your opinion, pray? But do,
I beg, remove your cap; one would really fancy that you wanted to be
off, and that pains me. I, you must know, am so contented."

Raskolnikoff laid his cap down. He did not, however, become more
loquacious; and, with knit brows, listened to Porphyrius's idle
chatter. "I suppose," thought he, "he only doles out his small talk to
distract my attention."

"I don't offer you any coffee," went on the inexhaustible Porphyrius,
"because this is not the place for it, but can you not spend a few
minutes with a friend, by way of causing him some little distraction?
You must know that all these professional obligations--don't be vexed,
_batuchka_, if you see me walking about like this, I am sure you will
excuse me, if I tell you how anxious I am not to do so, but movement
is so indispensable to me! I am always seated--and, to me, it is quite
a luxury to be able to move about for a minute or two. I purpose, in
fact, to go through a course of calisthenics. The trapeze is said to
stand in high favor amongst State counselors--counselors in office,
even amongst privy counselors. Nowadays, in fact, gymnastics have
become a positive science. As for these duties of our office, these
examinations, all this formality--you yourself, you will remember,
touched upon the topic just now, _batuchka_--these examinations, and
so forth, sometimes perplex the magistrate much more than the man
under suspicion. You said as much just now with as much sense as
accuracy." (Raskolnikoff had made no statement of the kind.) "One gets
confused, one loses the thread of the investigation. Yet, as far as
our judicial customs go, I agree with you fully. Where, for instance,
is there a man under suspicion of some kind or other, were it even the
most thick-headed moujik, who does not know that the magistrate will
commence by putting all sorts of out-of-the-way questions to take him
off the scent (if I may be allowed to use your happy simile), and that
then he suddenly gives him one between the eyes? A blow of the ax on
his sinciput (if again I may be permitted to use your ingenious
metaphor)? Hah, hah! And do you mean to say that when I spoke to you
about quarters provided by the State, that--hah, hah! You are very
caustic. But I won't revert to that again. By-and-by!--one remark
produces another, one thought attracts another--but you were talking
just now of the practice or form in vogue with the examining
magistrate. But what is thi