Prestuplenie i nakazanie. English

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

  CHAPTER I

  Raskolnikov got up, and sat down on the sofa. He waved his hand weaklyto Razumihin to cut short the flow of warm and incoherent consolationshe was addressing to his mother and sister, took them both by the handand for a minute or two gazed from one to the other without speaking.His mother was alarmed by his expression. It revealed an emotionagonisingly poignant, and at the same time something immovable, almostinsane. Pulcheria Alexandrovna began to cry.

  Avdotya Romanovna was pale; her hand trembled in her brother's.

  "Go home... with him," he said in a broken voice, pointing to Razumihin,"good-bye till to-morrow; to-morrow everything... Is it long since youarrived?"

  "This evening, Rodya," answered Pulcheria Alexandrovna, "the train wasawfully late. But, Rodya, nothing would induce me to leave you now! Iwill spend the night here, near you..."

  "Don't torture me!" he said with a gesture of irritation.

  "I will stay with him," cried Razumihin, "I won't leave him for amoment. Bother all my visitors! Let them rage to their hearts' content!My uncle is presiding there."

  "How, how can I thank you!" Pulcheria Alexandrovna was beginning, oncemore pressing Razumihin's hands, but Raskolnikov interrupted her again.

  "I can't have it! I can't have it!" he repeated irritably, "don't worryme! Enough, go away... I can't stand it!"

  "Come, mamma, come out of the room at least for a minute," Douniawhispered in dismay; "we are distressing him, that's evident."

  "Mayn't I look at him after three years?" wept Pulcheria Alexandrovna.

  "Stay," he stopped them again, "you keep interrupting me, and my ideasget muddled.... Have you seen Luzhin?"

  "No, Rodya, but he knows already of our arrival. We have heard, Rodya,that Pyotr Petrovitch was so kind as to visit you today," PulcheriaAlexandrovna added somewhat timidly.

  "Yes... he was so kind... Dounia, I promised Luzhin I'd throw himdownstairs and told him to go to hell...."

  "Rodya, what are you saying! Surely, you don't mean to tell us..."Pulcheria Alexandrovna began in alarm, but she stopped, looking atDounia.

  Avdotya Romanovna was looking attentively at her brother, waitingfor what would come next. Both of them had heard of the quarrel fromNastasya, so far as she had succeeded in understanding and reporting it,and were in painful perplexity and suspense.

  "Dounia," Raskolnikov continued with an effort, "I don't want thatmarriage, so at the first opportunity to-morrow you must refuse Luzhin,so that we may never hear his name again."

  "Good Heavens!" cried Pulcheria Alexandrovna.

  "Brother, think what you are saying!" Avdotya Romanovna beganimpetuously, but immediately checked herself. "You are not fit to talknow, perhaps; you are tired," she added gently.

  "You think I am delirious? No... You are marrying Luzhin for _my_sake. But I won't accept the sacrifice. And so write a letter beforeto-morrow, to refuse him... Let me read it in the morning and that willbe the end of it!"

  "That I can't do!" the girl cried, offended, "what right have you..."

  "Dounia, you are hasty, too, be quiet, to-morrow... Don't you see..."the mother interposed in dismay. "Better come away!"

  "He is raving," Razumihin cried tipsily, "or how would he dare!To-morrow all this nonsense will be over... to-day he certainly diddrive him away. That was so. And Luzhin got angry, too.... He madespeeches here, wanted to show off his learning and he went outcrest-fallen...."

  "Then it's true?" cried Pulcheria Alexandrovna.

  "Good-bye till to-morrow, brother," said Dounia compassionately--"let usgo, mother... Good-bye, Rodya."

  "Do you hear, sister," he repeated after them, making a last effort,"I am not delirious; this marriage is--an infamy. Let me act likea scoundrel, but you mustn't... one is enough... and though I am ascoundrel, I wouldn't own such a sister. It's me or Luzhin! Go now...."

  "But you're out of your mind! Despot!" roared Razumihin; but Raskolnikovdid not and perhaps could not answer. He lay down on the sofa, andturned to the wall, utterly exhausted. Avdotya Romanovna looked withinterest at Razumihin; her black eyes flashed; Razumihin positivelystarted at her glance.

  Pulcheria Alexandrovna stood overwhelmed.

  "Nothing would induce me to go," she whispered in despair to Razumihin."I will stay somewhere here... escort Dounia home."

  "You'll spoil everything," Razumihin answered in the same whisper,losing patience--"come out on to the stairs, anyway. Nastasya, show alight! I assure you," he went on in a half whisper on the stairs--"thathe was almost beating the doctor and me this afternoon! Do youunderstand? The doctor himself! Even he gave way and left him, so as notto irritate him. I remained downstairs on guard, but he dressed at onceand slipped off. And he will slip off again if you irritate him, at thistime of night, and will do himself some mischief...."

  "What are you saying?"

  "And Avdotya Romanovna can't possibly be left in those lodgings withoutyou. Just think where you are staying! That blackguard Pyotr Petrovitchcouldn't find you better lodgings... But you know I've had a little todrink, and that's what makes me... swear; don't mind it...."

  "But I'll go to the landlady here," Pulcheria Alexandrovna insisted,"I'll beseech her to find some corner for Dounia and me for the night. Ican't leave him like that, I cannot!"

  This conversation took place on the landing just before the landlady'sdoor. Nastasya lighted them from a step below. Razumihin was inextraordinary excitement. Half an hour earlier, while he was bringingRaskolnikov home, he had indeed talked too freely, but he was aware ofit himself, and his head was clear in spite of the vast quantities hehad imbibed. Now he was in a state bordering on ecstasy, and all that hehad drunk seemed to fly to his head with redoubled effect. He stood withthe two ladies, seizing both by their hands, persuading them, and givingthem reasons with astonishing plainness of speech, and at almost everyword he uttered, probably to emphasise his arguments, he squeezed theirhands painfully as in a vise. He stared at Avdotya Romanovna without theleast regard for good manners. They sometimes pulled their hands out ofhis huge bony paws, but far from noticing what was the matter, he drewthem all the closer to him. If they'd told him to jump head foremostfrom the staircase, he would have done it without thought or hesitationin their service. Though Pulcheria Alexandrovna felt that the young manwas really too eccentric and pinched her hand too much, in her anxietyover her Rodya she looked on his presence as providential, and wasunwilling to notice all his peculiarities. But though Avdotya Romanovnashared her anxiety, and was not of timorous disposition, she could notsee the glowing light in his eyes without wonder and almost alarm. Itwas only the unbounded confidence inspired by Nastasya's account of herbrother's queer friend, which prevented her from trying to run away fromhim, and to persuade her mother to do the same. She realised, too,that even running away was perhaps impossible now. Ten minutes later,however, she was considerably reassured; it was characteristic ofRazumihin that he showed his true nature at once, whatever mood he mightbe in, so that people quickly saw the sort of man they had to deal with.

  "You can't go to the landlady, that's perfect nonsense!" he cried. "Ifyou stay, though you are his mother, you'll drive him to a frenzy, andthen goodness knows what will happen! Listen, I'll tell you what I'lldo: Nastasya will stay with him now, and I'll conduct you both home, youcan't be in the streets alone; Petersburg is an awful place in thatway.... But no matter! Then I'll run straight back here and a quarter ofan hour later, on my word of honour, I'll bring you news how he is,whether he is asleep, and all that. Then, listen! Then I'll run home ina twinkling--I've a lot of friends there, all drunk--I'll fetchZossimov--that's the doctor who is looking after him, he is there, too,but he is not drunk; he is not drunk, he is never drunk! I'll drag himto Rodya, and then to you, so that you'll get two reports in thehour--from the doctor, you understand, from the doctor himself, that's avery different thing from my account of him! If there's anything wrong,I swear I'll bring you here myself, but, if it's all right, you go tobed. And I'll spend the nigh
t here, in the passage, he won't hear me,and I'll tell Zossimov to sleep at the landlady's, to be at hand. Whichis better for him: you or the doctor? So come home then! But thelandlady is out of the question; it's all right for me, but it's out ofthe question for you: she wouldn't take you, for she's... for she's afool... She'd be jealous on my account of Avdotya Romanovna and of you,too, if you want to know... of Avdotya Romanovna certainly. She is anabsolutely, absolutely unaccountable character! But I am a fool, too!...No matter! Come along! Do you trust me? Come, do you trust me or not?"

  "Let us go, mother," said Avdotya Romanovna, "he will certainly do whathe has promised. He has saved Rodya already, and if the doctor reallywill consent to spend the night here, what could be better?"

  "You see, you... you... understand me, because you are an angel!"Razumihin cried in ecstasy, "let us go! Nastasya! Fly upstairs and sitwith him with a light; I'll come in a quarter of an hour."

  Though Pulcheria Alexandrovna was not perfectly convinced, she made nofurther resistance. Razumihin gave an arm to each and drew them downthe stairs. He still made her uneasy, as though he was competent andgood-natured, was he capable of carrying out his promise? He seemed insuch a condition....

  "Ah, I see you think I am in such a condition!" Razumihin broke in uponher thoughts, guessing them, as he strolled along the pavement with hugesteps, so that the two ladies could hardly keep up with him, a fact hedid not observe, however. "Nonsense! That is... I am drunk like a fool,but that's not it; I am not drunk from wine. It's seeing you has turnedmy head... But don't mind me! Don't take any notice: I am talkingnonsense, I am not worthy of you.... I am utterly unworthy of you! Theminute I've taken you home, I'll pour a couple of pailfuls of water overmy head in the gutter here, and then I shall be all right.... If onlyyou knew how I love you both! Don't laugh, and don't be angry! You maybe angry with anyone, but not with me! I am his friend, and therefore Iam your friend, too, I want to be... I had a presentiment... Last yearthere was a moment... though it wasn't a presentiment really, foryou seem to have fallen from heaven. And I expect I shan't sleep allnight... Zossimov was afraid a little time ago that he would go mad...that's why he mustn't be irritated."

  "What do you say?" cried the mother.

  "Did the doctor really say that?" asked Avdotya Romanovna, alarmed.

  "Yes, but it's not so, not a bit of it. He gave him some medicine, apowder, I saw it, and then your coming here.... Ah! It would have beenbetter if you had come to-morrow. It's a good thing we went away. And inan hour Zossimov himself will report to you about everything. He is notdrunk! And I shan't be drunk.... And what made me get so tight? Becausethey got me into an argument, damn them! I've sworn never to argue! Theytalk such trash! I almost came to blows! I've left my uncle to preside.Would you believe, they insist on complete absence of individualismand that's just what they relish! Not to be themselves, to be as unlikethemselves as they can. That's what they regard as the highest point ofprogress. If only their nonsense were their own, but as it is..."

  "Listen!" Pulcheria Alexandrovna interrupted timidly, but it only addedfuel to the flames.

  "What do you think?" shouted Razumihin, louder than ever, "you think Iam attacking them for talking nonsense? Not a bit! I like them to talknonsense. That's man's one privilege over all creation. Through erroryou come to the truth! I am a man because I err! You never reach anytruth without making fourteen mistakes and very likely a hundred andfourteen. And a fine thing, too, in its way; but we can't even makemistakes on our own account! Talk nonsense, but talk your own nonsense,and I'll kiss you for it. To go wrong in one's own way is better thanto go right in someone else's. In the first case you are a man, in thesecond you're no better than a bird. Truth won't escape you, but lifecan be cramped. There have been examples. And what are we doing now?In science, development, thought, invention, ideals, aims, liberalism,judgment, experience and everything, everything, everything, we arestill in the preparatory class at school. We prefer to live on otherpeople's ideas, it's what we are used to! Am I right, am I right?" criedRazumihin, pressing and shaking the two ladies' hands.

  "Oh, mercy, I do not know," cried poor Pulcheria Alexandrovna.

  "Yes, yes... though I don't agree with you in everything," added AvdotyaRomanovna earnestly and at once uttered a cry, for he squeezed her handso painfully.

  "Yes, you say yes... well after that you... you..." he cried ina transport, "you are a fount of goodness, purity, sense... andperfection. Give me your hand... you give me yours, too! I want to kissyour hands here at once, on my knees..." and he fell on his knees on thepavement, fortunately at that time deserted.

  "Leave off, I entreat you, what are you doing?" Pulcheria Alexandrovnacried, greatly distressed.

  "Get up, get up!" said Dounia laughing, though she, too, was upset.

  "Not for anything till you let me kiss your hands! That's it! Enough! Iget up and we'll go on! I am a luckless fool, I am unworthy of you anddrunk... and I am ashamed.... I am not worthy to love you, but to dohomage to you is the duty of every man who is not a perfect beast! AndI've done homage.... Here are your lodgings, and for that alone Rodyawas right in driving your Pyotr Petrovitch away.... How dare he! howdare he put you in such lodgings! It's a scandal! Do you know thesort of people they take in here? And you his betrothed! You arehis betrothed? Yes? Well, then, I'll tell you, your _fiance_ is ascoundrel."

  "Excuse me, Mr. Razumihin, you are forgetting..." Pulcheria Alexandrovnawas beginning.

  "Yes, yes, you are right, I did forget myself, I am ashamed of it,"Razumihin made haste to apologise. "But... but you can't be angry withme for speaking so! For I speak sincerely and not because... hm, hm!That would be disgraceful; in fact not because I'm in... hm! Well,anyway, I won't say why, I daren't.... But we all saw to-day when hecame in that that man is not of our sort. Not because he had his haircurled at the barber's, not because he was in such a hurry to show hiswit, but because he is a spy, a speculator, because he is a skin-flintand a buffoon. That's evident. Do you think him clever? No, he is afool, a fool. And is he a match for you? Good heavens! Do you see,ladies?" he stopped suddenly on the way upstairs to their rooms, "thoughall my friends there are drunk, yet they are all honest, and though wedo talk a lot of trash, and I do, too, yet we shall talk our way to thetruth at last, for we are on the right path, while Pyotr Petrovitch...is not on the right path. Though I've been calling them all sorts ofnames just now, I do respect them all... though I don't respect Zametov,I like him, for he is a puppy, and that bullock Zossimov, because heis an honest man and knows his work. But enough, it's all said andforgiven. Is it forgiven? Well, then, let's go on. I know this corridor,I've been here, there was a scandal here at Number 3.... Where are youhere? Which number? eight? Well, lock yourselves in for the night, then.Don't let anybody in. In a quarter of an hour I'll come back with news,and half an hour later I'll bring Zossimov, you'll see! Good-bye, I'llrun."

  "Good heavens, Dounia, what is going to happen?" said PulcheriaAlexandrovna, addressing her daughter with anxiety and dismay.

  "Don't worry yourself, mother," said Dounia, taking off her hat andcape. "God has sent this gentleman to our aid, though he has come from adrinking party. We can depend on him, I assure you. And all that he hasdone for Rodya...."

  "Ah. Dounia, goodness knows whether he will come! How could I bringmyself to leave Rodya?... And how different, how different I had fanciedour meeting! How sullen he was, as though not pleased to see us...."

  Tears came into her eyes.

  "No, it's not that, mother. You didn't see, you were crying all thetime. He is quite unhinged by serious illness--that's the reason."

  "Ah, that illness! What will happen, what will happen? And how he talkedto you, Dounia!" said the mother, looking timidly at her daughter,trying to read her thoughts and, already half consoled by Dounia'sstanding up for her brother, which meant that she had already forgivenhim. "I am sure he will think better of it to-morrow," she added,probing her further.

  "And I am sure that he
will say the same to-morrow... about that,"Avdotya Romanovna said finally. And, of course, there was no goingbeyond that, for this was a point which Pulcheria Alexandrovna wasafraid to discuss. Dounia went up and kissed her mother. The latterwarmly embraced her without speaking. Then she sat down to waitanxiously for Razumihin's return, timidly watching her daughter whowalked up and down the room with her arms folded, lost in thought.This walking up and down when she was thinking was a habit of AvdotyaRomanovna's and the mother was always afraid to break in on herdaughter's mood at such moments.

  Razumihin, of course, was ridiculous in his sudden drunken infatuationfor Avdotya Romanovna. Yet apart from his eccentric condition, manypeople would have thought it justified if they had seen AvdotyaRomanovna, especially at that moment when she was walking to andfro with folded arms, pensive and melancholy. Avdotya Romanovna wasremarkably good-looking; she was tall, strikingly well-proportioned,strong and self-reliant--the latter quality was apparent in everygesture, though it did not in the least detract from the grace andsoftness of her movements. In face she resembled her brother, but shemight be described as really beautiful. Her hair was dark brown, alittle lighter than her brother's; there was a proud light in her almostblack eyes and yet at times a look of extraordinary kindness. She waspale, but it was a healthy pallor; her face was radiant with freshnessand vigour. Her mouth was rather small; the full red lower lip projecteda little as did her chin; it was the only irregularity in her beautifulface, but it gave it a peculiarly individual and almost haughtyexpression. Her face was always more serious and thoughtful than gay;but how well smiles, how well youthful, lighthearted, irresponsible,laughter suited her face! It was natural enough that a warm, open,simple-hearted, honest giant like Razumihin, who had never seen anyonelike her and was not quite sober at the time, should lose his headimmediately. Besides, as chance would have it, he saw Dounia for thefirst time transfigured by her love for her brother and her joy atmeeting him. Afterwards he saw her lower lip quiver with indignationat her brother's insolent, cruel and ungrateful words--and his fate wassealed.

  He had spoken the truth, moreover, when he blurted out in his drunkentalk on the stairs that Praskovya Pavlovna, Raskolnikov's eccentriclandlady, would be jealous of Pulcheria Alexandrovna as well as ofAvdotya Romanovna on his account. Although Pulcheria Alexandrovna wasforty-three, her face still retained traces of her former beauty; shelooked much younger than her age, indeed, which is almost always thecase with women who retain serenity of spirit, sensitiveness and puresincere warmth of heart to old age. We may add in parenthesis that topreserve all this is the only means of retaining beauty to old age. Herhair had begun to grow grey and thin, there had long been little crow'sfoot wrinkles round her eyes, her cheeks were hollow and sunken fromanxiety and grief, and yet it was a handsome face. She was Douniaover again, twenty years older, but without the projecting underlip.Pulcheria Alexandrovna was emotional, but not sentimental, timid andyielding, but only to a certain point. She could give way and accept agreat deal even of what was contrary to her convictions, but there was acertain barrier fixed by honesty, principle and the deepest convictionswhich nothing would induce her to cross.

  Exactly twenty minutes after Razumihin's departure, there came twosubdued but hurried knocks at the door: he had come back.

  "I won't come in, I haven't time," he hastened to say when the door wasopened. "He sleeps like a top, soundly, quietly, and God grant he maysleep ten hours. Nastasya's with him; I told her not to leave till Icame. Now I am fetching Zossimov, he will report to you and then you'dbetter turn in; I can see you are too tired to do anything...."

  And he ran off down the corridor.

  "What a very competent and... devoted young man!" cried PulcheriaAlexandrovna exceedingly delighted.

  "He seems a splendid person!" Avdotya Romanovna replied with somewarmth, resuming her walk up and down the room.

  It was nearly an hour later when they heard footsteps in the corridorand another knock at the door. Both women waited this time completelyrelying on Razumihin's promise; he actually had succeeded in bringingZossimov. Zossimov had agreed at once to desert the drinking party togo to Raskolnikov's, but he came reluctantly and with the greatestsuspicion to see the ladies, mistrusting Razumihin in his exhilaratedcondition. But his vanity was at once reassured and flattered; he sawthat they were really expecting him as an oracle. He stayed just tenminutes and succeeded in completely convincing and comforting PulcheriaAlexandrovna. He spoke with marked sympathy, but with the reserve andextreme seriousness of a young doctor at an important consultation.He did not utter a word on any other subject and did not display theslightest desire to enter into more personal relations with the twoladies. Remarking at his first entrance the dazzling beauty of AvdotyaRomanovna, he endeavoured not to notice her at all during his visit andaddressed himself solely to Pulcheria Alexandrovna. All this gave himextraordinary inward satisfaction. He declared that he thought theinvalid at this moment going on very satisfactorily. According to hisobservations the patient's illness was due partly to his unfortunatematerial surroundings during the last few months, but it had partly alsoa moral origin, "was, so to speak, the product of several material andmoral influences, anxieties, apprehensions, troubles, certain ideas...and so on." Noticing stealthily that Avdotya Romanovna was following hiswords with close attention, Zossimov allowed himself to enlarge on thistheme. On Pulcheria Alexandrovna's anxiously and timidly inquiring asto "some suspicion of insanity," he replied with a composed and candidsmile that his words had been exaggerated; that certainly the patienthad some fixed idea, something approaching a monomania--he, Zossimov,was now particularly studying this interesting branch of medicine--butthat it must be recollected that until to-day the patient had been indelirium and... and that no doubt the presence of his family would havea favourable effect on his recovery and distract his mind, "if only allfresh shocks can be avoided," he added significantly. Then he got up,took leave with an impressive and affable bow, while blessings, warmgratitude, and entreaties were showered upon him, and Avdotya Romanovnaspontaneously offered her hand to him. He went out exceedingly pleasedwith his visit and still more so with himself.

  "We'll talk to-morrow; go to bed at once!" Razumihin said in conclusion,following Zossimov out. "I'll be with you to-morrow morning as early aspossible with my report."

  "That's a fetching little girl, Avdotya Romanovna," remarked Zossimov,almost licking his lips as they both came out into the street.

  "Fetching? You said fetching?" roared Razumihin and he flew at Zossimovand seized him by the throat. "If you ever dare.... Do you understand?Do you understand?" he shouted, shaking him by the collar and squeezinghim against the wall. "Do you hear?"

  "Let me go, you drunken devil," said Zossimov, struggling and when hehad let him go, he stared at him and went off into a sudden guffaw.Razumihin stood facing him in gloomy and earnest reflection.

  "Of course, I am an ass," he observed, sombre as a storm cloud, "butstill... you are another."

  "No, brother, not at all such another. I am not dreaming of any folly."

  They walked along in silence and only when they were close toRaskolnikov's lodgings, Razumihin broke the silence in considerableanxiety.

  "Listen," he said, "you're a first-rate fellow, but among your otherfailings, you're a loose fish, that I know, and a dirty one, too. Youare a feeble, nervous wretch, and a mass of whims, you're getting fatand lazy and can't deny yourself anything--and I call that dirty becauseit leads one straight into the dirt. You've let yourself get so slackthat I don't know how it is you are still a good, even a devoted doctor.You--a doctor--sleep on a feather bed and get up at night to yourpatients! In another three or four years you won't get up for yourpatients... But hang it all, that's not the point!... You are goingto spend to-night in the landlady's flat here. (Hard work I've had topersuade her!) And I'll be in the kitchen. So here's a chance for you toget to know her better.... It's not as you think! There's not a trace ofanything of the sort, brother...!"
/>   "But I don't think!"

  "Here you have modesty, brother, silence, bashfulness, a savagevirtue... and yet she's sighing and melting like wax, simply melting!Save me from her, by all that's unholy! She's most prepossessing... I'llrepay you, I'll do anything...."

  Zossimov laughed more violently than ever.

  "Well, you are smitten! But what am I to do with her?"

  "It won't be much trouble, I assure you. Talk any rot you like to her,as long as you sit by her and talk. You're a doctor, too; try curingher of something. I swear you won't regret it. She has a piano, and youknow, I strum a little. I have a song there, a genuine Russian one: 'Ished hot tears.' She likes the genuine article--and well, it allbegan with that song; Now you're a regular performer, a _maitre_, aRubinstein.... I assure you, you won't regret it!"

  "But have you made her some promise? Something signed? A promise ofmarriage, perhaps?"

  "Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of the kind! Besides she is notthat sort at all.... Tchebarov tried that...."

  "Well then, drop her!"

  "But I can't drop her like that!"

  "Why can't you?"

  "Well, I can't, that's all about it! There's an element of attractionhere, brother."

  "Then why have you fascinated her?"

  "I haven't fascinated her; perhaps I was fascinated myself in my folly.But she won't care a straw whether it's you or I, so long as somebodysits beside her, sighing.... I can't explain the position, brother...look here, you are good at mathematics, and working at it now... beginteaching her the integral calculus; upon my soul, I'm not joking, I'min earnest, it'll be just the same to her. She will gaze at you and sighfor a whole year together. I talked to her once for two days at a timeabout the Prussian House of Lords (for one must talk of something)--shejust sighed and perspired! And you mustn't talk of love--she's bashfulto hysterics--but just let her see you can't tear yourself away--that'senough. It's fearfully comfortable; you're quite at home, you canread, sit, lie about, write. You may even venture on a kiss, if you'recareful."

  "But what do I want with her?"

  "Ach, I can't make you understand! You see, you are made for each other!I have often been reminded of you!... You'll come to it in the end! Sodoes it matter whether it's sooner or later? There's the feather-bedelement here, brother--ach! and not only that! There's an attractionhere--here you have the end of the world, an anchorage, a quiet haven,the navel of the earth, the three fishes that are the foundation of theworld, the essence of pancakes, of savoury fish-pies, of the eveningsamovar, of soft sighs and warm shawls, and hot stoves to sleep on--assnug as though you were dead, and yet you're alive--the advantagesof both at once! Well, hang it, brother, what stuff I'm talking, it'sbedtime! Listen. I sometimes wake up at night; so I'll go in and look athim. But there's no need, it's all right. Don't you worry yourself,yet if you like, you might just look in once, too. But if you noticeanything--delirium or fever--wake me at once. But there can't be...."