〃Seeing　her　position　with　her　unfortunate　little　ones；　I　should　be
  glad；　as　I　have　said　before；　so　far　as　lies　in　my　power；　to　be　of
  service；　that　is；　so　far　as　is　in　my　power；　not　more。　One　might　for
  instance　get　up　a　subscription　for　her；　or　a　lottery；　something　of　the
  sort；　such　as　is　always　arranged　in　such　cases　by　friends　or　even
  outsiders　desirous　of　assisting　people。　It　was　of　that　I　intended　to
  speak　to　you；　it　might　be　done。〃
  〃Yes；　yes。。。　God　will　repay　you　for　it；〃　faltered　Sonia；　gazing
  intently　at　Pyotr　Petrovitch。
  〃It　might　be；　but　we　will　talk　of　it　later。　We　might　begin　it
  to…day；　we　will　talk　it　over　this　evening　and　lay　the　foundation　so　to
  speak。　Come　to　me　at　seven　o'clock。　Mr。　Lebeziatnikov；　I　hope；　will
  assist　us。　But　there　is　one　circumstance　of　which　I　ought　to　warn
  you　beforehand　and　for　which　I　venture　to　trouble　you；　Sofya
  Semyonovna；　to　come　here。　In　my　opinion　money　cannot　be；　indeed　it's
  unsafe　to　put　it　into　Katerina　Ivanovna's　own　hands。　The　dinner　to…day
  is　a　proof　of　that。　Though　she　has　not；　so　to　speak；　a　crust　of
  bread　for　to…morrow　and。。。　well；　boots　or　shoes；　or　anything；　she
  has　bought　to…day　Jamaica　rum；　and　even；　I　believe；　Madeira　and。。。　and
  coffee。　I　saw　it　as　I　passed　through。　To…morrow　it　will　all　fall
  upon　you　again；　they　won't　have　a　crust　of　bread。　It's　absurd；　really；
  and　so；　to　my　thinking；　a　subscription　ought　to　be　raised　so　that
  the　unhappy　widow　should　not　know　of　the　money；　but　only　you；　for
  instance。　Am　I　right？〃
  〃I　don't　know。。。　this　is　only　to…day；　once　in　her　life。。。。　She　was
  so　anxious　to　do　honour；　to　celebrate　the　memory。。。。　And　she　is　very
  sensible。。。　but　just　as　you　think　and　I　shall　be　very；　very。。。　they
  will　all　be。。。　and　God　will　reward。。。　and　the　orphans。。。〃
  Sonia　burst　into　tears。
  〃Very　well；　then；　keep　it　in　mind；　and　now　will　you　accept　for　the
  benefit　of　your　relation　the　small　sum　that　I　am　able　to　spare；　from
  me　personally。　I　am　very　anxious　that　my　name　should　not　be
  mentioned　in　connection　with　it。　Here。。。　having　so　to　speak
  anxieties　of　my　own；　I　cannot　do　more。。。〃
  And　Pyotr　Petrovitch　held　out　to　Sonia　a　ten…rouble　note　carefully
  unfolded。　Sonia　took　it；　flushed　crimson；　jumped　up；　muttered
  something　and　began　taking　leave。　Pyotr　Petrovitch　accompanied　her
  ceremoniously　to　the　door。　She　got　out　of　the　room　at　last；　agitated
  and　distressed；　and　returned　to　Katerina　Ivanovna；　overwhelmed　with
  confusion。
  All　this　time　Lebeziatnikov　had　stood　at　the　window　or　walked
  about　the　room；　anxious　not　to　interrupt　the　conversation；　when
  Sonia　had　gone　he　walked　up　to　Pyotr　Petrovitch　and　solemnly　held
  out　his　hand。
  〃I　heard　and　saw　everything；〃　he　said；　laying　stress　on　the　last
  verb。　〃That　is　honourable；　I　mean　to　say；　it's　humane！　You　wanted　to
  avoid　gratitude；　I　saw！　And　although　I　cannot；　I　confess；　in　principle
  sympathise　with　private　charity；　for　it　not　only　fails　to　eradicate
  the　evil　but　even　promotes　it；　yet　I　must　admit　that　I　saw　your　action
  with　pleasure…　yes；　yes；　I　like　it。〃
  〃That's　all　nonsense；〃　muttered　Pyotr　Petrovitch；　somewhat
  disconcerted；　looking　carefully　at　Lebeziatnikov。
  〃No；　it's　not　nonsense！　A　man　who　has　suffered　distress　and
  annoyance　as　you　did　yesterday　and　who　yet　can　sympathise　with　the
  misery　of　others；　such　a　man。。。　even　though　he　is　making　a　social
  mistake…　is　still　deserving　of　respect！　I　did　not　expect　it　indeed
  of　you；　Pyotr　Petrovitch；　especially　as　according　to　your　ideas。。。　oh；
  what　a　drawback　your　ideas　are　to　you！　How　distressed　you　are　for
  instance　by　your　ill　luck　yesterday；〃　cried　the　simple…hearted
  Lebeziatnikov；　who　felt　a　return　of　affection　for　Pyotr　Petrovitch。
  〃And；　what　do　you　want　with　marriage；　with　legal　marriage；　my　dear；
  noble　Pyotr　Petrovitch？　Why　do　you　cling　to　this　legality　of　marriage？
  Well；　you　may　beat　me　if　you　like；　but　I　am　glad；　positively　glad　it
  hasn't　come　off；　that　you　are　free；　that　you　are　not　quite　lost　for
  humanity。。。。　you　see；　I've　spoken　my　mind！〃
  〃Because　I　don't　want　in　your　free　marriage　to　be　made　a　fool　of　and
  to　bring　up　another　man's　children；　that's　why　I　want　legal　marriage；〃
  Luzhin　replied　in　order　to　make　some　answer。
  He　seemed　preoccupied　by　something。
  〃Children？　You　referred　to　children；〃　Lebeziatnikov　started　off　like
  a　warhorse　at　the　trumpet　call。　〃Children　are　a　social　question　and
  a　question　of　first　importance；　I　agree；　but　the　question　of
  children　has　another　solution。　Some　refuse　to　have　children
  altogether；　because　they　suggest　the　institution　of　the　family。
  We'll　speak　of　children　later；　but　now　as　to　the　question　of　honour；　I
  confess　that's　my　weak　point。　That　horrid；　military；　Pushkin
  expression　is　unthinkable　in　the　dictionary　of　the　future。　What　does
  it　mean　indeed？　It's　nonsense；　there　will　be　no　deception　in　a　free
  marriage！　That　is　only　the　natural　consequence　of　a　legal　marriage；　so
  to　say；　its　corrective；　a　protest。　So　that　indeed　it's　not
  humiliating。。。　and　if　I　ever；　to　suppose　an　absurdity；　were　to　be
  legally　married；　I　should　be　positively　glad　of　it。　I　should　say　to　my
  wife：　'My　dear；　hitherto　I　have　loved　you；　now　I　respect　you；　for
  you've　shown　you　can　protest！'　You　laugh！　That's　because　you　are　of
  incapable　of　getting　away　from　prejudices。　Confound　it　all！　I
  understand　now　where　the　unpleasantness　is　of　being　deceived　in　a
  legal　marriage；　but　it's　simply　a　despicable　consequence　of　a
  despicable　position　in　which　both　are　humiliated。　When　the　deception
  is　open；　as　in　a　free　marriage；　then　it　does　not　exist；　it's
  unthinkable。　Your　wife　will　only　prove　how　she　respects　you　by
  considering　you　incapable　of　opposing　her　happiness　and　avenging
  yourself　on　her　for　her　new　husband。　Damn　it　all！　I　sometimes　dream　if
  I　were　to　be　married；　foo！　I　mean　if　I　were　to　marry；　legally　or
  not；　it's　just　the　same；　I　should　present　my　wife　with　a　lover　if
  she　had　not　found　one　for　herself。　'My　dear；'　I　should　say；　'I　love
  you；　but　even　more　than　that　I　desire　you　to　respect　me。　See！'　Am　I
  not　right？〃
  Pyotr　Petrovitch　sniggered　as　he　listened；　but　without　much
  merriment。　He　hardly　heard　it　indeed。　He　was　preoccupied　with
  something　else　and　even　Lebeziatnikov　at　last　noticed　it。　Pyotr
  Petrovitch　seemed　excited　and　rubbed　his　hands。　Lebeziatnikov
  remembered　all　this　and　reflected　upon　it　afterwards。
  Chapter　Two
  IT　WOULD　be　difficult　to　explain　exactly　what　could　have
  originated　the　idea　of　that　senseless　dinner　in　Katerina　Ivanovna's
  disordered　brain。　Nearly　ten　of　the　twenty　roubles；　given　by
  Raskolnikov　for　Marmeladov's　funeral；　were　wasted　upon　it。　Possibly
  Katerina　Ivanovna　felt　obliged　to　honour　the　memory　of　the　deceased
  〃suitably；〃　that　all　the　lodgers；　and　still　more　Amalia　Ivanovna；
  might　know　〃that　he　was　in　no　way　their　inferior；　and　perhaps　very
  much　their　superior；〃　and　that　no　one　had　the　right　〃to　turn　up　his
  nose　at　him。〃　Perhaps　the　chief　element　was　that　peculiar　〃poor
  man's　pride；〃　which　compels　many　poor　people　to　spend　their　last
  savings　on　some　traditional　social　ceremony；　simply　in　order　to　do
  〃like　other　people；〃　and　not　to　〃be　looked　down　upon。〃　It　is　very
  probable；　too；　that　Katerina　Ivanovna　longed　on　this　occasion；　at
  the　moment　when　she　seemed　to　be　abandoned　by　every　one；　to　show　those
  〃wretched　contemptible　lodgers〃