kept　her　from　the　canal　till　now　is　the　idea　of　sin　and　they；　the
  children。。。。　And　if　she　has　not　gone　out　of　her　mind。。。　but　who　says
  she　has　not　gone　out　of　her　mind？　Is　she　in　her　senses？　Can　one
  talk；　can　one　reason　as　she　does？　How　can　she　sit　on　the　edge　of　the
  abyss　of　loathsomeness　into　which　she　is　slipping　and　refuse　to　listen
  when　she　is　told　of　danger？　Does　she　expect　a　miracle？　No　doubt　she
  does。　Doesn't　that　all　mean　madness？〃
  He　stayed　obstinately　at　that　thought。　He　liked　that　explanation
  indeed　better　than　any　other。　He　began　looking　more　intently　at　her。
  〃So　you　pray　to　God　a　great　deal；　Sonia？〃　he　asked　her。
  Sonia　did　not　speak；　he　stood　beside　her　waiting　for　an　answer。
  〃What　should　I　be　without　God？〃　she　whispered　rapidly；　forcibly；
  glancing　at　him　with　suddenly　flashing　eyes；　and　squeezing　his　hand。
  〃Ah；　so　that　is　it！〃　he　thought。
  〃And　what　does　God　do　for　you？〃　he　asked；　probing　her　further。
  Sonia　was　silent　a　long　while；　as　though　she　could　not　answer。　Her
  weak　chest　kept　heaving　with　emotion。
  〃Be　silent！　Don't　ask！　You　don't　deserve！〃　she　cried　suddenly；
  looking　sternly　and　wrathfully　at　him。
  〃That's　it；　that's　it；〃　he　repeated　to　himself。
  〃He　does　everything；〃　she　whispered　quickly；　looking　down　again。
  〃That's　the　way　out！　That's　the　explanation；〃　he　decided；
  scrutinising　her　with　eager　curiosity；　with　a　new；　strange；　almost
  morbid　feeling。　He　gazed　at　that　pale；　thin；　irregular；　angular　little
  face；　those　soft　blue　eyes；　which　could　flash　with　such　fire；　such
  stern　energy；　that　little　body　still　shaking　with　indignation　and
  anger…　and　it　all　seemed　to　him　more　and　more　strange；　almost
  impossible。　〃She　is　a　religious　maniac！〃　he　repeated　to　himself。
  There　was　a　book　lying　on　the　chest　of　drawers。　He　had　noticed　it
  every　time　he　paced　up　and　down　the　room。　Now　he　took　it　up　and　looked
  at　it。　It　was　the　New　Testament　in　the　Russian　translation。　It　was
  bound　in　leather；　old　and　worn。
  〃Where　did　you　get　that？〃　he　called　to　her　across　the　room。
  She　was　still　standing　in　the　same　place；　three　steps　from　the
  table。
  〃It　was　brought　me；〃　she　answered；　as　it　were　unwillingly；　not
  looking　at　him。
  〃Who　brought　it？〃
  〃Lizaveta；　I　asked　her　for　it。〃
  〃Lizaveta！　strange！〃　he　thought。
  Everything　about　Sonia　seemed　to　him　stranger　and　more　wonderful
  every　moment。　He　carried　the　book　to　the　candle　and　began　to　turn　over
  the　pages。
  〃Where　is　the　story　of　Lazarus？〃　he　asked　suddenly。
  Sonia　looked　obstinately　at　the　ground　and　would　not　answer。　She　was
  standing　sideways　to　the　table。
  〃Where　is　the　raising　of　Lazarus？　Find　it　for　me；　Sonia。〃
  She　stole　a　glance　at　him。
  〃You　are　not　looking　in　the　right　place。。。。　It's　in　the　fourth
  gospel；〃　she　whispered　sternly；　without　looking　at　him。
  〃Find　it　and　read　it　to　me；〃　he　said。　He　sat　down　with　his　elbow
  on　the　table；　leaned　his　head　on　his　hand　and　looked　away　sullenly；
  prepared　to　listen。
  〃In　three　weeks'　time　they'll　welcome　me　in　the　madhouse！　I　shall　be
  there　if　I　am　not　in　a　worse　place；〃　he　muttered　to　himself。
  Sonia　heard　Raskolnikov's　request　distrustfully　and　moved
  hesitatingly　to　the　table。　She　took　the　book　however。
  〃Haven't　you　read　it？〃　she　asked；　looking　up　at　him　across　the
  table。
  Her　voice　became　sterner　and　sterner。
  〃Long　ago。。。。　When　I　was　at　school。　Read！〃
  〃And　haven't　you　heard　it　in　church？〃
  〃I。。。　haven't　been。　Do　you　often　go？〃
  〃N…no；〃　whispered　Sonia。
  Raskolnikov　smiled。
  〃I　understand。。。。　And　you　won't　go　to　your　father's　funeral
  to…morrow？〃
  〃Yes；　I　shall。　I　was　at　church　last　week；　too。。。　I　had　a　requiem
  service。〃
  〃For　whom？〃
  〃For　Lizaveta。　She　was　killed　with　an　axe。〃
  His　nerves　were　more　and　more　strained。　His　head　began　to　go　round。
  〃Were　you　friends　with　Lizaveta？〃
  〃Yes。。。。　She　was　good。。。　she　used　to　come。。。　not　often。。。　she
  couldn't。。。。　We　used　to　read　together　and。。。　talk。　She　will　see　God。〃
  The　last　phrase　sounded　strange　in　his　ears。　And　here　was
  something　new　again：　the　mysterious　meetings　with　Lizaveta　and　both　of
  them…　religious　maniacs。
  〃I　shall　be　a　religious　maniac　myself　soon！　It's　infectious！〃
  〃Read！〃　he　cried　irritably　and　insistently。
  Sonia　still　hesitated。　Her　heart　was　throbbing。　She　hardly　dared
  to　read　to　him。　He　looked　almost　with　exasperation　at　the　〃unhappy
  lunatic。〃
  〃What　for？　You　don't　believe？。。。〃　she　whispered　softly　and　as　it
  were　breathlessly。
  〃Read！　I　want　you　to；〃　he　persisted。　〃You　used　to　read　to　Lizaveta。〃
  Sonia　opened　the　book　and　found　the　place。　Her　hands　were　shaking；
  her　voice　failed　her。　Twice　she　tried　to　begin　and　could　not　bring　out
  the　first　syllable。
  〃Now　a　certain　man　was　sick　named　Lazarus　of　Bethany。。。〃　she
  forced　herself　at　last　to　read；　but　at　the　third　word　her　voice
  broke　like　an　overstrained　string。　There　was　a　catch　in　her　breath。
  Raskolnikov　saw　in　part　why　Sonia　could　not　bring　herself　to　read　to
  him　and　the　more　he　saw　this；　the　more　roughly　and　irritably　he
  insisted　on　her　doing　so。　He　understood　only　too　well　how　painful　it
  was　for　her　to　betray　and　unveil　all　that　was　her　own。　He　understood
  that　these　feelings　really　were　her　secret　treasure；　which　she　had
  kept　perhaps　for　years；　perhaps　from　childhood；　while　she　lived　with
  an　unhappy　father　and　a　distracted　stepmother　crazed　by　grief；　in
  the　midst　of　starving　children　and　unseemly　abuse　and　reproaches。
  But　at　the　same　time　he　knew　now　and　knew　for　certain　that；　although
  it　filled　her　with　dread　and　suffering；　yet　she　had　a　tormenting
  desire　to　read　and　to　read　to　him　that　he　might　hear　it；　and　to　read
  now　whatever　might　come　of　it！。。。　He　read　this　in　her　eyes；　he　could
  see　it　in　her　intense　emotion。　She　mastered　herself；　controlled　the
  spasm　in　her　throat　and　went　on　reading　the　eleventh　chapter　of　St。
  John。　She　went　on　to　the　nineteenth　verse：
  〃And　many　of　the　Jews　came　to　Martha　and　Mary　to　comfort　them
  concerning　their　brother。
  Then　Martha　as　soon　as　she　heard　that　Jesus　was　coming　went　and
  met　Him：　but　Mary　sat　still　in　the　house。
  Then　said　Martha　unto　Jesus；　Lord；　if　Thou　hadst　been　here；　my
  brother　had　not　died。
  But　I　know　that　even　now　whatsoever　Thou　wilt　ask　of　God；　God　will
  give　it　Thee。。。。〃
  Then　she　stopped　again　with　a　shamefaced　feeling　that　her　voice
  would　quiver　and　break　again。
  〃Jesus　said　unto　her；　thy　brother　shall　rise　again。
  Martha　saith　unto　Him；　I　know　that　he　shall　rise　again　in　the
  resurrection；　at　the　last　day。