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第43章

crime and punishment(罪与罚)-第43章

小说: crime and punishment(罪与罚) 字数: 每页3500字

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peasant in a full open coat and with keys on his belt。 〃Get along!          
He is a rogue and no mistake。 Get along!〃                                   
  And seizing Raskolnikov by the shoulder he flung him into the             
street。 He lurched forward; but recovered his footing; looked at the        
spectators in silence and walked away。                                      
  〃Strange man!〃 observed the workman。                                      
  〃There are strange folks about nowadays;〃 said the woman。                 
  〃You should have taken him to the police station all the same;〃 said      
the man in the long coat。                                                   
  〃Better have nothing to do with him;〃 decided the big porter。 〃A          
regular rogue! Just what he wants; you may be sure; but once take           
him up; you won't get rid of him。。。。 We know the sort!〃                     
  〃Shall I go there or not?〃 thought Raskolnikov; standing in the           
middle of the thoroughfare at the cross roads; and he looked about          
him; as though expecting from some one a decisive word。 But no sound        
came; all was dead and silent like the stones on which he walked; dead      
to him; to him alone。。。。 All at once at the end of the street; two          
hundred yards away; in the gathering dusk he saw a crowd and heard          
talk and shouts。 In the middle of the crowd stood a carriage。。。。 A          
light gleamed in the middle of the street。 〃What is it?〃 Raskolnikov        
turned to the right and went up to the crowd。 He seemed to clutch at        
everything and smiled coldly when he recognised it; for he had fully        
made up his mind to go to the police station and knew that it would         
all soon be over。                                                           

                                                                            

                            Chapter Seven                                   
                                                                          
  AN ELEGANT carriage stood in the middle of the road with a pair of        
spirited grey horses; there was no one in it; and the coachman had got      
off his box and stood by; the horses were being held by the                 
bridle。。。 A mass of people had gathered round; the police standing          
in front。 One of them held a lighted lantern which he was turning on        
something lying close to the wheels。 Every one was talking;                 
shouting; exclaiming; the coachman seemed at a loss and kept                
repeating:                                                                  
  〃What a misfortune! Good Lord; what a misfortune!〃                        
  Raskolnikov pushed his way in as far as he could; and succeeded at        
last in seeing the object of the commotion and interest。 On the ground      
a man who had been run over lay apparently unconscious; and covered         
with blood; he was very badly dressed; but not like a workman。 Blood        
was flowing from his head and face; his face was crushed; mutilated         
and disfigured。 He was evidently badly injured。                             
  〃Merciful heaven!〃 wailed the coachman; 〃what more could I do? If         
I'd been driving fast or had not shouted to him; but I was going            
quietly; not in a hurry。 Every one could see I was going along just         
like everybody else。 A drunken man can't walk straight; we all              
know。。。。 I saw him crossing the street; staggering and almost falling。      
I shouted again and a second and a third time; then I held the              
horses in; but he fell straight under their feet! Either he did it          
on purpose or he was very tipsy。。。。 The horses are young and ready          
to take fright。。。 they started; he screamed。。。 that made them worse。        
That's how it happened!〃                                                    
  〃That's just how it was;〃 a voice in the crowd confirmed。                 
  〃He shouted; that's true; he shouted three times;〃 another voice          
declared。                                                                   
  〃Three times it was; we all heard it;〃 shouted a third。                   
  But the coachman was not very much distressed and frightened。 It was      
evident that the carriage belonged to a rich and important person           
who was awaiting it somewhere; the police; of course; were in no            
little anxiety to avoid upsetting his arrangements。 All they had to do      
was to take the injured man to the police station and the hospital。 No      
one knew his name。                                                          
  Meanwhile Raskolnikov had squeezed in and stooped closer over him。        
The lantern suddenly lighted up the unfortunate man's face。 He              
recognised him。                                                             
  〃I know him! I know him!〃 he shouted; pushing to the front。 〃It's         
a government clerk retired from the service; Marmeladov。 He lives           
close by in Kozel's house。。。。 Make haste for a doctor! I will pay;          
see。〃 He pulled money out of his pocket and showed it to the                
policeman。 He was in violent agitation。                                     
  The police were glad that they had found out who the man was。             
Raskolnikov gave his own name and address; and; as earnestly as if          
it had been his father; he besought the police to carry the                 
unconscious Marmeladov to his lodging at once。                              
  〃Just here; three houses away;〃 he said eagerly; 〃the house               
belongs to Kozel; a rich German。 He was going home; no doubt drunk。         
I know him; he is a drunkard。 He has a family there; a wife; children;      
he has one daughter。。。。 It will take time to take him to the hospital;      
and there is sure to be a doctor in the house。 I'll pay; I'll pay!          
At least he will be looked after at home。。。 they will help him at           
once。 But he'll die before you get him to the hospital。〃 He managed to      
slip something unseen into the policeman's hand。 But the thing was          
straightforward and legitimate; and in any case help was closer             
here。 They raised the injured man; people volunteered to help。              
  Kozel's house was thirty yards away。 Raskolnikov walked behind;           
carefully holding Marmeladov's head and showing the way。                    
  〃This way; this way! We must take him upstairs head foremost。 Turn        
round! I'll pay; I'll make it worth your while;〃 he muttered。               
  Katerina Ivanovna had just begun; as she always did at every free         
moment; walking to and fro in her little room from window to stove and      
back again; with her arms folded across her chest; talking to               
herself and coughing。 Of late she had begun to talk more than ever          
to her eldest girl; Polenka; a child of ten; who; though there was          
much she did not understand; understood very well that her mother           
needed her; and so always watched her with her big clever eyes and          
strove her utmost to appear to understand。 This time Polenka was            
undressing her little brother; who had been unwell all day and was          
going to bed。 The boy was waiting for her to take off his shirt; which      
had to be washed at night。 He was sitting straight and motionless on a      
chair; with a silent; serious face; with his legs stretched out             
straight before him… heels together and toes turned out。                    
  He was listening to what his mother was saying to his sister;             
sitting perfectly still with pouting lips and wide…open eyes; just          
as all good little boys have to sit when they are undressed to go to        
bed。 A little girl; still younger; dressed literally in rags; stood at      
the screen; waiting for her turn。 The door on to the stairs was open        
to relieve them a little from the clouds of tobacco smoke which             
floated in from the other rooms and brought on long terrible fits of        
coughing in the poor; consumptive woman。 Katerina Ivanovna seemed to        
have grown even thinner during that week and the hectic flush on her        
face was brighter than ever。                                                
  〃You wouldn't believe; you can't imagine; Polenka;〃 she said;             
walking about the room; 〃what a happy luxurious life we had in my           
papa's house and how this drunkard has brought me; and will bring           
you all; to ruin! Papa was a civil colonel and only a step from             
being a governor; so that every one who came to see him said; 'We look      
upon you; Ivan Mihailovitch; as our governor!' When I。。。 when。。。〃           
she coughed violently; 〃oh; cursed life;〃 she cried; clearing her           
throat and pressing her hands to her breast; 〃when I。。。 when at the         
last ball。。。 at the marshal's。。。 Princess Bezzemelny saw me… who            
gave me the blessing when your father and I were married; Polenka… she      
asked at once 'Isn't that the pretty girl who donced the shawl dance        
at the breaking up?' (You must mend that tear; you must take your           
needle and darn it as I showed you; or to…morrow… cough; cough; cough…      
he will make the hole bigger;〃 she articulated with effort。) 〃Prince        
Schegolskoy; a kammerjunker; had just come from Petersburg then。。。          
he danced the mazurka with me and wanted to make me an offer next day;      
but I thanked him in flattering expressions and told him that my heart      
had long been another's。 That other was your father; Polya; papa was        
fearfully angry。。。。 Is the water ready? Give me the shirt; and the          
stockings! Lida;〃 said she to the youngest one; 〃you must manage            
without your chemise to…night。。。 and lay your stockings out with it。。。      
I'll wash them together。。。。 How is it that drunken vagabond doesn't         
come in? He has worn his shirt till it looks like a dishclout; he           
has torn it to rags! I'd do it all together; so as not to have to work      
two nights running! Oh; dear! (Cough; cough; cough; cough!) Again!          
What's this?〃 she cried; noticing a crowd in the passage and the men        
who were pushing into her room; carrying a burden。 〃What is it? What        
are they bringing? Mercy on us!〃                                            
  〃Where are we to put him?〃 asked the policeman; looking round when        
Marmeladov; unconscious and covered with blood; had been carried in。        
  〃On the sofa! Put him straight on the sofa; with his head this way;〃      
Raskolnikov showed him。                                                     
  〃Run over in the road! Drunk!〃 some one shouted in the passage。           
  Katerina Ivanovna stood; turning white and gasping for breath。 The        
children were terrified。 Little Lida screamed; rushe

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