yourself　just　now。。。　I　assure　you　these　interrogations　are　sometimes
  more　embarrassing　for　the　interrogator　than　for　the　interrogated。。。。
  You　made　the　observation　yourself　just　now　very　aptly　and　wittily。
  （Raskolnikov　had　made　no　observation　of　the　kind。）　One　gets　into　a
  muddle！　A　regular　muddle！　One　keeps　harping　on　the　same　note；　like　a
  drum！　There　is　to　be　a　reform　and　we　shall　be　called　by　a　different
  name；　at　least；　he…he…he！　And　as　for　our　legal　tradition；　as　you　so
  wittily　called　it；　I　thoroughly　agree　with　you。　Every　prisoner　on
  trial；　even　the　rudest　peasant　knows；　that　they　begin　by　disarming　him
  with　irrelevant　questions　（as　you　so　happily　put　it）　and　then　deal　him
  a　knock…down　blow；　he…he…he！…　your　felicitous　compacts　son；　he…he！
  So　you　really　imagined　that　I　meant　by　government　quarters。。。　he…he！
  You　are　an　ironical　person。　Come。　I　won't　go　on！　Ah；　by　the　way；
  yes！　One　word　leads　to　another。　You　spoke　of　formality　just　now；
  apropos　of　the　inquiry；　you　know。　But　what's　the　use　of　formality？
  In　many　cases　it's　nonsense。　Sometimes　one　has　a　friendly　chat　and
  gets　a　good　deal　more　out　of　it。　One　can　always　fall　back　on
  formality；　allow　me　to　assure　you。　And　after　all；　what　does　it
  amount　to？　An　examining　lawyer　cannot　be　bounded　by　formality　at　every
  step。　The　work　of　investigation　is；　so　to　speak；　a　free　art　in　its　own
  way；　he…he…he！〃
  Porfiry　Petrovitch　took　breath　a　moment。　He　had　simply　babbled　on
  uttering　empty　phrases；　letting　slip　a　few　enigmatic　words　and　again
  reverting　to　incoherence。　He　was　almost　running　about　the　room；　moving
  his　fat　little　legs　quicker　and　quicker；　looking　at　the　ground；　with
  his　right　hand　behind　his　back；　while　with　his　left　making
  gesticulations　that　were　extraordinarily　incongruous　with　his　words。
  Raskolnikov　suddenly　noticed　that　as　he　ran　about　the　room　he　seemed
  twice　to　stop　for　a　moment　near　the　door；　as　though　he　were　listening。
  〃Is　he　expecting　anything？〃
  〃You　are　certainly　quite　right　about　it；〃　Porfiry　began　gaily；
  looking　with　extraordinary　simplicity　at　Raskolnikov　（which　startled
  him　and　instantly　put　him　on　his　guard）；　〃certainly　quite　right　in
  laughing　so　wittily　at　our　legal　forms；　he…he！　Some　of　these　elaborate
  psychological　methods　are　exceedingly　ridiculous　and　perhaps
  useless；　if　one　adheres　too　closely　to　the　forms。　Yes。。。　I　am
  talking　of　forms　again。　Well；　if　I　recognise；　or　more　strictly
  speaking；　if　I　suspect　some　one　or　other　to　be　a　criminal　in　any
  case　entrusted　to　me。。。　you're　reading　for　the　law；　of　course；
  Rodion　Romanovitch？〃
  〃Yes；　I　was。。。〃
  〃Well；　then　it　is　a　precedent　for　you　for　the　future…　though　don't
  suppose　I　should　venture　to　instruct　you　after　the　articles　you
  publish　about　crime！　No；　I　simply　make　bold　to　state　it　by　way　of
  fact；　if　I　took　this　man　or　that　for　a　criminal；　why；　I　ask；　should
  I　worry　him　prematurely；　even　though　I　had　evidence　against　him？　In
  one　case　I　may　be　bound；　for　instance；　to　arrest　a　man　at　once；　but
  another　may　be　in　quite　a　different　position；　you　know；　so　why
  shouldn't　I　let　him　walk　about　the　town　a　bit；　he…he…he！　But　I　see　you
  don't　quite　understand；　so　I'll　give　you　a　clearer　example。　If　I　put
  him　in　prison　too　soon；　I　may　very　likely　give　him；　so　to　speak；　moral
  support；　he…he！　You're　laughing？〃
  Raskolnikov　had　no　idea　of　laughing。　He　was　sitting　with
  compressed　lips；　his　feverish　eyes　fixed　on　Porfiry　Petrovitch's。
  〃Yes　that　is　the　case；　with　some　types　especially；　for　men　are　so
  different。　You　say　evidence。　Well；　there　may　be　evidence。　But
  evidence；　you　know；　can　generally　be　taken　two　ways。　I　am　an　examining
  lawyer　and　a　weak　man；　I　confess　it。　I　should　like　to　make　a　proof；　so
  to　say；　mathematically　clear；　I　should　like　to　make　a　chain　of
  evidence　such　as　twice　two　are　four；　it　ought　to　be　a　direct；
  irrefutable　proof！　And　if　I　shut　him　up　too　soon…　even　though　I
  might　be　convinced　he　was　the　man；　I　should　very　likely　be　depriving
  myself　of　the　means　of　getting　further　evidence　against　him。　And
  how？　By　giving　him；　so　to　speak；　a　definite　position；　I　shall　put
  him　out　of　suspense　and　set　his　mind　at　rest；　so　that　he　will
  retreat　into　his　shell。　They　say　that　at　Sevastopol；　soon　after
  Alma；　the　clever　people　were　in　a　terrible　fright　that　the　enemy　would
  attack　openly　and　take　Sevastopol　at　once。　But　when　they　saw　that
  the　enemy　preferred　a　regular　siege；　they　were　delighted；　I　am　told
  and　reassured；　for　the　thing　would　drag　on　for　two　months　at　least。
  You're　laughing；　you　don't　believe　me　again？　Of　course；　you're
  right；　too。　You're　right；　you're　right。　These　are　an　special　cases；
  I　admit。　But　you　must　observe　this；　my　dear　Rodion　Romanovitch；　the
  general　case；　the　case　for　which　all　legal　forms　and　rules　are
  intended；　for　which　they　are　calculated　and　laid　down　in　books；　does
  not　exist　at　all；　for　the　reason　that　every　case；　every　crime　for
  instance；　so　soon　as　it　actually　occurs；　at　once　becomes　a
  thoroughly　special　case　and　sometimes　a　case　unlike　any　that's　gone
  before。　Very　comic　cases　of　that　sort　sometimes　occur。　If　I　leave
  one　man　quite　alone；　if　I　don't　touch　him　and　don't　worry　him；　but　let
  him　know　or　at　least　suspect　every　moment　that　I　know　all　about　it　and
  am　watching　him　day　and　night；　and　if　he　is　in　continual　suspicion　and
  terror；　he'll　be　bound　to　lose　his　head。　He'll　come　of　himself；　or
  maybe　do　something　which　will　make　it　as　plain　as　twice　two　are
  four…　it's　delightful。　It　may　be　so　with　a　simple　peasant；　but　with
  one　of　our　sort；　an　intelligent　man　cultivated　on　a　certain　side；　it's
  a　dead　certainty。　For；　my　dear　fellow；　it's　a　very　important　matter　to
  know　on　what　side　a　man　is　cultivated。　And　then　there　are　nerves；
  there　are　nerves；　you　have　overlooked　them！　Why；　they　are　all　sick；
  nervous　and　irritable！。。。　And　then　how　they　all　suffer　from　spleen！
  That　I　assure　you　is　a　regular　gold　mine　for　us。　And　it's　no　anxiety
  to　me；　his　running　about　the　town　free！　Let　him；　let　him　walk　about
  for　a　bit！　I　know　well　enough　that　I've　caught　him　and　that　he　won't
  escape　me。　Where　could　he　escape　to；　he…he？　Abroad；　perhaps？　A　Pole
  will　escape　abroad；　but　not　here；　especially　as　I　am　watching　and　have
  taken　measures。　Will　he　escape　into　the　depths　of　the　country　perhaps？
  But　you　know；　peasants　live　there；　real　rude　Russian　peasants。　A
  modern　cultivated　man　would　prefer　prison　to　living　with　such
  strangers　as　our　peasants。　He…he！　But　that's　all　nonsense；　and　on
  the　surface。　It's　not　merely　that　he　has　nowhere　to　run　to；　he　is
  psychologically　unable　to　escape　me；　he…he！　What　an　expression！
  Through　a　law　of　nature　he　can't　escape　me　if　he　had　anywhere　to　go。
  Have　you　seen　a　butterfly　round　a　candle？　That's　how　he　will　keep
  circling　and　circling　round　me。　Freedom　will　lose　its　attractions。
  He'll　begin　to　brood；　hell　weave　a　tangle　round　himself；　he'll　worry
  himself　to　death！　What's　more　he　will　provide　me　with　a　mathematical
  proof…　if　I　only　give　him　long　enough　interval。。。。　And　he'll　keep
  circling　round　me；　getting　nearer　and　nearer　and　then…　flop！　He'll　fly
  straight　into　my　mouth　and　I'll　swallow　him；　and　that　will　be　very
  amusing；　he…he…he！　You　don't　believe　me？〃
  Raskolnikov　made　no　reply；　he　sat　pale　and　motionless；　still
  gazing　with　the　same　intensity　into　Porfiry's　face。
  〃It's　a　lesson；〃　he　thought；　turning　cold。　〃This　is　beyond　the　cat
  playing　with　a　mouse；　like　yesterday。　He　can't　be　showing　off　his
  power　with　no　motive。。。　prompting　me；　he　is　far　too　clever　for　that。。。
  he　must　have　another　object。　What　is　it？　It's　all　nonsense；　my　friend；
  you　are　pretending；　to　scare　me！　You've　no　proofs　and　the　man　I　saw
  had　no　real　existence。　You　simply　want　to　make　me　lose　my　head；　to
  work　me　up　beforehand　and　so　to　crush　me。　But　you　are　wrong；　you　won't
  do　it！　But　why　give　me　such　a　hint