"Who is the murderer?" he repeated, as though unable to believe his
ears. "Why, _you_, Rodion Romanovitch! You are the murderer," he added,
almost in a whisper, in a voice of genuine conviction.

Raskolnikov leapt from the sofa, stood up for a few seconds and sat down
again without uttering a word. His face twitched convulsively.

"Your lip is twitching just as it did before," Porfiry Petrovitch
observed almost sympathetically. "You've been misunderstanding me, I
think, Rodion Romanovitch," he added after a brief pause, "that's why
you are so surprised. I came on purpose to tell you everything and deal
openly with you."

"It was not I murdered her," Raskolnikov whispered like a frightened
child caught in the act.

"No, it was you, you Rodion Romanovitch, and no one else," Porfiry
whispered sternly, with conviction.

They were both silent and the silence lasted strangely long, about ten
minutes. Raskolnikov put his elbow on the table and passed his fingers
through his hair. Porfiry Petrovitch sat quietly waiting. Suddenly
Raskolnikov looked scornfully at Porfiry.

"You are at your old tricks again, Porfiry Petrovitch! Your old method
again. I wonder you don't get sick of it!"

"Oh, stop that, what does that matter now? It would be a different
matter if there were witnesses present, but we are whispering alone. You
see yourself that I have not come to chase and capture you like a hare.
Whether you confess it or not is nothing to me now; for myself, I am
convinced without it."

"If so, what did you come for?" Raskolnikov asked irritably. "I ask you
the same question again: if you consider me guilty, why don't you take
me to prison?"

"Oh, that's your question! I will answer you, point for point. In the
first place, to arrest you so directly is not to my interest."

"How so? If you are convinced you ought...."

"Ach, what if I am convinced? That's only my dream for the time. Why
should I put you in safety? You know that's it, since you ask me to do
it. If I confront you with that workman for instance and you say to him
'were you drunk or not? Who saw me with you? I simply took you to be
drunk, and you were drunk, too.' Well, what could I answer, especially
as your story is a more likely one than his? for there's nothing but
psychology to support his evidence--that's almost unseemly with his ugly
mug, while you hit the mark exactly, for the rascal is an inveterate
drunkard and notoriously so. And I have myse