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第80章

crime and punishment(罪与罚)-第80章

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

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conjecture had begun to grow strong the day before; in the midst of         
all his alarm and despair。 Thinking it all over now and preparing           
for a fresh conflict; he was suddenly aware that he was trembling… and      
he felt a rush of indignation at the thought that he was trembling          
with fear at facing that hateful Porfiry Petrovitch。 What he dreaded        
above all was meeting that man again; he hated him with an intense;         
unmitigated hatred and was afraid his hatred might betray him。 His          
indignation was such that he ceased trembling at once; he made ready        
to go in with a cold and arrogant bearing and vowed to himself to keep      
as silent as possible; to watch and listen and for once at least to         
control his overstrained nerves。 At that moment he was summoned to          
Porfiry Petrovitch。                                                         
  He found Porfiry Petrovitch alone in his study。 His study was a room      
neither large nor small; furnished with a large writing…table; that         
stood before a sofa; upholstered in checked material; a bureau; a           
bookcase in the corner and several chairs… all government furniture;        
of polished yellow wood。 In the further wall there was a closed             
door; beyond it there were; no doubt; other rooms。 On Raskolnikov's         
entrance Porfiry Petrovitch had at once closed the door by which he         
had come in and they remained alone。 He met his visitor with an             
apparently genial and good…tempered air; and it was only after a few        
minutes that Raskolnikov saw signs of a certain awkwardness in him; as      
though he had been thrown out of his reckoning or caught in                 
something very secret。                                                      
  〃Ah; my dear fellow! Here you are。。。 in our domain〃。。。 began              
Porfiry; holding out both hands to him。 〃Come; sit down; old man。。。 or      
perhaps you don't like to be called 'my dear fellow' and 'old               
man!'…tout court? Please don't think it too familiar。。。。 Here; on           
the sofa。〃                                                                  
  Raskolnikov sat down; keeping his eyes fixed on him。 〃In our              
domain;〃 the apologies for familiarity; the French phrase tout              
court; were all characteristic signs。                                       
  〃He held out both hands to me; but he did not give me one… he drew        
it back in time;〃 struck him suspiciously。 Both were watching each          
other; but when their eyes met; quick as lightning they looked away。        
  〃I brought you this paper。。。 about the watch。 Here it is。 Is it           
all right or shall I copy it again?〃                                        
  〃What? A paper? Yes; yes; don't be uneasy; it's all right;〃               
Porfiry Petrovitch said as though in haste; and after he had said it        
he took the paper and looked at it。 〃Yes; it's all right。 Nothing more      
is needed;〃 he declared with the same rapidity and he laid the paper        
on the table。                                                               
  A minute later when he was talking of something else he took it from      
the table and put it on his bureau。                                         
  〃I believe you said yesterday you would like to question me。。。            
formally。。。 about my acquaintance with the murdered woman?〃                 
Raskolnikov was beginning again。 〃Why did I put in 'I believe'〃 passed      
through his mind in a flash。 〃Why am I so uneasy at having put in that      
'I believe'?〃 came in a second flash。 And he suddenly felt that his         
uneasiness at the mere contact with Porfiry; at the first words; at         
the first looks; had grown in an instant to monstrous proportions; and      
that this was fearfully dangerous。 His nerves were quivering; his           
emotion was increasing。 〃It's bad; it's bad! I shall say too much           
again。〃                                                                     
  〃Yes; yes; yes! There's no hurry; there's no hurry;〃 muttered             
Porfiry Petrovitch; moving to and fro about the table without any           
apparent aim; as it were making dashes towards the window; the              
bureau and the table; at one moment avoiding Raskolnikov's                  
suspicious glance; then again standing still and looking him                
straight in the face。                                                       
  His fat round little figure looked very strange; like a ball rolling      
from one side to the other and rebounding back。                             
  〃We've plenty of time。 Do you smoke? have you your own? Here; a           
cigarette!〃 he went on; offering his visitor a cigarette。 〃You know         
I am receiving you here; but my own quarters are through there; you         
know; my government quarters。 But I am living outside for the time;         
I had to have some repairs done here。 It's almost finished now。。。。          
Government quarters; you know; are a capital thing。 Eh; what do you         
think?〃                                                                     
  〃Yes; a capital thing;〃 answered Raskolnikov; looking at him              
almost ironically。                                                          
  〃A capital thing; a capital thing;〃 repeated Porfiry Petrovitch;          
as though he had just thought of something quite different。 〃Yes; a         
capital thing;〃 he almost shouted at last; suddenly staring at              
Raskolnikov and stopping short two steps from him。                          
  This stupid repetition was too incongruous in its ineptitude with         
the serious; brooding and enigmatic glance he turned upon his visitor。      
  But this stirred Raskolnikov's spleen more than ever and he could         
not resist an ironical and rather incautious challenge。                     
  〃Tell me; please;〃 he asked suddenly; looking almost insolently at        
him and taking a kind of pleasure in his own insolence。 〃I believe          
it's a sort of legal rule; a sort of legal tradition… for all               
investigating lawyers… to begin their attack from afar; with a              
trivial; or at least an irrelevant subject; so as to encourage; or          
rather; to divert the man they are cross…examining; to disarm his           
caution and then all at once to give him an unexpected knockdown            
blow with some fatal question。 Isn't that so? It's a sacred tradition;      
mentioned; I fancy; in all the manuals of the art?〃                         
  〃Yes; yes。。。。 Why; do you imagine that was why I spoke about              
government quarters。。。 eh?〃                                                 
  And as he said this Porfiry Petrovitch screwed up his eyes and            
winked; a good…humoured; crafty look passed over his face。 The              
wrinkles on his forehead were smoothed out; his eyes contracted; his        
features broadened and he suddenly went off into a nervous prolonged        
laugh; shaking all over and looking Raskolnikov straight in the             
face。 The latter forced himself to laugh; too; but when Porfiry;            
seeing that he was laughing; broke into such a guffaw that he turned        
almost crimson; Raskolnikov's repulsion overcame all precaution; he         
left off laughing; scowled and stared with hatred at Porfiry;               
keeping his eyes fixed on him while his intentionally prolonged             
laughter lasted。 There was lack of precaution on both sides;                
however; for Porfiry Petrovitch seemed to be laughing in his visitor's      
face and to be very little disturbed at the annoyance with which the        
visitor received it。 The latter fact was very significant in                
Raskolnikov's eyes: he saw that Porfiry Petrovitch had not been             
embarrassed just before either; but that he; Raskolnikov; had               
perhaps fallen into a trap; that there must be something; some              
motive here unknown to him; that; perhaps; everything was in readiness      
and in another moment would break upon him。。。                               
  He went straight to the point at once; rose from his seat and took        
his cap。                                                                    
  〃Porfiry Petrovitch;〃 he began resolutely; though with                    
considerable irritation; 〃yesterday you expressed a desire that I           
should come to you for some inquiries (he laid special stress on the        
word 'inquiries')。 I have come and; if you have anything to ask me;         
ask it; and if not; allow me to withdraw。 I have no time to                 
spare。。。。 I have to be at the funeral of that man who was run over; of      
whom you。。。 know also;〃 he added; feeling angry at once at having made      
this addition and more irritated at his anger; 〃I am sick of it all;        
do you hear; and have long been。 It's partly what made me ill。 In           
short;〃 he shouted; feeling that the phrase about his illness was           
still more out of place; 〃in short; kindly examine me or let me go; at      
once。 And if you must examine me; do so in the proper form! I will not      
allow you to do so otherwise; and so meanwhile; good…bye; as we have        
evidently nothing to keep us now。〃                                          
  〃Good heavens! What do you mean? What shall I question you about?〃        
cackled Porfiry Petrovitch with a change of tone; instantly leaving         
off laughing。 〃Please don't disturb yourself;〃 he began fidgeting from      
place to place and fussily making Raskolnikov sit down。 〃There's no         
hurry; there's no hurry; it's all nonsense。 Oh; no; I'm very glad           
you've come to see me at last。。。 I look upon you simply as a                
visitor。 And as for my confounded laughter; please excuse it; Rodion        
Romanovitch。 Rodion Romanovitch? That is your name?。。。 It's my nerves;      
you tickled me so with your witty observation; I assure you; sometimes      
I shake with laughter like an India…rubber ball for half an hour at         
a time。。。。 I'm often afraid of an attack of paralysis。 Do sit down。         
Please do; or I shall think you are angry。。。〃                               
  Raskolnikov did not speak; he listened; watching him; still frowning      
angrily。 He did sit down; but still held his cap。                           
  〃I must tell you one thing about myself; my dear Rodion                   
Romanovitch;〃 Porfiry Petrovitch continued; moving about the room           
and again avoiding his visitor's eyes。 〃You see; I'm a bachelor; a man      
of no consequence and not used to society; besides; I have nothing          
before me; I'm set; I'm running to seed and。。。 and have you noticed;        
Rodion Romanovitch; that in our Petersburg circles; if two clever           
men meet who are not intimate; but respect each other;

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