere.”

“Yes,indeed,hearrivedhererecently;he’dlosthiswifeawhileago;hewas
adissolutemanandhesuddenlyshothimself,andinsuchascandalousmanner,
youcan’tevenimagine....Heleftseveralwordsinhisnotebooktotheeffect
thathewasdyinginhisrightmindandaskingthatnoonebeblamedforhis
death.Theysayhehadmoney.Howdidyouhappentoknowhim?”

“I...wasacquainted...mysisterworkedasagovernessinhishouse....”

“My,my,my....So,perhapsyoucantellussomethingabouthim.Didyou
eversuspectit?”

“Isawhimyesterday...he...hewasdrinking....Ididn’tknowathing.”

Raskolnikovfeltthatsomegreatweighthadfallenuponhimandwas

Raskolnikovfeltthatsomegreatweighthadfallenuponhimandwas oppressinghim.

“Youseemtohaveturnedpaleagain.It’ssostuffyinhere...”

“Yes,it’stimeformetogo,”mutteredRaskolnikov.“Excusemefor disturbingyou...”

“Don’tmentionit.Wheneveryoulike!It’sbeenapleasure,andI’mgladto sayso...”

IlyaPetrovichevenextendedhishand.

“Imerelywanted...IcametoseeZametov...”

“Iunderstand,Ido,andit’sbeenapleasure.”

“I’m...veryglad....Good-bye,”Raskolnikovsaidwithasmile.

Hewentout;hewasstaggering.Hisheadwasspinning.Hecouldn’tfeel
whetherhewasstandingonhisowntwolegs.Hestarteddownthestairs,using
hisrighthandtosupporthimselfagainstthewall.Itseemedtohimthathewas
shovedbysomecaretakerwithabookinhishand,ashewasclimbingthestairs
uptotheoffice;thatadogburstoutbarkingsomewhereonalowerfloorand
thatsomewomanhurledarollingpinatitandshoutedsomething.Hecontinued
hiswaydownandwalkedoutintothecourtyard.There,notfarfromtheway
out,stoodSonya,deathlypale,regardinghimwithwild,wildeyes.Hestopped
infrontofher.Somethingpainfulandexhaustedwasexpressedinherface,
somethingdesperate.Sheclaspedherhandstogether.Ahideous,lostsmiletook
shapeonhislips.Hestoodthereawhile,smiledagain,turnedaround,andonce
againheadeduptotheoffice.

IlyaPetrovichhadseatedhimselfandwasriflingthroughsomepapers.The
samepeasantwhohadjustshovedRaskolnikovashewasclimbingthestairs
wasnowstandingbeforehim.

“Ah?It’syouagain!Didyouforgetsomething?Butwhat’sthematterwith you?”

Raskolnikov,withpalelipsandimmobileeyes,quietlyapproachedhim,
steppinguptothedesk;herestedhishandonit,andtriedtospeak,butwas
unableto;onlyincoherentsoundsemerged.

“You’refeelingfaint.Achair!Here,sitdownonthischair;sositdown!

Water!”

Raskolnikovloweredhimselfontothechairbutdidn’tlifthiseyesfromthe
faceofIlyaPetrovich,whowasunpleasantlysurprised.Foraminuteorsothey
lookedateachotherandwaited.Thewaterwasbroughtin.

“ItwasI...”Raskolnikovbegantosay.

“Drinksomewater.”

Raskolnikovpushedthewaterawayandquietly,speakingslowlyand

deliberatelybutclearly,said: “ItwasIwhokilledtheoldcivilservant’swidow
andhersisterLizavetawithanaxeandrobbedthem. ”

IlyaPetrovichopenedhismouthwide.Peoplecamerunningfromallsides.
Raskolnikovrepeatedhistestimony.

*“Thereisnothing”(Latin).

† DavidLivingstone’s(1813–
1873)accountofhistravelsincentralandsouthernAfrica.

Siberia.Onthebankofawide,remoteriverstandsatown,oneofthe
administrativecentersofRussia;there’safortressinthetownandaprisoninthe
fortress.IntheprisonRodionRaskolnikov,asecond-classconvict,hasbeen
confinedforninemonths.Almostayearandahalfhaspassedsincethedayof hiscrime.

Thelegalproceedingshadbeenconductedwithoutanygreatdifficulties.The
criminalfirmly,precisely,andclearlyreaffirmedhistestimony,without
confusingthecircumstances,notmitigatingtheminhisowninterest,not
distortingthefacts,andnotforgettingtheslightestdetails.Hedescribedtothe
lastdetailthewholeprocessofthemurder:heexplainedthemysteryofthe
pledge(thepieceofwoodwiththemetalstrip),whichhadturnedupinthedead
woman’shands;henarratedindetailhowhetookthedeadwoman’skeys;he
describedthesekeys,describedthechestanditscontents;heevenenumerated
severaloftheobjectscontainedwithinit;heexplainedtheriddleofLizaveta’s
murder;hedescribedhowKokhhadarrivedandknockedatthedoor,followed
bythestudent,andconveyedeverythingsaidbetweenthem;thenhowhe,the
murderer,randownthestairsafterward,heardtheshrieksofMikolkaandMitka;
howhehidintheemptyapartment,thenarrivedbackhome;and,inconclusion,
heshowedthemthestoneinthecourtyardonVoznesenskyProspect,underthe
gates,wheretheyfoundthepawnbroker’sthingsandherpurse.Inaword,the
wholeaffairbecameclear.Asthisunfolded,theinvestigatorsandthejudges
wereverysurprisedthathehadhiddenthepurseandtheitemsbeneathastone
andmadenouseofthemand,mostofall,thatnotonlydidhefailtorecallin
detailalltheitemshehadstolen,buthewasevenmistakenabouttheirnumber.

Thatcircumstanceinparticular,thathehadneverevenopenedthepurseand
didn’thaveanyideahowmuchmoneywascontainedwithinit,seemed improbable.
(Thereturnedouttobethreehundredandseventeensilverrubles andthreetwenty-
kopeckpieces;becausetheyhadbeenunderastoneforalong
time,someofthelargestbanknotesatthetopofthepilehaddeteriorated
significantly.)Theyspentalongtimetryingtodeterminewhytheaccusedwas
lyingaboutthisonecircumstance,whenhewasconfessingabouteverythingelse
sowillinglyandaccurately.Atlastseveralofthem(especiallythepsychologists)
evenallowedforthepossibilitythatperhapshehadnotlookedintothepurse
and,therefore,hadn’tknownwhatwasinitand,notknowing,hadplacedit

underthestone;butfromthistheyconcludedthatthecrimeitselfmusthave
occurredduringaperiodoftemporaryderangementofhismind,sotospeak,
accompaniedbyamorbidmonomaniaofmurderandrobbery,withoutfurther
aimsorcalculationsofadvantage.Here,asithappened,cameintoplaythelatest
theoryabouttemporaryinsanity,whichpeoplenowadayssooftentrytoapplyto
variouscrimes.Inaddition,Raskolnikov’slong-standinghypochondriawas
preciselyaffirmedbymanywitnesses,includingDr.Zosimov,hisformer
universitycolleagues,hislandlady,andherservant.Allofthesefactorsstrongly
furtheredtheconclusionthatRaskolnikovwasnotcompletelylikeanordinary
murderer,arobber,orathiefbutsomethingaltogetherdifferent.Tothegreat
annoyanceofthosedefendingthisopinion,thecriminalhardlyattemptedto
defendhimself.Inreplytothecrucialquestions“Whatcouldithavebeenthat
inducedhimtohomicide?”and“Whatpromptedhimtocommitrobbery?”he
saidwithutmostclarity,withthemostoffensiveprecision,thatthereasonforall
ofitwashismiserablecondition,hispovertyandhelplessness,hisdesireto
provideforthefirststepsinhislife’sworkwiththehelp,atleast,ofthethree
thousandrubleshehadcountedonfindingattheoldwoman’sapartment.He’d
decidedonmurderasaresultofhisthoughtlessandfaintheartedcharacter,
furtherirritatedbydeprivationandfailures.Inreplytothequestionofwhathad
causedhimtoofferaconfession,heansweredfranklythatitwashisheartfelt
repentance.Allthiswassaidalmostoffensively...

Thesentence,however,turnedouttobemorelenientthancouldhavebeen
expected,judgingbythenatureofthecrime,andperhapspreciselybecausethe
criminalnotonlydidn’ttrytojustifyhimself,butevenseemedtomanifesta
desiretoincriminatehimselffurther.Allofthestrangeandpeculiar
circumstancesoftheaffairweretakenintoaccount.Thatthecriminalhad
enduredamorbidandimpoverishedconditionbeforecommittingthecrimedid
notarousetheslightestdoubt.Thefactthathehadn’tmadeuseofthestolen
propertywasconsideredpartlyanindicationofhisawakenedremorse,and
partlyaresultoftheflawedconditionofhismentalfacultiesatthetimeofthe
commissionofthecrime.ThecircumstanceoftheaccidentalkillingofLizaveta
evenservedasanexamplesupportingthatlatterassumption:amancommitstwo
murdersyetatthesametimeforgetsthatthedoortotheapartmentiswideopen!

Finally,hisappearancewithaconfession,attheverymomentwhentheaffair
wasbecomingextraordinarilytangledasaresultofthefalsetestimonyofthe
dejectedfanatic(Nikolai)and,besidesthat,whentherewerenoclearclues
pointingtotherealcriminal,orevenanysuspicions(PorfiryPetrovichkepthis
wordcompletely),allofthisdefinitelyfacilitatedthemitigationofthe
defendant’sfate.

Inaddition,othercircumstancesthatstronglyfavoredthedefendantcameto
lightcompletelyunexpectedly.TheformerstudentRazumikhinunearthedfrom
somewhereinformation,whichhepresentedasevidence,thatthecriminal
Raskolnikov,duringhistimeattheuniversity,was,withhislastresources,
helpingapoorandconsumptivefellowstudentandthathe’dcontinuedto
supporthimforalmosthalfayear.Whenthatstudentdied,hesoughtoutthe
survivingfeebleoldfatherofhisdeceasedcomrade(whohadbeensupporting
andfeedinghisfatheralmostfromtheageofthirteen);heultimatelymovedthe
oldmantoahospital,andwhentheoldmandied,heburiedhim.Allofthese
circumstanceshadacertainpositiveinfluenceonRaskolnikov’sfate.Hisformer
landlady,themotherofRaskolnikov’slatefiancée,thewidowZarnitsyna,also
testifiedthatwhentheywerestilllivinginanotherbuilding,atFiveCorners,
duringafireonenight,Raskolnikovrescuedtwoyoungchildrenfroman
apartmentthathadalreadybeenenvelopedinflames,andthathehimself
receivedburnsinthatfire.Thisfactwascarefullyinvestigatedandratherwell
corroboratedbymanywitnesses.Inaword,theresultwasthattheprisonerwas
sentencedtopenalservitudeinthesecondclassforaperiodofonlyeightyears,
inrecognitionofhisconfessionandsomeotherextenuatingcircumstances.

Attheverybeginningofthetrial,Raskolnikov’smotherbecameill.Dunya
andRazumikhinuseditasanopportunitytoremoveherfromPetersburgduring
thetrial.RazumikhinchoseatownalongtherailwayclosetoPetersburginorder
tohavethechancetofollowregularlytheentirecourseofthetrialandatthe
sametimetoseeAvdotyaRomanovnaasoftenaspossible.Pulkheriya
Aleksandrovna’sillnesswasastrangenervousailmentandwasaccompaniedby
somethinglikeinsanity,ifnotcompletely,thenatleastpartially.Dunya,
returningfromherlastmeetingwithherbrother,foundhermotherveryill,ina
feveranddelirious.ThateveningsheconferredwithRazumikhinabouthowto
replytohermother’squestionsaboutherbrother,andevenconceivedwithhima
wholeaccountaboutRaskolnikov’sdeparturetosomewherefaraway,at
Russia’sfrontier,onaprivatemissionthatwouldeventuallybringhimboth
wealthandfame.ButtheyweresurprisedthatPulkheriyaAleksandrovnadidn’t
askanythingmoreaboutit,eitherthenorlater.Onthecontrary,sheherself
inventedanentirestorytoexplainthesuddendisappearanceofherson:she
wouldtearfullynarratehowhehadcometosayfarewelltoher;shehintedthat
onlysheknewthemanyextremelyimportantandmysteriouscircumstances;she
saidthatRodyahadagreatdealofverypowerfulenemiesand,therefore,hadto
keephimselfhiddenaway.Asfarashisfuturecareerwasconcerned,italso
seemedindisputableandbrilliant,oncecertainhostilecircumstanceswere
removed;sheconvincedRazumikhinthathersonwouldintimeevenbecomea

manofstate,whichwasdemonstratedbyhisarticleandhisbrilliantliterary
talent.Shereadhisarticleoverandover,evenreaditaloudsometimes,
practicallysleptwithit;still,shehardlyinquiredastowhereexactlyRodyawas
now,inspiteofthefacttheywereobviouslyavoidingthatsubjectwithher—that
factaloneshouldhavearousedhersuspicions.Atlasttheybegantofear
PulkheriyaAleksandrovna’sstrangesilenceonseveralpoints.Forexample,she
didn’tevencomplainthattherewerenolettersfromhim,whereaspreviously,
backintheirlittletown,she’dlivedonlyinhopeandexpectationofreceivinga
letterassoonaspossiblefromherbelovedRodya.Thislastcircumstancewas
tooinexplicableanddisturbedDunyaagreatdeal;itoccurredtoherthather
mother,perhaps,hadaforebodingofsomethingterribleinherson’sfateandthat
shewasafraidtoask,soasnottofindoutsomethingevenmoreterrible.Inany
case,DunyaclearlysawthatPulkheriyaAleksandrovnawasnotinherright mind.

Severaltimes,however,ithappenedthatsheherselfbeganaconversationin
whichitbecameimpossible,inansweringher,nottomentionwhereRodyawas
atthepresenttime;whenthereplieswere,ofnecessity,unsatisfactoryand
suspect,shesuddenlybecameextremelysad,gloomy,andtaciturn,which
conditioncontinuedforaverylongtime.FinallyDunyarealizedthatitwas
difficulttolieandinventastory;shearrivedatthedefinitiveconclusionthatit
wasbettertoremaincompletelysilentaboutcertainpoints;butitwasbecoming
clearerandclearer,tothepointofobvious,thattheirpoormothersuspected
somethingawful.Dunyarecalled,moreover,herbrother’swordstotheeffect
thathermotherhadoverheardhernighttimeravingontheeveofthatlastfateful
day,afterthescenewithSvidrigaylov:hadsheperhapsfoundoutsomething then?
Often,sometimesafterseveraldaysorevenweeksofgloomy,morose
silenceandsilenttears,thesickwomanbecamehystericallyagitatedand
suddenlybegantalkingaloud,almostwithoutpausing,aboutherson,herhopes
forhim,abouthisfuture....Herfantasiesweresometimesverystrange.They
wouldconsoleher,humorher(sheherself,perhaps,clearlysawthattheywere
humoringherandmerelyconsolingher),butstillshetalked...

Fivemonthsafterthecriminal’sconfessioncamehissentencing.

Razumikhinhadgonetoseehiminprisonwheneveritwaspossibletodoso.

Sonya,too.Atlastcametheseparation:Dunyasworetoherbrotherthatthis
separationwasnotforever;sodidRazumikhin.InRazumikhin’syouthfuland
fierymind,theretookrootaplantoestablishwithinthenextthreeorfouryears,
aspossible,thefoundationofhisfutureincome,toaccumulateevenacertain
amountofmoneyandtomovetoSiberia,wherethesoilwasrichinallrespects,
andwheretherewerefewworkers,fewpeople,andlittlecapital;hewouldsettle

inthetownwhereRodyawouldbeand...theywouldallbeginanewlife
together.Theyallweptastheyparted.Thelastfewdays,Raskolnikovwasvery
absorbed;heinquiredfrequentlyabouthismother,andwasconstantlyworried
abouther.Heevenfeltverytormentedonherbehalf,whichupsetDunya.When
helearnedindetailabouthismother’ssicklycondition,hebecameverygloomy.
Allthistime,forsomereason,hemaintainedhissilencewithSonya.She,with
thehelpofsomemoneylefttoherbySvidrigaylov,hadlongagoplannedand
beenpreparingherselftofollowthebandofconvictsinwhichhewouldalsobe
sentintoexile.Notawordaboutthiswaseverexchangedbetweenherand
Raskolnikov;butbothofthemknewthatitwouldbeso.Attheverylast
farewell,hesmiledstrangelyatthepassionateassurancesofhissisterand
Razumikhinabouttheirhappyfuturewhenhewouldbereleasedfromprison,
andhepredictedthathismother’sillnesswouldsoonendincalamity.Atlasthe
andSonyadeparted.

Twomonthslater,DunechkamarriedRazumikhin.Theweddingwassomber
andquiet.PorfiryPetrovichandZosimovwereamongthoseinvitedtothe
ceremony.Throughoutthistime,Razumikhinhadtheairofsomeonefirmly
resolved.Dunyabelievedblindlythathewouldfulfillallhisintentions,and,in
fact,shehadtobelievehim:thismanhadanironwill.Meanwhile,hebegan
attendinguniversitylectures,againinordertocompletehiscourse.Theywere
bothdrawingupplansforthefuture;theywerebothcountingfirmlyonsettling
inSiberiaafterfiveyears.Untilthen,theywererelyingonSonyathere...

PulkheriyaAleksandrovnagladlyblessedherdaughter’smarriageto
Razumikhin;butaftertheceremony,sheseemedtobecomesadderandmore
troubled.Inordertoaffordhersomepleasantmoments,asitwere,Razumikhin
informedherofthefactsaboutthestudentandhisdecrepitfather,andabout
howRodyareceivedburnsandeventookillaftersavingtwochildrenfromthe
firethepreviousyear.BothpiecesofnewsbroughtPulkheriyaAleksandrovna’s
alreadydisorderedmindalmosttoastateofecstasy.Shetalkedaboutit
constantly,andevenenteredintoconversationsonthestreet(althoughDunya
alwaysaccompaniedher).Inpubliccarriagesorinshops,seizinguponsome
listener,shewouldleadtheconversationtoherson,hisarticle,howhehelpeda
student,howhewasburnedinthefire,andsoforth.Dunechkadidn’tevenknow
howtorestrainher.Besidesthedangerofsuchanecstatic,morbidmood,there
wasalwaysthechancethatsomeonemightrecallRaskolnikov’snamefromthe
formerlegalprocessandbegintalkingaboutit.PulkheriyaAleksandrovnaeven
foundouttheaddressofthemotherofthetwochildrenrescuedfromthefireand
wanteddesperatelytogoseeher.Atlastheragitationgrewtoanextreme
degree.Sometimesshewouldsuddenlystartweeping;shefrequentlyfellilland
wouldbeginravinginafever.Onemorningshedeclaredopenlythataccording
tohercalculations,Rodyashouldbecomingbacksoon;thatsherecalledhow,at
theirparting,hehimselfhadremindedherthatsheshouldexpecthiminnine
months.Shebegantidyinguptheapartmentandpreparingforthereunion,began
toarrangetheroomintendedforhim(herown),topolishthefurniture,towash
andhangnewcurtainsthere,andsoon.Dunyabecamealarmed,butshekept
silentandevenhelpedherpreparetheroomforwelcomingherbrother.Aftera
fretfuldayspentinendlessfantasies,injoyfuldaydreamsandtears,thatnight
shefellillandinthemorningwasinafeveranddelirium.Aburningfeverset
in.Twoweekslater,shedied.Inherdelirium,wordsescapedherfromwhich
onecouldconcludethatshesuspectedagreatdealmoreaboutherson’sterrible
fatethantheyhadsupposed.

Raskolnikovdidn’tlearnabouthismother’sdeathforalongtime,althougha
correspondencewithPetersburgwasinstitutedattheverybeginningofhisexile
inSiberia.IthadbeenestablishedbySonya,whofaithfullywroteletterseach
monthtoPetersburg,addressedtoRazumikhin,andshefaithfullyreceiveda
replybackfromPetersburgeachmonth.Sonya’slettersatfirstseemed
somewhatdryandunsatisfactorytoDunyaandRazumikhin;butintheendthey
bothfoundthatitwasimpossibletowritebetterletters,becausetheseletters
resultedinthefullestandmostaccuratepictureoftheirunfortunatebrother’s
fate.Sonya’sletterswerefilledwiththemostordinaryreality,thesimplestand
clearestdescriptionofthecircumstancesofRaskolnikov’slifeasaconvict.They
containednostatementofherownhopes,noguessesaboutthefuture,no
descriptionsofherownfeelings.Insteadofanattempttoclarifyhisspiritual
stateofmindandhisinternallifeingeneral,therewereonlyfacts—thatis,his
ownwords,detailednewsabouthisstateofhealth,whathewishedforattheir
meetings,whatheaskedherfor,whatcommissionsheentrustedherwith,andso
forth.Allofthisnewswascommunicatedinextraordinarydetail.Intheend,the
imageoftheirunfortunatebrotherstoodoutonitsown,wasdrawnclearlyand
accurately;therecouldn’tbeanymistakes,becauseallofitwasbasedontrue facts.

ButDunyaandherhusbandcouldderivelittlejoyfromthisnews,especially
atthebeginning.SonyaregularlywrotethatRaskolnikovwasconstantly
gloomy,uncommunicative,andevenalmostlackingallinterestinthenewsshe
conveyedtohimfromeachlettershereceived;thatsometimeshewouldask
abouthismother;andwhenSonya,seeingthathewasalreadysurmisingthe
truth,relayedtohimatlastthenewsofhismother’sdeath,toherastonishment,
eventhatseemednottohavemucheffectonhim;atleastthatwashowit
seemedfromhisoutwardappearance.Shewrote,bytheway,thatinspiteofthe

factthathewassoabsorbedinhimselfandseemedremotefromeveryoneelse,
herelatedtohisnewlifeveryopenlyandsimply;thatheunderstoodhisposition
clearly,didn’texpectanythingbetterinthenearfuture,didn’tharborany
frivoloushopes(socharacteristicofhissituation),andwashardlysurprisedby
anythinginhisnewcircumstances,sounlikeanythinghehadeverknown
before.Shetoldthemthathishealthwassatisfactory.Hewenttowork,neither
avoidingnorapproachingiteagerly.Hewasindifferenttofood,butitwasso
bad,exceptforSundaysandholidays,thatatlasthewillinglyacceptedsome
moneyfromSonyatoprovideforhisownteaeveryday;asforalltherest,he
askedhernottotroubleherself,assuringherthatallherworriesmerelyannoyed
him.Further,Sonyawrotethathesharedlivingquarterswithalltheothersinthe
prison;shehadn’tseentheinsideoftheirbarracksbuthadconcludedthatitwas
crowded,horrid,andunsanitary;thathesleptonaplank-bedwithastripoffelt
underneathhim;andthathedidn’twanttoarrangeanythingbetterforhimself.

Butshesaidthathewaslivingsocrudelyandpoorlynotatallasaresultof
someprearrangedplanorintention,butsimplyfrominattentionandexternal
indifferencetohisfate.Sonyawroteopenlythatespeciallyinthebeginning,he
didn’ttakeanyinterestinhervisits,andevenbecameannoyedather;thathe
wasuncommunicativeandevenrudetoher,butthatlaterthesemeetingsbecame
ahabitandalmostanecessity,sothatheevenmissedthemverymuchwhenshe
wasillforafewdaysandwasunabletovisithim.Onholidaysshesawhimat
theprisongatesorintheguardroom,wheretheywouldsummonhimtoherfora
fewminutes;onweekdaysshesawhimatworkwhenshewentintothe
workshops,orthebrickfactory,ortheshedsonthebanksoftheIrtysh.About
herself,Sonyainformedthemthatshehadevenbeenabletomakeseveral
acquaintancesandpatronsintown;thatshe’dfoundworkasaseamstress,and
sincetherewerehardlyanydressmakersintown,shehadbecomeessentialin
manyhouses;butshedidn’tmentionthatthroughherRaskolnikovalsoreceived
acertainamountofpatronagefromtheauthorities,thathisworkloadwas
lightened,andsoforth.Atlastnewsarrived(Dunyaevennoticedacertain
agitationandalarminherlatestletters)thathewasshunningeverybody,andthat
theotherconvictsintheprisondidn’treallylikehim;thathewassilentfordays
atatimeandwasbecomingverypale.Suddenly,inherlastletter,Sonyawrote
thathehadfallenveryillandwasintheconvicts’wardinthehospital...
II

Hehadbeenillforalongtime;butneitherthehorrorsoflifeasaconvict,nor
thework,northefood,norhisshavedhead,norhistatteredclothinghadbroken
him.Oh,whatdidhecareaboutallthistormentandsuffering?Onthecontrary,
heevenwasgladforthework:byexhaustinghimselfwithphysicallabor,at
leasthecouldaffordhimselfseveralhoursofpeacefulsleep.Andwhatdidfood
meantohim?Meatlesscabbagesoupwithcockroachesinit?Duringhisearlier
lifeasastudent,hehadoftenlackedeventhat.Hisclotheswerewarmand
adaptedtohiswayoflife.Hedidn’tevenfeeltheshackleshewore.Washeto
beashamedofhisshavenheadandhisgray-and-blackconvict’sjacket?But
beforewhom?Sonya?Sonyawasafraidofhim,andwashesupposedtofeel
ashamedbeforeher?

Sowhatthen?Hedidfeelashamed,evenbeforeSonya,whomhetormented
withhiscontemptuousandrudetreatment.Buthewasnotashamedofhis
shavenheadandhisshackles:hispridewasdeeplywounded,andhefellillasa
resultofhiswoundedpride.Oh,howhappyhewouldhavebeenifhecouldhave
blamedhimself!Hecouldhavetoleratedeverything,evenshameanddisgrace!

Buthejudgedhimselfseverely,andhisembitteredconsciencecouldfindno
particularlyterribleguiltinhispast,asidefromhissimple blunder, whichcould
havehappenedtoanyone.Hewasashamedofthefactthathe,Raskolnikov,had
cometogriefsoblindly,hopelessly,obscurely,andstupidly,bysomedecreeof
blindfate,andthathehadtohumblehimselfandsubmittothe“nonsense”of
suchadecreeifheeverwantedtosethismindatrest.

Anaimlessandidleanxietyinthepresent,andendlesssacrificeinthefuture,
bymeansofwhichhewouldobtainnothing—thatwaswhattheworldheldin
storeforhim.Andsowhatifineightyearshewouldbeonlythirty-twoand
couldstarttolivehislifealloveragain?Whyshouldhegoonliving?What
wouldbeinstoreforhim?Whatwouldhehavetolookforwardto?Togoon
livingmerelytoexist?Evenpreviouslyhe’dbeenpreparedtosacrificehis
existenceforanidea,forsomehope,evenforsomefantasy.Butexistencealone
hadalwaysbeentoolittleforhim;he’dalwayswantedmore.Perhaps,merelyby
thestrengthofhisdesires,hehadconsideredhimselfamantowhommorewas
permittedthantootherpeople.
Andifonlyfatehadsenthimremorse—burningremorse,crushingtheheart,
banishingsleep,toescapefromwhichmendreamofthenooseorthemaelstrom!

Hewouldhavebeengladofit!Tormentsandtears—that,too,meanslife.Buthe

Hewouldhavebeengladofit!Tormentsandtears—that,too,meanslife.Buthe
didnotfeelremorseforhiscrime.

Atleasthecouldhavebeenfuriousathisownstupidity,justasbeforehehad
beenangryatthehideousandstupidactionsthatlandedhiminprison.Butnow,
alreadyimprisoned,and atliberty, heonceagainjudgedandconsideredallhis
earlieractionsanddidn’tfindthemsostupidandhideousastheyhadseemedto
himpreviously,atthatfatefultime.

“How,”hethought,“howwasmyideaanymorefoolishthanotherideasand
theoriesthathavebeenswarmingandconflictingwithoneanotherontheearth
sincetheworldwascreated?Onemustmerelyregardthematterwitha
completelyindependent,broadpointofview,freedfromeverydayinfluences,
andthen,ofcourse,myideaappearsnotatall...strange.Oh,younegatorsand so-
calledwisemen,whydoyoustophalfwaythere?

“Whydoesmyactionseemsohideoustothem?”heaskedhimself.“Thefact
thatitwas...anevildeed?Whatdothewords‘evildeed’mean?My
conscienceisclear.Ofcourse,itwaslegallyacrime;ofcourse,theletterofthe
lawwasbrokenandbloodwasshed;well,takemyheadforviolatingtheletter
ofthelaw...that’ssufficient!Ofcourse,inthatcase,manybenefactorsof
humanity,thosewhodidn’tinherittheirpowerbutwhoseizeditforthemselves,
shouldhavebeenpunishedwhentheytooktheirveryfirststeps.Butthese
peoplemanagedtocarryoutthosesteps,andtherefore theywereright;butI
wasn’tableto,andthereforeIdidn’thavetherighttoallowmyselftotakethat step.”

Thatwastheonlywayheacknowledgedhiscrime:onlythathehadfailedto
seeitthroughandhadturnedhimselfin.

Healsosufferedfromanotherthought:Whyhadn’thekilledhimselfthen?

Whyhadhestoodovertheriverandthenchosentoturnhimselfin?Wasit
reallythatthedesireforlifewassostrongandsodifficulttoovercome?Hadn’t
Svidrigaylov,whowasafraidofdeath,overcomeit?
Hetormentedhimselfwiththisquestionandwasunabletounderstandwhy,
whenhe’dstoodabovetheriver,hecouldalreadysenseaprofoundliein
himselfandinhisconvictions.Hedidn’tunderstandthatsuchapremonition
couldbeapredictionofafuturecrisisinhislife,ofhisfutureresurrection,ofa
futureviewoflifeitself.

Hewouldsooneradmittoonlytheheavyburdenofinstinct,whichhewas
unabletobreachandwhichheoncemorelackedthestrengthtosurmount(due
tohisweaknessandinsignificance).Heobservedhisfellowconvictsandwas
surprised:howtheyall,too,lovedlife,andhowtheyvaluedit!Itevenseemedto
himthatinprisontheyloved,valued,andcherisheditevenmorethanwhenthey
hadbeenfree.Whatterriblesufferingandtormentssomeofthemhadendured,

hadbeenfree.Whatterriblesufferingandtormentssomeofthemhadendured,
thetramps,forexample!Wasitreallytruethatarayofsunlightcouldmeanso
muchtothem,athickforest,acoldspringsomewhereintheremotebackwoods,
observedsomeyearsbefore;thetrampdreamtofarendezvouswiththespringas
ifitwereameetingwithabeloved;hebehelditinhisdreams,surroundedby
greengrass,abirdsinginginthebushes.WhenRaskolnikovlookedaround,he
sawevenmoreinexplicableexamples.

Inprison,inhissurroundings,therewasagreatdealthathedidn’tsee,of
course,andthathedidn’twanttosee.Helived,asitwere,withhiseyes
downcast:hefounditloathsomeandunbearabletolook.Butintheend,agreat
dealbegantosurprisehim,andhe,asifunintentionally,begantonoticethings
thathehadn’tevensuspectedbefore.Ingeneralandmostofall,hewassurprised
bytheterribleandinsuperableabyssthatseparatedhimfromallthesecommon
people.Itseemedasifheandtheybelongedtodifferentnations.Heandthey
regardedeachotherwithdistrustandhostility.Heknewandunderstoodthe
generalreasonsforsuchaseparation;buthehadneverrealizedbeforethatthese
reasonswereinfactsoprofoundandsopowerful.Alsointheprisonweresome
exiledPoles,politicalprisoners.Theysimplyconsideredallthesecommon
peopletobeignorantpeasantsanddespisedthemsuperciliously;but
Raskolnikovcouldn’tregardthemthatway;heclearlysawthattheseignorant
folkwereinmanywaysmuchsmarterthanthePoles.Therewereseveral
Russianswhoalsoscornedthesecommonpeople—oneformerofficerandtwo
seminarians;Raskolnikovsawtheirerrorclearly,aswell.
NoonemuchlikedRaskolnikov;everyoneshunnedhim.Eventuallythey
evengrewtohatehim.Why?Hedidn’tknow.Theydespisedhimandmocked
him;thosewhosecrimeswerefarworsethanhismadefunofhiscrime.

“You’reagentleman!”theykeptsaying.“Whatwereyoudoingwithanaxe?

That’snotagentleman’sbusiness.”

DuringthesecondweekofLent,itwashisturn,withthoseinhisbarracks,to
fastbeforetakingCommunion.Hewenttochurchtopraywiththeothermen.

Onedaytherearoseaquarrel,thoughhehimselfdidn’treallyknowwhy.The
othermenallturnedonhiminafury.

“You’reanatheist!”theyshoutedathim.“Youdon’tbelieveinGod!We
shouldkillyou.”

HehadneveroncetalkedwiththemaboutGodorfaith,buttheywantedto
killhimforbeinganatheist;hekeptsilentandmadenoreply.Oneofthe
convictswasabouttoattackhiminarabidfrenzy;Raskolnikovwaitedforhim
serenelyandinsilence:hedidn’tbudge;notasinglefeatureofhisfacequivered.

Aguardmanagedtocomebetweenhimandhiswould-bemurdererjustintime

—orelsebloodwouldhavebeenshed.

—orelsebloodwouldhavebeenshed.

Therewasstilloneotherquestionthathewasunabletoanswer:whydidall
themencometoloveSonyasomuch?Shedidn’ttrytoingratiateherselfwith
them;theymetherinfrequently,sometimesonlywhentheywereatworkand
shewouldstopforaminutetoseeRaskolnikov.Meanwhile,theyallknewher,
knewthatshehadfollowed him, knewhowshelivedandwhereshelived.She
didn’tgivethemanymoneyanddidn’tofferanyparticularservices.Justonce,at
Christmas,she’dbroughtgiftsfortheentireprison:piesandrolls.Butgradually
warmerrelationsarosebetweenthemandSonya:shewrotelettersforthemto
theirfamiliesandsentthemofffromthepostoffice.Theirrelativeswhoarrived
intown,bothmenandwomen,leftthingswithherforthemen,evenmoney,
accordingtotheirwishes.Wivesandsweetheartsknewherandvisitedher.
Whensheappearedattheirworksites,goingtoseeRaskolnikov,orwhenshe
happenedtomeetagroupofconvictsontheirwaytowork,theyalldoffedtheir
capsandbowedtoher:“Littlemother,SofiyaSemyonovna,you’reourmother,
dearandtenderlittlemother!”thesecrude,hardenedconvictswouldsaytothis
small,frailcreature.Shewouldsmileandbowtothem;theyallloveditwhen
shesmiledatthem.Theyevenlovedhergaitandwouldturntolookatherasshe
wentbyandwouldpraiseher;theyevenpraisedherforbeingsosmall;they
didn’tevenknowwhatelsetopraiseherfor.Whentheyfellill,theyevenwent
tohertobetreated.

RaskolnikovlayinthehospitalallduringtheendofLentandtheHolyWeek
ofEaster.Oncehebegantorecover,herecalledhisdreamswhenhe’dlainthere
inafeveranddelirium.Duringhisillnesshe’ddreamtthatthewholeworldwas
condemnedtofallvictimtosometerrible,previouslyunknownpestilence,which
wasmovingtowardEuropeoutofthedepthsofAsia.Everyonewouldperish
exceptforachosenfew,veryfew.Somekindofnewtrichinahadappeared,and
themicroscopicorganismssettledinhumanbodies.Buttheseorganismswere
creaturesendowedwithintelligenceandwill.Peoplewhowereaffected
immediatelybecamepossessedandinsane.Butnever,neverdidthesepeople
considerthemselvessointelligentandsoinfallibleaboutthetruthaswhenthey
wereinfected.Neverdidtheyconsidertheirpronouncements,theirscientific
conclusions,theirmoralconvictionsandbeliefssoinfallible.Wholepopulations,
wholetownsandnationsbecameinfectedandwentinsane.Everyonewas
anxious,nooneunderstoodanyoneelse,eachonethoughtthattruthresidedin
himaloneand,regardingalltheothers,suffered,beathischest,wept,andwrung
hishands.Theydidn’tknowwhomtotryandhowtojudge;theycouldn’tagree
onwhatconstitutedgoodandevil.Theydidn’tknowwhomtocondemnand
whomtoacquit.Peoplekilledeachotherinsenselessrage.Theyassembled

wholearmiesagainstoneanother,butwhenthesearmieswereonthemarch,the
troopssuddenlybegantofightamongthemselves,theranksdisintegrated,the
soldiersfellononeanother,stabbedandslashedoneanother,bitandateone
another.Intownsthealarmsoundedalldaylong:theysummonedeveryone,but
nooneknewwhohadcalledorwhytheyhadbeencalled,andeveryonewas
anxious.Theyforsookthemostordinarytradesbecauseeveryoneproposedhis
ownideasandsuggestions,andtheywereunabletoagree;agriculturewas
abandoned.Insomeplacespeopleformedintogroups,agreedonsomething
together,andsworenottodisband—butimmediatelytheybegantodo
somethingquitedifferentfromwhattheythemselveshadjustproposed.They
begantoaccuseoneanother,tofightandslaughteroneanother.Conflagrations
arose,faminefollowed.Nearlyeverythingandeveryoneperished.Thepestilence
grewandadvancedfurtherandfurther.Onlyafewpeopleinthewholeworld
couldbesaved;thesewerethepureandchosen,destinedtofoundanewraceof
peopleandanewlife,torenewandpurifytheearth;butnoonehadeverseen
thesepeople,noonehadeverheardtheirwordsortheirvoices.

Raskolnikovwastormentedbythefactthatthissenselessdeliriumlingered
inhismemorysosorrowfullyandpainfully,thattheimpactofthesefeverish
fantasieswastakingsolongtofade.ItwasalreadythesecondweekafterEaster;
thespringlikedayswerewarmandclear;thewindowshadbeenopenedinthe
convicts’ward(windowsthatwerebarredandguardedbyasentry).Sonya,all
duringhisillness,wasabletovisithiminthewardonlytwice;eachtimeshehad
toreceivepermission,andthatwashardtoobtain.Butoftenshecametothe
hospitalandstoodunderthewindows,especiallyintheevening;sometimesit
wasonlytostandthereinthecourtyardforaminuteandglancefromadistance
atthewindowsoftheward.Oneevening,Raskolnikov,whohadalmost
completelyrecovered,dozedoff;whenheawoke,hehappenedtoapproachthe
windowandsuddenlycaughtsightofSonyainthedistance,standingnearthe
hospitalgates.Shestoodthereasifshewerewaitingforsomething.Atthat
moment,somethingseemedtopiercehisheart;heshudderedandquicklymoved
awayfromthewindow.ThenextdaySonyadidn’tappear,nordidshetheday
after;herealizedthathewaswaitinganxiouslyforher.Atlasttheydischarged
himfromthehospital.Whenhereturnedtotheprison,helearnedfromtheother
convictsthatSofiyaSemyonovnahadfallenillandwasstayingathome,unable
togoanywhere.

Hewasveryupsetandsenttoinquireabouther.Soonhefoundoutthather
illnesswasnotdangerous.Havinglearned,inturn,thathewasdepressedand
concernedabouther,Sonyasenthimanotewritteninpencil,informinghimthat
shewasmuchbetter,thatshehadcaughtasimple,mildcold,andthatshewould
cometoseehimwhereheworkedsoon,verysoon.Whenhereadthisnote,his

cometoseehimwhereheworkedsoon,verysoon.Whenhereadthisnote,his
heartstartedbeatingviolentlyandpainfully.
Thedaywasonceagainclearandwarm.Earlyinthemorning,aroundsix
o’clock,hesetoffforworkonthebanksoftheriver,whereakilnforbakinghad
beensetupinashedandwherethealabasterwascrushed.Onlythreemenwere
senttoworkthere.Oneoftheconvicts,accompaniedbyaguard,wentofftothe
fortresstofetchacertaintool;anotherbegantosplitfirewoodandloadthekiln.

Raskolnikovwalkedoutoftheshedandovertotheriverbank,satdownonapile
oflogsnearby,andbegangazingoutatthewide,emptyriver.Abroadlandscape
openedupfromthehighbank.Fromthedistantoppositebankhecouldhearthe
soundofsinging.There,intheimmensesteppe,floodedwithsunlight,darktents
ofsomenomadswerebarelyvisible.Overtherewasfreedom;overtherelived
otherpeople,notatallliketheonesonthissideoftheriver;itwasasiftimehad
stoodstillthere,asiftheageofAbrahamandhisflockshadnotyetpassed.

Raskolnikovsatthere,watchingwithoutmoving,andcouldn’ttearhimself
away;histhoughtswanderedintodaydreams,intocontemplation;hewasn’t
thinkingaboutanything,butsomelongingtroubledandtormentedhim.

SuddenlySonyaturneduprightnexttohim.Shehadapproachedalmost
silentlyandsatdownalongsidehim.Itwasstillveryearly;themorningchillhad
notyetpassed.Shewaswearinghershabbyoldcapeandhergreenshawl.Her
facestillshowedtracesofillness;ithadgrownthinner,paler,morepinched.She
gavehimawelcoming,joyfulsmilebutextendedherhandtohimtimidly,as usual.

Shealwaysextendedherhandtohimtimidly;sometimesshedidn’teven
offerherhandatall,asifafraidthathewouldpushitaway.Healwaysseemed
totakeherhandwithreluctance,alwaysgreetedherwithakindofannoyance,
sometimesmaintaininghisstubbornsilenceallduringtheirmeeting.Sometimes
ithappenedthatshefeltafraidinhispresenceandleftindeepsorrow.Butnow
theirhandsremainedjoined;hecastaswiftglanceather,saidnothing,and
loweredhiseyestotheground.Theywerealone;noonesawthem.Theguard
hadturnedawayforatime.

Howithappened,hehimselfdidn’tknow,butallofasuddensomething
seemedtoseizeholdofhimand,asitwere,casthimdownatherfeet.Hewept
andembracedherknees.Atfirstshewasterriblyfrightened,andherfacefroze.
Shejumpedupand,trembling,lookedathim.Butimmediately,atthatvery
moment,sheunderstoodeverything.Infinitehappinessshoneinhereyes;she
understood,andhadnodoubt,thathelovedher,lovedherinfinitely,andthatat
lastthemomenthadarrived...

Theywantedtospeak,butcouldnot.Tearsstoodintheireyes.Theywere
bothpaleandthin;butintheirsickly,palefacesalreadyglimmeredthedawnof

bothpaleandthin;butintheirsickly,palefacesalreadyglimmeredthedawnof
arenewedfuture,ofperfectresurrectiontoanewlife.Lovehadresurrected
them;theheartofonecontainedinfinitesourcesoflifefortheheartoftheother.

Theydeterminedtowaitandendure.Sevenyearsremainedbeforethem;
untilthentherestoodsomuchunbearabletormentandsomuchinfinite
happiness!Buthewasresurrected,andheknewit;hefeltitcompletelywiththe
entiretyofhisrenewedbeing,andshe—well,shelivedonlyinhislife!

Thesameevening,afterthebarrackshadbeenlocked,Raskolnikovlayon
hisbunkandthoughtabouther.Thatdayithadevenseemedtohimasifallthe
otherconvicts,formerlyhisenemies,hadalreadybegunregardinghim
differently.Hehimselfhadevenstartedtoconversewiththem,andthey’d
repliedtohimpolitely.Herecalledthatnow,butafterall,wasn’tthathowit
shouldbe:surelynoweverythingwouldchange?

Hewasthinkingabouther.Herememberedhowhehadconstantlytormented
herandrentherheart;herecalledherlittlepale,thinface,butnowthese
reminiscenceshadalmostceasedtorturinghim:heknewhowhisinfinitelove
wouldcompensateforallhersuffering.

Andwhatweretheyallnow, all thetormentsofthepast!Everything,even

hiscrime,evenhissentenceandexile,nowseemedtohim,onfirstimpulse,as
somesortofexternal,strangefactsthathadn’tevenhappenedtohim.However,
thateveninghewasunabletothinkforlongorcontinuouslyaboutanything,or
tofocusonsomethought;infact,nowhewasnotdecidinganything
consciously;hewasonlyfeeling.Insteadofthedialectic,lifeitselfhadarrived,
andinhisconsciousnesssomethingaltogetherdifferenthadtobeworkedout.
AGospellayunderhispillow.Hetookitoutautomatically.Thebook
belongedtoher;itwasthesameonefromwhichshehadreadtohimthe
resurrectionofLazarus.Atthebeginningofhisprisonterm,he’dthoughtthat
shewouldtormenthimwithreligion,thatshewouldtalkabouttheGospel,and
pesterhimwithbooks.But,tohisgreatastonishment,shedidn’tmentioniteven
once,andhadneverevenofferedhimtheGospel.Hehimselfhadrequestedit
fromhernotlongbeforehisillness,andshe’dbroughthimthebookwithout
comment.Uptonow,hehadn’tevenopenedit.

Hestilldidn’topenitnow,butonethoughtoccurredtohim:“Couldher
convictionsreallybecomemyconvictions?Herfeelings,hersufferings,at least...”

She,too,feltagitatedallthatday,andthatnightsheevenfeltsickagain.But
shewassohappythatshealmostfearedherownhappiness.Sevenyears, only
sevenyears!Atthestartoftheirhappiness,atcertainmoments,theywereboth
readytoregardthosesevenyearsassevendays.Hedidn’tevenknowthatanew

lifewouldnotbegrantedtohimfornothing,thathestillhadtopayagreatdeal
forit,topurchaseitwithsomegreatfuturedeed...

Butthatisthebeginningofanewstory,thestoryofthegradualrenewalofa
person,thestoryofhisgradualrebirth,andgradualtransitionfromoneworldto
another,ofhisgettingtoknowanew,hithertocompletelyunknownreality.This
couldbecomethethemeofanewnarrative—butourpresentoneisended.

ALSOBYMICHAELR.KATZ

TheLiteraryBalladinNineteenth-Century

RussianLiterature DreamsandtheUnconsciousinNineteenth-Century
RussianFictionSELECTEDTRANSLATIONSBYMICHAELR.
KATZ
WhoistoBlame? (AlexanderHerzen) WhatistobeDone? (Nikolai
Chernyshevsky) NotesfromUnderground(FyodorDostoevsky) Tolstoy’s
ShortFiction(LeoTolstoy) Devils(FyodorDostoevsky)
PolinkaSaksandTheStoryofAlekseiDmitrich

(AleksandrDruzhinin) FathersandChildren(IvanTurgenev) Prologue

(NikolaiChernyshevsky) Antonina(EvgeniyaTur)

Sanin(MikhailArtsybashev)

TheFive(VladimirJabotinsky)

TheSeagull(BorisAkunin)

NotesfromBeyondtheTomb(VladimirPecherin) TheDachaHusband
(IvanShcheglov) Pioneers(S.An-sky)

TheKreutzerSonataVariations:LevTolstoy’sNovellaand
Counterstories(SofiyaTolstayaandLevTolstoy) HardTimes(Vasily Slepstov)
Document Outline
Title
Introduction
Note on The Translation
Names of Principal Characters
Note on the Characters’ Names
Part 1
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
Part 2
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
Part 3
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
Part 4
I
II
III
IV
 V
VI
Part 5
I
II
III
IV
V
Part 6
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
Epilogue
I
II
Also by Michael R. Katz
 Table of Contents
Title
Introduction
Note on The Translation
Names of Principal Characters
Note on the Characters’ Names
Part 1
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
Part 2
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
Part 3
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
Part 4
I
II
III
IV
V
 VI
Part 5
I
II
III
IV
V
Part 6
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
Epilogue
I
II
Also by Michael R. Katz