第561页 / 共1294页

"I... I... have come for one minute. Forgive me for disturbing

you," she began falteringly. "I come from Katerina Ivanovna, and

she had no one to send. Katerina Ivanovna told me to beg you...

to be at the service... in the morning... at Mitrofanievsky...

and then... to us... to her... to do her the honour... she told

me to beg you..." Sonia stammered and ceased speaking.

"I will try, certainly, most certainly," answered Raskolnikov.

He, too, stood up, and he, too, faltered and could not finish his

sentence. "Please sit down," he said, suddenly. "I want to talk

to you. You are perhaps in a hurry, but please, be so kind, spare

me two minutes," and he drew up a chair for her.

Sonia sat down again, and again timidly she took a hurried,

frightened look at the two ladies, and dropped her eyes.

Raskolnikov's pale face flushed, a shudder passed over him, his

eyes glowed.