第8章

Raskolnikovwasalreadyenteringtheroom。Hecameinlookingasthoughhehadtheutmostdifficultynottoburstoutlaughingagain。BehindhimRazumihinstrodeingawkyandawkward，shamefacedandredasapeony，withanutterlycrestfallenandferociousexpression。HisfaceandwholefigurereallywereridiculousatthatmomentandamplyjustifiedRaskolnikov’slaughter。Raskolnikov，notwaitingforanintroduction，bowedtoPorfiryPetrovitch，whostoodinthemiddleoftheroomlookinginquiringlyatthem。Heheldouthishandandshookhands，stillapparentlymakingdesperateeffortstosubduehismirthandutterafewwordstointroducehimself。ButhehadnosoonersucceededinassumingaseriousairandmutteringsomethingwhenhesuddenlyglancedagainasthoughaccidentallyatRazumihin，andcouldnolongercontrolhimself:hisstifledlaughterbrokeoutthemoreirresistiblythemorehetriedtorestrainit。TheextraordinaryferocitywithwhichRazumihinreceivedthis“spontaneous”mirthgavethewholescenetheappearanceofmostgenuinefunandnaturalness。Razumihinstrengthenedthisimpressionasthoughonpurpose。

“Fool！Youfiend，”heroared，wavinghisarmwhichatoncestruckalittleroundtablewithanemptytea-glassonit。Everythingwassentflyingandcrashing。

“Butwhybreakchairs，gentlemen？Youknowit’salosstotheCrown，”PorfiryPetrovitchquotedgaily。

Raskolnikovwasstilllaughing，withhishandinPorfiryPetrovitch’s，butanxiousnottooverdoit，awaitedtherightmomenttoputanaturalendtoit。Razumihin，completelyputtoconfusionbyupsettingthetableandsmashingtheglass，gazedgloomilyatthefragments，cursedandturnedsharplytothewindowwherehestoodlookingoutwithhisbacktothecompanywithafiercelyscowlingcountenance，seeingnothing。PorfiryPetrovitchlaughedandwasreadytogoonlaughing，butobviouslylookedforexplanations。Zametovhadbeensittinginthecorner，butheroseatthevisitors’entranceandwasstandinginexpectationwithasmileonhislips，thoughhelookedwithsurpriseandevenitseemedincredulityatthewholesceneandatRaskolnikovwithacertainembarrassment。Zametov’sunexpectedpresencestruckRaskolnikovunpleasantly。

“I’vegottothinkofthat，”hethought。“Excuseme，please，”hebegan，affectingextremeembarrassment。“Raskolnikov。”

“Notatall，verypleasanttoseeyou…andhowpleasantlyyou’vecomein。…Why，won’theevensaygood-morning？”PorfiryPetrovitchnoddedatRazumihin。

“UponmyhonourIdon’tknowwhyheisinsucharagewithme。IonlytoldhimaswecamealongthathewaslikeRomeo…andprovedit。Andthatwasall，Ithink！”

“Pig！”ejaculatedRazumihin，withoutturninground。

“Theremusthavebeenverygravegroundsforit，ifheissofuriousattheword，”Porfirylaughed。

“Oh，yousharplawyer！…Damnyouall！”snappedRazumihin，andsuddenlyburstingoutlaughinghimself，hewentuptoPorfirywithamorecheerfulfaceasthoughnothinghadhappened。“That’lldo！Weareallfools。Tocometobusiness。ThisismyfriendRodionRomanovitchRaskolnikov；inthefirstplacehehasheardofyouandwantstomakeyouracquaintance，andsecondly，hehasalittlematterofbusinesswithyou。Bah！Zametov，whatbroughtyouhere？Haveyoumetbefore？Haveyouknowneachotherlong？”

“Whatdoesthismean？”thoughtRaskolnikovuneasily。

Zametovseemedtakenaback，butnotverymuchso。

“Why，itwasatyourroomswemetyesterday，”hesaideasily。

“ThenIhavebeensparedthetrouble。Alllastweekhewasbeggingmetointroducehimtoyou。Porfiryandyouhavesniffedeachotheroutwithoutme。Whereisyourtobacco？”

PorfiryPetrovitchwaswearingadressing-gown，verycleanlinen，andtrodden-downslippers。Hewasamanofaboutfiveandthirty，short，stouteventocorpulence，andcleanshaven。Heworehishaircutshortandhadalargeroundhead，particularlyprominentattheback。Hissoft，round，rathersnub-nosedfacewasofasicklyyellowishcolour，buthadavigorousandratherironicalexpression。Itwouldhavebeengood-naturedexceptforalookintheeyes，whichshonewithawatery，mawkishlightunderalmostwhite，blinkingeyelashes。Theexpressionofthoseeyeswasstrangelyoutofkeepingwithhissomewhatwomanishfigure，andgaveitsomethingfarmoreseriousthancouldbeguessedatfirstsight。

AssoonasPorfiryPetrovitchheardthathisvisitorhadalittlematterofbusinesswithhim，hebeggedhimtositdownonthesofaandsatdownhimselfontheotherend，waitingforhimtoexplainhisbusiness，withthatcarefulandover-seriousattentionwhichisatonceoppressiveandembarrassing，especiallytoastranger，andespeciallyifwhatyouarediscussingisinyouropinionoffartoolittleimportanceforsuchexceptionalsolemnity。ButinbriefandcoherentphrasesRaskolnikovexplainedhisbusinessclearlyandexactly，andwassowellsatisfiedwithhimselfthatheevensucceededintakingagoodlookatPorfiry。PorfiryPetrovitchdidnotoncetakehiseyesoffhim。Razumihin，sittingoppositeatthesametable，listenedwarmlyandimpatiently，lookingfromonetotheothereverymomentwithratherexcessiveinterest。

“Fool，”Raskolnikovsworetohimself。

“Youhavetogiveinformationtothepolice，”Porfiryreplied，withamostbusinesslikeair，“thathavinglearntofthisincident，thatisofthemurder，youbegtoinformthelawyerinchargeofthecasethatsuchandsuchthingsbelongtoyou，andthatyoudesiretoredeemthem…or…buttheywillwritetoyou。”

“That’sjustthepoint，thatatthepresentmoment，”Raskolnikovtriedhisutmosttofeignembarrassment，“Iamnotquiteinfunds…andeventhistriflingsumisbeyondme…Ionlywanted，yousee，forthepresenttodeclarethatthethingsaremine，andthatwhenIhavemoney。…”

“That’snomatter，”answeredPorfiryPetrovitch，receivinghisexplanationofhispecuniarypositioncoldly，“butyoucan，ifyouprefer，writestraighttome，tosay，thathavingbeeninformedofthematter，andclaimingsuchandsuchasyourproperty，youbeg…”

“Onanordinarysheetofpaper？”Raskolnikovinterruptedeagerly，againinterestedinthefinancialsideofthequestion。

“Oh，themostordinary，”andsuddenlyPorfiryPetrovitchlookedwithobviousironyathim，screwinguphiseyesand，asitwere，winkingathim。ButperhapsitwasRaskolnikov’sfancy，foritalllastedbutamoment。Therewascertainlysomethingofthesort，Raskolnikovcouldhaveswornhewinkedathim，goodnessknowswhy。

“Heknows，”flashedthroughhismindlikelightning。

“Forgivemytroublingyouaboutsuchtrifles，”hewenton，alittledisconcerted，“thethingsareonlyworthfiveroubles，butIprizethemparticularlyforthesakeofthosefromwhomtheycametome，andImustconfessthatIwasalarmedwhenIheard…”

“That’swhyyouweresomuchstruckwhenImentionedtoZossimovthatPorfirywasinquiringforeveryonewhohadpledges！”Razumihinputinwithobviousintention。

Thiswasreallyunbearable。Raskolnikovcouldnothelpglancingathimwithaflashofvindictiveangerinhisblackeyes，butimmediatelyrecollectedhimself。

“Youseemtobejeeringatme，brother？”hesaidtohim，withawell-feignedirritability。“IdaresayIdoseemtoyouabsurdlyanxiousaboutsuchtrash；butyoumustn’tthinkmeselfishorgraspingforthat，andthesetwothingsmaybeanythingbuttrashinmyeyes。Itoldyoujustnowthatthesilverwatch，thoughit’snotworthacent，istheonlythingleftusofmyfather’s。Youmaylaughatme，butmymotherishere，”heturnedsuddenlytoPorfiry，“andifsheknew，”heturnedagainhurriedlytoRazumihin，carefullymakinghisvoicetremble，“thatthewatchwaslost，shewouldbeindespair！Youknowwhatwomenare！”

“Notabitofit！Ididn’tmeanthatatall！Quitethecontrary！”shoutedRazumihindistressed。

“Wasitright？Wasitnatural？DidIoverdoit？”Raskolnikovaskedhimselfinatremor。“WhydidIsaythataboutwomen？”

“Oh，yourmotheriswithyou？”PorfiryPetrovitchinquired。

“Yes。”

“Whendidshecome？”

“night。”

Porfirypausedasthoughreflecting。

“Yourthingswouldnotinanycasebelost，”hewentoncalmlyandcoldly。“Ihavebeenexpectingyouhereforsometime。”

Andasthoughthatwasamatterofnoimportance，hecarefullyofferedtheash-traytoRazumihin，whowasruthlesslyscatteringcigaretteashoverthecarpet。Raskolnikovshuddered，butPorfirydidnotseemtobelookingathim，andwasstillconcernedwithRazumihin’scigarette。

“What？Expectinghim？Why，didyouknowthathehadpledgesthere？”criedRazumihin。

PorfiryPetrovitchaddressedhimselftoRaskolnikov。

“Yourthings，theringandthewatch，werewrappeduptogether，andonthepaperyournamewaslegiblywritteninpencil，togetherwiththedateonwhichyouleftthemwithher…”

“Howobservantyouare！”Raskolnikovsmiledawkwardly，doinghisveryutmosttolookhimstraightintheface，buthefailed，andsuddenlyadded:

“IsaythatbecauseIsupposetherewereagreatmanypledges…thatitmustbedifficulttorememberthemall。…Butyourememberthemallsoclearly，and…and…”

“Stupid！Feeble！”hethought。“WhydidIaddthat？”

“Butweknowallwhohadpledges，andyouaretheonlyonewhohasn’tcomeforward，”Porfiryansweredwithhardlyperceptibleirony。

“Ihaven’tbeenquitewell。”

“Iheardthattoo。Iheard，indeed，thatyouwereingreatdistressaboutsomething。Youlookpalestill。”

“Iamnotpaleatall。…No，Iamquitewell，”Raskolnikovsnappedoutrudelyandangrily，completelychanginghistone。Hisangerwasmounting，hecouldnotrepressit。“AndinmyangerIshallbetraymyself，”flashedthroughhismindagain。“Whyaretheytorturingme？”

“Notquitewell！”Razumihincaughthimup。“Whatnext！Hewasunconsciousanddeliriousallyesterday。Wouldyoubelieve，Porfiry，assoonasourbackswereturned，hedressed，thoughhecouldhardlystand，andgaveustheslipandwentoffonaspreesomewheretillmidnight，deliriousallthetime！Wouldyoubelieveit！Extraordinary！”

“Reallydelirious？Youdon’tsayso！”Porfiryshookhisheadinawomanishway。

“Nonsense！Don’tyoubelieveit！Butyoudon’tbelieveitanyway，”Raskolnikovletslipinhisanger。ButPorfiryPetrovitchdidnotseemtocatchthosestrangewords。

“Buthowcouldyouhavegoneoutifyouhadn’tbeendelirious？”Razumihingothotsuddenly。“Whatdidyougooutfor？Whatwastheobjectofit？Andwhyonthesly？Wereyouinyoursenseswhenyoudidit？NowthatalldangerisoverIcanspeakplainly。”

“Iwasawfullysickofthemyesterday。”RaskolnikovaddressedPorfirysuddenlywithasmileofinsolentdefiance，“Iranawayfromthemtotakelodgingswheretheywouldn’tfindme，andtookalotofmoneywithme。Mr。Zametovtheresawit。Isay，Mr。Zametov，wasIsensibleordeliriousyesterday；settleourdispute。”

HecouldhavestrangledZametovatthatmoment，sohatefulwerehisexpressionandhissilencetohim。

“Inmyopinionyoutalkedsensiblyandevenartfully，butyouwereextremelyirritable，”Zametovpronounceddryly。

“AndNikodimFomitchwastellingmeto-day，”putinPorfiryPetrovitch，“thathemetyouverylatelastnightinthelodgingofamanwhohadbeenrunover。”

“Andthere，”saidRazumihin，“weren’tyoumadthen？Yougaveyourlastpennytothewidowforthefuneral。Ifyouwantedtohelp，givefifteenortwentyeven，butkeepthreeroublesforyourselfatleast，butheflungawayallthetwenty-fiveatonce！”

“MaybeIfoundatreasuresomewhereandyouknownothingofit？Sothat’swhyIwasliberalyesterday。…Mr。ZametovknowsI’vefoundatreasure！Excuseus，please，fordisturbingyouforhalfanhourwithsuchtrivialities，”hesaid，turningtoPorfiryPetrovitch，withtremblinglips。“Weareboringyou，aren’twe？”

“Ohno，quitethecontrary，quitethecontrary！Ifonlyyouknewhowyouinterestme！It’sinterestingtolookonandlisten…andIamreallygladyouhavecomeforwardatlast。”

“Butyoumightgiveussometea！Mythroat’sdry，”criedRazumihin。

“Capitalidea！Perhapswewillallkeepyoucompany。Wouldn’tyoulike…somethingmoreessentialbeforetea？”

“Getalongwithyou！”

PorfiryPetrovitchwentouttoordertea。

Raskolnikov’sthoughtswereinawhirl。Hewasinterribleexasperation。

“Theworstofitistheydon’tdisguiseit；theydon’tcaretostandonceremony！Andhowifyoudidn’tknowmeatall，didyoucometotalktoNikodimFomitchaboutme？Sotheydon’tcaretohidethattheyaretrackingmelikeapackofdogs。Theysimplyspitinmyface。”Hewasshakingwithrage。“Come，strikemeopenly，don’tplaywithmelikeacatwithamouse。It’shardlycivil，PorfiryPetrovitch，butperhapsIwon’tallowit！Ishallgetupandthrowthewholetruthinyouruglyfaces，andyou’llseehowIdespiseyou。”Hecouldhardlybreathe。“Andwhatifit’sonlymyfancy？WhatifIammistaken，andthroughinexperienceIgetangryanddon’tkeepupmynastypart？Perhapsit’sallunintentional。Alltheirphrasesaretheusualones，butthereissomethingaboutthem。…Itallmightbesaid，butthereissomething。Whydidhesaybluntly，‘Withher’？WhydidZametovaddthatIspokeartfully？Whydotheyspeakinthattone？Yes，thetone。…Razumihinissittinghere，whydoesheseenothing？Thatinnocentblockheadneverdoesseeanything！Feverishagain！DidPorfirywinkatmejustnow？Ofcourseit’snonsense！Whatcouldhewinkfor？Aretheytryingtoupsetmynervesoraretheyteasingme？Eitherit’sillfancyortheyknow！EvenZametovisrude。…IsZametovrude？Zametovhaschangedhismind。Iforesawhewouldchangehismind！Heisathomehere，whileit’smyfirstvisit。Porfirydoesnotconsiderhimavisitor；sitswithhisbacktohim。They’reasthickasthieves，nodoubt，overme！Notadoubttheyweretalkingaboutmebeforewecame。Dotheyknowabouttheflat？Ifonlythey’dmakehaste！WhenIsaidthatIranawaytotakeaflatheletitpass。…Iputthatincleverlyaboutaflat，itmaybeofuseafterwards。…Delirious，indeed…ha-ha-ha！Heknowsallaboutlastnight！Hedidn’tknowofmymother’sarrival！Thehaghadwrittenthedateoninpencil！Youarewrong，youwon’tcatchme！Therearenofacts…it’sallsupposition！Youproducefacts！Theflatevenisn’tafactbutdelirium。Iknowwhattosaytothem。…Dotheyknowabouttheflat？Iwon’tgowithoutfindingout。WhatdidIcomefor？Butmybeingangrynow，maybeisafact！Fool，howirritableIam！Perhapsthat’sright；toplaytheinvalid。…Heisfeelingme。Hewilltrytocatchme。WhydidIcome？”

Allthisflashedlikelightningthroughhismind。

PorfiryPetrovitchreturnedquickly。Hebecamesuddenlymorejovial。

“Yourpartyyesterday，brother，hasleftmyheadrather。…AndIamoutofsortsaltogether，”hebeganinquiteadifferenttone，laughingtoRazumihin。

“Wasitinteresting？Ileftyouyesterdayatthemostinterestingpoint。Whogotthebestofit？”

“Oh，noone，ofcourse。Theygotontoeverlastingquestions，floatedoffintospace。”

“Onlyfancy，Rodya，whatwegotontoyesterday。Whetherthereissuchathingascrime。Itoldyouthatwetalkedourheadsoff。”

“Whatistherestrange？It’saneverydaysocialquestion，”Raskolnikovansweredcasually。

“Thequestionwasn’tputquitelikethat，”observedPorfiry。

“Notquite，that’strue，”Razumihinagreedatonce，gettingwarmandhurriedasusual。“Listen，Rodion，andtellusyouropinion，Iwanttohearit。Iwasfightingtoothandnailwiththemandwantedyoutohelpme。Itoldthemyouwerecoming。…Itbeganwiththesocialistdoctrine。Youknowtheirdoctrine；crimeisaprotestagainsttheabnormalityofthesocialorganisationandnothingmore，andnothingmore；noothercausesadmitted！…”

“Youarewrongthere，”criedPorfiryPetrovitch；hewasnoticeablyanimatedandkeptlaughingashelookedatRazumihin，whichmadehimmoreexcitedthanever。

“Nothingisadmitted，”Razumihininterruptedwithheat。

“Iamnotwrong。I’llshowyoutheirpamphlets。Everythingwiththemis‘theinfluenceofenvironment，’andnothingelse。Theirfavouritephrase！Fromwhichitfollowsthat，ifsocietyisnormallyorganised，allcrimewillceaseatonce，sincetherewillbenothingtoprotestagainstandallmenwillbecomerighteousinoneinstant。Humannatureisnottakenintoaccount，itisexcluded，it’snotsupposedtoexist！Theydon’trecognisethathumanity，developingbyahistoricallivingprocess，willbecomeatlastanormalsociety，buttheybelievethatasocialsystemthathascomeoutofsomemathematicalbrainisgoingtoorganiseallhumanityatonceandmakeitjustandsinlessinaninstant，quickerthananylivingprocess！That’swhytheyinstinctivelydislikehistory，‘nothingbutuglinessandstupidityinit，’andtheyexplainitallasstupidity！That’swhytheysodislikethelivingprocessoflife；theydon’twantalivingsoul！Thelivingsouldemandslife，thesoulwon’tobeytherulesofmechanics，thesoulisanobjectofsuspicion，thesoulisretrograde！ButwhattheywantthoughitsmellsofdeathandcanbemadeofIndia-rubber，atleastisnotalive，hasnowill，isservileandwon’trevolt！Anditcomesintheendtotheirreducingeverythingtothebuildingofwallsandtheplanningofroomsandpassagesinaphalanstery！Thephalansteryisready，indeed，butyourhumannatureisnotreadyforthephalanstery—itwantslife，ithasn’tcompleteditsvitalprocess，it’stoosoonforthegraveyard！Youcan’tskipovernaturebylogic。Logicpresupposesthreepossibilities，buttherearemillions！Cutawayamillion，andreduceitalltothequestionofcomfort！That’stheeasiestsolutionoftheproblem！It’sseductivelyclearandyoumusn’tthinkaboutit。That’sthegreatthing，youmustn’tthink！Thewholesecretoflifeintwopagesofprint！”

“Nowheisoff，beatingthedrum！Catchholdofhim，do！”laughedPorfiry。“Canyouimagine，”heturnedtoRaskolnikov，“sixpeopleholdingforthlikethatlastnight，inoneroom，withpunchasapreliminary！No，brother，youarewrong，environmentaccountsforagreatdealincrime；Icanassureyouofthat。”

“Oh，Iknowitdoes，butjusttellme:amanoffortyviolatesachildoften；wasitenvironmentdrovehimtoit？”

“Well，strictlyspeaking，itdid，”Porfiryobservedwithnoteworthygravity；“acrimeofthatnaturemaybeverywellascribedtotheinfluenceofenvironment。”

Razumihinwasalmostinafrenzy。“Oh，ifyoulike，”heroared。“I’llprovetoyouthatyourwhiteeyelashesmayverywellbeascribedtotheChurchofIvantheGreat’sbeingtwohundredandfiftyfeethigh，andIwillproveitclearly，exactly，progressively，andevenwithaLiberaltendency！Iundertaketo！Willyoubetonit？”

“Done！Let’shear，please，howhewillproveit！”

“Heisalwayshumbugging，confoundhim，”criedRazumihin，jumpingupandgesticulating。“What’stheuseoftalkingtoyou？Hedoesallthatonpurpose；youdon’tknowhim，Rodion！Hetooktheirsideyesterday，simplytomakefoolsofthem。Andthethingshesaidyesterday！Andtheyweredelighted！Hecankeepitupforafortnighttogether。yearhepersuadedusthathewasgoingintoamonastery:hestucktoitfortwomonths。Notlongagohetookitintohisheadtodeclarehewasgoingtogetmarried，thathehadeverythingreadyforthewedding。Heorderednewclothesindeed。Weallbegantocongratulatehim。Therewasnobride，nothing，allpurefantasy！”

“Ah，youarewrong！Igottheclothesbefore。Itwasthenewclothesinfactthatmademethinkoftakingyouin。”

“Areyousuchagooddissembler？”Raskolnikovaskedcarelessly。

“Youwouldn’thavesupposedit，eh？Waitabit，Ishalltakeyouin，too。Ha-ha-ha！No，I’lltellyouthetruth。Allthesequestionsaboutcrime，environment，children，recalltomymindanarticleofyourswhichinterestedmeatthetime。‘OnCrime’…orsomethingofthesort，Iforgetthetitle，IreaditwithpleasuretwomonthsagointhePeriodicalReview。”

“Myarticle？InthePeriodicalReview？”Raskolnikovaskedinastonishment。“IcertainlydidwriteanarticleuponabooksixmonthsagowhenIlefttheuniversity，butIsentittotheWeeklyReview。”

“ButitcameoutinthePeriodical。”

“AndtheWeeklyReviewceasedtoexist，sothat’swhyitwasn’tprintedatthetime。”

“That’strue；butwhenitceasedtoexist，theWeeklyReviewwasamalgamatedwiththePeriodical，andsoyourarticleappearedtwomonthsagointhelatter。Didn’tyouknow？”

Raskolnikovhadnotknown。

“Why，youmightgetsomemoneyoutofthemforthearticle！Whatastrangepersonyouare！Youleadsuchasolitarylifethatyouknownothingofmattersthatconcernyoudirectly。It’safact，Iassureyou。”

“Bravo，Rodya！Iknewnothingaboutiteither！”criedRazumihin。“I’llrunto-daytothereading-roomandaskforthenumber。Twomonthsago？Whatwasthedate？Itdoesn’tmatterthough，Iwillfindit。Thinkofnottellingus！”

“Howdidyoufindoutthatthearticlewasmine？It’sonlysignedwithaninitial。”

“Ionlylearntitbychance，theotherday。Throughtheeditor；Iknowhim。…Iwasverymuchinterested。”

“Ianalysed，ifIremember，thepsychologyofacriminalbeforeandafterthecrime。”

“Yes，andyoumaintainedthattheperpetrationofacrimeisalwaysaccompaniedbyillness。Very，veryoriginal，but…itwasnotthatpartofyourarticlethatinterestedmesomuch，butanideaattheendofthearticlewhichIregrettosayyoumerelysuggestedwithoutworkingitoutclearly。Thereis，ifyourecollect，asuggestionthattherearecertainpersonswhocan…thatis，notpreciselyareableto，buthaveaperfectrighttocommitbreachesofmoralityandcrimes，andthatthelawisnotforthem。”

Raskolnikovsmiledattheexaggeratedandintentionaldistortionofhisidea。

“What？Whatdoyoumean？Arighttocrime？Butnotbecauseoftheinfluenceofenvironment？”Razumihininquiredwithsomealarmeven。

“No，notexactlybecauseofit，”answeredPorfiry。“Inhisarticleallmenaredividedinto‘ordinary’and‘extraordinary。’Ordinarymenhavetoliveinsubmission，havenorighttotransgressthelaw，because，don’tyousee，theyareordinary。Butextraordinarymenhavearighttocommitanycrimeandtotransgressthelawinanyway，justbecausetheyareextraordinary。Thatwasyouridea，ifIamnotmistaken？”

“Whatdoyoumean？Thatcan’tberight？”Razumihinmutteredinbewilderment。

Raskolnikovsmiledagain。Hesawthepointatonce，andknewwheretheywantedtodrivehim。Hedecidedtotakeupthechallenge。

“Thatwasn’tquitemycontention，”hebegansimplyandmodestly。“YetIadmitthatyouhavestateditalmostcorrectly；perhaps，ifyoulike，perfectlyso。”(Italmostgavehimpleasuretoadmitthis。)“TheonlydifferenceisthatIdon’tcontendthatextraordinarypeoplearealwaysboundtocommitbreachesofmorals，asyoucallit。Infact，Idoubtwhethersuchanargumentcouldbepublished。Isimplyhintedthatan‘extraordinary’manhastheright…thatisnotanofficialright，butaninnerrighttodecideinhisownconsciencetooverstep…certainobstacles，andonlyincaseitisessentialforthepracticalfulfilmentofhisidea(sometimes，perhaps，ofbenefittothewholeofhumanity)。Yousaythatmyarticleisn’tdefinite；IamreadytomakeitasclearasIcan。PerhapsIamrightinthinkingyouwantmeto；verywell。ImaintainthatifthediscoveriesofKeplerandNewtoncouldnothavebeenmadeknownexceptbysacrificingthelivesofone，adozen，ahundred，ormoremen，Newtonwouldhavehadtheright，wouldindeedhavebeenindutybound…toeliminatethedozenorthehundredmenforthesakeofmakinghisdiscoveriesknowntothewholeofhumanity。ButitdoesnotfollowfromthatthatNewtonhadarighttomurderpeoplerightandleftandtostealeverydayinthemarket。Then，Iremember，Imaintaininmyarticlethatall…well，legislatorsandleadersofmen，suchasLycurgus，Solon，Mahomet，Napoleon，andsoon，wereallwithoutexceptioncriminals，fromtheveryfactthat，makinganewlaw，theytransgressedtheancientone，handeddownfromtheirancestorsandheldsacredbythepeople，andtheydidnotstopshortatbloodshedeither，ifthatbloodshed—oftenofinnocentpersonsfightingbravelyindefenceofancientlaw—wereofusetotheircause。It’sremarkable，infact，thatthemajority，indeed，ofthesebenefactorsandleadersofhumanitywereguiltyofterriblecarnage。Inshort，Imaintainthatallgreatmenorevenmenalittleoutofthecommon，thatistosaycapableofgivingsomenewword，mustfromtheirverynaturebecriminals—moreorless，ofcourse。Otherwiseit’shardforthemtogetoutofthecommonrut；andtoremaininthecommonrutiswhattheycan’tsubmitto，fromtheirverynatureagain，andtomymindtheyoughtnot，indeed，tosubmittoit。Youseethatthereisnothingparticularlynewinallthat。Thesamethinghasbeenprintedandreadathousandtimesbefore。Asformydivisionofpeopleintoordinaryandextraordinary，Iacknowledgethatit’ssomewhatarbitrary，butIdon’tinsistuponexactnumbers。Ionlybelieveinmyleadingideathatmenareingeneraldividedbyalawofnatureintotwocategories，inferior(ordinary)，thatis，sotosay，materialthatservesonlytoreproduceitskind，andmenwhohavethegiftorthetalenttoutteranewword。Thereare，ofcourse，innumerablesub-divisions，butthedistinguishingfeaturesofbothcategoriesarefairlywellmarked。Thefirstcategory，generallyspeaking，aremenconservativeintemperamentandlaw-abiding；theyliveundercontrolandlovetobecontrolled。Tomythinkingitistheirdutytobecontrolled，becausethat’stheirvocation，andthereisnothinghumiliatinginitforthem。Thesecondcategoryalltransgressthelaw；theyaredestroyersordisposedtodestructionaccordingtotheircapacities。Thecrimesofthesemenareofcourserelativeandvaried；forthemostparttheyseekinveryvariedwaysthedestructionofthepresentforthesakeofthebetter。Butifsuchaoneisforcedforthesakeofhisideatostepoveracorpseorwadethroughblood，hecan，Imaintain，findwithinhimself，inhisconscience，asanctionforwadingthroughblood—thatdependsontheideaanditsdimensions，notethat。It’sonlyinthatsenseIspeakoftheirrighttocrimeinmyarticle(yourememberitbeganwiththelegalquestion)。There’snoneedforsuchanxiety，however；themasseswillscarcelyeveradmitthisright，theypunishthemorhangthem(moreorless)，andindoingsofulfilquitejustlytheirconservativevocation。Butthesamemassessetthesecriminalsonapedestalinthenextgenerationandworshipthem(moreorless)。Thefirstcategoryisalwaysthemanofthepresent，thesecondthemanofthefuture。Thefirstpreservetheworldandpeopleit，thesecondmovetheworldandleadittoitsgoal。Eachclasshasanequalrighttoexist。Infact，allhaveequalrightswithme—andvivelaguerreeternelle—tilltheNewJerusalem，ofcourse！”

“ThenyoubelieveintheNewJerusalem，doyou？”

“Ido，”Raskolnikovansweredfirmly；ashesaidthesewordsandduringthewholeprecedingtiradehekepthiseyesononespotonthecarpet。

“And…anddoyoubelieveinGod？Excusemycuriosity。”

“Ido，”repeatedRaskolnikov，raisinghiseyestoPorfiry。

“And…doyoubelieveinLazarus’risingfromthedead？”

“I…Ido。Whydoyouaskallthis？”

“Youbelieveitliterally？”

“Literally。”

“Youdon’tsayso。…Iaskedfromcuriosity。Excuseme。Butletusgobacktothequestion；theyarenotalwaysexecuted。Some，onthecontrary…”

“Triumphintheirlifetime？Oh，yes，someattaintheirendsinthislife，andthen…”

“Theybeginexecutingotherpeople？”

“Ifit’snecessary；indeed，forthemostparttheydo。Yourremarkisverywitty。”

“Thankyou。Buttellmethis:howdoyoudistinguishthoseextraordinarypeoplefromtheordinaryones？Aretheresignsattheirbirth？Ifeelthereoughttobemoreexactitude，moreexternaldefinition。Excusethenaturalanxietyofapracticallaw-abidingcitizen，butcouldn’ttheyadoptaspecialuniform，forinstance，couldn’ttheywearsomething，bebrandedinsomeway？Foryouknowifconfusionarisesandamemberofonecategoryimaginesthathebelongstotheother，beginsto‘eliminateobstacles’asyousohappilyexpressedit，then…”

“Oh，thatveryoftenhappens！Thatremarkiswittierthantheother。”

“Thankyou。”

“Noreasonto；buttakenotethatthemistakecanonlyariseinthefirstcategory，thatisamongtheordinarypeople(asIperhapsunfortunatelycalledthem)。Inspiteoftheirpredispositiontoobedienceverymanyofthem，throughaplayfulnessofnature，sometimesvouchsafedeventothecow，liketoimaginethemselvesadvancedpeople，‘destroyers，’andtopushthemselvesintothe‘newmovement，’andthisquitesincerely。Meanwhilethereallynewpeopleareveryoftenunobservedbythem，orevendespisedasreactionariesofgrovellingtendencies。ButIdon’tthinkthereisanyconsiderabledangerhere，andyoureallyneednotbeuneasyfortheynevergoveryfar。Ofcourse，theymighthaveathrashingsometimesforlettingtheirfancyrunawaywiththemandtoteachthemtheirplace，butnomore；infact，eventhisisn’tnecessaryastheycastigatethemselves，fortheyareveryconscientious:someperformthisserviceforoneanotherandotherschastisethemselveswiththeirownhands。…Theywillimposevariouspublicactsofpenitenceuponthemselveswithabeautifulandedifyingeffect；infactyou’venothingtobeuneasyabout。…It’salawofnature。”

“Well，youhavecertainlysetmymindmoreatrestonthatscore；butthere’sanotherthingworriesme。Tellme，please，aretheremanypeoplewhohavetherighttokillothers，theseextraordinarypeople？Iamreadytobowdowntothem，ofcourse，butyoumustadmitit’salarmingifthereareagreatmanyofthem，eh？”

“Oh，youneedn’tworryaboutthateither，”Raskolnikovwentoninthesametone。“Peoplewithnewideas，peoplewiththefaintestcapacityforsayingsomethingnew，areextremelyfewinnumber，extraordinarilysoinfact。Onethingonlyisclear，thattheappearanceofallthesegradesandsub-divisionsofmenmustfollowwithunfailingregularitysomelawofnature。Thatlaw，ofcourse，isunknownatpresent，butIamconvincedthatitexists，andonedaymaybecomeknown。Thevastmassofmankindismerematerial，andonlyexistsinorderbysomegreateffort，bysomemysteriousprocess，bymeansofsomecrossingofracesandstocks，tobringintotheworldatlastperhapsonemanoutofathousandwithasparkofindependence。Oneintenthousandperhaps—Ispeakroughly，approximately—isbornwithsomeindependence，andwithstillgreaterindependenceoneinahundredthousand。Themanofgeniusisoneofmillions，andthegreatgeniuses，thecrownofhumanity，appearonearthperhapsoneinmanythousandmillions。InfactIhavenotpeepedintotheretortinwhichallthistakesplace。Buttherecertainlyisandmustbeadefinitelaw，itcannotbeamatterofchance。”

“Why，areyoubothjoking？”Razumihincriedatlast。“Thereyousit，makingfunofoneanother。Areyouserious，Rodya？”

Raskolnikovraisedhispaleandalmostmournfulfaceandmadenoreply。Andtheunconcealed，persistent，nervous，anddiscourteoussarcasmofPorfiryseemedstrangetoRazumihinbesidethatquietandmournfulface。

“Well，brother，ifyouarereallyserious…Youareright，ofcourse，insayingthatit’snotnew，thatit’slikewhatwe’vereadandheardathousandtimesalready；butwhatisreallyoriginalinallthis，andisexclusivelyyourown，tomyhorror，isthatyousanctionbloodshedinthenameofconscience，and，excusemysayingso，withsuchfanaticism。…That，Itakeit，isthepointofyourarticle。Butthatsanctionofbloodshedbyconscienceistomymind…moreterriblethantheofficial，legalsanctionofbloodshed。…”

“Youarequiteright，itismoreterrible，”Porfiryagreed。

“Yes，youmusthaveexaggerated！Thereissomemistake，Ishallreadit。Youcan’tthinkthat！Ishallreadit。”

“Allthatisnotinthearticle，there’sonlyahintofit，”saidRaskolnikov。

“Yes，yes。”Porfirycouldn’tsitstill。“Yourattitudetocrimeisprettycleartomenow，but…excusemeformyimpertinence(Iamreallyashamedtobeworryingyoulikethis)，yousee，you’veremovedmyanxietyastothetwogradesgettingmixed，but…therearevariouspracticalpossibilitiesthatmakemeuneasy！WhatifsomemanoryouthimaginesthatheisaLycurgusorMahomet—afutureoneofcourse—andsupposehebeginstoremoveallobstacles。…Hehassomegreatenterprisebeforehimandneedsmoneyforit…andtriestogetit…doyousee？”

Zametovgaveasuddenguffawinhiscorner。Raskolnikovdidnotevenraisehiseyestohim。

“Imustadmit，”hewentoncalmly，“thatsuchcasescertainlymustarise。Thevainandfoolishareparticularlyapttofallintothatsnare；youngpeopleespecially。”

“Yes，yousee。Wellthen？”

“Whatthen？”Raskolnikovsmiledinreply；“that’snotmyfault。Soitisandsoitalwayswillbe。Hesaidjustnow(henoddedatRazumihin)thatIsanctionbloodshed。Societyistoowellprotectedbyprisons，banishment，criminalinvestigators，penalservitude。There’snoneedtobeuneasy。Youhavebuttocatchthethief。”

“Andwhatifwedocatchhim？”

“Thenhegetswhathedeserves。”

“Youarecertainlylogical。Butwhatofhisconscience？”

“Whydoyoucareaboutthat？”

“Simplyfromhumanity。”

“Ifhehasaconsciencehewillsufferforhismistake。Thatwillbehispunishment—aswellastheprison。”

“Buttherealgeniuses，”askedRazumihinfrowning，“thosewhohavetherighttomurder？Oughtn’ttheytosufferatallevenforthebloodthey’veshed？”

“Whythewordought？It’snotamatterofpermissionorprohibition。Hewillsufferifheissorryforhisvictim。Painandsufferingarealwaysinevitableforalargeintelligenceandadeepheart。Thereallygreatmenmust，Ithink，havegreatsadnessonearth，”headdeddreamily，notinthetoneoftheconversation。

Heraisedhiseyes，lookedearnestlyatthemall，smiled，andtookhiscap。Hewastooquietbycomparisonwithhismannerathisentrance，andhefeltthis。Everyonegotup。

“Well，youmayabuseme，beangrywithmeifyoulike，”PorfiryPetrovitchbeganagain，“butIcan’tresist。Allowmeonelittlequestion(IknowIamtroublingyou)。ThereisjustonelittlenotionIwanttoexpress，simplythatImaynotforgetit。”

“Verygood，tellmeyourlittlenotion，”Raskolnikovstoodwaiting，paleandgravebeforehim。

“Well，yousee…Ireallydon’tknowhowtoexpressitproperly。…It’saplayful，psychologicalidea。…Whenyouwerewritingyourarticle，surelyyoucouldn’thavehelped，he-he！fancyingyourself…justalittle，an‘extraordinary’man，utteringanewwordinyoursense。…That’sso，isn’tit？”

“Quitepossibly，”Raskolnikovansweredcontemptuously。

Razumihinmadeamovement。

“And，ifso，couldyoubringyourselfincaseofworldlydifficultiesandhardshiporforsomeservicetohumanity—tooverstepobstacles？…Forinstance，torobandmurder？”

Andagainhewinkedwithhislefteye，andlaughednoiselesslyjustasbefore。

“IfIdidIcertainlyshouldnottellyou，”Raskolnikovansweredwithdefiantandhaughtycontempt。

“No，Iwasonlyinterestedonaccountofyourarticle，fromaliterarypointofview…”

“Foo！howobviousandinsolentthatis！”Raskolnikovthoughtwithrepulsion。

“Allowmetoobserve，”heanswereddryly，“thatIdon’tconsidermyselfaMahometoraNapoleon，noranypersonageofthatkind，andnotbeingoneofthemIcannottellyouhowIshouldact。”

“Oh，come，don’tweallthinkourselvesNapoleonsnowinRussia？”PorfiryPetrovitchsaidwithalarmingfamiliarity。

Somethingpeculiarbetrayeditselfintheveryintonationofhisvoice。

“PerhapsitwasoneofthesefutureNapoleonswhodidforAlyonaIvanovnalastweek？”Zametovblurtedoutfromthecorner。

Raskolnikovdidnotspeak，butlookedfirmlyandintentlyatPorfiry。Razumihinwasscowlinggloomily。Heseemedbeforethistobenoticingsomething。Helookedangrilyaround。Therewasaminuteofgloomysilence。Raskolnikovturnedtogo。

“Areyougoingalready？”Porfirysaidamiably，holdingouthishandwithexcessivepoliteness。“Very，verygladofyouracquaintance。Asforyourrequest，havenouneasiness，writejustasItoldyou，or，betterstill，cometomethereyourselfinadayortwo…to-morrow，indeed。Ishallbethereateleveno’clockforcertain。We’llarrangeitall；we’llhaveatalk。Asoneofthelasttobethere，youmightperhapsbeabletotellussomething，”headdedwithamostgood-naturedexpression。

“Youwanttocross-examinemeofficiallyindueform？”Raskolnikovaskedsharply。

“Oh，why？That’snotnecessaryforthepresent。Youmisunderstandme。Ilosenoopportunity，yousee，and…I’vetalkedwithallwhohadpledges。…Iobtainedevidencefromsomeofthem，andyouarethelast。…Yes，bytheway，”hecried，seeminglysuddenlydelighted，“Ijustremember，whatwasIthinkingof？”heturnedtoRazumihin，“youweretalkingmyearsoffaboutthatNikolay…ofcourse，Iknow，Iknowverywell，”heturnedtoRaskolnikov，“thatthefellowisinnocent，butwhatisonetodo？WehadtotroubleDmitritoo。…Thisisthepoint，thisisall:whenyouwentupthestairsitwaspastseven，wasn’tit？”

“Yes，”answeredRaskolnikov，withanunpleasantsensationattheverymomenthespokethatheneednothavesaidit。

“Thenwhenyouwentupstairsbetweensevenandeight，didn’tyouseeinaflatthatstoodopenonasecondstorey，doyouremember？twoworkmenoratleastoneofthem？Theywerepaintingthere，didn’tyounoticethem？It’svery，veryimportantforthem。”

“Painters？No，Ididn’tseethem，”Raskolnikovansweredslowly，asthoughransackinghismemory，whileatthesameinstanthewasrackingeverynerve，almostswooningwithanxietytoconjectureasquicklyaspossiblewherethetraplayandnottooverlookanything。“No，Ididn’tseethem，andIdon’tthinkInoticedaflatlikethatopen。…Butonthefourthstorey”(hehadmasteredthetrapnowandwastriumphant)“IremembernowthatsomeonewasmovingoutoftheflatoppositeAlyonaIvanovna’s。…Iremember…Irememberitclearly。Someporterswerecarryingoutasofaandtheysqueezedmeagainstthewall。Butpainters…no，Idon’trememberthattherewereanypainters，andIdon’tthinkthattherewasaflatopenanywhere，no，therewasn’t。”

“Whatdoyoumean？”Razumihinshoutedsuddenly，asthoughhehadreflectedandrealised。“Why，itwasonthedayofthemurderthepainterswereatwork，andhewastherethreedaysbefore？Whatareyouasking？”

“Foo！Ihavemuddledit！”Porfiryslappedhimselfontheforehead。“Deucetakeit！Thisbusinessisturningmybrain！”headdressedRaskolnikovsomewhatapologetically。“Itwouldbesuchagreatthingforustofindoutwhetheranyonehadseenthembetweensevenandeightattheflat，soIfanciedyoucouldperhapshavetoldussomething。…Iquitemuddledit。”

“Thenyoushouldbemorecareful，”Razumihinobservedgrimly。

Thelastwordswereutteredinthepassage。PorfiryPetrovitchsawthemtothedoorwithexcessivepoliteness。

Theywentoutintothestreetgloomyandsullen，andforsomestepstheydidnotsayaword。Raskolnikovdrewadeepbreath。

“Idon’tbelieveit，Ican’tbelieveit！”repeatedRazumihin，tryinginperplexitytorefuteRaskolnikov’sarguments。

TheywerebynowapproachingBakaleyev’slodgings，wherePulcheriaAlexandrovnaandDouniahadbeenexpectingthemalongwhile。Razumihinkeptstoppingonthewayintheheatofdiscussion，confusedandexcitedbytheveryfactthattheywereforthefirsttimespeakingopenlyaboutit。

“Don’tbelieveit，then！”answeredRaskolnikov，withacold，carelesssmile。“Youwerenoticingnothingasusual，butIwasweighingeveryword。”

“Youaresuspicious。Thatiswhyyouweighedtheirwords…h’m…certainly，Iagree，Porfiry’stonewasratherstrange，andstillmorethatwretchZametov！…Youareright，therewassomethingabouthim—butwhy？Why？”

“Hehaschangedhismindsincelastnight。”

“Quitethecontrary！Iftheyhadthatbrainlessidea，theywoulddotheirutmosttohideit，andconcealtheircards，soastocatchyouafterwards。…Butitwasallimpudentandcareless。”

“Iftheyhadhadfacts—Imean，realfacts—oratleastgroundsforsuspicion，thentheywouldcertainlyhavetriedtohidetheirgame，inthehopeofgettingmore(theywouldhavemadeasearchlongagobesides)。Buttheyhavenofacts，notone。Itisallmirage—allambiguous。Simplyafloatingidea。Sotheytrytothrowmeoutbyimpudence。Andperhaps，hewasirritatedathavingnofacts，andblurteditoutinhisvexation—orperhapshehassomeplan…heseemsanintelligentman。Perhapshewantedtofrightenmebypretendingtoknow。Theyhaveapsychologyoftheirown，brother。Butitisloathsomeexplainingitall。Stop！”

“Andit’sinsulting，insulting！Iunderstandyou。But…sincewehavespokenopenlynow(anditisanexcellentthingthatwehaveatlast—Iamglad)IwillownnowfranklythatInoticeditinthemlongago，thisidea。Ofcoursethemeresthintonly—aninsinuation—butwhyaninsinuationeven？Howdarethey？Whatfoundationhavethey？IfonlyyouknewhowfuriousIhavebeen。Thinkonly！Simplybecauseapoorstudent，unhingedbypovertyandhypochondria，ontheeveofaseveredeliriousillness(notethat)，suspicious，vain，proud，whohasnotseenasoultospeaktoforsixmonths，inragsandinbootswithoutsoles，hastofacesomewretchedpolicemenandputupwiththeirinsolence；andtheunexpecteddebtthrustunderhisnose，theI。O。U。presentedbyTchebarov，thenewpaint，thirtydegreesReaumurandastiflingatmosphere，acrowdofpeople，thetalkaboutthemurderofapersonwherehehadbeenjustbefore，andallthatonanemptystomach—hemightwellhaveafaintingfit！Andthat，thatiswhattheyfounditallon！Damnthem！Iunderstandhowannoyingitis，butinyourplace，Rodya，Iwouldlaughatthem，orbetterstill，spitintheiruglyfaces，andspitadozentimesinalldirections。I’dhitoutinalldirections，neatlytoo，andsoI’dputanendtoit。Damnthem！Don’tbedownhearted。It’sashame！”

“Hereallyhasputitwell，though，”Raskolnikovthought。

“Damnthem？Butthecross-examinationagain，to-morrow？”hesaidwithbitterness。“MustIreallyenterintoexplanationswiththem？Ifeelvexedasitis，thatIcondescendedtospeaktoZametovyesterdayintherestaurant。…”

“Damnit！IwillgomyselftoPorfiry。Iwillsqueezeitoutofhim，asoneofthefamily:hemustletmeknowtheinsandoutsofitall！AndasforZametov…”

“Atlastheseesthroughhim！”thoughtRaskolnikov。

“Stay！”criedRazumihin，seizinghimbytheshoulderagain。“Stay！youwerewrong。Ihavethoughtitout。Youarewrong！Howwasthatatrap？Yousaythatthequestionabouttheworkmenwasatrap。Butifyouhaddonethat，couldyouhavesaidyouhadseenthempaintingtheflat…andtheworkmen？Onthecontrary，youwouldhaveseennothing，evenifyouhadseenit。Whowouldownitagainsthimself？”

“IfIhaddonethatthing，IshouldcertainlyhavesaidthatIhadseentheworkmenandtheflat，”Raskolnikovanswered，withreluctanceandobviousdisgust。

“Butwhyspeakagainstyourself？”

“Becauseonlypeasants，orthemostinexperiencednovicesdenyeverythingflatlyatexaminations。Ifamaniseversolittledevelopedandexperienced，hewillcertainlytrytoadmitalltheexternalfactsthatcan’tbeavoided，butwillseekotherexplanationsofthem，willintroducesomespecial，unexpectedturn，thatwillgivethemanothersignificanceandputtheminanotherlight。PorfirymightwellreckonthatIshouldbesuretoanswerso，andsayIhadseenthemtogiveanairoftruth，andthenmakesomeexplanation。”

“Buthewouldhavetoldyouatoncethattheworkmencouldnothavebeentheretwodaysbefore，andthatthereforeyoumusthavebeenthereonthedayofthemurderateighto’clock。Andsohewouldhavecaughtyouoveradetail。”

“Yes，thatiswhathewasreckoningon，thatIshouldnothavetimetoreflect，andshouldbeinahurrytomakethemostlikelyanswer，andsowouldforgetthattheworkmencouldnothavebeentheretwodaysbefore。”

“Buthowcouldyouforgetit？”

“Nothingeasier。Itisinjustsuchstupidthingscleverpeoplearemosteasilycaught。Themorecunningamanis，thelesshesuspectsthathewillbecaughtinasimplething。Themorecunningamanis，thesimplerthetraphemustbecaughtin。Porfiryisnotsuchafoolasyouthink。…”

“Heisaknavethen，ifthatisso！”

Raskolnikovcouldnothelplaughing。Butattheverymoment，hewasstruckbythestrangenessofhisownfrankness，andtheeagernesswithwhichhehadmadethisexplanation，thoughhehadkeptupalltheprecedingconversationwithgloomyrepulsion，obviouslywithamotive，fromnecessity。

“Iamgettingarelishforcertainaspects！”hethoughttohimself。Butalmostatthesameinstanthebecamesuddenlyuneasy，asthoughanunexpectedandalarmingideahadoccurredtohim。Hisuneasinesskeptonincreasing。TheyhadjustreachedtheentrancetoBakaleyev’s。

“Goinalone！”saidRaskolnikovsuddenly。“Iwillbebackdirectly。”

“Whereareyougoing？Why，wearejusthere。”

“Ican’thelpit。…Iwillcomeinhalfanhour。Tellthem。”

“Saywhatyoulike，Iwillcomewithyou。”

“You，too，wanttotortureme！”hescreamed，withsuchbitterirritation，suchdespairinhiseyesthatRazumihin’shandsdropped。Hestoodforsometimeonthesteps，lookinggloomilyatRaskolnikovstridingrapidlyawayinthedirectionofhislodging。Atlast，grittinghisteethandclenchinghisfist，hesworehewouldsqueezePorfirylikealemonthatveryday，andwentupthestairstoreassurePulcheriaAlexandrovna，whowasbynowalarmedattheirlongabsence。

WhenRaskolnikovgothome，hishairwassoakedwithsweatandhewasbreathingheavily。Hewentrapidlyupthestairs，walkedintohisunlockedroomandatoncefastenedthelatch。Theninsenselessterrorherushedtothecorner，tothatholeunderthepaperwherehehadputthethings；puthishandin，andforsomeminutesfeltcarefullyinthehole，ineverycrackandfoldofthepaper。Findingnothing，hegotupanddrewadeepbreath。AshewasreachingthestepsofBakaleyev’s，hesuddenlyfanciedthatsomething，achain，astudorevenabitofpaperinwhichtheyhadbeenwrappedwiththeoldwoman’shandwritingonit，mightsomehowhaveslippedoutandbeenlostinsomecrack，andthenmightsuddenlyturnupasunexpected，conclusiveevidenceagainsthim。

Hestoodasthoughlostinthought，andastrange，humiliated，halfsenselesssmilestrayedonhislips。Hetookhiscapatlastandwentquietlyoutoftheroom。Hisideaswerealltangled。Hewentdreamilythroughthegateway。

“Hereheishimself，”shoutedaloudvoice。

Heraisedhishead。

Theporterwasstandingatthedoorofhislittleroomandwaspointinghimouttoashortmanwholookedlikeanartisan，wearingalongcoatandawaistcoat，andlookingatadistanceremarkablylikeawoman。Hestooped，andhisheadinagreasycaphungforward。Fromhiswrinkledflabbyfacehelookedoverfifty；hislittleeyeswerelostinfatandtheylookedoutgrimly，sternlyanddiscontentedly。

“Whatisit？”Raskolnikovasked，goinguptotheporter。

Themanstolealookathimfromunderhisbrowsandhelookedathimattentively，deliberately；thenheturnedslowlyandwentoutofthegateintothestreetwithoutsayingaword。

“Whatisit？”criedRaskolnikov。

“Why，hetherewasaskingwhetherastudentlivedhere，mentionedyournameandwhomyoulodgedwith。Isawyoucomingandpointedyououtandhewentaway。It’sfunny。”

Theportertooseemedratherpuzzled，butnotmuchso，andafterwonderingforamomentheturnedandwentbacktohisroom。

Raskolnikovranafterthestranger，andatoncecaughtsightofhimwalkingalongtheothersideofthestreetwiththesameeven，deliberatestepwithhiseyesfixedontheground，asthoughinmeditation。Hesoonovertookhim，butforsometimewalkedbehindhim。Atlast，movingontoalevelwithhim，helookedathisface。Themannoticedhimatonce，lookedathimquickly，butdroppedhiseyesagain；andsotheywalkedforaminutesidebysidewithoututteringaword。

“Youwereinquiringforme…oftheporter？”Raskolnikovsaidatlast，butinacuriouslyquietvoice。

Themanmadenoanswer；hedidn’tevenlookathim。Againtheywerebothsilent。

“Whydoyou…comeandaskforme…andsaynothing。…What’sthemeaningofit？”

Raskolnikov’svoicebrokeandheseemedunabletoarticulatethewordsclearly。

ThemanraisedhiseyesthistimeandturnedagloomysinisterlookatRaskolnikov。

“Murderer！”hesaidsuddenlyinaquietbutclearanddistinctvoice。

Raskolnikovwentonwalkingbesidehim。Hislegsfeltsuddenlyweak，acoldshiverrandownhisspine，andhisheartseemedtostandstillforamoment，thensuddenlybeganthrobbingasthoughitweresetfree。Sotheywalkedforaboutahundredpaces，sidebysideinsilence。

Themandidnotlookathim。

“Whatdoyoumean…whatis。…Whoisamurderer？”mutteredRaskolnikovhardlyaudibly。

“Youareamurderer，”themanansweredstillmorearticulatelyandemphatically，withasmileoftriumphanthatred，andagainhelookedstraightintoRaskolnikov’spalefaceandstrickeneyes。

Theyhadjustreachedthecross-roads。Themanturnedtotheleftwithoutlookingbehindhim。Raskolnikovremainedstanding，gazingafterhim。Hesawhimturnroundfiftypacesawayandlookbackathimstillstandingthere。Raskolnikovcouldnotseeclearly，buthefanciedthathewasagainsmilingthesamesmileofcoldhatredandtriumph。

Withslowfalteringsteps，withshakingknees，Raskolnikovmadehiswaybacktohislittlegarret，feelingchilledallover。Hetookoffhiscapandputitonthetable，andfortenminuteshestoodwithoutmoving。Thenhesankexhaustedonthesofaandwithaweakmoanofpainhestretchedhimselfonit。Sohelayforhalfanhour。

Hethoughtofnothing。Somethoughtsorfragmentsofthoughts，someimageswithoutorderorcoherencefloatedbeforehismind—facesofpeoplehehadseeninhischildhoodormetsomewhereonce，whomhewouldneverhaverecalled，thebelfryofthechurchatV。，thebilliardtableinarestaurantandsomeofficersplayingbilliards，thesmellofcigarsinsomeundergroundtobaccoshop，atavernroom，abackstaircasequitedark，allsloppywithdirtywaterandstrewnwithegg-shells，andtheSundaybellsfloatinginfromsomewhere。…Theimagesfollowedoneanother，whirlinglikeahurricane。Someofthemhelikedandtriedtoclutchat，buttheyfadedandallthewhiletherewasanoppressionwithinhim，butitwasnotoverwhelming，sometimesitwasevenpleasant。…Theslightshiveringstillpersisted，butthattoowasanalmostpleasantsensation。

HeheardthehurriedfootstepsofRazumihin；heclosedhiseyesandpretendedtobeasleep。Razumihinopenedthedoorandstoodforsometimeinthedoorwayasthoughhesitating，thenhesteppedsoftlyintotheroomandwentcautiouslytothesofa。RaskolnikovheardNastasya’swhisper:

“Don’tdisturbhim！Lethimsleep。Hecanhavehisdinnerlater。”

“Quiteso，”answeredRazumihin。Bothwithdrewcarefullyandclosedthedoor。Anotherhalf-hourpassed。Raskolnikovopenedhiseyes，turnedonhisbackagain，claspinghishandsbehindhishead。

“Whoishe？Whoisthatmanwhosprangoutoftheearth？Wherewashe，whatdidhesee？Hehasseenitall，that’sclear。Wherewashethen？Andfromwheredidhesee？Whyhasheonlynowsprungoutoftheearth？Andhowcouldhesee？Isitpossible？Hm…”continuedRaskolnikov，turningcoldandshivering，“andthejewelcaseNikolayfoundbehindthedoor—wasthatpossible？Aclue？Youmissaninfinitesimallineandyoucanbuilditintoapyramidofevidence！Aflyflewbyandsawit！Isitpossible？”Hefeltwithsuddenloathinghowweak，howphysicallyweakhehadbecome。“Ioughttohaveknownit，”hethoughtwithabittersmile。“AndhowdaredI，knowingmyself，knowinghowIshouldbe，takeupanaxeandshedblood！Ioughttohaveknownbeforehand。…Ah，butIdidknow！”hewhisperedindespair。Attimeshecametoastandstillatsomethought。

“No，thosemenarenotmadeso。TherealMastertowhomallispermittedstormsToulon，makesamassacreinParis，forgetsanarmyinEgypt，wasteshalfamillionmenintheMoscowexpeditionandgetsoffwithajestatVilna。Andaltarsaresetuptohimafterhisdeath，andsoallispermitted。No，suchpeople，itseems，arenotoffleshbutofbronze！”

Onesuddenirrelevantideaalmostmadehimlaugh。Napoleon，thepyramids，Waterloo，andawretchedskinnyoldwoman，apawnbrokerwitharedtrunkunderherbed—it’sanicehashforPorfiryPetrovitchtodigest！Howcantheydigestit！It’stooinartistic。“ANapoleoncreepunderanoldwoman’sbed！Ugh，howloathsome！”

Atmomentshefelthewasraving。Hesankintoastateoffeverishexcitement。“Theoldwomanisofnoconsequence，”hethought，hotlyandincoherently。“Theoldwomanwasamistakeperhaps，butsheisnotwhatmatters！Theoldwomanwasonlyanillness。…Iwasinahurrytooverstep。…Ididn’tkillahumanbeing，butaprinciple！Ikilledtheprinciple，butIdidn’toverstep，Istoppedonthisside。…Iwasonlycapableofkilling。AnditseemsIwasn’tevencapableofthat…Principle？WhywasthatfoolRazumihinabusingthesocialists？Theyareindustrious，commercialpeople；‘thehappinessofall’istheircase。No，lifeisonlygiventomeonceandIshallneverhaveitagain；Idon’twanttowaitfor‘thehappinessofall。’Iwanttolivemyself，orelsebetternotliveatall。Isimplycouldn’tpassbymymotherstarving，keepingmyroubleinmypocketwhileIwaitedforthe‘happinessofall。’Iamputtingmylittlebrickintothehappinessofallandsomyheartisatpeace。Ha-ha！Whyhaveyouletmeslip？Ionlyliveonce，Itoowant。…Ech，Iamanaestheticlouseandnothingmore，”headdedsuddenly，laughinglikeamadman。“Yes，Iamcertainlyalouse，”hewenton，clutchingattheidea，gloatingoveritandplayingwithitwithvindictivepleasure。“Inthefirstplace，becauseIcanreasonthatIamone，andsecondly，becauseforamonthpastIhavebeentroublingbenevolentProvidence，callingittowitnessthatnotformyownfleshlylustsdidIundertakeit，butwithagrandandnobleobject—ha-ha！Thirdly，becauseIaimedatcarryingitoutasjustlyaspossible，weighing，measuringandcalculating。OfalltheliceIpickedoutthemostuselessoneandproposedtotakefromheronlyasmuchasIneededforthefirststep，nomorenorless(sotherestwouldhavegonetoamonastery，accordingtoherwill，ha-ha！)。AndwhatshowsthatIamutterlyalouse，”headded，grindinghisteeth，“isthatIamperhapsvilerandmoreloathsomethanthelouseIkilled，andIfeltbeforehandthatIshouldtellmyselfsoafterkillingher。Cananythingbecomparedwiththehorrorofthat？Thevulgarity！Theabjectness！Iunderstandthe‘prophet’withhissabre，onhissteed:Allahcommandsand‘trembling’creationmustobey！The‘prophet’isright，heisrightwhenhesetsabatteryacrossthestreetandblowsuptheinnocentandtheguiltywithoutdeigningtoexplain！It’sforyoutoobey，tremblingcreation，andnottohavedesires，forthat’snotforyou！…Ishallnever，neverforgivetheoldwoman！”

Hishairwassoakedwithsweat，hisquiveringlipswereparched，hiseyeswerefixedontheceiling。

“Mother，sister—howIlovedthem！WhydoIhatethemnow？Yes，Ihatethem，Ifeelaphysicalhatredforthem，Ican’tbearthemnearme。…Iwentuptomymotherandkissedher，Iremember。…Toembraceherandthinkifsheonlyknew…shallItellherthen？That’sjustwhatImightdo。…ShemustbethesameasIam，”headded，straininghimselftothink，asitwerestrugglingwithdelirium。“Ah，howIhatetheoldwomannow！IfeelIshouldkillheragainifshecametolife！PoorLizaveta！Whydidshecomein？…It’sstrangethough，whyisitIscarcelyeverthinkofher，asthoughIhadn’tkilledher？Lizaveta！Sonia！Poorgentlethings，withgentleeyes。…Dearwomen！Whydon’ttheyweep？Whydon’ttheymoan？Theygiveupeverything…theireyesaresoftandgentle。…Sonia，Sonia！GentleSonia！”

Helostconsciousness；itseemedstrangetohimthathedidn’trememberhowhegotintothestreet。Itwaslateevening。Thetwilighthadfallenandthefullmoonwasshiningmoreandmorebrightly；buttherewasapeculiarbreathlessnessintheair。Therewerecrowdsofpeopleinthestreet；workmenandbusinesspeopleweremakingtheirwayhome；otherpeoplehadcomeoutforawalk；therewasasmellofmortar，dustandstagnantwater。Raskolnikovwalkedalong，mournfulandanxious；hewasdistinctlyawareofhavingcomeoutwithapurpose，ofhavingtodosomethinginahurry，butwhatitwashehadforgotten。Suddenlyhestoodstillandsawamanstandingontheothersideofthestreet，beckoningtohim。Hecrossedovertohim，butatoncethemanturnedandwalkedawaywithhisheadhanging，asthoughhehadmadenosigntohim。“Stay，didhereallybeckon？”Raskolnikovwondered，buthetriedtoovertakehim。Whenhewaswithintenpacesherecognisedhimandwasfrightened；itwasthesamemanwithstoopingshouldersinthelongcoat。Raskolnikovfollowedhimatadistance；hisheartwasbeating；theywentdownaturning；themanstilldidnotlookround。“DoesheknowIamfollowinghim？”thoughtRaskolnikov。Themanwentintothegatewayofabighouse。Raskolnikovhastenedtothegateandlookedintoseewhetherhewouldlookroundandsigntohim。Inthecourt-yardthemandidturnroundandagainseemedtobeckonhim。Raskolnikovatoncefollowedhimintotheyard，butthemanwasgone。Hemusthavegoneupthefirststaircase。Raskolnikovrushedafterhim。Heheardslowmeasuredstepstwoflightsabove。Thestaircaseseemedstrangelyfamiliar。Hereachedthewindowonthefirstfloor；themoonshonethroughthepaneswithamelancholyandmysteriouslight；thenhereachedthesecondfloor。Bah！thisistheflatwherethepainterswereatwork…buthowwasithedidnotrecogniseitatonce？Thestepsofthemanabovehaddiedaway。“Sohemusthavestoppedorhiddensomewhere。”Hereachedthethirdstorey，shouldhegoon？Therewasastillnessthatwasdreadful。…Buthewenton。Thesoundofhisownfootstepsscaredandfrightenedhim。Howdarkitwas！Themanmustbehidinginsomecornerhere。Ah！theflatwasstandingwideopen，hehesitatedandwentin。Itwasverydarkandemptyinthepassage，asthougheverythinghadbeenremoved；hecreptontiptoeintotheparlourwhichwasfloodedwithmoonlight。Everythingtherewasasbefore，thechairs，thelooking-glass，theyellowsofaandthepicturesintheframes。Ahuge，round，copper-redmoonlookedinatthewindows。“It’sthemoonthatmakesitsostill，weavingsomemystery，”thoughtRaskolnikov。Hestoodandwaited，waitedalongwhile，andthemoresilentthemoonlight，themoreviolentlyhisheartbeat，tillitwaspainful。Andstillthesamehush。Suddenlyheheardamomentarysharpcracklikethesnappingofasplinterandallwasstillagain。Aflyflewupsuddenlyandstruckthewindowpanewithaplaintivebuzz。Atthatmomenthenoticedinthecornerbetweenthewindowandthelittlecupboardsomethinglikeacloakhangingonthewall。“Whyisthatcloakhere？”hethought，“itwasn’ttherebefore。…”Hewentuptoitquietlyandfeltthattherewassomeonehidingbehindit。Hecautiouslymovedthecloakandsaw，sittingonachairinthecorner，theoldwomanbentdoublesothathecouldn’tseeherface；butitwasshe。Hestoodoverher。“Sheisafraid，”hethought。Hestealthilytooktheaxefromthenooseandstruckheroneblow，thenanotherontheskull。Butstrangetosayshedidnotstir，asthoughsheweremadeofwood。Hewasfrightened，bentdownnearerandtriedtolookather；butshe，too，bentherheadlower。Hebentrightdowntothegroundandpeepedupintoherfacefrombelow，hepeepedandturnedcoldwithhorror:theoldwomanwassittingandlaughing，shakingwithnoiselesslaughter，doingherutmostthatheshouldnothearit。Suddenlyhefanciedthatthedoorfromthebedroomwasopenedalittleandthattherewaslaughterandwhisperingwithin。Hewasovercomewithfrenzyandhebeganhittingtheoldwomanontheheadwithallhisforce，butateveryblowoftheaxethelaughterandwhisperingfromthebedroomgrewlouderandtheoldwomanwassimplyshakingwithmirth。Hewasrushingaway，butthepassagewasfullofpeople，thedoorsoftheflatsstoodopenandonthelanding，onthestairsandeverywherebelowtherewerepeople，rowsofheads，alllooking，buthuddledtogetherinsilenceandexpectation。Somethinggrippedhisheart，hislegswererootedtothespot，theywouldnotmove。…Hetriedtoscreamandwokeup。

Hedrewadeepbreath—buthisdreamseemedstrangelytopersist:hisdoorwasflungopenandamanwhomhehadneverseenstoodinthedoorwaywatchinghimintently。

Raskolnikovhadhardlyopenedhiseyesandheinstantlyclosedthemagain。Helayonhisbackwithoutstirring。

“Isitstilladream？”hewonderedandagainraisedhiseyelidshardlyperceptibly；thestrangerwasstandinginthesameplace，stillwatchinghim。

Hesteppedcautiouslyintotheroom，carefullyclosingthedoorafterhim，wentuptothetable，pausedamoment，stillkeepinghiseyesonRaskolnikov，andnoiselesslyseatedhimselfonthechairbythesofa；heputhishatonthefloorbesidehimandleanedhishandsonhiscaneandhischinonhishands。Itwasevidentthathewaspreparedtowaitindefinitely。AsfarasRaskolnikovcouldmakeoutfromhisstolenglances，hewasamannolongeryoung，stout，withafull，fair，almostwhitishbeard。

Tenminutespassed。Itwasstilllight，butbeginningtogetdusk。Therewascompletestillnessintheroom。Notasoundcamefromthestairs。Onlyabigflybuzzedandflutteredagainstthewindowpane。Itwasunbearableatlast。Raskolnikovsuddenlygotupandsatonthesofa。

“Come，tellmewhatyouwant。”

“Iknewyouwerenotasleep，butonlypretending，”thestrangeransweredoddly，laughingcalmly。“ArkadyIvanovitchSvidrigailov，allowmetointroducemyself。…”

“Canthisbestilladream？”Raskolnikovthoughtoncemore。

Helookedcarefullyandsuspiciouslyattheunexpectedvisitor。

“Svidrigailov！Whatnonsense！Itcan’tbe！”hesaidatlastaloudinbewilderment。

Hisvisitordidnotseematallsurprisedatthisexclamation。

“I’vecometoyoufortworeasons。Inthefirstplace，Iwantedtomakeyourpersonalacquaintance，asIhavealreadyheardagreatdealaboutyouthatisinterestingandflattering；secondly，Icherishthehopethatyoumaynotrefusetoassistmeinamatterdirectlyconcerningthewelfareofyoursister，AvdotyaRomanovna。Forwithoutyoursupportshemightnotletmecomenearhernow，forsheisprejudicedagainstme，butwithyourassistanceIreckonon…”

“Youreckonwrongly，”interruptedRaskolnikov。

“Theyonlyarrivedyesterday，mayIaskyou？”

Raskolnikovmadenoreply。

“Itwasyesterday，Iknow。Ionlyarrivedmyselfthedaybefore。Well，letmetellyouthis，RodionRomanovitch，Idon’tconsideritnecessarytojustifymyself，butkindlytellmewhatwasthereparticularlycriminalonmypartinallthisbusiness，speakingwithoutprejudice，withcommonsense？”

Raskolnikovcontinuedtolookathiminsilence。

“ThatinmyownhouseIpersecutedadefencelessgirland‘insultedherwithmyinfamousproposals’—isthatit？(Iamanticipatingyou。)Butyou’veonlytoassumethatI，too，amamanetnihilhumanum…inaword，thatIamcapableofbeingattractedandfallinginlove(whichdoesnotdependonourwill)，theneverythingcanbeexplainedinthemostnaturalmanner。Thequestionis，amIamonster，oramImyselfavictim？AndwhatifIamavictim？InproposingtotheobjectofmypassiontoelopewithmetoAmericaorSwitzerland，ImayhavecherishedthedeepestrespectforherandmayhavethoughtthatIwaspromotingourmutualhappiness！Reasonistheslaveofpassion，youknow；why，probably，Iwasdoingmoreharmtomyselfthananyone！”

“Butthat’snotthepoint，”Raskolnikovinterruptedwithdisgust。“It’ssimplythatwhetheryouarerightorwrong，wedislikeyou。Wedon’twanttohaveanythingtodowithyou。Weshowyouthedoor。Goout！”

Svidrigailovbrokeintoasuddenlaugh。

“Butyou’re…butthere’snogettingroundyou，”hesaid，laughinginthefrankestway。“Ihopedtogetroundyou，butyoutookuptherightlineatonce！”

“Butyouaretryingtogetroundmestill！”

“Whatofit？Whatofit？”criedSvidrigailov，laughingopenly。“ButthisiswhattheFrenchcallbonneguerre，andthemostinnocentformofdeception！…Butstillyouhaveinterruptedme；onewayoranother，Irepeatagain:therewouldneverhavebeenanyunpleasantnessexceptforwhathappenedinthegarden。MarfaPetrovna…”

“YouhavegotridofMarfaPetrovna，too，sotheysay？”Raskolnikovinterruptedrudely。

“Oh，you’veheardthat，too，then？You’dbesureto，though。…Butasforyourquestion，Ireallydon’tknowwhattosay，thoughmyownconscienceisquiteatrestonthatscore。Don’tsupposethatIaminanyapprehensionaboutit。Allwasregularandinorder；themedicalinquirydiagnosedapoplexyduetobathingimmediatelyafteraheavydinnerandabottleofwine，andindeeditcouldhaveprovednothingelse。ButI’lltellyouwhatIhavebeenthinkingtomyselfoflate，onmywayhereinthetrain，especially:didn’tIcontributetoallthat…calamity，morally，inaway，byirritationorsomethingofthesort。ButIcametotheconclusionthatthat，too，wasquiteoutofthequestion。”

Raskolnikovlaughed。

“Iwonderyoutroubleyourselfaboutit！”

“Butwhatareyoulaughingat？Onlyconsider，Istruckherjusttwicewithaswitch—therewerenomarkseven…don’tregardmeasacynic，please；Iamperfectlyawarehowatrociousitwasofmeandallthat；butIknowforcertain，too，thatMarfaPetrovnawasverylikelypleasedatmy，sotosay，warmth。Thestoryofyoursisterhadbeenwrungouttothelastdrop；forthelastthreedaysMarfaPetrovnahadbeenforcedtositathome；shehadnothingtoshowherselfwithinthetown。Besides，shehadboredthemsowiththatletter(youheardaboutherreadingtheletter)。Andallofasuddenthosetwoswitchesfellfromheaven！Herfirstactwastoorderthecarriagetobegotout。…Nottospeakofthefactthattherearecaseswhenwomenarevery，verygladtobeinsultedinspiteofalltheirshowofindignation。Thereareinstancesofitwitheveryone；humanbeingsingeneral，indeed，greatlylovetobeinsulted，haveyounoticedthat？Butit’sparticularlysowithwomen。Onemightevensayit’stheironlyamusement。”

AtonetimeRaskolnikovthoughtofgettingupandwalkingoutandsofinishingtheinterview。Butsomecuriosityandevenasortofprudencemadehimlingerforamoment。