[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.And those wretched Poles, ha-ha-ha! (Cough-cough-cough.) Not one of them has ever poked his nose in here, I’ve never set eyes on them.What have they come here for, I ask you? There they sit in a row.Hey, Pan!” she cried suddenly to one of them, “have you tasted the pancakes? Take some more! Have some beer! Won’t you have some vodka? Look, he’s jumping up and making his bows, they must be absolutely starved, poor people.Never mind, let them eat! They don’t make a noise, anyway, though I’m really afraid for our landlady’s silver spoons.Amalia Ivanovna!” she addressed her suddenly, almost aloud, “if your spoons should happen to be stolen, I won’t be responsible, I warn you! Ha-ha-ha!” She laughed turning to Raskolnikov, and again nodding towards the landlady, very pleased with her attack.“She didn’t understand, she didn’t understand again! Look how she sits with her mouth open! An owl, a real owl! An owl in new ribbons, ha-ha-ha!”Here her laugh turned again to an insufferable fit of coughing that lasted five minutes.Drops of perspiration stood out on her forehead and her handkerchief was stained with blood.She showed Raskolnikov the blood in silence, and as soon as she could get her breath began whispering to him again with extreme animation and a hectic flush on her cheeks.“Do you know, I gave her the most delicate instructions, so to speak, for inviting that lady and her daughter, you understand who I am talking about? It needed the utmost delicacy, the greatest nicety, but she has managed things so that that fool, that conceited baggage, that provincial nonentity, simply because she is the widow of a major, and has come to try and get a pension and fray out her skirts in the government offices, because at fifty she paints her face (everybody knows it).a creature like that did not think fit to come, and has not even answered the invitation, which the most ordinary good manners required! I can’t understand why Peter Petrovich has not come! But where’s Sonia? Where has she gone? Ah, there she is at last! What is it, Sonia, where have you been? It’s odd that even at your father’s funeral you should be so unpunctual.Rodion Romanovich, make room for her beside you.That’s your place, Sonia.take what you like.Have some of the cold entrée with the jelly, that’s the best.They’ll bring the pancakes in a few minutes.Have they given the children some? Polenka, have you got everything? (Cough-cough-cough.) That’s all right.Be a good girl, Lida, and, Kolia, don’t fidget with your feet; sit like a little gentleman.What are you saying, Sonia?”Sonia hurriedly gave her Peter Petrovich’s apologies, trying to speak loud enough for everyone to hear and carefully choosing the most respectful phrases which she attributed to Peter Petrovich.She added that Peter Petrovich had particularly told her to say that, as soon as he possibly could, he would come immediately to discuss business alone with her and to consider what could be done for her, etc., etc.Sonia knew that this would comfort Katerina Ivanovna, flatter her and satisfy her pride.She sat down beside Raskolnikov; she made him a hurried bow, glancing curiously at him.But for the rest of the time she seemed to avoid looking at him or speaking to him.She seemed absent-minded, though she kept looking at Katerina Ivanovna, trying to please her.Neither she nor Katerina Ivanovna had been able to get mourning clothes; Sonia was wearing dark brown, and Katerina Ivanovna was in her only dress, a dark striped cotton one.The message from Peter Petrovich was very successful.Listening to Sonia with dignity, Katerina Ivanovna inquired with equal dignity how Peter Petrovich was, then at once whispered almost aloud to Raskolnikov that it certainly would have been strange for a man of Peter Petrovich’s position and standing to find himself in such “extraordinary company,” in spite of his devotion to her family and his old friendship with her father.“That’s why I am so grateful to you, Rodion Romanovich, that you have not disdained my hospitality, even in such surroundings,” she added almost aloud.“But I am sure that it was only your special affection for my poor husband that has made you keep your promise.”Then once more with pride and dignity she scanned her visitors, and suddenly inquired aloud across the table of the deaf man: “wouldn’t he have some more meat, and had he been given some wine?” The old man did not answer and for a long time could not understand what he was asked, though his neighbors amused themselves by poking and shaking him.He simply gazed about him with his mouth open, which only increased the general amusement.“What an imbecile! Look, look! Why was he brought? But as for Peter Petrovich, 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 entirely disconcerted, “not like your dressed up floozies who my father would not have taken as cooks into his kitchen.My late husband would have done them the honor of taking them in 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!” shouted the commissariat clerk, gulping down his twelfth glass of vodka [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]