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- CRIME AND PUNISHMENT " 63
and awfully uncouth in appearance, remarkably tall with long
feet that looked as if they were bent outwards. She always wore
battered goatskin shoes, and was clean in her person. What the
student expressed most surprise and amusement about was the
fact that Lizaveta was continually with child.
"But you say she is hideous?" observed the ofiScer.
"Yes, she is so dark-skinned and looks like a soldier dressed
up, but you know she is not at all hideous. She has such a good-
natured face and eyes. Strikingly so. And the proof of it is that
lots of people are attracted by her. She is such a soft, gentle
creature, ready to put up with anything, always willing, willing
to do anything. And her smile is really very sweet."
"You seem to find her attractive yourself," laughed theofficer.
"From her queerness. No, I'll tell you what. I could kill that
damned old woman and make oflF with her money, I assure you,
without the faintest conscience-prick," the student added with
warmth. The officer laughed again while Raskolnikov shuddered.
How strange it was!
"Listen, I want to ask you a serious question," the student
said hotly. "I was joking of course, but look here; on one sidq
we have a stupid, senseless, worthless, spiteful, ailing, horrid
old woman, not simply useless but doing actual mischief, who
has not an idea what she is living for herself, and who will die
in a day or two in any case. You understand? You understand?"
"Yes, yes, I understand," answered the officer, watching his
excited companion attentively.
"Well, listen then. On the other side, fresh young lives thrown
away for want of help and by thousands, on every side! A hun-
dred thousand good deeds could be done and helped, on that old
woman's money which will be buried in a monastery! Hundreds,
thousands perhaps, might be set on the right path; dozens of
families saved from destitution, from ruin, from vice, from the
Lock hospitals — and all with her money. Kill her, take her
money and with the help of it devote oneself to the service of
humanity and the good of all. What do you think, would not
one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds? For
one life thousands would be saved from corruption and decay.
One death, and a hundred lives in exchange — it's simple arith-
metic! Besides, what value has the Ufe of that sickly, stupid*
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