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And that was impossible. What then? Must one kill oneself to escape this visitation? Razumov's despair was too profoundly tinged with hate to accept that issue. And yet it was despair nothing less at the thought of having to live with Haldin for an indefinite number of days in mortal alarm at every sound.
Then very fast, with whispering, feverish lips "The man arrested in the street was Haldin." And accepting Razumov's dismayed silence as natural enough, he assured him that there was no mistake. That Government clerk was on night duty at the Secretariat.
The bearded bureaucrat sat at his post, mysteriously self-possessed like an idol with dim, unreadable eyes. Razumov's voice changed involuntarily. "If you were to ask me where is the necessity of my hate for such as Haldin, I would answer you there is nothing sentimental in it. I did not hate him because he had committed the crime of murder. Abhorrence is not hate.
But when he entered Razumov's room late in the evening it was with an unaccustomed soberness of manner, almost solemnly. "It's done," he said. Razumov sitting bowed, his clasped hands hanging between his knees, shuddered at the familiar sound of these words. Kostia deposited slowly in the circle of lamplight a small brown-paper parcel tied with a piece of string.
Even when they had reached the head of the stairs Peter Ivanovitch did not break the silence. Razumov's impulse to continue down the flight and out of the house without as much as a nod abandoned him suddenly. He stopped on the first step and leaned his back against the wall.
I turn over for the hundredth time the leaves of Mr. Razumov's record, I lay it aside, I take up the pen and the pen being ready for its office of setting down black on white I hesitate. For the word that persists in creeping under its point is no other word than "cynicism." For that is the mark of Russian autocracy and of Russian revolt.
But the time has come when Councillor of State Mikulin can no longer be ignored. His simple question "Where to?" on which we left Mr. Razumov in St. Petersburg, throws a light on the general meaning of this individual case. "Where to?" was the answer in the form of a gentle question to what we may call Mr. Razumov's declaration of independence.
Always serious, not a girl to be put out by any imaginary difficulties, my curiosity was suspended on her lips, which remained closed for a moment. What was Mr. Razumov's connexion with this mention of her mother? Mrs. Haldin had not been informed of her son's friend's arrival in Geneva. "May I hope to see your mother this evening?" I inquired. Miss Haldin extended her hand as if to bar the way.
Razumov's lips trembled. "An occurrence of that sort marks a man," the homely murmur went on. "I admit I was curious to see you. General T thought it would be useful, too.... Don't think I am incapable of understanding your sentiments. When I was young like you I studied...." "Yes you wished to see me," said Razumov in a tone of profound distaste. "Naturally you have the right I mean the power.
It would not be a sacrifice really. I have my rich dad behind me. There's positively no getting to the bottom of his pocket." And rejecting indignantly Razumov's suggestion that this was drunken raving, he offered to lend him some money to escape abroad with. He could always get money from his dad.
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