Pagina 729 di 1294

"What did Svidrigailov say to you?" said Dounia, approaching him.

"Yes, yes!" cried Pulcheria Alexandrovna.

Raskolnikov raised his head.

"He wants to make you a present of ten thousand roubles and he

desires to see you once in my presence."

"See her! On no account!" cried Pulcheria Alexandrovna. "And how

dare he offer her money!"

Then Raskolnikov repeated (rather dryly) his conversation with

Svidrigailov, omitting his account of the ghostly visitations of

Marfa Petrovna, wishing to avoid all unnecessary talk.

"What answer did you give him?" asked Dounia.

"At first I said I would not take any message to you. Then he

said that he would do his utmost to obtain an interview with you

without my help. He assured me that his passion for you was a

passing infatuation, now he has no feeling for you. He doesn't

want you to marry Luzhin.... His talk was altogether rather

muddled."

"How do you explain him to yourself, Rodya? How did he strike

you?"