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- 130 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
ing, a tangible feeling, that one might be a help if only. . . . Eh!
Do you know the details of the case?"
"I am waiting to hear about the painter."
"Oh, yes! Well, here's the story. Early on the third day after
the murder, when they were still dandling Koch and Pestryakov
— though they accounted for every step they took and it was as
plain as a pikestaff — an unexpected fact turned up. A peasant
called Dushkin, who keeps a dram-shop facing the house,
brought to the police office a jeweller's case containing some gold
ear-rings, and told a long rigmarole. 'The day before yesterday,
just after eight o'clock' — mark the day and the hour! — 'a
journeyman house-painter, Nikolay, who had been in to see
me already that day, brought me this box of gold ear-rings and
stones, and asked me to give him two roubles for them. When
I asked him where he got them, he said that he picked them
up in the street. I did not ask him anything more.' I am telling
you Dushkin's story. 'I gave him a note' — a rouble that is— 'for
I thought if he did not pawn it with me he would with another.
It would all come to the same thing — he'd spend it on drink,
so the thing had better be with me. The further you hide it the
quicker you will find it, and if anything turns up, if I hear any
rumours, I'll take it to the police.' Of course, that's all tara-
diddle; helies like a horse, for I know this Dushkin, he is a
pawnbroker and a receiver of stolen goods, and he did not cheat
Nikolay out of a thirty-rouble trinket in order to give it to
the police. He was simply afraid. But no matter, to return to
Dushkin's story. 'I've known this peasant, Nikolay Dementyev,
from a child; he comes from the same province and district of
Zara'isk, we are both Ryazan men. And though Nikolay is not
a drunkard, he drinks, and I knew he had a job in that house,
painting working with Dmitri, who comes from the same vil-
lage, too. As soon as he got the rouble, he changed it, had a
couple of glasses, took his change and went out. But I did not
see Dmitri with him then. And the next day I heard that some
one had murdered Alyona Ivanovna and her sister, Lizaveta Iva-
novna, with an axe. I knew them, and I felt suspicious about
the ear-rings at once, for I knew the murdered woman lent
money on pledges. I went to the house, and began to make
careful inquiries without saying a word to any one. First of all
I asked, 'Is Nikolay here?' Dmitri told me that Nikolay had gone
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