turning　to　the　wall。
  Nastasya　stood　over　him。
  〃Perhaps　he　really　is　ill；〃　she　said；　turned　and　went　out。　She
  came　in　again　at　two　o'clock　with　soup。　He　was　lying　as　before。　The
  tea　stood　untouched。　Nastasya　felt　positively　offended　and　began
  wrathfully　rousing　him。
  〃Why　are　you　lying　like　a　log？〃　she　shouted；　looking　at　him　with
  repulsion。
  He　got　up；　and　sat　down　again；　but　said　nothing　and　stared　at　the
  floor。
  〃Are　you　ill　or　not？〃　asked　Nastasya　and　again　received　no　answer。
  〃You'd　better　go　out　and　get　a　breath　of　air；〃　she　said　after　a　pause。
  〃Will　you　eat　it　or　not？〃
  〃Afterwards；〃　he　said　weakly。　〃You　can　go。〃
  And　he　motioned　her　out。
  She　remained　a　little　longer；　looked　at　him　with　compassion　and　went
  out。
  A　few　minutes　afterwards；　he　raised　his　eyes　and　looked　for　a　long
  while　at　the　tea　and　the　soup。　Then　he　took　the　bread；　took　up　a　spoon
  and　began　to　eat。
  He　ate　a　little；　three　or　four　spoonfuls；　without　appetite　as　it
  were　mechanically。　His　head　ached　less。　After　his　meal　he　stretched
  himself　on　the　sofa　again；　but　now　he　could　not　sleep；　he　lay
  without　stirring；　with　his　face　in　the　pillow。　He　was　haunted　by
  daydreams　and　such　strange　daydreams；　in　one；　that　kept　recurring；
  he　fancied　that　he　was　in　Africa；　in　Egypt；　in　some　sort　of　oasis。　The
  caravan　was　resting；　the　camels　were　peacefully　lying　down；　the
  palms　stood　all　around　in　a　complete　circle；　all　the　party　were　at
  dinner。　But　he　was　drinking　water　from　a　spring　which　flowed
  gurgling　close　by。　And　it　was　so　cool；　it　was　wonderful；　wonderful；
  blue；　cold　water　running　among　the　parti…coloured　stones　and　over
  the　clean　sand　which　glistened　here　and　there　like　gold。。。。　Suddenly
  he　heard　a　clock　strike。　He　started；　roused　himself；　raised　his
  head；　looked　out　of　the　window；　and　seeing　how　late　it　was；　suddenly
  jumped　up　wide　awake　as　though　some　one　had　pulled　him　off　the　sofa。
  He　crept　on　tiptoe　to　the　door；　stealthily　opened　it　and　began
  listening　on　the　staircase。　His　heart　beat　terribly。　But　all　was　quiet
  on　the　stairs　as　if　every　one　was　asleep。。。。　It　seemed　to　him
  strange　and　monstrous　that　he　could　have　slept　in　such　forgetfulness
  from　the　previous　day　and　had　done　nothing；　had　prepared　nothing
  yet。。。。　And　meanwhile　perhaps　it　had　struck　six。　And　his　drowsiness
  and　stupefaction　were　followed　by　an　extraordinary；　feverish；　as　it
  were；　distracted；　haste。　But　the　preparations　to　be　made　were　few。
  He　concentrated　all　his　energies　on　thinking　of　everything　and
  forgetting　nothing；　and　his　heart　kept　beating　and　thumping　so　that　he
  could　hardly　breathe。　First　he　had　to　make　a　noose　and　sew　it　into　his
  overcoat…　a　work　of　a　moment。　He　rummaged　under　his　pillow　and
  picked　out　amongst　the　linen　stuffed　away　under　it；　a　worn　out；　old
  unwashed　shirt。　From　its　rags　he　tore　a　long　strip；　a　couple　of　inches
  wide　and　about　sixteen　inches　long。　He　folded　this　strip　in　two；
  took　off　his　wide；　strong　summer　overcoat　of　some　stout　cotton
  material　（his　only　outer　garment）　and　began　sewing　the　two　ends　of　the
  rag　on　the　inside；　under　the　left　armhole。　His　hands　shook　as　he
  sewed；　but　he　did　it　successfully　so　that　nothing　showed　outside
  when　he　put　the　coat　on　again。　The　needle　and　thread　he　had　got
  ready　long　before　and　they　lay　on　his　table　in　a　piece　of　paper。　As
  for　the　noose；　it　was　a　very　ingenious　device　of　his　own；　the　noose
  was　intended　for　the　axe。　It　was　impossible　for　him　to　carry　the　axe
  through　the　street　in　his　hands。　And　if　hidden　under　his　coat　he　would
  still　have　had　to　support　it　with　his　hand；　which　would　have　been
  noticeable。　Now　he　had　only　to　put　the　head　of　the　axe　in　the　noose；
  and　it　would　hang　quietly　under　his　arm　on　the　inside。　Putting　his
  hand　in　his　coat　pocket；　he　could　hold　the　end　of　the　handle　all　the
  way；　so　that　it　did　not　swing；　and　as　the　coat　was　very　full；　a
  regular　sack　in　fact；　it　could　not　be　seen　from　outside　that　he　was
  holding　something　with　the　hand　that　was　in　the　pocket。　This　noose；
  too；　he　had　designed　a　fortnight　before。
  When　he　had　finished　with　this；　he　thrust　his　hand　into　a　little
  opening　between　his　sofa　and　the　floor；　fumbled　in　the　left　corner　and
  drew　out　the　pledge；　which　he　had　got　ready　long　before　and　hidden
  there。　This　pledge　was；　however；　only　a　smoothly　planed　piece　of
  wood　the　size　and　thickness　of　a　silver　cigarette　case。　He　picked　up
  this　piece　of　wood　in　one　of　his　wanderings　in　a　courtyard　where　there
  was　some　sort　of　a　workshop。　Afterwards　he　had　added　to　the　wood　a
  thin　smooth　piece　of　iron；　which　he　had　also　picked　up　at　the　same
  time　in　the　street。　Putting　the　iron　which　was　a　little　the　smaller　on
  the　piece　of　wood；　he　fastened　them　very　firmly；　crossing　and
  re…crossing　the　thread　round　them；　then　wrapped　them　carefully　and
  daintily　in　clean　white　paper　and　tied　up　the　parcel　so　that　it
  would　be　very　difficult　to　untie　it。　This　was　in　order　to　divert　the
  attention　of　the　old　woman　for　a　time；　while　she　was　trying　to　undo
  the　knot；　and　so　to　gain　a　moment。　The　iron　strip　was　added　to　give
  weight；　so　that　the　woman　might　not　guess　the　first　minute　that　the
  〃thing〃　was　made　of　wood。　All　this　had　been　stored　by　him　beforehand
  under　the　sofa。　He　had　only　just　got　the　pledge　out　when　he　heard　some
  one　suddenly　about　in　the　yard。
  〃It　struck　six　long　ago。〃
  〃Long　ago！　My　God！〃
  He　rushed　to　the　door；　listened；　caught　up　his　hat　and　began　to
  descend　his　thirteen　steps　cautiously；　noiselessly；　like　a　cat。　He　had
  still　the　most　important　thing　to　do…　to　steal　the　axe　from　the
  kitchen。　That　the　deed　must　be　done　with　an　axe　he　had　decided　long
  ago。　He　had　also　a　pocket　pruning…knife；　but　he　could　not　rely　on
  the　knife　and　still　less　on　his　own　strength；　and　so　resolved
  finally　on　the　axe。　We　may　note　in　passing；　one　peculiarity　in
  regard　to　all　the　final　resolutions　taken　by　him　in　the　matter；　they
  had　one　strange　characteristic：　the　more　final　they　were；　the　more
  hideous　and　the　more　absurd　they　at　once　became　in　his　eyes。　In
  spite　of　all　his　agonising　inward　struggle；　he　never　for　a　single
  instant　all　that　time　could　believe　in　the　carrying　out　of　his　plans。
  And；　indeed；　if　it　had　ever　happened　that　everything　to　the　least
  point　could　have　been　considered　and　finally　settled；　and　no
  uncertainty　of　any　kind　had　remained；　he　would；　it　seems；　have
  renounced　it　all　as　something　absurd；　monstrous　and　impossible。　But
  a　whole　mass　of　unsettled　points　and　uncertainties　remained。　As　for
  getting　the　axe；　that　trifling　business　cost　him　no　anxiety；　for
  nothing　could　be　easier。　Nastasya　was　continually　out　of　the　house；
  especially　in　the　evenings；　she　would　run　in　to　the　neighbours　or　to　a
  shop；　and　always　left　the　door　ajar。　It　was　the　one　thing　the　landlady
  was　always　scolding　her　about。　And　so　when　the　time　came；　he　would
  only　have　to　go　quietly　into　the　kitchen　and　to　take　the　axe；　and　an
  hour　later　（when　everything　was　over）　go　in　and　put　it　back　again。　But
  these　were　doubtful　points。　Supposing　he　returned　an　hour　later　to　put
  it　back；　and　Nastasya　had　come　back　and　was　on　the　spot。　He　would　of
  course　have　to　go　by　and　wait　till　she　went　out　again。　But　supposing
  she　were　in　the　meantime　to　miss　the　axe；　look　for　it；　make　an　outcry…
  that　would　mean　suspicion　or　at　least　grounds　for　suspicion。
  But　those　were　all　trifles　which　he　had　not　even　begun　to
  consider；　and　indeed　he　had　no　time。　He　was　thinking　of　the　chief
  point；　and　put　off　trifling　detail