CHAPTER I
"Can this be still a dream?" Raskolnikov thought once more.
He looked carefully and suspiciously at the unexpected visitor.
"Svidrigailov! What nonsense! It can't be!" he said at last aloud inbewilderment.
His visitor did not seem at all surprised at this exclamation.
"I've come to you for two reasons. In the first place, I wanted to makeyour personal acquaintance, as I have already heard a great deal aboutyou that is interesting and flattering; secondly, I cherish the hopethat you may not refuse to assist me in a matter directly concerning thewelfare of your sister, Avdotya Romanovna. For without your support shemight not let me come near her now, for she is prejudiced against me,but with your assistance I reckon on..."
"You reckon wrongly," interrupted Raskolnikov.
"They only arrived yesterday, may I ask you?"
Raskolnikov made no reply.
"It was yesterday, I know. I only arrived myself the day before. Well,let me tell you this, Rodion Romanovitch, I don't consider it necessaryto justify myself, but kindly tell me what was there particularlycriminal on my part in all this business, speaking without prejudice,with common sense?"
Raskolnikov continued to look at him in silence.
"That in my own house I persecuted a defenceless girl and 'insulted herwith my infamous proposals'--is that it? (I am anticipating you.) Butyou've only to assume that I, too, am a man _et nihil humanum_... in aword, that I am capable of being attracted and falling in love (whichdoes not depend on our will), then everything can be explained in themost natural manner. The question is, am I a monster, or am I myselfa victim? And what if I am a victim? In proposing to the object of mypassion to elope with me to America or Switzerland, I may have cherishedthe deepest respect for her and may have thought that I was promotingour mutual happiness! Reason is the slave of passion, you know; why,probably, I was doing more harm to myself than anyone!"
"But that's not the point," Raskolnikov interrupted with disgust. "It'ssimply that whether you are right or wrong, we dislike you. We don'twant to have anything to do with you. We show you the door. Go out!"
Svidrigailov broke into a sudden laugh.
"But you're... but there's no getting round you," he said, laughing inthe frankest way. "I hoped to get round you, but you took up the rightline at once!"
"But you are trying to get round me still!"
"What of it? What of it?" cried Svidrigailov, laughing openly. "But thisis what the French call _bonne guerre_, and the most innocent form ofdeception!... But still you have interrupted me; one way or another, Irepeat again: there would never have been any unpleasantness except forwhat happened in the garden. Marfa Petrovna..."
"You have got rid of Marfa Petrovna, too, so they say?" Raskolnikovinterrupted rudely.
"Oh, you've heard that, too, then? You'd be sure to, though.... Butas for your question, I really don't know what to say, though my ownconscience is quite at rest on that score. Don't suppose that I am inany apprehension about it. All was regular and in order; the medicalinquiry diagnosed apoplexy due to bathing immediately after a heavydinner and a bottle of wine, and indeed it could have proved nothingelse. But I'll tell you what I have been thinking to myself of late, onmy way here in the train, especially: didn't I contribute to all that...calamity, morally, in a way, by irritation or something of thesort. But I came to the conclusion that that, too, was quite out of thequestion."
Raskolnikov laughed.
"I wonder you trouble yourself about it!"
"But what are you laughing at? Only consider, I struck her just twicewith a switch--there were no marks even... don't regard me as a cynic,please; I am perfectly aware how atrocious it was of me and all that;but I know for certain, too, that Marfa Petrovna was very likely pleasedat my, so to say, warmth. The story of your sister had been wrung out tothe last drop; for the last three days Marfa Petrovna had been forced tosit at home; she had nothing to show herself with in the town. Besides,she had bored them so with that letter (you heard about her reading theletter). And all of a sudden those two switches fell from heaven! Herfirst act was to order the carriage to be got out.... Not to speakof the fact that there are cases when women are very, very glad to beinsulted in spite of all their show of indignation. There are instancesof it with everyone; human beings in general, indeed, greatly love tobe insulted, have you noticed that? But it's particularly so with women.One might even say it's their only amusement."
At one time Raskolnikov thought of getting up and walking out and sofinishing the interview. But some curiosity and even a sort of prudencemade him linger for a moment.
"You are fond of fighting?" he asked carelessly.
"No, not very," Svidrigailov answered, calmly. "And Marfa Petrovna andI scarcely ever fought. We lived very harmoniously, and she was alwayspleased with me. I only used the whip twice in all our seven years (notcounting a third occasion of a very ambiguous character). The firsttime, two months after our marriage, immediately after we arrived in thecountry, and the last time was that of which we are speaking. Did yousuppose I was such a monster, such a reactionary, such a slave driver?Ha, ha! By the way, do you remember, Rodion Romanovitch, how a few yearsago, in those days of beneficent publicity, a nobleman, I've forgottenhis name, was put to shame everywhere, in all the papers, for havingthrashed a German woman in the railway train. You remember? It was inthose days, that very year I believe, the 'disgraceful action of the_Age_' took place (you know, 'The Egyptian Nights,' that public reading,you remember? The dark eyes, you know! Ah, the golden days of our youth,where are they?). Well, as for the gentleman who thrashed the German,I feel no sympathy with him, because after all what need is therefor sympathy? But I must say that there are sometimes such provoking'Germans' that I don't believe there is a progressive who could quiteanswer for himself. No one looked at the subject from that point of viewthen, but that's the truly humane point of view, I assure you."
After saying this, Svidrigailov broke into a sudden laugh again.Raskolnikov saw clearly that this was a man with a firm purpose in hismind and able to keep it to himself.
"I expect you've not talked to anyone for some days?" he asked.
"Scarcely anyone. I suppose you are wondering at my being such anadaptable man?"
"No, I am only wondering at your being too adaptable a man."
"Because I am not offended at the rudeness of your questions? Is thatit? But why take offence? As you asked, so I answered," he replied,with a surprising expression of simplicity. "You know, there'shardly anything I take interest in," he went on, as it were dreamily,"especially now, I've nothing to do.... You are quite at liberty toimagine though that I am making up to you with a motive, particularly asI told you I want to see your sister about something. But I'll confessfrankly, I am very much bored. The last three days especially, so I amdelighted to see you.... Don't be angry, Rodion Romanovitch, but youseem to be somehow awfully strange yourself. Say what you like, there'ssomething wrong with you, and now, too... not this very minute, I mean,but now, generally.... Well, well, I won't, I won't, don't scowl! I amnot such a bear, you know, as you think."
Raskolnikov looked gloomily at him.
"You are not a bear, perhaps, at all," he said. "I fancy indeed thatyou are a man of very good breeding, or at least know how on occasion tobehave like one."
"I am not particularly interested in anyone's opinion," Svidrigailovanswered, dryly and even with a shade of haughtiness, "and therefore whynot be vulgar at times when vulgarity is such a convenient cloak for ourclimate... and especially if one has a natural propensity that way," headded, laughing again.
"But I've heard you have many friends here. You are, as they say, 'notwithout connections.' What can you want with me, then, unless you'vesome special object?"
"That's true that I have friends here," Svidrigailov admitted, notreplying to the chief point. "I've met some already. I've been loungingabout for the last three days, and I've seen them, or they've seen me.That's a mat
ter of course. I am well dressed and reckoned not a poorman; the emancipation of the serfs hasn't affected me; my propertyconsists chiefly of forests and water meadows. The revenue has notfallen off; but... I am not going to see them, I was sick of them longago. I've been here three days and have called on no one.... What a townit is! How has it come into existence among us, tell me that? A town ofofficials and students of all sorts. Yes, there's a great deal I didn'tnotice when I was here eight years ago, kicking up my heels.... My onlyhope now is in anatomy, by Jove, it is!"
"Anatomy?"
"But as for these clubs, Dussauts, parades, or progress, indeed,maybe--well, all that can go on without me," he went on, again withoutnoticing the question. "Besides, who wants to be a card-sharper?"
"Why, have you been a card-sharper then?"
"How could I help being? There was a regular set of us, men of the bestsociety, eight years ago; we had a fine time. And all men of breeding,you know, poets, men of property. And indeed as a rule in our Russiansociety the best manners are found among those who've been thrashed,have you noticed that? I've deteriorated in the country. But I did getinto prison for debt, through a low Greek who came from Nezhin. ThenMarfa Petrovna turned up; she bargained with him and bought me off forthirty thousand silver pieces (I owed seventy thousand). We were unitedin lawful wedlock and she bore me off into the country like a treasure.You know she was five years older than I. She was very fond of me. Forseven years I never left the country. And, take note, that all my lifeshe held a document over me, the IOU for thirty thousand roubles, soif I were to elect to be restive about anything I should be trapped atonce! And she would have done it! Women find nothing incompatible inthat."
"If it hadn't been for that, would you have given her the slip?"
"I don't know what to say. It was scarcely the document restrained me. Ididn't want to go anywhere else. Marfa Petrovna herself invited me to goabroad, seeing I was bored, but I've been abroad before, and alwaysfelt sick there. For no reason, but the sunrise, the bay of Naples, thesea--you look at them and it makes you sad. What's most revolting isthat one is really sad! No, it's better at home. Here at least oneblames others for everything and excuses oneself. I should have goneperhaps on an expedition to the North Pole, because _j'ai le vinmauvais_ and hate drinking, and there's nothing left but wine. I havetried it. But, I say, I've been told Berg is going up in a great balloonnext Sunday from the Yusupov Garden and will take up passengers at afee. Is it true?"
"Why, would you go up?"
"I... No, oh, no," muttered Svidrigailov really seeming to be deep inthought.
"What does he mean? Is he in earnest?" Raskolnikov wondered.
"No, the document didn't restrain me," Svidrigailov went on,meditatively. "It was my own doing, not leaving the country, and nearlya year ago Marfa Petrovna gave me back the document on my name-dayand made me a present of a considerable sum of money, too. She had afortune, you know. 'You see how I trust you, Arkady Ivanovitch'--thatwas actually her expression. You don't believe she used it? But doyou know I managed the estate quite decently, they know me in theneighbourhood. I ordered books, too. Marfa Petrovna at first approved,but afterwards she was afraid of my over-studying."
"You seem to be missing Marfa Petrovna very much?"
"Missing her? Perhaps. Really, perhaps I am. And, by the way, do youbelieve in ghosts?"
"What ghosts?"
"Why, ordinary ghosts."
"Do you believe in them?"
"Perhaps not, _pour vous plaire_.... I wouldn't say no exactly."
"Do you see them, then?"
Svidrigailov looked at him rather oddly.
"Marfa Petrovna is pleased to visit me," he said, twisting his mouthinto a strange smile.
"How do you mean 'she is pleased to visit you'?"
"She has been three times. I saw her first on the very day of thefuneral, an hour after she was buried. It was the day before I left tocome here. The second time was the day before yesterday, at daybreak, onthe journey at the station of Malaya Vishera, and the third time was twohours ago in the room where I am staying. I was alone."
"Were you awake?"
"Quite awake. I was wide awake every time. She comes, speaks to me fora minute and goes out at the door--always at the door. I can almost hearher."
"What made me think that something of the sort must be happening toyou?" Raskolnikov said suddenly.
At the same moment he was surprised at having said it. He was muchexcited.
"What! Did you think so?" Svidrigailov asked in astonishment. "Did youreally? Didn't I say that there was something in common between us, eh?"
"You never said so!" Raskolnikov cried sharply and with heat.
"Didn't I?"
"No!"
"I thought I did. When I came in and saw you lying with your eyes shut,pretending, I said to myself at once, 'Here's the man.'"
"What do you mean by 'the man?' What are you talking about?" criedRaskolnikov.
"What do I mean? I really don't know...." Svidrigailov mutteredingenuously, as though he, too, were puzzled.
For a minute they were silent. They stared in each other's faces.
"That's all nonsense!" Raskolnikov shouted with vexation. "What does shesay when she comes to you?"
"She! Would you believe it, she talks of the silliest trifles and--manis a strange creature--it makes me angry. The first time she came in (Iwas tired you know: the funeral service, the funeral ceremony, the lunchafterwards. At last I was left alone in my study. I lighted a cigar andbegan to think), she came in at the door. 'You've been so busy to-day,Arkady Ivanovitch, you have forgotten to wind the dining-room clock,'she said. All those seven years I've wound that clock every week, and ifI forgot it she would always remind me. The next day I set off on my wayhere. I got out at the station at daybreak; I'd been asleep, tired out,with my eyes half open, I was drinking some coffee. I looked up andthere was suddenly Marfa Petrovna sitting beside me with a pack ofcards in her hands. 'Shall I tell your fortune for the journey, ArkadyIvanovitch?' She was a great hand at telling fortunes. I shall neverforgive myself for not asking her to. I ran away in a fright, and,besides, the bell rang. I was sitting to-day, feeling very heavy after amiserable dinner from a cookshop; I was sitting smoking, all of a suddenMarfa Petrovna again. She came in very smart in a new green silk dresswith a long train. 'Good day, Arkady Ivanovitch! How do you like mydress? Aniska can't make like this.' (Aniska was a dressmaker in thecountry, one of our former serf girls who had been trained in Moscow, apretty wench.) She stood turning round before me. I looked at the dress,and then I looked carefully, very carefully, at her face. 'I wonderyou trouble to come to me about such trifles, Marfa Petrovna.' 'Goodgracious, you won't let one disturb you about anything!' To tease herI said, 'I want to get married, Marfa Petrovna.' 'That's just like you,Arkady Ivanovitch; it does you very little credit to come looking for abride when you've hardly buried your wife. And if you could make a goodchoice, at least, but I know it won't be for your happiness or hers, youwill only be a laughing-stock to all good people.' Then she went out andher train seemed to rustle. Isn't it nonsense, eh?"
"But perhaps you are telling lies?" Raskolnikov put in.
"I rarely lie," answered Svidrigailov thoughtfully, apparently notnoticing the rudeness of the question.
"And in the past, have you ever seen ghosts before?"
"Y-yes, I have seen them, but only once in my life, six years ago. I hada serf, Filka; just after his burial I called out forgetting 'Filka, mypipe!' He came in and went to the cupboard where my pipes were. I satstill and thought 'he is doing it out of revenge,' because we had aviolent quarrel just before his death. 'How dare you come in with a holein your elbow?' I said. 'Go away, you scamp!' He turned and went out,and never came again. I didn't tell Marfa Petrovna at the time. I wantedto have a service sung for him, but I was ashamed."
"You should go to a doctor."
"I know I am not well, without your telling me, though I don't knowwhat's wrong; I believe
I am five times as strong as you are. I didn'task you whether you believe that ghosts are seen, but whether youbelieve that they exist."
"No, I won't believe it!" Raskolnikov cried, with positive anger.
"What do people generally say?" muttered Svidrigailov, as thoughspeaking to himself, looking aside and bowing his head. "They say, 'Youare ill, so what appears to you is only unreal fantasy.' But that's notstrictly logical. I agree that ghosts only appear to the sick, but thatonly proves that they are unable to appear except to the sick, not thatthey don't exist."
"Nothing of the sort," Raskolnikov insisted irritably.
"No? You don't think so?" Svidrigailov went on, looking at himdeliberately. "But what do you say to this argument (help me withit): ghosts are, as it were, shreds and fragments of other worlds, thebeginning of them. A man in health has, of course, no reason to seethem, because he is above all a man of this earth and is bound for thesake of completeness and order to live only in this life. But as soonas one is ill, as soon as the normal earthly order of the organism isbroken, one begins to realise the possibility of another world; and themore seriously ill one is, the closer becomes one's contact with thatother world, so that as soon as the man dies he steps straight into thatworld. I thought of that long ago. If you believe in a future life, youcould believe in that, too."
"I don't believe in a future life," said Raskolnikov.
Svidrigailov sat lost in thought.
"And what if there are only spiders there, or something of that sort,"he said suddenly.
"He is a madman," thought Raskolnikov.
"We always imagine eternity as something beyond our conception,something vast, vast! But why must it be vast? Instead of all that, whatif it's one little room, like a bath house in the country, blackand grimy and spiders in every corner, and that's all eternity is? Isometimes fancy it like that."
"Can it be you can imagine nothing juster and more comforting thanthat?" Raskolnikov cried, with a feeling of anguish.
"Juster? And how can we tell, perhaps that is just, and do you knowit's what I would certainly have made it," answered Svidrigailov, with avague smile.
This horrible answer sent a cold chill through Raskolnikov. Svidrigailovraised his head, looked at him, and suddenly began laughing.
"Only think," he cried, "half an hour ago we had never seen each other,we regarded each other as enemies; there is a matter unsettled betweenus; we've thrown it aside, and away we've gone into the abstract! Wasn'tI right in saying that we were birds of a feather?"
"Kindly allow me," Raskolnikov went on irritably, "to ask you to explainwhy you have honoured me with your visit... and... and I am in a hurry,I have no time to waste. I want to go out."
"By all means, by all means. Your sister, Avdotya Romanovna, is going tobe married to Mr. Luzhin, Pyotr Petrovitch?"
"Can you refrain from any question about my sister and from mentioningher name? I can't understand how you dare utter her name in my presence,if you really are Svidrigailov."
"Why, but I've come here to speak about her; how can I avoid mentioningher?"
"Very good, speak, but make haste."
"I am sure that you must have formed your own opinion of this Mr.Luzhin, who is a connection of mine through my wife, if you have onlyseen him for half an hour, or heard any facts about him. He is nomatch for Avdotya Romanovna. I believe Avdotya Romanovna is sacrificingherself generously and imprudently for the sake of... for the sake ofher family. I fancied from all I had heard of you that you would be veryglad if the match could be broken off without the sacrifice of worldlyadvantages. Now I know you personally, I am convinced of it."
"All this is very naive... excuse me, I should have said impudent onyour part," said Raskolnikov.
"You mean to say that I am seeking my own ends. Don't be uneasy, RodionRomanovitch, if I were working for my own advantage, I would not havespoken out so directly. I am not quite a fool. I will confess somethingpsychologically curious about that: just now, defending my love forAvdotya Romanovna, I said I was myself the victim. Well, let me tell youthat I've no feeling of love now, not the slightest, so that I wondermyself indeed, for I really did feel something..."
"Through idleness and depravity," Raskolnikov put in.
"I certainly am idle and depraved, but your sister has such qualitiesthat even I could not help being impressed by them. But that's allnonsense, as I see myself now."
"Have you seen that long?"
"I began to be aware of it before, but was only perfectly sure of it theday before yesterday, almost at the moment I arrived in Petersburg. Istill fancied in Moscow, though, that I was coming to try to get AvdotyaRomanovna's hand and to cut out Mr. Luzhin."
"Excuse me for interrupting you; kindly be brief, and come to the objectof your visit. I am in a hurry, I want to go out..."
"With the greatest pleasure. On arriving here and determining on acertain... journey, I should like to make some necessary preliminaryarrangements. I left my children with an aunt; they are well providedfor; and they have no need of me personally. And a nice father I shouldmake, too! I have taken nothing but what Marfa Petrovna gave me a yearago. That's enough for me. Excuse me, I am just coming to the point.Before the journey which may come off, I want to settle Mr. Luzhin, too.It's not that I detest him so much, but it was through him I quarrelledwith Marfa Petrovna when I learned that she had dished up this marriage.I want now to see Avdotya Romanovna through your mediation, and if youlike in your presence, to explain to her that in the first place shewill never gain anything but harm from Mr. Luzhin. Then, beggingher pardon for all past unpleasantness, to make her a present of tenthousand roubles and so assist the rupture with Mr. Luzhin, a rupture towhich I believe she is herself not disinclined, if she could see the wayto it."
"You are certainly mad," cried Raskolnikov not so much angered asastonished. "How dare you talk like that!"
"I knew you would scream at me; but in the first place, though I am notrich, this ten thousand roubles is perfectly free; I have absolutely noneed for it. If Avdotya Romanovna does not accept it, I shall wasteit in some more foolish way. That's the first thing. Secondly, myconscience is perfectly easy; I make the offer with no ulterior motive.You may not believe it, but in the end Avdotya Romanovna and you willknow. The point is, that I did actually cause your sister, whom Igreatly respect, some trouble and unpleasantness, and so, sincerelyregretting it, I want--not to compensate, not to repay her for theunpleasantness, but simply to do something to her advantage, to showthat I am not, after all, privileged to do nothing but harm. If therewere a millionth fraction of self-interest in my offer, I should nothave made it so openly; and I should not have offered her ten thousandonly, when five weeks ago I offered her more, Besides, I may, perhaps,very soon marry a young lady, and that alone ought to prevent suspicionof any design on Avdotya Romanovna. In conclusion, let me say thatin marrying Mr. Luzhin, she is taking money just the same, only fromanother man. Don't be angry, Rodion Romanovitch, think it over coollyand quietly."
Svidrigailov himself was exceedingly cool and quiet as he was sayingthis.
"I beg you to say no more," said Raskolnikov. "In any case this isunpardonable impertinence."
"Not in the least. Then a man may do nothing but harm to his neighbourin this world, and is prevented from doing the tiniest bit of goodby trivial conventional formalities. That's absurd. If I died, forinstance, and left that sum to your sister in my will, surely shewouldn't refuse it?"
"Very likely she would."
"Oh, no, indeed. However, if you refuse it, so be it, though tenthousand roubles is a capital thing to have on occasion. In any case Ibeg you to repeat what I have said to Avdotya Romanovna."
"No, I won't."
"In that case, Rodion Romanovitch, I shall be obliged to try and see hermyself and worry her by doing so."
"And if I do tell her, will you not try to see her?"
"I don't know really what to say. I should like very much to see heronce more."
"Don
't hope for it."
"I'm sorry. But you don't know me. Perhaps we may become betterfriends."
"You think we may become friends?"
"And why not?" Svidrigailov said, smiling. He stood up and took his hat."I didn't quite intend to disturb you and I came here without reckoningon it... though I was very much struck by your face this morning."
"Where did you see me this morning?" Raskolnikov asked uneasily.
"I saw you by chance.... I kept fancying there is something about youlike me.... But don't be uneasy. I am not intrusive; I used to get onall right with card-sharpers, and I never bored Prince Svirbey, a greatpersonage who is a distant relation of mine, and I could write aboutRaphael's _Madonna_ in Madam Prilukov's album, and I never left MarfaPetrovna's side for seven years, and I used to stay the night atViazemsky's house in the Hay Market in the old days, and I may go up ina balloon with Berg, perhaps."
"Oh, all right. Are you starting soon on your travels, may I ask?"
"What travels?"
"Why, on that 'journey'; you spoke of it yourself."
"A journey? Oh, yes. I did speak of a journey. Well, that's a widesubject.... if only you knew what you are asking," he added, and gavea sudden, loud, short laugh. "Perhaps I'll get married instead of thejourney. They're making a match for me."
"Here?"
"Yes."
"How have you had time for that?"
"But I am very anxious to see Avdotya Romanovna once. I earnestly begit. Well, good-bye for the present. Oh, yes. I have forgotten something.Tell your sister, Rodion Romanovitch, that Marfa Petrovna rememberedher in her will and left her three thousand roubles. That's absolutelycertain. Marfa Petrovna arranged it a week before her death, and it wasdone in my presence. Avdotya Romanovna will be able to receive the moneyin two or three weeks."
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Yes, tell her. Well, your servant. I am staying very near you."
As he went out, Svidrigailov ran up against Razumihin in the doorway.