登陆注册
4771600000028

第28章

Later on Raskolnikov happened to find out why the huckster and his wife had invited Lizaveta. It was a very ordinary matter and there was nothing exceptional about it. A family who had come to the town and been reduced to poverty were selling their household goods and clothes, all women’s things. As the things would have fetched little in the market, they were looking for a dealer. This was Lizaveta’s business. She undertook such jobs and was frequently employed, as she was very honest and always fixed a fair price and stuck to it. She spoke as a rule little and, as we have said already, she was very submissive and timid.

But Raskolnikov had become superstitious of late. The traces of superstition remained in him long after, and were almost ineradicable. And in all this he was always afterwards disposed to see something strange and mysterious, as it were, the presence of some peculiar influences and coincidences. In the previous winter a student he knew called Pokorev, who had left for Harkov, had chanced in conversation to give him the address of Alyona Ivanovna, the old pawnbroker, in case he might want to pawn anything. For a long while he did not go to her, for he had lessons and managed to get along somehow. Six weeks ago he had remembered the address; he had two articles that could be pawned: his father’s old silver watch and a little gold ring with three red stones, a present from his sister at parting. He decided to take the ring. When he found the old woman he had felt an insurmountable repulsion for her at the first glance, though he knew nothing special about her. He got two roubles from her and went into a miserable little tavern on his way home. He asked for tea, sat down and sank into deep thought. A strange idea was pecking at his brain like a chicken in the egg, and very, very much absorbed him.

Almost beside him at the next table there was sitting a student, whom he did not know and had never seen, and with him a young officer. They had played a game of billiards and began drinking tea. All at once he heard the student mention to the officer the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna and give him her address. This of itself seemed strange to Raskolnikov; he had just come from her and here at once he heard her name. Of course it was a chance, but he could not shake off a very extraordinary impression, and here someone seemed to be speaking expressly for him; the student began telling his friend various details about Alyona Ivanovna.

“She is first-rate,” he said. “You can always get money from her. She is as rich as a Jew, she can give you five thousand roubles at a time and she is not above taking a pledge for a rouble. Lots of our fellows have had dealings with her. But she is an awful old harpy. …”

And he began describing how spiteful and uncertain she was, how if you were only a day late with your interest the pledge was lost; how she gave a quarter of the value of an article and took five and even seven percent a month on it and so on. The student chattered on, saying that she had a sister Lizaveta, whom the wretched little creature was continually beating, and kept in complete bondage like a small child, though Lizaveta was at least six feet high.

“There’s a phenomenon for you,” cried the student and he laughed.

They began talking about Lizaveta. The student spoke about her with a peculiar relish and was continually laughing and the officer listened with great interest and asked him to send Lizaveta to do some mending for him. Raskolnikov did not miss a word and learned everything about her. Lizaveta was younger than the old woman and was her half-sister, being the child of a different mother. She was thirty-five. She worked day and night for her sister, and besides doing the cooking and the washing, she did sewing and worked as a charwoman and gave her sister all she earned. She did not dare to accept an order or job of any kind without her sister’s permission. The old woman had already made her will, and Lizaveta knew of it, and by this will she would not get a farthing; nothing but the movables, chairs and so on; all the money was left to a monastery in the province of N——, that prayers might be said for her in perpetuity. Lizaveta was of lower rank than her sister, unmarried and awfully uncouth in appearance, remarkably tall with long feet that looked as if they were bent outwards. She always wore battered goatskin shoes, and was clean in her person. What the student expressed most surprise and amusement about was the fact that Lizaveta was continually with child.

“But you say she is hideous?” observed the officer.

“Yes, she is so dark-skinned and looks like a soldier dressed up, but you know she is not at all hideous. She has such a good-natured face and eyes. Strikingly so. And the proof of it is that lots of people are attracted by her. She is such a soft, gentle creature, ready to put up with anything, always willing, willing to do anything. And her smile is really very sweet.”

“You seem to find her attractive yourself,” laughed the officer.

“From her queerness. No, I’ll tell you what. I could kill that damned old woman and make off with her money, I assure you, without the faintest conscience-prick,” the student added with warmth. The officer laughed again while Raskolnikov shuddered. How strange it was!

“Listen, I want to ask you a serious question,” the student said hotly. “I was joking of course, but look here; on one side we have a stupid, senseless, worthless, spiteful, ailing, horrid old woman, not simply useless but doing actual mischief, who has not an idea what she is living for herself, and who will die in a day or two in any case. You understand? You understand?”

“Yes, yes, I understand,” answered the officer, watching his excited companion attentively.

同类推荐
  • Taras Bulba and Other Tales

    Taras Bulba and Other Tales

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 陆稼书先生问学录

    陆稼书先生问学录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 维摩经抄

    维摩经抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A DREAM OF JOHN BALL

    A DREAM OF JOHN BALL

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太平惠民和剂局方

    太平惠民和剂局方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 我被强塞进异世界的故事

    我被强塞进异世界的故事

    刚踏入社会的湛蓝,竟被一群大汉强行塞进一个濒临崩坏的异世界。湛蓝(渣兰):我只是个打工仔,你们让我穿越异界当勇士神马的,太难为我了吧!!!
  • 优秀是一种习惯

    优秀是一种习惯

    本书从影响你一生的习惯入手,根据工作、休闲、学习、思维、健康等生活的各个不同方面和角度向读者讲述哪些习惯是我们必备的,哪些习惯是我们应坚决制止的,哪些习惯是可以改进的。让读者在轻松的阅读中,总结自己的角角落落,体味生活的方方面面,慢慢养成足以让自己快慰一生的良好习惯。就像著名心理学家、哲学家威廉·詹姆斯说的:“播下一个行动,你将收获一种习惯;播下一种习惯,你将收获一种性格;播下一种性格,你将收获一种命运。”
  • 正一醮宅仪

    正一醮宅仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 堂上燕雀

    堂上燕雀

    徐嫣然,渐渐模糊了初心,最终选择了随遇而安,他们一家人在小镇上筑了巢安了家。她也慢慢觉得,安定未必不是一种令人向往的生活。有多少人犹如燕雀一样,平淡如斯,母子大小,吃吃叫叫,聚居一起,快乐逍遥,以为那个筑巢的地方,最太平、最可靠,不料有一天,这家人灶上的烟囱坏了,火焰往上直冒,一会儿就烧着了屋梁,一场灾难已经无法避免,而燕雀们脸不变色,依然无忧无虑,认为房子着火,这与他们没有关系,因为它们的窝都是好好的。它们一点也没想到大祸快要临头。徐嫣然的未来,也随着一场“大火”,即将变得风雨飘摇,扑所迷离......
  • 唤你一声柯太太

    唤你一声柯太太

    冷昀曦以为,跟他结婚他是不会碰她的,结果新婚当晚就把她吃的连骨头都不剩!“本小姐看上你了,允许你做我男朋友!”冷昀曦抓着他的领带,高傲的说道,男人宠溺一笑:“老婆,我整个人都是你的。”再加一个小包子,够么!婚后,冷昀曦开启了没羞没躁的日常生活。柯亦晨则是开启了宠老婆,疼老婆的日常生活。众人:“请别撒狗粮了,谢谢。”
  • 零售业十大赢利艺术

    零售业十大赢利艺术

    2005年,中国零售业将全面放开,世界各大零售巨头蜂拥而至。面对这种机遇和挑战,我们自己的零售企业将如何面对。生存还是毁灭?关键在于如何找到自己的赢利点。本书结合最新零售业的发展,全面梳理了零售业的十个赢利关键点,以新鲜、生动的笔触,透彻的分析,给民族零售业指出了生存之路!这本书的主要目的就是想让我国零售业由当初“狼来了”的恐慌转为促动、奋起,大动作的兼并、重组构筑“旗舰”壮大实力与“洋”店抗衡。
  • 夫君请接嫁

    夫君请接嫁

    前世拒嫁,她撞死在新房之中;再世为人,她克母,克兄,克祖辈;庙宇十年,方圆百里,鸡飞狗跳。她人小言微,本想做一个自由自在的游医;却鬼使神差的救了他——从此她救他一命;他宠她一生。
  • 我的寻宝生涯

    我的寻宝生涯

    一本残破的古书,引人无意中踏入盗墓寻宝之路,几经周折,埋藏千年的秘密破土而出,千古奇墓惊世骇俗,华阳道长铸下晋代竹林七贤的思君镜,俞伯牙钟子期永久的高山流水,青楼女子李思思的琵琶,跌宕起伏的故事悬疑重重,爱恨情仇缠绵交杂,九大谜案精彩呈现,无数奇珍异宝尽展眼前,热辣美女相伴,揭开千古之谜!一切尽在本书中……
  • The Blazed Trail

    The Blazed Trail

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重生庶女宫心计

    重生庶女宫心计

    天,她这个天才美容师怎么会落得这样的下场?还有,这么多只对她不怀好意的东西,她要怎么解决?好吧,真是一未平一波又起,这嫡姐进宫关她啥事,她咋就苦命的跟着进宫当宫女了呢?这太后,皇后,后妃那都是虎呀!只能小心小心加小心,看看能不能全身而退了!那个,宫里的事她都解决不过来了,感情啥的就先别来烦她了好么?她还小,感情的事还可以先放一放,保命要紧……