Page 835 of 1294

But how imminent? His position gradually became clear to him.

Remembering, sketchily, the main outlines of his recent scene

with Porfiry, he could not help shuddering again with horror. Of

course, he did not yet know all Porfiry's aims, he could not see

into all his calculations. But he had already partly shown his

hand, and no one knew better than Raskolnikov how terrible

Porfiry's "lead" had been for him. A little more and he might

have given himself away completely, circumstantially. Knowing his

nervous temperament and from the first glance seeing through him,

Porfiry, though playing a bold game, was bound to win. There's no

denying that Raskolnikov had compromised himself seriously, but

no facts had come to light as yet; there was nothing positive.

But was he taking a true view of the position? Wasn't he

mistaken? What had Porfiry been trying to get at? Had he really

some surprise prepared for him? And what was it? Had he really

been expecting something or not?