crime and punishment(罪与罚)-第134节
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〃What an imbecile！ Look； look！ Why was he brought？ But as to Pyotr
Petrovitch； I always had confidence in him；〃 Katerina Ivanovna
continued； 〃and； of course； he is not like。。。〃 with an extremely stern
face she addressed Amalia Ivanovna so sharply and loudly that the
latter was quite disconcerted； 〃not like your dressed up
draggletails whom my father would not have taken as cooks into his
kitchen； and my late husband would have done them honour if he had
invited them in the goodness of his heart。〃
〃Yes； he was fond of drink； he was fond of it； he did drink！〃
cried the commissariat clerk； gulping down his twelfth glass of vodka。
〃My late husband certainly had that weakness； and every one knows
it；〃 Katerina Ivanovna attacked him at once； 〃but he was a kind and
honourable man； who loved and respected his family。 The worst of it
was his good nature made him trust all sorts of disreputable people；
and he drank with fellows who were not worth the sole of his shoe。
Would you believe it； Rodion Romanovitch； they found a gingerbread
cock in his pocket； he was dead drunk； but he did not forget the
children！〃
〃A cock？ Did you say a cock？〃 shouted the commissariat clerk。
Katerina Ivanovna did not vouchsafe a reply。 She sighed； lost in
thought。
〃No doubt you think； like every one； that I was too severe with
him；〃 she went on； addressing Raskolnikov。 〃But that's not so！ He
respected me； he respected me very much！ He was a kind…hearted man！
And how sorry I was for him sometimes！ He would sit in a corner and
look at me； I used to feel so sorry for him； I used to want to be kind
to him and then would think to myself： 'be kind to him and he will
drink again；' it was only by severity that you could keep him within
bounds。〃
〃Yes； he used to get his hair pulled pretty often；〃 roared the
commissariat clerk again； swallowing another glass of vodka。
〃Some fools would be the better for a good drubbing； as well as
having their hair pulled。 I am not talking of my late husband now！〃
Katerina Ivanovna snapped at him。
The flush on her cheeks grew more and more marked； her chest heaved。
In another minute she would have been ready to make a scene。 Many of
the visitors were sniggering； evidently delighted。 They began poking
the commissariat clerk and whispering something to him。 They were
evidently trying to egg him on。
〃Allow me to ask what are you alluding to；〃 began the clerk； 〃that
is to say； whose。。。 about whom。。。 did you say just now。。。 But I
don't care！ That's nonsense！ Widow！ I forgive you。。。。 Pass！〃
And he took another drink of vodka。
Raskolnikov sat in silence； listening with disgust。 He only ate from
politeness； just tasting the food that Katerina Ivanovna was
continually putting on his plate； to avoid hurting her feelings。 He
watched Sonia intently。 But Sonia became more and more anxious and
distressed； she； too； foresaw that the dinner would not end peaceably；
and saw with terror Katerina Ivanovna's growing irritation。 She knew
that she； Sonia； was the chief reason for the 'genteel' ladies'
contemptuous treatment of Katerina Ivanovna's invitation。 She had
heard from Amalia Ivanovna that the mother was positively offended
at the invitation and had asked the question： 〃how could she let her
daughter sit down beside that young person？〃 Sonia had a feeling
that Katerina Ivanovna had already heard this and an insult to Sonia
meant more to Katerina Ivanovna than an insult to herself； her
children； or her father； Sonia knew that Katerina Ivanovna would not
be satisfied now； 〃till she had shown those draggletails that they
were both。。。〃 To make matters worse some one passed Sonia； from the
other end of the table； a plate with two hearts pierced with an arrow；
cut out of black bread。 Katerina Ivanovna flushed crimson and at
once said aloud across the table that the man who sent it was 〃a
drunken ass！〃
Amalia Ivanovna was foreseeing something amiss； and at the same time
deeply wounded by Katerina Ivanovna's haughtiness； and to restore
the good…humour of the company and raise herself in their esteem she
began； apropos of nothing； telling a story about an acquaintance of
hers 〃Karl from the chemist's；〃 who was driving one night in a cab；
and that 〃the cabman wanted him to kill； and Karl very much begged him
not to kill； and wept and clasped hands； and frightened and from
fear pierced his heart。〃 Though Katerina Ivanovna smiled； she observed
at once that Amalia Ivanovna ought not to tell anecdotes in Russian；
the latter was still more offended； and she retorted that her 〃Vater
aus Berlin was a very important man； and always went with his hands in
pockets。〃 Katerina Ivanovna could not restrain herself and laughed
so much that Amalia Ivanovna lost patience and could scarcely
control herself。
〃Listen to the owl！〃 Katerina Ivanovna whispered at once； her
good…humour almost restored； 〃she meant to say he kept his hands in
his pockets； but she said he put his hands in people's pockets。
（Cough…cough。） And have you noticed； Rodion Romanovitch； that all
these Petersburg foreigners； the Germans especially； are all
stupider than we！ Can you fancy any one of us telling how 'Karl from
the chemist's pierced his heart from fear' and that the idiot
instead of punishing the cabman； 'clasped his hands and wept； and much
begged。' Ah； the fool！ And you know she fancies it's very touching and
does not suspect how stupid she is！ To my thinking that drunken
commissariat clerk is a great deal cleverer； anyway one can see that
he has addled his brains with drink； but you know； these foreigners
are always so well behaved and serious。。。。 Look how she sits
glaring！ She is angry； ha…ha！ （Cough…cough…cough。）〃
Regaining her good…humour； Katerina Ivanovna began at once telling
Raskolnikov that when she had obtained her pension； she intended to
open a school for the daughters of gentlemen in her native town
T___。 This was the first time she had spoken to him of the project；
and she launched out into the most alluring details。 It suddenly
appeared that Katerina Ivanovna had in her hands the very
certificate of honour of which Marmeladov had spoken to Raskolnikov in
the tavern； when he told him that Katerina Ivanovna； his wife； had
danced the shawl dance before the governor and other great
personages on leaving school。 This certificate of honour was obviously
intended now to prove Katerina Ivanovna's right to open a
boarding…school； but she had armed herself with it chiefly with the
object of overwhelming 〃those two stuck…up draggletails〃 if they
came to the dinner； and proving incontestably that Katerina Ivanovna
was of the most noble； 〃she might even say aristocratic family； a
colonel's daughter and was far superior to certain adventuresses who
have been so much to the fore of late。〃 The certificate of honour
immediately passed into the hands of the drunken guests； and
Katerina Ivanovna did not try to retain it； for it actually
contained the statement en toutes lettres； that her father was of
the rank of a major； and also a companion of an order； so that she
really was almost the daughter of a colonel。
Warming up； Katerina Ivanovna proceeded to enlarge on the peaceful
and happy life they would lead in T___； on the gymnasium teachers whom
she would engage to give lessons in her boarding…school； one a most
respectable old Frenchman； one Mangot； who had taught Katerina
Ivanovna herself in old days and was still living in T___； and would
no doubt teach in her school on moderate terms。 Next she spoke of
Sonia who would go with her to T__
