〃What　an　imbecile！　Look；　look！　Why　was　he　brought？　But　as　to　Pyotr
  Petrovitch；　I　always　had　confidence　in　him；〃　Katerina　Ivanovna
  continued；　〃and；　of　course；　he　is　not　like。。。〃　with　an　extremely　stern
  face　she　addressed　Amalia　Ivanovna　so　sharply　and　loudly　that　the
  latter　was　quite　disconcerted；　〃not　like　your　dressed　up
  draggletails　whom　my　father　would　not　have　taken　as　cooks　into　his
  kitchen；　and　my　late　husband　would　have　done　them　honour　if　he　had
  invited　them　in　the　goodness　of　his　heart。〃
  〃Yes；　he　was　fond　of　drink；　he　was　fond　of　it；　he　did　drink！〃
  cried　the　commissariat　clerk；　gulping　down　his　twelfth　glass　of　vodka。
  〃My　late　husband　certainly　had　that　weakness；　and　every　one　knows
  it；〃　Katerina　Ivanovna　attacked　him　at　once；　〃but　he　was　a　kind　and
  honourable　man；　who　loved　and　respected　his　family。　The　worst　of　it
  was　his　good　nature　made　him　trust　all　sorts　of　disreputable　people；
  and　he　drank　with　fellows　who　were　not　worth　the　sole　of　his　shoe。
  Would　you　believe　it；　Rodion　Romanovitch；　they　found　a　gingerbread
  cock　in　his　pocket；　he　was　dead　drunk；　but　he　did　not　forget　the
  children！〃
  〃A　cock？　Did　you　say　a　cock？〃　shouted　the　commissariat　clerk。
  Katerina　Ivanovna　did　not　vouchsafe　a　reply。　She　sighed；　lost　in
  thought。
  〃No　doubt　you　think；　like　every　one；　that　I　was　too　severe　with
  him；〃　she　went　on；　addressing　Raskolnikov。　〃But　that's　not　so！　He
  respected　me；　he　respected　me　very　much！　He　was　a　kind…hearted　man！
  And　how　sorry　I　was　for　him　sometimes！　He　would　sit　in　a　corner　and
  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__