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staring out of his head and he turned as white as chalk。 I told him
all about it and he took his hat and began getting up。 I wanted to
keep him。 〃Wait a bit； Nikolay；〃 said I； 〃won't you have a drink？〃 And
I signed to the boy to hold the door； and I came out from behind the
bar； but he darted out and down the street to the turning at a run。
I have not seen him since。 Then my doubts were at an end… it was his
doing； as clear as could be。。。。〃
〃I should think so；〃 said Zossimov。
〃Wait！ Hear the end。 Of course they sought high and low for Nikolay；
they detained Dushkin and searched his house； Dmitri； too； was
arrested； the Kolomensky men also were turned inside out。 And the
day before yesterday they arrested Nikolay in a tavern at the end of
the town。 He had gone there； taken the silver cross off his neck and
asked for a dram for it。 They gave it to him。 A few minutes afterwards
the woman went to the cowshed； and through a crack in the wall she saw
in the stable adjoining he had made a noose of his sash from the beam；
stood on a block of wood； and was trying to put his neck in the noose。
The woman screeched her hardest； people ran in。 'So that's what you
are up to！' 'Take me；' he says； 'to such…and…such a police officer；
I'll confess everything。' Well； they took him to that police
station… that is here… with a suitable escort。 So they asked him
this and that； how old he is； 'twenty…two；' and so on。 At the
question； 'When you were working with Dmitri； didn't you see any one
on the staircase at such…and…such a time？'… answer： 'To be sure
folks may have gone up and down； but I did not notice them。' 'And
didn't you hear anything； any noise； and so on？' 'We heard nothing
special。' 'And did you hear； Nikolay； that on the same day Widow
So…and…so and her sister were murdered and robbed？' 'I never knew a
thing about it。 The first I heard of it was from Afanasy Pavlovitch
the day before yesterday。' 'And where did you find the ear…rings？'
'I found them on the pavement。 〃Why didn't you go to work with
Dmitri the other day？' 'Because I was drinking。' 'And where were you
drinking？' 'Oh； in such…and…such a place。' 'Why did you run away
from Dushkin's？' 'Because I was awfully frightened。' 'What were you
frightened of？' 'That I should be accused。' 'How could you be
frightened； if you felt free from guilt？' Now； Zossimov； you may not
believe me； that question was put literally in those words。 I know
it for a fact； it was repeated to me exactly！ What do you say to
that？〃
〃Well； anyway； there's the evidence。〃
〃I am not talking of the evidence now； I am talking about that
question； of their own idea of themselves。 Well； so they squeezed
and squeezed him and he confessed： 'I did not find it in the street；
but in the flat where I was painting with Dmitri。' 'And how was that？'
'Why； Dmitri and I were painting there all day； and we were just
getting ready to go； and Dmitri took a brush and painted my face；
and he ran off and I after him。 I ran after him； shouting my
hardest； and at the bottom of the stairs I ran right against the
porter and some gentlemen… and how many gentlemen were there I don't
remember。 And the porter swore at me； and the other porter swore； too；
and the porter's wife came out； and swore at us； too； and a
gentleman came into the entry with a lady； and he swore at us； too；
for Dmitri and I lay right across the way。 I got hold of Dmitri's hair
and knocked him down and began beating him。 And Dmitri； too； caught me
by the hair and began beating me。 But we did it all not for temper；
but in a friendly way； for sport。 And then Dmitri escaped and ran into
the street； and I ran after him； but I did not catch him； and went
back to the flat alone； I had to clear up my things。 I began putting
them together； expecting Dmitri to come； and there in the passage；
in the corner by the door； I stepped on the box。 I saw it lying
there wrapped up in paper。 I took off the paper； saw some little
hooks； undid them； and in the box were the ear…rings。。。。'〃
〃Behind the door？ Lying behind the door？ Behind the door？〃
Raskolnikov cried suddenly； staring with a blank look of terror at
Razumihin； and he slowly sat up on the sofa； leaning on his hand。
〃Yes。。。 why？ What's the matter？ What's wrong？〃 Razumihin； too； got
up from his seat。
〃Nothing；〃 Raskolnikov answered faintly； turning to the wall。 All
were silent for a while。
〃He must have waked from a dream；〃 Razumihin said at last； looking
inquiringly at Zossimov。 The latter slightly shook his head。
〃Well； go on；〃 said Zossimov。 〃What next？〃
〃What next？ As soon as he saw the ear…rings； forgetting Dmitri and
everything； he took up his cap and ran to Dushkin and； as we know； got
a rouble from him。 He told a lie saying he found them in the street；
and went off drinking。 He keeps repeating his old story about the
murder： 'I knew nothing of it； never heard of it till the day before
yesterday。' 'And why didn't you come to the police till now？' 'I was
frightened。' 'And why did you try to hang yourself？' 'From anxiety。'
'What anxiety？' 'That I should be accused of it。' Well； that's the
whole story。 And now what do you suppose they deduced from that？〃
〃Why； there's no supposing。 There's a clue； such as it is； a fact。
You wouldn't have your painter set free？〃
〃Now they've simply taken him for the murderer。 They haven't a
shadow of doubt。〃
〃That's nonsense。 You are excited。 But what about the ear…rings？ You
must admit that； if on the very same day and hour ear…rings from the
old woman's box have come into Nikolay's hands； they must have come
there somehow。 That's a good deal in such a case。〃
〃How did they get there？ How did they get there？〃 cried Razumihin。
〃How can you； a doctor； whose duty it is to study man and who has more
opportunity than any one else for studying human nature… how can you
fail to see the character of the man in the whole story？ Don't you see
at once that t