er; of Hippolyte; of
Rogojin himself, first at the funeral, then as he had met him in the
park, then, suddenly, as they had met in this very passage, outside,
when Rogojin had watched in the darkness and awaited him with uplifted
knife. The prince remembered his enemy's eyes as they had glared at him
in the darkness. He shuddered, as a sudden idea struck him.

This idea was, that if Rogojin were in Petersburg, though he might hide
for a time, yet he was quite sure to come to him--the prince--before
long, with either good or evil intentions, but probably with the same
intention as on that other occasion. At all events, if Rogojin were to
come at all he would be sure to seek the prince here--he had no other
town address--perhaps in this same corridor; he might well seek him here
if he needed him. And perhaps he did need him. This idea seemed quite
natural to the prince, though he could not have explained why he should
so suddenly have become necessary to Rogojin. Rogojin would not come if
all were well with him, that was part of the thought; he would come if
all were not well; and certainly, undoubtedly, all would not be well
with him. The prince could not bear this new idea; he took his hat and
rushed out towards the street. It was almost dark in the passage.

"What if he were to come out of that corner as I go by and--and stop
me?" thought the prince, as he approached the familiar spot. But no one
came out.

He passed under the gateway and into the street. The crowds of people
walking about--as is always the case at sunset in Petersburg, during the
summer--surprised him, but he walked on in the direction of Rogojin's
house.

About fifty yards from the hotel, at the first cross-road, as he passed
through the crowd of foot-passengers sauntering along, someone touched
his shoulder, and said in a whisper into his ear:

"Lef Nicolaievitch, my friend, come along with me." It was Rogojin.

The prince immediately began to tell him, eagerly and joyfully, how he
had but the moment before expected to see him in the dark passage of the
hotel.

"I was there," said Rogojin, unexpectedly. "Come along." The prince was
surprised at this answer; but his astonishment increased a couple of
minutes afterwards, when he began to consider it. Having thought it
over, he glanced at Rogojin in alarm. The latter was striding along a
yard or so ahead, looking straight in front of him, and mechanically
making way for anyone he met.

"Why d