his feet,
to-day, this minute! I am alone in the world! They would let me in! Do
you think they wouldn't? You're wrong, I will get in! I will get in!
You reckoned on her meekness! You relied upon that! But I am not so
submissive, let me tell you! You've gone too far yourself. Search her,
search her!"
And Katerina Ivanovna in a frenzy shook Luzhin and dragged him towards
Sonia.
"I am ready, I'll be responsible... but calm yourself, madam, calm
yourself. I see that you are not so submissive!... Well, well, but as to
that..." Luzhin muttered, "that ought to be before the police... though
indeed there are witnesses enough as it is.... I am ready.... But in
any case it's difficult for a man... on account of her sex.... But with
the help of Amalia Ivanovna... though, of course, it's not the way to do
things.... How is it to be done?"
"As you will! Let anyone who likes search her!" cried Katerina Ivanovna.
"Sonia, turn out your pockets! See! Look, monster, the pocket is empty,
here was her handkerchief! Here is the other pocket, look! D'you see,
d'you see?"
And Katerina Ivanovna turned--or rather snatched--both pockets inside
out. But from the right pocket a piece of paper flew out and describing
a parabola in the air fell at Luzhin's feet. Everyone saw it, several
cried out. Pyotr Petrovitch stooped down, picked up the paper in two
fingers, lifted it where all could see it and opened it. It was a
hundred-rouble note folded in eight. Pyotr Petrovitch held up the note
showing it to everyone.
"Thief! Out of my lodging. Police, police!" yelled Amalia Ivanovna.
"They must to Siberia be sent! Away!"
Exclamations arose on all sides. Raskolnikov was silent, keeping his
eyes fixed on Sonia, except for an occasional rapid glance at Luzhin.
Sonia stood still, as though unconscious. She was hardly able to feel
surprise. Suddenly the colour rushed to her cheeks; she uttered a cry
and hid her face in her hands.
"No, it wasn't I! I didn't take it! I know nothing about it," she cried
with a heartrending wail, and she ran to Katerina Ivanovna, who clasped
her tightly in her arms, as though she would shelter her from all the
world.
"Sonia! Sonia! I don't believe it! You see, I don't believe it!" she
cried in the face of the obvious fact, swaying her to and fro in her
arms like a baby, kissing her face continually, then snatching at her
hands and kissing them, too, "you took it! How stupid these people are!
Oh dear! You are
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