Strona 896 z 1294

Raskolnikov came in almost at the moment of their return from the

cemetery. Katerina Ivanovna was greatly delighted to see him, in

the first place, because he was the one "educated visitor, and,

as everyone knew, was in two years to take a professorship in the

university," and secondly because he immediately and respectfully

apologised for having been unable to be at the funeral. She

positively pounced upon him, and made him sit on her left hand

(Amalia Ivanovna was on her right). In spite of her continual

anxiety that the dishes should be passed round correctly and that

everyone should taste them, in spite of the agonising cough which

interrupted her every minute and seemed to have grown worse

during the last few days, she hastened to pour out in a half

whisper to Raskolnikov all her suppressed feelings and her just

indignation at the failure of the dinner, interspersing her

remarks with lively and uncontrollable laughter at the expense of

her visitors and especially of her landlady.