I had the pleasure...

　　"That's unavoidable; our national railways are of terrible length.'Mother Russia,' as they say, is a vast country.... In spite of all mydesire to do so, I was unable to meet you yesterday. But I trust allpassed off without inconvenience?"

　　"Oh, no, Pyotr Petrovitch, it was all terribly disheartening,"Pulcheria Alexandrovna hastened to declare with peculiar intonation,"and if Dmitri Prokofitch had not been sent us, I really believe byGod Himself, we should have been utterly lost. Here, he is! DmitriProkofitch Razumihin," she added, introducing him to Luzhin.

　　"I had the pleasure... yesterday," muttered Pyotr Petrovitch witha hostile glance sidelong at Razumihin; then he scowled and wassilent.

　　Pyotr Petrovitch belonged to that class of persons, on the surfacevery polite in society, who make a great point of punctiliousness, butwho, directly they are crossed in anything, are completelydisconcerted, and become more like sacks of flour than elegant andlively men of society. Again all was silent; Raskolnikov wasobstinately mute, Avdotya Romanovna was unwilling to open theconversation too soon. Razumihin had nothing to say, so PulcheriaAlexandrovna was anxious again.

　　"Marfa Petrovna is dead, have you heard?" she began havingrecourse to her leading item of conversation.

　　"To be sure, I heard so. I was immediately informed, and I have cometo make you acquainted with the fact that Arkady IvanovitchSvidrigailov set off in haste for Petersburg immediately after hiswife's funeral. So at least I have excellent authority for believing."

　　"To Petersburg? here?" Dounia asked in alarm and looked at hermother.

　　"Yes, indeed, and doubtless not without some design, having inview the rapidity of his departure, and all the circumstancespreceding it."

　　"Good heavens! won't he leave Dounia in peace even here?" criedPulcheria Alexandrovna.

　　"I imagine that neither you nor Avdotya Romanovna have any groundsfor uneasiness, unless, of course, you are yourselves desirous ofgetting into communication with him. For my part I am on my guard, andam now discovering where he is lodging."

　　"Oh, Pyotr Petrovitch, you would not believe what a fright youhave given me," Pulcheria Alexandrovna went on. "I've only seen himtwice, but I thought him terrible, terrible! I am convinced that hewas the cause of Marfa Petrovna's death."