point；　and　put　off　trifling　details；　until　he　could　believe　in　it　all。
  But　that　seemed　utterly　unattainable。　So　it　seemed　to　himself　at
  least。　He　could　not　imagine；　for　instance；　that　he　would　sometime
  leave　off　thinking；　get　up　and　simply　go　there。。。。　Even　his　late
  experiment　（i。e。　his　visit　with　the　object　of　a　final　survey　of　the
  place）　was　simply　an　attempt　at　an　experiment；　far　from　being　the　real
  thing；　as　though　one　should　say　〃come；　let　us　go　and　try　it…　why　dream
  about　it！〃…　and　at　once　he　had　broken　down　and　had　run　away　cursing；
  in　a　frenzy　with　himself。　Meanwhile　it　would　seem；　as　regards　the
  moral　question；　that　his　analysis　was　complete；　his　casuistry　had
  become　keen　as　a　razor；　and　he　could　not　find　rational　objections　in
  himself。　But　in　the　last　resort　he　simply　ceased　to　believe　in
  himself；　and　doggedly；　slavishly　sought　arguments　in　all　directions；
  fumbling　for　them；　as　though　some　one　were　forcing　and　drawing　him
  to　it。
  At　first…　long　before　indeed…　he　had　been　much　occupied　with　one
  question；　why　almost　all　crimes　are　so　badly　concealed　and　so　easily
  detected；　and　why　almost　all　criminals　leave　such　obvious　traces？　He
  had　come　gradually　to　many　different　and　curious　conclusions；　and　in
  his　opinion　the　chief　reason　lay　not　so　much　in　the　material
  impossibility　of　concealing　the　crime；　as　in　the　criminal　himself。
  Almost　every　criminal　is　subject　to　a　failure　of　will　and　reasoning
  power　by　a　childish　and　phenomenal　heedlessness；　at　the　very　instant
  when　prudence　and　caution　are　most　essential。　It　was　his　conviction
  that　this　eclipse　of　reason　and　failure　of　will　power　attacked　a　man
  like　a　disease；　developed　gradually　and　reached　its　highest　point　just
  before　the　perpetration　of　the　crime；　continued　with　equal　violence　at
  the　moment　of　the　crime　and　for　longer　or　shorter　time　after；
  according　to　the　individual　case；　and　then　passed　off　like　any　other
  disease。　The　question　whether　the　disease　gives　rise　to　the　crime；
  or　whether　the　crime　from　its　own　peculiar　nature　is　always
  accompanied　by　something　of　the　nature　of　disease；　he　did　not　yet　feel
  able　to　decide。
  When　he　reached　these　conclusions；　he　decided　that　in　his　own　case
  there　could　not　be　such　a　morbid　reaction；　that　his　reason　and　will
  would　remain　unimpaired　at　the　time　of　carrying　out　his　design；　for
  the　simple　reason　that　his　design　was　〃not　a　crime。。。。〃　We　will　omit
  all　the　process　by　means　of　which　he　arrived　at　this　last
  conclusion；　we　have　run　too　far　ahead　already。。。。　We　may　add　only　that
  the　practical；　purely　material　difficulties　of　the　affair　occupied　a
  secondary　position　in　his　mind。　〃One　has　but　to　keep　all　one's　will
  power　and　reason　to　deal　with　them；　and　they　will　all　be　overcome　at
  the　time　when　once　one　has　familiarised　oneself　with　the　minutest
  details　of　the　business。。。。〃　But　this　preparation　had　never　been
  begun。　His　final　decisions　were　what　he　came　to　trust　least；　and
  when　the　hour　struck；　it　all　came　to　pass　quite　differently；　as　it
  were　accidentally　and　unexpectedly。
  One　trifling　circumstance　upset　his　calculations；　before　he　had　even
  left　the　staircase。　When　he　reached　the　landlady's　kitchen；　the　door
  of　which　was　open　as　usual；　he　glanced　cautiously　in　to　see　whether；
  in　Nastasya's　absence；　the　landlady　herself　was　there；　or　if　not；
  whether　the　door　to　her　own　room　was　closed；　so　that　she　might　not
  peep　out　when　he　went　in　for　the　axe。　But　what　was　his　amazement
  when　he　suddenly　saw　that　Nastasya　was　not　only　at　home　in　the
  kitchen；　but　was　occupied　there；　taking　linen　out　of　a　basket　and
  hanging　it　on　a　line。　Seeing　him；　she　left　off　hanging　the　clothes；
  turned　to　him　and　stared　at　him　all　the　time　he　was　passing。　He　turned
  away　his　eyes；　and　walked　past　as　though　he　noticed　nothing。　But　it
  was　the　end　of　everything；　he　had　not　the　axe！　He　was　overwhelmed。
  〃What　made　me　think；〃　he　reflected；　as　he　went　under　the　gateway；
  〃what　made　me　think　that　she　would　be　sure　not　to　be　at　home　at　that
  moment！　Why；　why；　why　did　I　assume　this　so　certainly？〃
  He　was　crushed　and　even　humiliated。　He　could　have　laughed　at　himself
  in　his　anger。。。。　A　dull　animal　rage　boiled　within　him。
  He　stood　hesitating　in　the　gateway。　To　go　into　the　street；　to　go　for
  a　walk　for　appearance　sake　was　revolting；　to　go　back　to　his　room；　even
  more　revolting。　〃And　what　a　chance　I　have　lost　for　ever！〃　he　muttered；
  standing　aimlessly　in　the　gateway；　just　opposite　the　porter's　little
  dark　room；　which　was　also　open。　Suddenly　he　started。　From　the　porter's
  room；　two　paces　away　from　him；　something　shining　under　the　bench　to
  the　right　caught　his　eye。。。。　He　looked　about　him…　nobody。　He
  approached　the　room　on　tiptoe；　went　down　two　steps　into　it　and　in　a
  faint　voice　called　the　porter。　〃Yes；　not　at　home！　Somewhere　near
  though；　in　the　yard；　for　the　door　is　wide　open。〃　He　dashed　to　the
  axe　（it　was　an　axe）　and　pulled　it　out　from　under　the　bench；　where　it
  lay　between　two　chunks　of　wood；　at　once　before　going　out；　he　made　it
  fast　in　the　noose；　he　thrust　both　hands　into　his　pockets　and　went
  out　of　the　room；　no　one　had　noticed　him！　〃When　reason　fails；　the　devil
  helps！〃　he　thought　with　a　strange　grin。　This　chance　raised　his　spirits
  extraordinarily。
  He　walked　along　quietly　and　sedately；　without　hurry；　to　avoid
  awakening　suspicion。　He　scarcely　looked　at　the　passers…by；　tried　to
  escape　looking　at　their　faces　at　all；　and　to　be　as　little　noticeable
  as　possible。　Suddenly　he　thought　of　his　hat。　〃Good　heavens！　I　had
  the　money　the　day　before　yesterday　and　did　not　get　a　cap　to　wear
  instead！〃　A　curse　rose　from　the　bottom　of　his　soul。
  Glancing　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye　into　a　shop；　he　saw　by　a　clock
  on　the　wall　that　it　was　ten　minutes　past　seven。　He　had　to　make　haste
  and　at　the　same　time　to　go　someway　round；　so　as　to　approach　the
  house　from　the　other　side。。。。
  When　he　had　happened　to　imagine　all　this　beforehand；　he　had
  sometimes　thought　that　he　would　be　very　much　afraid。　But　he　was　not
  very　much　afraid　now；　was　not　afraid　at　all；　indeed。　His　mind　was　even
  occupied　by　irrelevant　matters；　but　by　nothing　for　long。　As　he
  passed　the　Yusupov　garden；　he　was　deeply　absorbed　in　considering　the
  building　of　great　fountains；　and　of　their　refreshing　effect　on　the
  atmosphere　in　all　the　squares。　By　degrees　he　passed　to　the
  conviction　that　if　the　summer　garden　were　extended　to　the　field　of
  Mars；　and　perhaps　joined　to　the　garden　of　the　Mihailovsky　Palace；　it
  would　be　a　splendid　thing　and　a　great　benefit　to　the　town。　Then　he　was
  interested　by　the　question　why　in　all　great　towns　men　are　not　simply
  driven　by　necessity；　but　in　some　peculiar　way　inclined　to　live　in
  those　parts　of　the　town　where　there　are　no　gardens　nor　fountains；
  where　there　is　most　dirt　and　smell　and　all　sorts　of　nastiness。　Then
  his　own　walks　through　the　Hay　Market　came　back　to　his　mind；　and　for
  a　moment　he　waked　up　to　reality。　〃What　nonsense！〃　he　thought；
  〃better　think　of　nothing　at　all！〃
  〃So　probably　men　led　to　execution　clutch　mentally　at　every　object
  that　meets　them　on　the　way；〃　flashed　through　his　mind；　but　simply
  flashed；　like　lightning；　he　made　haste　to　dismiss　this　thought。。。。　And
  by　now　he　was　near；　here　was　the　house；　here　was　the　gate。　Suddenly
  a　clock　somewhere　struck　once。　〃What！　can　it　be　half…past　seven？
  Impossible；　it　must　be　fast！〃
  Luckily　for　him；　everything　went　well　again　at　the　gates。　At　that
  very　moment；　as　though　expressly　for　his　benefit；　a　huge　waggon　of　hay
  had　just　driven　in　at　the　gate；　completely　screening　him　as　he
  passed　under　the　gateway；　and　the　waggon　had　scarcely　had　time　to
  drive　through　into　the　yard；　before　he　had　slipped　in　a　flash　to　the
  right。　On　the　other　side　of　the　waggon　he　could　hear　shouting　and
  quarrelling；　but　no　one　noticed　hi