登陆注册
4771600000066

第66章

“They? They are children, simpletons, not criminals! Why, half a hundred people meeting for such an object—what an idea! Three would be too many, and then they want to have more faith in one another than in themselves! One has only to blab in his cups and it all collapses. Simpletons! They engaged untrustworthy people to change the notes— what a thing to trust to a casual stranger! Well, let us suppose that these simpletons succeed and each makes a million, and what follows for the rest of their lives? Each is dependent on the others for the rest of his life! Better hang oneself at once! And they did not know how to change the notes either; the man who changed the notes took five thousand roubles, and his hands trembled. He counted the first four thousand, but did not count the fifth thousand—he was in such a hurry to get the money into his pocket and run away. Of course he roused suspicion. And the whole thing came to a crash through one fool! Is it possible?”

“That his hands trembled?” observed Zametov, “yes, that’s quite possible. That, I feel quite sure, is possible. Sometimes one can’t stand things.”

“Can’t stand that?”

“Why, could you stand it then? No, I couldn’t. For the sake of a hundred roubles to face such a terrible experience? To go with false notes into a bank where it’s their business to spot that sort of thing! No, I should not have the face to do it. Would you?”

Raskolnikov had an intense desire again “to put his tongue out.” Shivers kept running down his spine.

“I should do it quite differently,” Raskolnikov began. “This is how I would change the notes: I’d count the first thousand three or four times backwards and forwards, looking at every note and then I’d set to the second thousand; I’d count that half-way through and then hold some fifty-rouble note to the light, then turn it, then hold it to the light again—to see whether it was a good one. ‘I am afraid,’ I would say, ‘a relation of mine lost twenty-five roubles the other day through a false note,’ and then I’d tell them the whole story. And after I began counting the third, ‘No, excuse me,’ I would say, ‘I fancy I made a mistake in the seventh hundred in that second thousand, I am not sure.’ And so I would give up the third thousand and go back to the second and so on to the end. And when I had finished, I’d pick out one from the fifth and one from the second thousand and take them again to the light and ask again, ‘Change them, please,’ and put the clerk into such a stew that he would not know how to get rid of me. When I’d finished and had gone out, I’d come back, ‘No, excuse me,’ and ask for some explanation. That’s how I’d do it.”

“Foo! what terrible things you say!” said Zametov, laughing. “But all that is only talk. I dare say when it came to deeds you’d make a slip. I believe that even a practised, desperate man cannot always reckon on himself, much less you and I. To take an example near home—that old woman murdered in our district. The murderer seems to have been a desperate fellow, he risked everything in open daylight, was saved by a miracle—but his hands shook, too. He did not succeed in robbing the place, he couldn’t stand it. That was clear from the …”

Raskolnikov seemed offended.

“Clear? Why don’t you catch him then?” he cried, maliciously gibing at Zametov.

“Well, they will catch him.”

“Who? You? Do you suppose you could catch him? You’ve a tough job! A great point for you is whether a man is spending money or not. If he had no money and suddenly begins spending, he must be the man. So that any child can mislead you.”

“The fact is they always do that, though,” answered Zametov. “A man will commit a clever murder at the risk of his life and then at once he goes drinking in a tavern. They are caught spending money, they are not all as cunning as you are. You wouldn’t go to a tavern, of course?”

Raskolnikov frowned and looked steadily at Zametov.

“You seem to enjoy the subject and would like to know how I should behave in that case, too?” he asked with displeasure.

“I should like to,” Zametov answered firmly and seriously. Somewhat too much earnestness began to appear in his words and looks.

“Very much?”

“Very much!”

“All right then. This is how I should behave,” Raskolnikov began, again bringing his face close to Zametov’s, again staring at him and speaking in a whisper, so that the latter positively shuddered. “This is what I should have done. I should have taken the money and jewels, I should have walked out of there and have gone straight to some deserted place with fences round it and scarcely anyone to be seen, some kitchen garden or place of that sort. I should have looked out beforehand some stone weighing a hundredweight or more which had been lying in the corner from the time the house was built. I would lift that stone—there would sure to be a hollow under it, and I would put the jewels and money in that hole. Then I’d roll the stone back so that it would look as before, would press it down with my foot and walk away. And for a year or two, three maybe, I would not touch it. And, well, they could search! There’d be no trace.”

“You are a madman,” said Zametov, and for some reason he too spoke in a whisper, and moved away from Raskolnikov, whose eyes were glittering. He had turned fearfully pale and his upper lip was twitching and quivering. He bent down as close as possible to Zametov, and his lips began to move without uttering a word. This lasted for half a minute; he knew what he was doing, but could not restrain himself. The terrible word trembled on his lips, like the latch on that door; in another moment it will break out, in another moment he will let it go, he will speak out.

“And what if it was I who murdered the old woman and Lizaveta?” he said suddenly and—realised what he had done.

Zametov looked wildly at him and turned white as the tablecloth. His face wore a contorted smile.

“But is it possible?” he brought out faintly. Raskolnikov looked wrathfully at him.

“Own up that you believed it, yes, you did?”

“Not a bit of it, I believe it less than ever now,” Zametov cried hastily.

同类推荐
  • Honore de Balzac

    Honore de Balzac

    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。
  • 赏延素心录

    赏延素心录

    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。
  • 藏山阁集选辑

    藏山阁集选辑

    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。
  • 八阵总述

    八阵总述

    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。
  • 知实篇

    知实篇

    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
  • 汉宫皇后谋

    汉宫皇后谋

    意外穿越到两千多年前的西汉王朝,成了关内侯府的大小姐,只是没有其他穿越女的好运,没技能,无特长,爹不管,娘早亡,堂堂贵女二八年华竟无人敢娶,只因她连续五次定亲的夫君都在成亲前夕意外猝死,从此她便成了长安城人人眼中的煞星。有朝一日婚事再被提及,神马?城西徐员外?六十高龄?已有六房妻妾,一二三四五六掐指一算七奶奶。晕倒。。。不靠谱的爹爹总算靠谱了一次竟能一夜扭转乾坤,不用嫁给刘员外,神马?嫁给皇帝?皇帝有多少老婆???还不如七奶奶呢,再晕!他是历史上唯一坐过牢并在民间长大的皇帝,登基初期面对权臣不得不韬光养晦,百般隐忍。有朝一日大权在握,内肃朝纲,外敌列国。传言:他的一生只钟爱与一个女子,羡煞他人。传言:他曾遣散六宫,专宠于一人。传言:她后来荣登后位却一生无宠无嗣。细看历史种种,汉宣帝王皇后的一生只能用“幸运”二字形容,然而身处宫廷内院,她是如何在勾心斗角尔虞我诈的后宫中从一个背负‘克夫’之名的普通女子当上皇后,皇太后,太皇太后,帝王是否对她毫无恩情?还是一切的一切只是历史的刻意遗漏。写一段佳话,叙一段传奇,谱写一段不一样的大汉情缘!
  • 先生,今晚煮妖怪吗?

    先生,今晚煮妖怪吗?

    一个老妖怪,和一个贪心的人。贪心的人贪心不足,永享富贵几乎唾手可得。可一直帮助他的老妖怪却一心想成为真正的人。一个妖经历了七情六欲,一个人经历了万般富贵。贪心的人最后后悔了。可老妖怪却不想做人了。到底谁是对的,谁从一开始,就错了呢?--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 先秦汉魏晋南北朝诗

    先秦汉魏晋南北朝诗

    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。
  • 球类运动手册(最新21世纪生活百科手册)

    球类运动手册(最新21世纪生活百科手册)

    本书主要讲述了以下几大球类的基本技术:足球、羽毛球、网球、保龄球、台球等。
  • 既然无意何必在意

    既然无意何必在意

    “你是谁?”“我……不会告诉你的,楚炀”
  • 五虎征西

    五虎征西

    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。
  • 掠爱伤情:如果不曾爱过你

    掠爱伤情:如果不曾爱过你

    结婚三年,他爱的依然是她的妹妹,不但将她的真心践踏,还要与她离婚。是可忍孰不可忍!她怒起反击,本想狠狠虐他,却没想到竟意外得知他爱的其实是她。“顾太太,我爱的……一直是你。”
  • 金疮跌打接骨药性秘书

    金疮跌打接骨药性秘书

    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。
  • 特色莲藕

    特色莲藕

    《“金阳光”新农村丛书》围绕农民朋友十分关心的具体话题,分“新农民技术能手”、“新农业产业拓展”和“新农村和谐社会”三个系列,分批出版。“新农民技术能手”系列除了传授实用的农业技术,还介绍了如何闯市场、如何经营;“新农业产业拓展”系列介绍了现代农业的新趋势、新模式;“新农村和谐社会”系列包括农村政策宣讲、常见病防治、乡村文化室建立,还对农民进城务工的一些知识作了介绍。全书新颖实用,简明易懂。本书为丛书的其中一册,主要讲述了种植特色莲藕的一些基本知识。
  • 谁是谁妃

    谁是谁妃

    她,是他娶来报复她爹的手段;大婚当日,他,同纳两小妾进门,让她成为全天下的笑柄!小妾有他撑腰,肆意欺侮她,她委曲求全,一味忍让,却惨遭溺湖!她穿越醒来,用计,逃离了他身边,她以为暂获自由,却不料被卷进一场惊天阴谋,她越是挣扎,反而被网得越牢……!