Seite 724 von 1294

When he had bitterly reminded Dounia that he had decided to take

her in spite of evil report, Pyotr Petrovitch had spoken with

perfect sincerity and had, indeed, felt genuinely indignant at

such "black ingratitude." And yet, when he made Dounia his offer,

he was fully aware of the groundlessness of all the gossip. The

story had been everywhere contradicted by Marfa Petrovna, and was

by then disbelieved by all the townspeople, who were warm in

Dounia's defence. And he would not have denied that he knew all

that at the time. Yet he still thought highly of his own

resolution in lifting Dounia to his level and regarded it as

something heroic. In speaking of it to Dounia, he had let out the

secret feeling he cherished and admired, and he could not

understand that others should fail to admire it too. He had

called on Raskolnikov with the feelings of a benefactor who is

about to reap the fruits of his good deeds and to hear agreeable

flattery.