第 112 节
作者:不言败      更新:2021-02-21 15:48      字数:9322
  look at me; I used to feel so sorry for him; I used to want to be kind
  to him and then would think to myself: 'be kind to him and he will
  drink again;' it was only by severity that you could keep him within
  bounds。〃
  〃Yes; he used to get his hair pulled pretty often;〃 roared the
  commissariat clerk again; swallowing another glass of vodka。
  〃Some fools would be the better for a good drubbing; as well as
  having their hair pulled。 I am not talking of my late husband now!〃
  Katerina Ivanovna snapped at him。
  The flush on her cheeks grew more and more marked; her chest heaved。
  In another minute she would have been ready to make a scene。 Many of
  the visitors were sniggering; evidently delighted。 They began poking
  the commissariat clerk and whispering something to him。 They were
  evidently trying to egg him on。
  〃Allow me to ask what are you alluding to;〃 began the clerk; 〃that
  is to say; whose。。。 about whom。。。 did you say just now。。。 But I
  don't care! That's nonsense! Widow! I forgive you。。。。 Pass!〃
  And he took another drink of vodka。
  Raskolnikov sat in silence; listening with disgust。 He only ate from
  politeness; just tasting the food that Katerina Ivanovna was
  continually putting on his plate; to avoid hurting her feelings。 He
  watched Sonia intently。 But Sonia became more and more anxious and
  distressed; she; too; foresaw that the dinner would not end peaceably;
  and saw with terror Katerina Ivanovna's growing irritation。 She knew
  that she; Sonia; was the chief reason for the 'genteel' ladies'
  contemptuous treatment of Katerina Ivanovna's invitation。 She had
  heard from Amalia Ivanovna that the mother was positively offended
  at the invitation and had asked the question: 〃how could she let her
  daughter sit down beside that young person?〃 Sonia had a feeling
  that Katerina Ivanovna had already heard this and an insult to Sonia
  meant more to Katerina Ivanovna than an insult to herself; her
  children; or her father; Sonia knew that Katerina Ivanovna would not
  be satisfied now; 〃till she had shown those draggletails that they
  were both。。。〃 To make matters worse some one passed Sonia; from the
  other end of the table; a plate with two hearts pierced with an arrow;
  cut out of black bread。 Katerina Ivanovna flushed crimson and at
  once said aloud across the table that the man who sent it was 〃a
  drunken ass!〃
  Amalia Ivanovna was foreseeing something amiss; and at the same time
  deeply wounded by Katerina Ivanovna's haughtiness; and to restore
  the good…humour of the company and raise herself in their esteem she
  began; apropos of nothing; telling a story about an acquaintance of
  hers 〃Karl from the chemist's;〃 who was driving one night in a cab;
  and that 〃the cabman wanted him to kill; and Karl very much begged him
  not to kill; and wept and clasped hands; and frightened and from
  fear pierced his heart。〃 Though Katerina Ivanovna smiled; she observed
  at once that Amalia Ivanovna ought not to tell anecdotes in Russian;
  the latter was still more offended; and she retorted that her 〃Vater
  aus Berlin was a very important man; and always went with his hands in
  pockets。〃 Katerina Ivanovna could not restrain herself and laughed
  so much that Amalia Ivanovna lost patience and could scarcely
  control herself。
  〃Listen to the owl!〃 Katerina Ivanovna whispered at once; her
  good…humour almost restored; 〃she meant to say he kept his hands in
  his pockets; but she said he put his hands in people's pockets。
  (Cough…cough。) And have you noticed; Rodion Romanovitch; that all
  these Petersburg foreigners; the Germans especially; are all
  stupider than we! Can you fancy any one of us telling how 'Karl from
  the chemist's pierced his heart from fear' and that the idiot
  instead of punishing the cabman; 'clasped his hands and wept; and much
  begged。' Ah; the fool! And you know she fancies it's very touching and
  does not suspect how stupid she is! To my thinking that drunken
  commissariat clerk is a great deal cleverer; anyway one can see that
  he has addled his brains with drink; but you know; these foreigners
  are always so well behaved and serious。。。。 Look how she sits
  glaring! She is angry; ha…ha! (Cough…cough…cough。)〃
  Regaining her good…humour; Katerina Ivanovna began at once telling
  Raskolnikov that when she had obtained her pension; she intended to
  open a school for the daughters of gentlemen in her native town
  T___。 This was the first time she had spoken to him of the project;
  and she launched out into the most alluring details。 It suddenly
  appeared that Katerina Ivanovna had in her hands the very
  certificate of honour of which Marmeladov had spoken to Raskolnikov in
  the tavern; when he told him that Katerina Ivanovna; his wife; had
  danced the shawl dance before the governor and other great
  personages on leaving school。 This certificate of honour was obviously
  intended now to prove Katerina Ivanovna's right to open a
  boarding…school; but she had armed herself with it chiefly with the
  object of overwhelming 〃those two stuck…up draggletails〃 if they
  came to the dinner; and proving incontestably that Katerina Ivanovna
  was of the most noble; 〃she might even say aristocratic family; a
  colonel's daughter and was far superior to certain adventuresses who
  have been so much to the fore of late。〃 The certificate of honour
  immediately passed into the hands of the drunken guests; and
  Katerina Ivanovna did not try to retain it; for it actually
  contained the statement en toutes lettres; that her father was of
  the rank of a major; and also a companion of an order; so that she
  really was almost the daughter of a colonel。
  Warming up; Katerina Ivanovna proceeded to enlarge on the peaceful
  and happy life they would lead in T___; on the gymnasium teachers whom
  she would engage to give lessons in her boarding…school; one a most
  respectable old Frenchman; one Mangot; who had taught Katerina
  Ivanovna herself in old days and was still living in T___; and would
  no doubt teach in her school on moderate terms。 Next she spoke of
  Sonia who would go with her to T___ and help her in all her plans。
  At this some one at the further end of the table gave a sudden guffaw。
  Though Katerina Ivanovna tried to appear to be disdainfully
  unaware of it; she raised her voice and began at once speaking with
  conviction of Sonia's undoubted ability to assist her; of 〃her
  gentleness; patience; devotion; generosity and good education;〃
  tapping Sonia on the cheek and kissing her warmly twice。 Sonia flushed
  crimson; and Katerina Ivanovna suddenly burst into tears;
  immediately observing that she was 〃nervous and silly; that she was
  too much upset; that it was time to finish; and as the dinner was
  over; it was time to hand round the tea。〃
  At that moment; Amalia Ivanovna; deeply aggrieved at taking no
  part in the conversation; and not being listened to; made one last
  effort; and with secret misgivings ventured on an exceedingly deep and
  weighty observation; that 〃in the future boarding…school she would
  have to pay particular attention to die Wasche; and that there
  certainly must be a good Dame to look after the linen; and secondly
  that the young ladies must not novels at night read。〃
  Katerina Ivanovna; who certainly was upset and very tired; as well
  as heartily sick of the dinner; at once cut short Amalia Ivanovna;
  saying 〃she knew nothing about it and was talking nonsense; that it
  was the business of the laundry maid; and not of the directress of a
  high…class boarding…school to look after die Wasche; and as for
  novel reading; that was simply rudeness; and she begged her to be
  silent。〃 Amalia Ivanovna fired up and getting angry observed that
  she only 〃meant her good;〃 and tha