〃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　by
  God　Himself；　we　should　have　been　utterly　lost。　Here；　he　is！　Dmitri
  Prokofitch　Razumihin；〃　she　added；　introducing　him　to　Luzhin。
  〃I　had　the　pleasure。。。　yesterday；〃　muttered　Pyotr　Petrovitch　with
  a　hostile　glance　sidelong　at　Razumihin；　then　he　scowled　and　was
  silent。
  Pyotr　Petrovitch　belonged　to　that　class　of　persons；　on　the　surface
  very　polite　in　society；　who　make　a　great　point　of　punctiliousness；　but
  who；　directly　they　are　crossed　in　anything；　are　completely
  disconcerted；　and　become　more　like　sacks　of　flour　than　elegant　and
  lively　men　of　society。　Again　all　was　silent；　Raskolnikov　was
  obstinately　mute；　Avdotya　Romanovna　was　unwilling　to　open　the
  conversation　too　soon。　Razumihin　had　nothing　to　say；　so　Pulcheria
  Alexandrovna　was　anxious　again。
  〃Marfa　Petrovna　is　dead；　have　you　heard？〃　she　began　having
  recourse　to　her　leading　item　of　conversation。
  〃To　be　sure；　I　heard　so。　I　was　immediately　informed；　and　I　have　come
  to　make　you　acquainted　with　the　fact　that　Arkady　Ivanovitch
  Svidrigailov　set　off　in　haste　for　Petersburg　immediately　after　his
  wife's　funeral。　So　at　least　I　have　excellent　authority　for　believing。〃
  〃To　Petersburg？　here？〃　Dounia　asked　in　alarm　and　looked　at　her
  mother。
  〃Yes；　indeed；　and　doubtless　not　without　some　design；　having　in
  view　the　rapidity　of　his　departure；　and　all　the　circumstances
  preceding　it。〃
  〃Good　heavens！　won't　he　leave　Dounia　in　peace　even　here？〃　cried
  Pulcheria　Alexandrovna。
  〃I　imagine　that　neither　you　nor　Avdotya　Romanovna　have　any　grounds
  for　uneasiness；　unless；　of　course；　you　are　yourselves　desirous　of
  getting　into　communication　with　him。　For　my　part　I　am　on　my　guard；　and
  am　now　discovering　where　he　is　lodging。〃
  〃Oh；　Pyotr　Petrovitch；　you　would　not　believe　what　a　fright　you
  have　given　me；〃　Pulcheria　Alexandrovna　went　on。　〃I've　only　seen　him
  twice；　but　I　thought　him　terrible；　terrible！　I　am　convinced　that　he
  was　the　cause　of　Marfa　Petrovna's　death。〃
  〃It's　impossible　to　be　certain　about　that。　I　have　precise
  information。　I　do　not　dispute　that　he　may　have　contributed　to
  accelerate　the　course　of　events　by　the　moral　influence；　so　to　say；
  of　the　affront；　but　as　to　the　general　conduct　and　moral
  characteristics　of　that　personage；　I　am　in　agreement　with　you。　I　do
  not　know　whether　he　is　well　off　now；　and　precisely　what　Marfa　Petrovna
  left　him；　this　will　be　known　to　me　within　a　very　short　period；　but
  no　doubt　here　in　Petersburg；　if　he　has　any　pecuniary　resources；　he
  will　relapse　at　once　into　his　old　ways。　He　is　the　most　depraved；　and
  abjectly　vicious　specimen　of　that　class　of　men。　I　have　considerable
  reason　to　believe　that　Marfa　Petrovna；　who　was　so　unfortunate　as　to
  fall　in　love　with　him　and　to　pay　his　debts　eight　years　ago；　was　of
  service　to　him　also　in　another　way。　Solely　by　her　exertions　and
  sacrifices；　a　criminal　charge；　involving　an　element　of　fantastic　and
  homicidal　brutality　for　which　he　might　well　have　been　sentenced　to
  Siberia；　was　hushed　up。　That's　the　sort　of　man　he　is；　if　you　care　to
  know。〃
  〃Good　heavens！〃　cried　Pulcheria　Alexandrovna。　Raskolnikov　listened
  attentively。
  〃Are　you　speaking　the　truth　when　you　say　that　you　have　good　evidence
  of　this？〃　Dounia　asked　sternly　and　emphatically。
  〃I　only　repeat　what　I　was　told　in　secret　by　Marfa　Petrovna。　I　must
  observe　that　from　the　legal　point　of　view　the　case　was　far　from　clear。
  There　was；　and　I　believe　still　is；　living　here　a　woman　called
  Resslich；　a　foreigner；　who　lent　small　sums　of　money　at　interest；　and
  did　other　commissions；　and　with　this　woman　Svidrigailov　had　for　a　long
  while　close　and　mysterious　relations。　She　had　a　relation；　a　niece　I
  believe；　living　with　her；　a　deaf　and　dumb　girl　of　fifteen；　or
  perhaps　not　more　than　fourteen。　Resslich　hated　this　girl；　and
  grudged　her　every　crust；　she　used　to　beat　her　mercilessly。　One　day　the
  girl　was　found　hanging　in　the　garret。　At　the　inquest　the　verdict　was
  suicide。　After　the　usual　proceedings　the　matter　ended；　but；　later
  on；　information　was　given　that　the　child　had　been。。。　cruelly
  outraged　by　Svidrigailov。　It　is　true；　this　was　not　clearly
  established；　the　information　was　given　by　another　German　woman　of
  loose　character　whose　word　could　not　be　trusted；　no　statement　was
  actually　made　to　the　police；　thanks　to　Marfa　Petrovna's　money　and
  exertions；　it　did　not　get　beyond　gossip。　And　yet　the　story　is　a　very
  significant　one。　You　heard；　no　doubt；　Avdotya　Romanovna；　when　you　were
  with　them　the　story　of　the　servant　Philip　who　died　of　ill　treatment　he
  received　six　years　ago；　before　the　abolition　of　serfdom。〃
  〃I　heard　on　the　contrary　that　this　Philip　hanged　himself。〃
  〃Quite　so；　but　what　drove　him；　or　rather　perhaps　disposed　him；　to
  suicide；　was　the　systematic　persecution　and　severity　of　Mr。
  Svidrigailov。〃
  〃I　don't　know　that；〃　answered　Dounia；　dryly。　〃I　only　heard　a　queer
  story　that　Philip　was　a　sort　of　hypochondriac；　a　sort　of　domestic
  philosopher；　the　servants　used　to　say；　'he　read　himself　silly；'　and
  that　he　hanged　himself　partly　on　account　of　Mr。　Svidrigailov's　mockery
  of　him　and　not　his　blows。　When　I　was　there　he　behaved　well　to　the
  servants；　and　they　were　actually　fond　of　him；　though　they　certainly
  did　blame　him　for　Philip's　death。〃
  〃I　perceive；　Avdotya　Romanovna；　that　you　seem　disposed　to
  undertake　his　defence　all　of　a　sudden；〃　Luzhin　observed；　twisting
  his　lips　into　an　ambiguous　smile；　〃there's　no　doubt　that　he　is　an
  astute　man；　and　insinuating　where　ladies　are　concerned；　of　which　Marfa
  Petrovna；　who　has　died　so　strangely；　is　a　terrible　instance。　My　only
  desire　has　been　to　be　of　service　to　you　and　your　mother　with　my
  advice；　in　view　of　the　renewed　efforts　which　may　certainly　be
  anticipated　from　him。　For　my　part　it's　my　firm　conviction；　that　he
  will　end　in　a　debtor's　prison　again。　Marfa　Petrovna　had　not　the
  slightest　intention　of　settling　anything　substantial　on　him；　having
  regard　for　his　children's　interests；　and；　if　she　left　him　anything；　it
  would　only　be　the　merest　sufficiency；　something　insignificant　and
  ephemeral；　which　would　not　last　a　year　for　a　man　of　his　habits。〃
  〃Pyotr　Petrovitch；　I　beg　you；〃　said　Dounia；　〃say　no　more　of　Mr。
  Svidrigailov。　It　makes　me　miserable。〃
  〃He　has　just　been　to　see　me；〃　said　Raskolnikov；　breaking　his　silence
  for　the　first　time。
  There　were　exclamations　from　all；　and　they　all　turned　to　him。　Even
  Pyotr　Petrovitch　was　roused。
  〃An　hour　and　a　half　ago；　he　came　in　when　I　was　asleep；　waked　me；　and
  introduced　himself；〃　Raskolnikov　continued。　〃He　was　fairly　cheerful
  and　at　ease；　and　quite　hopes　that　we　shall　become　friends。　He　is
  particularly　anxious　by　the　way；　Dounia；　for　an　interview　with　you；　at
  which　he　asked　me　to　assist。　He　has　a　proposition　to　make　to　you；
  and　he　told　me　about　it。　He　told　me；　too；　that　a　week　before　her　death
  Marfa　Petrovna　left　you　three　thousand　roubles　in　her　will；　Dounia；
  and　that　you　can　receive　the　money　very　shortly。〃
  〃Thank　God！〃　cried　Pulcheria　Alexandrovna；　crossing　herself。　〃Pray
  for　her　soul；　Dounia！〃
  〃It's　a　fact！〃　broke　from　Luzhin。
  〃Tell　us；　what　more？〃　Dounia　urg