community-datasets/crime_and_punish · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Certainly, if he had to wait whole years for a suitable opportunity, he
could not reckon on a more certain step towards the success of the plan
than that which had just presented itself. In any case, it would have
been difficult to find out beforehand and with certainty, with
greater exactness and less risk, and without dangerous inquiries and
investigations, that next day at a certain time an old woman, on whose
life an attempt was contemplated, would be at home and entirely alone.



CHAPTER VI

Later on Raskolnikov happened to find out why the huckster and his
wife had invited Lizaveta. It was a very ordinary matter and there was
nothing exceptional about it. A family who had come to the town and been
reduced to poverty were selling their household goods and clothes, all
women’s things. As the things would have fetched little in the market,
they were looking for a dealer. This was Lizaveta’s business. She
undertook such jobs and was frequently employed, as she was very honest
and always fixed a fair price and stuck to it. She spoke as a rule
little and, as we have said already, she was very submissive and timid.

But Raskolnikov had become superstitious of late. The traces of
superstition remained in him long after, and were almost ineradicable.
And in all this he was always afterwards disposed to see something
strange and mysterious, as it were, the presence of some peculiar
influences and coincidences. In the previous winter a student he knew
called Pokorev, who had left for Harkov, had chanced in conversation to
give him the address of Alyona Ivanovna, the old pawnbroker, in case he
might want to pawn anything. For a long while he did not go to her, for
he had lessons and managed to get along somehow. Six weeks ago he had
remembered the address; he had two articles that could be pawned: his
father’s old silver watch and a little gold ring with three red stones,
a present from his sister at parting. He decided to take the ring. When
he found the old woman he had felt an insurmountable repulsion for her
at the first glance, though he knew nothing special about her. He got
two roubles from her and went into a miserable little tavern on his way
home. He asked for tea, sat down and sank into deep thought. A strange
idea was pecking at his brain like a chicken in the egg, and very, very
much absorbed him.

Almost beside him at the next table there was sitting a student, whom he
did not know and had never seen, and with him a young officer. They had
played a game of billiards and began drinking tea. All at once he heard
the student mention to the officer the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna and
give him her address. This of itself seemed strange to Raskolnikov; he
had just come from her and here at once he heard her name. Of course
it was a chance, but he could not shake off a very extraordinary
impression, and here someone seemed to be speaking expressly for him;
the student began telling his friend various details about Alyona
Ivanovna.

“She is first-rate,” he said. “You can always get money from her. She is
as rich as a Jew, she can give you five thousand roubles at a time and
she is not above taking a pledge for a rouble. Lots of our fellows have
had dealings with her. But she is an awful old harpy....”

And he began describing how spiteful and uncertain she was, how if you
were only a day late with your interest the pledge was lost; how she
gave a quarter of the value of an article and took five and even seven
percent a month on it and so on. The student chattered on, saying
that she had a sister Lizaveta, whom the wretched little creature was
continually beating, and kept in complete bondage like a small child,
though Lizaveta was at least six feet high.

“There’s a phenomenon for you,” cried the student and he laughed.

They began talking about Lizaveta. The student spoke about her with a
peculiar relish and was continually laughing and the officer listened
with great interest and asked him to send Lizaveta to do some mending
for him. Raskolnikov did not miss a word and learned everything about
her. Lizaveta was younger than the old woman and was her half-sister,
being the child of a different mother. She was thirty-five. She worked
day and night for her sister, and besides doing the cooking and the
washing, she did sewing and worked as a charwoman and gave her sister
all she earned. She did not dare to accept an order or job of any kind
without her sister’s permission. The old woman had already made her
will, and Lizaveta knew of it, and by this will she would not get a
farthing; nothing but the movables, chairs and so on; all the money was
left to a monastery in the province of N----, that prayers might be
said for her in perpetuity. Lizaveta was of lower rank than her sister,
unmarried and awfully uncouth in appearance, remarkably tall with long
feet that looked as if they were bent outwards. She always wore battered
goatskin shoes, and was clean in her person. What the student expressed
most surprise and amusement about was the fact that Lizaveta was
continually with child.

“But you say she is hideous?” observed the officer.

“Yes, she is so dark-skinned and looks like a soldier dressed up, but
you know she is not at all hideous. She has such a good-natured face
and eyes. Strikingly so. And the proof of it is that lots of people are
attracted by her. She is such a soft, gentle creature, ready to put up
with anything, always willing, willing to do anything. And her smile is
really very sweet.”

“You seem to find her attractive yourself,” laughed the officer.

“From her queerness. No, I’ll tell you what. I could kill that damned
old woman and make off with her money, I assure you, without the

Certainly, if he had to wait whole years for a suitable opportunity, he

could not reckon on a more certain step towards the success of the plan

than that which had just presented itself. In any case, it would have

been difficult to find out beforehand and with certainty, with

greater exactness and less risk, and without dangerous inquiries and

investigations, that next day at a certain time an old woman, on whose

life an attempt was contemplated, would be at home and entirely alone.

CHAPTER VI

Later on Raskolnikov happened to find out why the huckster and his

wife had invited Lizaveta. It was a very ordinary matter and there was

nothing exceptional about it. A family who had come to the town and been

reduced to poverty were selling their household goods and clothes, all

women’s things. As the things would have fetched little in the market,

they were looking for a dealer. This was Lizaveta’s business. She

undertook such jobs and was frequently employed, as she was very honest

and always fixed a fair price and stuck to it. She spoke as a rule

little and, as we have said already, she was very submissive and timid.

But Raskolnikov had become superstitious of late. The traces of

superstition remained in him long after, and were almost ineradicable.

And in all this he was always afterwards disposed to see something

strange and mysterious, as it were, the presence of some peculiar

influences and coincidences. In the previous winter a student he knew

called Pokorev, who had left for Harkov, had chanced in conversation to

give him the address of Alyona Ivanovna, the old pawnbroker, in case he

might want to pawn anything. For a long while he did not go to her, for

he had lessons and managed to get along somehow. Six weeks ago he had

remembered the address; he had two articles that could be pawned: his

father’s old silver watch and a little gold ring with three red stones,

a present from his sister at parting. He decided to take the ring. When

he found the old woman he had felt an insurmountable repulsion for her

at the first glance, though he knew nothing special about her. He got

two roubles from her and went into a miserable little tavern on his way

home. He asked for tea, sat down and sank into deep thought. A strange

idea was pecking at his brain like a chicken in the egg, and very, very

much absorbed him.

Almost beside him at the next table there was sitting a student, whom he

did not know and had never seen, and with him a young officer. They had

played a game of billiards and began drinking tea. All at once he heard

the student mention to the officer the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna and

give him her address. This of itself seemed strange to Raskolnikov; he

had just come from her and here at once he heard her name. Of course

it was a chance, but he could not shake off a very extraordinary

impression, and here someone seemed to be speaking expressly for him;

the student began telling his friend various details about Alyona

Ivanovna.

“She is first-rate,” he said. “You can always get money from her. She is

as rich as a Jew, she can give you five thousand roubles at a time and

she is not above taking a pledge for a rouble. Lots of our fellows have

had dealings with her. But she is an awful old harpy....”

And he began describing how spiteful and uncertain she was, how if you

were only a day late with your interest the pledge was lost; how she

gave a quarter of the value of an article and took five and even seven

percent a month on it and so on. The student chattered on, saying

that she had a sister Lizaveta, whom the wretched little creature was

continually beating, and kept in complete bondage like a small child,

though Lizaveta was at least six feet high.

“There’s a phenomenon for you,” cried the student and he laughed.

They began talking about Lizaveta. The student spoke about her with a

peculiar relish and was continually laughing and the officer listened

with great interest and asked him to send Lizaveta to do some mending

for him. Raskolnikov did not miss a word and learned everything about

her. Lizaveta was younger than the old woman and was her half-sister,

being the child of a different mother. She was thirty-five. She worked

day and night for her sister, and besides doing the cooking and the

washing, she did sewing and worked as a charwoman and gave her sister

all she earned. She did not dare to accept an order or job of any kind

without her sister’s permission. The old woman had already made her

will, and Lizaveta knew of it, and by this will she would not get a

farthing; nothing but the movables, chairs and so on; all the money was

left to a monastery in the province of N----, that prayers might be

said for her in perpetuity. Lizaveta was of lower rank than her sister,

unmarried and awfully uncouth in appearance, remarkably tall with long

feet that looked as if they were bent outwards. She always wore battered

goatskin shoes, and was clean in her person. What the student expressed

most surprise and amusement about was the fact that Lizaveta was

continually with child.

“But you say she is hideous?” observed the officer.

“Yes, she is so dark-skinned and looks like a soldier dressed up, but

you know she is not at all hideous. She has such a good-natured face

and eyes. Strikingly so. And the proof of it is that lots of people are

attracted by her. She is such a soft, gentle creature, ready to put up

with anything, always willing, willing to do anything. And her smile is

really very sweet.”

“You seem to find her attractive yourself,” laughed the officer.

“From her queerness. No, I’ll tell you what. I could kill that damned

old woman and make off with her money, I assure you, without the