community-datasets/crime_and_punish · Datasets at Hugging Face

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“To him. Where is he? Do you know? Why is this door locked? We came in
at that door and now it is locked. When did you manage to lock it?”

“We couldn’t be shouting all over the flat on such a subject. I am far
from jeering; it’s simply that I’m sick of talking like this. But how
can you go in such a state? Do you want to betray him? You will drive
him to fury, and he will give himself up. Let me tell you, he is already
being watched; they are already on his track. You will simply be giving
him away. Wait a little: I saw him and was talking to him just now. He
can still be saved. Wait a bit, sit down; let us think it over together.
I asked you to come in order to discuss it alone with you and to
consider it thoroughly. But do sit down!”

“How can you save him? Can he really be saved?”

Dounia sat down. Svidrigaïlov sat down beside her.

“It all depends on you, on you, on you alone,” he began with glowing
eyes, almost in a whisper and hardly able to utter the words for
emotion.

Dounia drew back from him in alarm. He too was trembling all over.

“You... one word from you, and he is saved. I... I’ll save him. I have
money and friends. I’ll send him away at once. I’ll get a passport,
two passports, one for him and one for me. I have friends... capable
people.... If you like, I’ll take a passport for you... for your
mother.... What do you want with Razumihin? I love you too.... I love
you beyond everything.... Let me kiss the hem of your dress, let me, let
me.... The very rustle of it is too much for me. Tell me, ‘do that,’
and I’ll do it. I’ll do everything. I will do the impossible. What you
believe, I will believe. I’ll do anything--anything! Don’t, don’t look
at me like that. Do you know that you are killing me?...”

He was almost beginning to rave.... Something seemed suddenly to go to
his head. Dounia jumped up and rushed to the door.

“Open it! Open it!” she called, shaking the door. “Open it! Is there no
one there?”

Svidrigaïlov got up and came to himself. His still trembling lips slowly
broke into an angry mocking smile.

“There is no one at home,” he said quietly and emphatically. “The
landlady has gone out, and it’s waste of time to shout like that. You
are only exciting yourself uselessly.”

“Where is the key? Open the door at once, at once, base man!”

“I have lost the key and cannot find it.”

“This is an outrage,” cried Dounia, turning pale as death. She rushed
to the furthest corner, where she made haste to barricade herself with a
little table.

She did not scream, but she fixed her eyes on her tormentor and watched
every movement he made.

Svidrigaïlov remained standing at the other end of the room facing her.
He was positively composed, at least in appearance, but his face was
pale as before. The mocking smile did not leave his face.

“You spoke of outrage just now, Avdotya Romanovna. In that case you
may be sure I’ve taken measures. Sofya Semyonovna is not at home. The
Kapernaumovs are far away--there are five locked rooms between. I am at
least twice as strong as you are and I have nothing to fear, besides.
For you could not complain afterwards. You surely would not be willing
actually to betray your brother? Besides, no one would believe you. How
should a girl have come alone to visit a solitary man in his lodgings?
So that even if you do sacrifice your brother, you could prove nothing.
It is very difficult to prove an assault, Avdotya Romanovna.”

“Scoundrel!” whispered Dounia indignantly.

“As you like, but observe I was only speaking by way of a general
proposition. It’s my personal conviction that you are perfectly
right--violence is hateful. I only spoke to show you that you need have
no remorse even if... you were willing to save your brother of your
own accord, as I suggest to you. You would be simply submitting to
circumstances, to violence, in fact, if we must use that word. Think
about it. Your brother’s and your mother’s fate are in your hands. I
will be your slave... all my life... I will wait here.”

Svidrigaïlov sat down on the sofa about eight steps from Dounia. She had
not the slightest doubt now of his unbending determination. Besides, she
knew him. Suddenly she pulled out of her pocket a revolver, cocked it
and laid it in her hand on the table. Svidrigaïlov jumped up.

“Aha! So that’s it, is it?” he cried, surprised but smiling maliciously.
“Well, that completely alters the aspect of affairs. You’ve made things
wonderfully easier for me, Avdotya Romanovna. But where did you get the
revolver? Was it Mr. Razumihin? Why, it’s my revolver, an old friend!
And how I’ve hunted for it! The shooting lessons I’ve given you in the
country have not been thrown away.”

“It’s not your revolver, it belonged to Marfa Petrovna, whom you killed,
wretch! There was nothing of yours in her house. I took it when I began
to suspect what you were capable of. If you dare to advance one step, I
swear I’ll kill you.” She was frantic.

“To him. Where is he? Do you know? Why is this door locked? We came in

at that door and now it is locked. When did you manage to lock it?”

“We couldn’t be shouting all over the flat on such a subject. I am far

from jeering; it’s simply that I’m sick of talking like this. But how

can you go in such a state? Do you want to betray him? You will drive

him to fury, and he will give himself up. Let me tell you, he is already

being watched; they are already on his track. You will simply be giving

him away. Wait a little: I saw him and was talking to him just now. He

can still be saved. Wait a bit, sit down; let us think it over together.

I asked you to come in order to discuss it alone with you and to

consider it thoroughly. But do sit down!”

“How can you save him? Can he really be saved?”

Dounia sat down. Svidrigaïlov sat down beside her.

“It all depends on you, on you, on you alone,” he began with glowing

eyes, almost in a whisper and hardly able to utter the words for

emotion.

Dounia drew back from him in alarm. He too was trembling all over.

“You... one word from you, and he is saved. I... I’ll save him. I have

money and friends. I’ll send him away at once. I’ll get a passport,

two passports, one for him and one for me. I have friends... capable

people.... If you like, I’ll take a passport for you... for your

mother.... What do you want with Razumihin? I love you too.... I love

you beyond everything.... Let me kiss the hem of your dress, let me, let

me.... The very rustle of it is too much for me. Tell me, ‘do that,’

and I’ll do it. I’ll do everything. I will do the impossible. What you

believe, I will believe. I’ll do anything--anything! Don’t, don’t look

at me like that. Do you know that you are killing me?...”

He was almost beginning to rave.... Something seemed suddenly to go to

his head. Dounia jumped up and rushed to the door.

“Open it! Open it!” she called, shaking the door. “Open it! Is there no

one there?”

Svidrigaïlov got up and came to himself. His still trembling lips slowly

broke into an angry mocking smile.

“There is no one at home,” he said quietly and emphatically. “The

landlady has gone out, and it’s waste of time to shout like that. You

are only exciting yourself uselessly.”

“Where is the key? Open the door at once, at once, base man!”

“I have lost the key and cannot find it.”

“This is an outrage,” cried Dounia, turning pale as death. She rushed

to the furthest corner, where she made haste to barricade herself with a

little table.

She did not scream, but she fixed her eyes on her tormentor and watched

every movement he made.

Svidrigaïlov remained standing at the other end of the room facing her.

He was positively composed, at least in appearance, but his face was

pale as before. The mocking smile did not leave his face.

“You spoke of outrage just now, Avdotya Romanovna. In that case you

may be sure I’ve taken measures. Sofya Semyonovna is not at home. The

Kapernaumovs are far away--there are five locked rooms between. I am at

least twice as strong as you are and I have nothing to fear, besides.

For you could not complain afterwards. You surely would not be willing

actually to betray your brother? Besides, no one would believe you. How

should a girl have come alone to visit a solitary man in his lodgings?

So that even if you do sacrifice your brother, you could prove nothing.

It is very difficult to prove an assault, Avdotya Romanovna.”

“Scoundrel!” whispered Dounia indignantly.

“As you like, but observe I was only speaking by way of a general

proposition. It’s my personal conviction that you are perfectly

right--violence is hateful. I only spoke to show you that you need have

no remorse even if... you were willing to save your brother of your

own accord, as I suggest to you. You would be simply submitting to

circumstances, to violence, in fact, if we must use that word. Think

about it. Your brother’s and your mother’s fate are in your hands. I

will be your slave... all my life... I will wait here.”

Svidrigaïlov sat down on the sofa about eight steps from Dounia. She had

not the slightest doubt now of his unbending determination. Besides, she

knew him. Suddenly she pulled out of her pocket a revolver, cocked it

and laid it in her hand on the table. Svidrigaïlov jumped up.

“Aha! So that’s it, is it?” he cried, surprised but smiling maliciously.

“Well, that completely alters the aspect of affairs. You’ve made things

wonderfully easier for me, Avdotya Romanovna. But where did you get the

revolver? Was it Mr. Razumihin? Why, it’s my revolver, an old friend!

And how I’ve hunted for it! The shooting lessons I’ve given you in the

country have not been thrown away.”

“It’s not your revolver, it belonged to Marfa Petrovna, whom you killed,

wretch! There was nothing of yours in her house. I took it when I began

to suspect what you were capable of. If you dare to advance one step, I

swear I’ll kill you.” She was frantic.