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- CRIME AND PUNISHMENT 269
warmth. The story of your sister had been wriing out to the
last drop; for the last three days Marfa Petrovna had been
forced to sit at home; she had nothing to show herself with in
the town. Besides, she had bored them so with that letter (you
heard about her reading the letter) . And all of a sudden those
two switches fell from heaven! Her first act was to order the
carriage to be got out. . . . Not to speak of the fact that there
are cases when women are very, very glad to be insulted in
spite of all their show of indignation. There are instances of it
with every one; human beings in general, indeed, greatly love
to be insulted, have you noticed that? But it's particularly so
with women. One might even say it's their only amusement."
At one time Raskolnikov thought of getting up and walking
out and so finishing the interview. But some curiosity and even
a sort of prudence made him linger for a moment.
"You are fond of fighting?" he asked carelessly.
"No, not very," Svidrigai'lov answered, calmly. "And Marfa
Petrovna and I scarcely ever fought. We lived very harmoni-
ously, and she was always pleased with me. I only used the whip
twice in all our seven years (not counting a third occasion of
a very ambiguous character) . The first time, two months after
our marriage, immediately after we arrived in the country, and
the last time was that of which we are speaking. Did you sup-
pose Iwas such a monster, such a reactionary, such a slave
driver? Ha, ha! By the way, do you remember, Rodion Romano-
vitch, how a few years ago, in those days of beneficent public-
ity, a nobleman, I've forgotten his name, was put to shame
everywhere, in all the papers, for having thrashed a German
woman in the railway train. You remember? It was in those
days, that very year I beUeve, the 'disgraceful action of the
Age* took place (you know, 'The Egyptian Nights,* that public
reading, you remember? The dark eyes, you know! Ah, the
golden days of our youth, where are they?) Well, as for the
gentleman who thrashed the German, I feel no sympathy with
him, because after all what need is there for sympathy? But I
must say that there are sometimes such provoking 'Germans'
that I don't beHeve there is a progressive who could quite answer
for himself. No one looked at the subject from that point of
view then, but that's the truly humane point of view, I assure
you."
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