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- CRIME AND PUNISHMENT 453
kissed me, and vowed that she would.be an obedient, faithful,
and good wife, would make me happy, would devote all her life,
every minute of her life, would sacrifice everything, everything,
and that all she asks in return is my respect, and that she wants
'nothing, nothing more from me, no presents.' You'll admit
that to hear such a confession, alone, from an angel of sixteen in
a muslin frock, with little curls, with a flush of maiden shyness
in her cheeks and tears of enthusiasm in her eyes is rather fasci-
nating! Isn't it fascinating? It's worth paying for, isn't it? Well
. . . listen, we'll go to see my betrothed, only not just now!"
"The fact is this monstrous difference in age and develop-
ment excites your sensuality! Will you really make such a mar-
riage?"
"Why, of course. Every one thinks of himself, and he lives
most gaily who knows best how to deceive himself. Ha-ha! But
why are you so keen about virtue? Have mercy on me, my good
friend. I am a sinful man. Ha-ha-ha!"
"But you have provided for the children of Katerina Ivan^
ovna. Though . , . though you had your own reasons. ... I un-
derstand itall now."
"I am always fond of children, very fond of them," laughed
Svidrigailov. "I can tell you one curious instance of it. The
first day I came here I visited various haunts, after seven years
I simply rushed at them. You probably notice that I am not
in a hurry to renew acquaintance with my old friends. I shall do
without them as long as I can. Do you know, when I was with
Marf a Petrovna in the country, I was haunted by the thought of
these places where any one who knows his way about can find a
great deal. Yes, upon my soul! The peasants have vodka, the
educated young people, shut out from activity, waste themselves
in impossible dreams and visions and are crippled by theories;
Jews have sprung up and are amassing money, and all the rest
give themselves up to debauchery. From the first hour the
town reeked of its familiar odours. I chanced to be in a frightful
den — I like my dens dirty — it was a dance, so called, and there
was a cancan such as I never saw in my day. Yes, there you
have progress. All of a sudden I saw a little girl of thirteen,
nicely dressed, dancing with a sp>ecialist in that line, with an-
other one vis-d-vis. Her mother was sitting on a chair by the
wall. You can't fancy what a cancan that was! The girl was
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