WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:05.960 Chapter two of The Permanent Husband by Fyodor Dostoevsky. This 2 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:10.439 LibriVox recording is in the public domain. It was the 3 00:00:10.519 --> 00:00:13.480 third of July. The heat and closeness of the air 4 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:16.719 had been quite unbearable. The day had been a busy 5 00:00:16.760 --> 00:00:20.440 one for Velchaninoff. He had been walking and driving about 6 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:24.160 without rest, and he had still in prospect the visit 7 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:27.600 in the evening to a certain state councilor who lived 8 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:32.119 somewhere on the Chornaya Richka black stream, and whom he 9 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:36.479 was anxious to drop in upon. Unexpectedly, at six o'clock, 10 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:40.119 our hero issued from his house once more and trudged 11 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:43.039 off to dine at a restaurant on the Nevsky near 12 00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:46.880 the Police Bridge, a second rate sort of place, but French. 13 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:50.960 Here he took his usual corner and ordered his usual 14 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:55.280 dinner and waited. He always had a rouble dinner and 15 00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:59.000 paid for his wine extra, which moderation he looked upon 16 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:03.159 as a discret, each sacrifice to the temporary financial embarrassment 17 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:07.040 under which he was suffering. He regularly went through the 18 00:01:07.079 --> 00:01:10.079 ceremony of wondering how he could bring himself to eat 19 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:14.879 such nastiness, And yet as regularly he demolished every morsel, 20 00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:18.640 and with excellent show of appetite too, just as though 21 00:01:18.680 --> 00:01:22.840 he had eaten nothing for three days. This appetite can't 22 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:29.040 be healthy, he murmured to himself, sometimes observing his own voracity. However, 23 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:32.519 on this particular occasion, he sat down to his dinner 24 00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:36.519 in a miserably bad humor. He threw his hat angrily 25 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:41.000 away somewhere, tipped his chair back, and reflected he was 26 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.519 in the sort of humor that if his next neighbor 27 00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:46.799 dining at the little table near him were to rattle 28 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:49.799 his plate, or if the boy serving him were to 29 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:53.400 make any little blunder, or in fact, if any little 30 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:55.959 petty annoyance were to put him out of a sudden, 31 00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:59.640 he was quite capable of shouting at the offender, and 32 00:01:59.799 --> 00:02:03.959 in fact kicking up a serious row on the smallest pretext. 33 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:08.000 Soup was served to him. He took up his spoon 34 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:11.960 and was about to commence operations when he suddenly threw 35 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:16.039 it down again and started from his seat. An unexpected 36 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:19.080 thought had struck him, and in an instant he had 37 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.159 realized why he had been plunged in gloom and mental 38 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:26.879 perturbation during the last few days. Goodness knows why he 39 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:30.560 thus suddenly became inspired, as it were, with the truth. 40 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:34.240 But so it was. He jumped from his chair, and 41 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:37.400 in an instant it all stood out before him, as 42 00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:41.599 plain as his five fingers. It's all that hat, he 43 00:02:41.719 --> 00:02:46.199 muttered to himself. It's all simply and solely that damnable 44 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:49.800 round hat with the crape band round it. That's the 45 00:02:49.879 --> 00:02:53.039 reason and cause of all my worries these last days. 46 00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:56.759 He began to think, and the more he thought, the 47 00:02:56.840 --> 00:03:00.639 more dejected he became, and the more astonishing appeared the 48 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:05.000 remarkable circumstance of the hat. But hang it all, there 49 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:09.599 is no circumstance, he growled to himself. What circumstance do 50 00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:12.400 I mean? There's been nothing in the nature of an 51 00:03:12.439 --> 00:03:16.639 event or occurrence. The fact of the matter was nearly 52 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:19.840 a fortnight since he had met for the first time 53 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:23.919 somewhere about the corner of the Podatchyavskya, a gentleman with 54 00:03:24.039 --> 00:03:27.840 crape round his hat. There was nothing particular about the man. 55 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:32.080 He was just like all others. But as he passed Volchanyanov, 56 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:35.439 he had stared at him so fixedly that it was 57 00:03:35.479 --> 00:03:40.240 impossible to avoid noticing him, and more than noticing observing 58 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:45.199 him attentively. The man's face seemed to be familiar to Velchanyanov. 59 00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:48.719 He had evidently seen him somewhere and at some time 60 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:52.680 or other. But one sees thousands of people during one's life, 61 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:57.680 thought Velchaninov, one can't remember every face. So he had 62 00:03:57.719 --> 00:04:01.000 gone on his way, and before he was twenty yards further. 63 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:04.240 To all appearances, he had forgotten all about the meeting, 64 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:07.120 in spite of the strength of the first impression made 65 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:11.159 upon him. And yet he had not forgotten, for the 66 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:15.639 impression remained all day, and a very original impression. It was, too, 67 00:04:16.199 --> 00:04:19.720 a kind of objectless feeling of anger against He knew 68 00:04:19.720 --> 00:04:23.519 not what he remembered his exact feelings at this moment, 69 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:27.360 a fortnight after the occurrence, how he had been puzzled 70 00:04:27.399 --> 00:04:29.920 by the angry nature of his sentiments at the time, 71 00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:33.519 then puzzled to such an extent that he had never 72 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:36.560 for a moment connected his ill humor with the meeting 73 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:39.680 of the morning, though he had felt as cross as 74 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:43.360 possible all day. But the gentleman with the crape band 75 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:48.240 had not lost much time about reminding Belchaonninov of his existence. 76 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:51.560 For the very next day he met the latter again 77 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:55.240 on the Nevsky prospect, and again he had stared in 78 00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:59.839 a peculiarly fixed way at him. Belchonninov flared up and 79 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:03.519 spat on the ground in irritation Russian like, but a 80 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:07.160 moment after he was wondering at his own wrath. There 81 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:11.720 are faces, undoubtedly, he reflected, which filled one with disgust 82 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:15.279 at first sight. But I certainly have met that fellow 83 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:19.199 somewhere or other. Yes, I have met him before, he 84 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:23.680 muttered again half an hour later. And again, as on 85 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:26.800 the last occasion, he was in a vile humor all 86 00:05:26.839 --> 00:05:29.639 that evening, and even went so far as to have 87 00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:32.439 a bad dream in the night. And yet it never 88 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:35.160 entered his head to imagine that the cause of his 89 00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:39.240 bad temper on both occasions had been the accidental meeting 90 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:42.800 with the gentleman in mourning, although on the second evening 91 00:05:43.160 --> 00:05:45.720 he had remembered and thought of the chance encounter two 92 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:49.439 or three times. He had even flared up angrily to 93 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:53.160 think that such a dirty looking cad should presume to 94 00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:56.360 linger in his memory so long. He would have felt 95 00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:59.879 it humiliating to himself to imagine for a moment that 96 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.480 such a wretched creature could possibly be in any way 97 00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:07.759 connected with the agitated condition of his feelings. Two days 98 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:11.079 later the pair had met once more at the landing 99 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.920 place of one of the small Neva ferry steamers. On 100 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:18.600 the third occasion, Velchaonanov was ready to swear that the 101 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:22.319 man recognized him and had pressed through the crowd towards him, 102 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:25.120 had even dared to stretch out his hand and call 103 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:28.639 him by name. As to this last fact, he was 104 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:33.240 not quite certain. However, at all events, who the deuce is, 105 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:36.959 he thought, Balchaonnanov, And why can't the idiot come up 106 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:39.680 then speak to me if he really does recognize me, 107 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:43.199 and if he so much wishes to do so. With 108 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:47.720 these thoughts, Vilchonyanov had taken Adroshky and started off for 109 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:52.160 the Smoy monastery, where his lawyer lived. Half an hour 110 00:06:52.279 --> 00:06:56.079 later he was engaged in his usual quarrel with that gentleman. 111 00:06:57.079 --> 00:06:59.680 But that same evening he was in a worse humor 112 00:06:59.720 --> 00:07:03.319 than any and his night was spent in fantastic dreams 113 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:08.399 and imaginings which were anything but pleasant. I suppose it's bile, 114 00:07:08.839 --> 00:07:11.959 he concluded, as he paid his matudinal visit to the 115 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:16.759 looking glass. This was the third meeting. Then for five 116 00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:19.959 days there was not a sign of the man. And yet, 117 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:23.879 much to his distaste, Pilchaninoff could not, for the life 118 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:27.199 of him avoid thinking of the man with the crape band. 119 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:31.399 He caught himself musing over the fellow. What have I 120 00:07:31.560 --> 00:07:34.639 to do with him? He thought? What can his business 121 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:38.439 in Saint Petersburg be? He looks busy? And whom is 122 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:42.319 he in mourning? For he clearly recognizes me. But I 123 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:45.279 don't know in the least who he is. And why 124 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:48.279 do such people as he is put crape on their hats? 125 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:52.439 It doesn't seem the thing for them. Somehow, I believe 126 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:55.199 I shall recognize this fellow if I ever get a 127 00:07:55.240 --> 00:07:58.879 good close look at him. And there came over him 128 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:02.920 that sensation we all know so well, the same feeling 129 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:05.639 that one has when one can't, for the life of one, 130 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:09.480 think of the required word. Every other word comes up, 131 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:13.800 Associations with the right word come up. Occasions when one 132 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:17.240 has used the word come up. One wanders round and 133 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:20.480 round the immediate vicinity of the word wanted, But the 134 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:24.160 actual word itself will not appear. Though you may break 135 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:28.360 your head to get at it. Let's see now it 136 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:33.360 was yes, some while since it was where on earth 137 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:37.279 was it? There was a Oh devil, take whatever there 138 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:40.200 was or wasn't there. What does it matter to me? 139 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:43.679 He broke off angrily. Of a sudden, I am not 140 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:46.720 going to lower myself by thinking of a little cad 141 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:50.759 like that. He felt very angry. But when in the 142 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:53.960 evening he remembered that he had been so upset and 143 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:57.559 recollected the cause of his anger, he felt the disagreeable 144 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:01.480 sensation of having been caught by some one doing something wrong. 145 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:06.519 This fact puzzled and annoyed him. There must be some 146 00:09:06.679 --> 00:09:09.919 reason for my getting so angry that the mere recollection 147 00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:13.159 of that man's face, he thought, But he didn't finish 148 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:16.960 thinking it out. But the next evening he was still 149 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:21.039 more indignant, and this time he really thought with good cause. 150 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:26.440 Such audacity is unparalleled, He said to himself. The fact 151 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:29.039 of the matter is there had been a fourth meeting 152 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:31.919 with the man of the crape hat band. The latter 153 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:35.639 had apparently arisen from the earth and confronted him. But 154 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:39.720 let me explain what had happened. It so chanced that 155 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:45.159 Velchoonyanov had just met accidentally that very state Councilor mentioned 156 00:09:45.159 --> 00:09:48.279 a few pages back, whom he had been so anxious 157 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:51.360 to see and on whom he had intended to pounce 158 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:57.360 unexpectedly at his country house. This gentleman evidently avoided Belchonyanov, 159 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:00.600 but at the same time was most necess to the 160 00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:05.879 latter in his lawsuit. Consequently, when Velchavanov met him, the 161 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:09.440 one was delighted, while the other was very much the reverse. 162 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:14.159 Velchaninov had immediately button holed him and walked down the 163 00:10:14.200 --> 00:10:18.320 street with him, talking, doing his very utmost to keep 164 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:21.120 the sly old fox to the subject on which it 165 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:24.279 was so necessary that he should be pumped. And it 166 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:28.639 was just at this most important moment when Volchanov's intellect 167 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:31.399 was all on the key viv to catch up the 168 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:34.759 slightest hints of what he wished to get at, while 169 00:10:34.759 --> 00:10:38.559 the foxy old Councilor, aware of the fact, was doing 170 00:10:38.600 --> 00:10:42.440 his best to reveal nothing that the former, taking his 171 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:46.039 eyes from his companion's face for one instant, beheld the 172 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:49.240 gentleman of the crape hat band walking along the other 173 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:53.240 side of the road and looking at him, nay watching him, 174 00:10:53.440 --> 00:11:00.559 evidently and apparently smiling. Devil take him said Velchaonnanov, bursting 175 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:04.799 out into fury at once, while the old fox instantly disappeared. 176 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:08.559 And I should have succeeded in another minute. Curse that 177 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:12.960 dirty little hound. He's simply spying on me. I'll I'll 178 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:16.600 hire somebody to I'll take my oath, he laughed at me. 179 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:20.039 Damn him, I'll thrash him. I wish I had a 180 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:24.039 stick with me. I'll I'll buy one. I won't leave 181 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:27.679 this matter. So who the deuce is he? I will 182 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:31.919 know who is he. At last, three days after this 183 00:11:32.039 --> 00:11:35.960 fourth encounter, we find Velchoninov sitting down to dinner at 184 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:39.559 his restaurant, as recorded a page or two back, in 185 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:43.159 a state of mind bordering upon the furious. He could 186 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:46.399 not conceal the state of his feelings from himself. In 187 00:11:46.440 --> 00:11:50.000 spite of all his pride, he was obliged to confess 188 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:54.519 at last that all his anxiety, his irritation, his state 189 00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:59.480 of agitation generally must undoubtedly be connected with and absolutely 190 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:03.000 attribute to the appearance of the wretched looking creature with 191 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:07.159 the crape hat band. In spite of his insignificance, I 192 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:10.960 may be a hypochondriac, he reflected, and I may be 193 00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:13.919 inclined to make an elephant out of a gnat? But 194 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:16.720 how does it help me? What use is it to 195 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:20.200 me if I persuade myself to believe that perhaps all 196 00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:24.039 this is fancy? Why if every dirty little wretch like 197 00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:26.320 that is to have the power of upsetting a man 198 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:32.320 like myself, why it's it's simply unbearable. Undoubtedly, at this 199 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:36.600 last fifth encounter of to day, the elephant had proved 200 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:41.240 himself a very small gnat. Indeed, the crape man had 201 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:46.039 appeared suddenly as usual, and had passed by Volchoninov, but 202 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:49.759 without looking up at him this time. Indeed, he had 203 00:12:49.799 --> 00:12:53.720 gone by with downcast eyes, and had even seemed anxious 204 00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:58.799 to pass unobserved, Volchonanov had turned rapidly round and shouted 205 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:03.159 as loud as ever he could at him. Hey, he cried, you, 206 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:07.320 crape hat band, you want to escape? Notice this time? 207 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:11.320 Do you? Who are you? Both the question and the 208 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:15.080 whole idea of calling after the man were absurdly foolish, 209 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:18.759 and Velchonanov knew it. The moment he had said the words, 210 00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:22.919 the man had turned round, stopped for an instant, lost 211 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:26.320 his head, smiled, half made up his mind to say 212 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:30.559 something had waited half a minute and painful indecision, then 213 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:35.919 twisted suddenly round again and bolted without a word. Velchonanov 214 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:39.039 gazed after him in amazement. What if it be I 215 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:44.519 that haunt him and not he me after all? He thought? However, 216 00:13:44.840 --> 00:13:48.600 Velchaonanov ate up his dinner and then drove off to 217 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:51.879 pounce upon the town counselor at the latter's house if 218 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:55.759 he could. The councilor was not in, and he was 219 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:58.879 informed that he would scarcely be at home before three 220 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:01.480 or four in the morning because he had gone to 221 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:06.159 a name's day party. Belchaninov felt that this was too bad. 222 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:09.600 In his rage, he determined to follow and hunt the 223 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.799 fellow up. At the party. He actually took a droshky 224 00:14:13.159 --> 00:14:16.879 and started off with that wild idea, but luckily he 225 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:19.279 thought better of it. On the way, got out of 226 00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:22.960 the vehicle and walked away towards the great theater near 227 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:27.159 which he lived. He felt that he must have motion. Also, 228 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:31.559 he must absolutely sleep well this coming night. In order 229 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:34.639 to sleep, he must be tired. So he walked all 230 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:38.080 the way home, a fairly long walk, and arrived there 231 00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:42.480 about half past ten. As tired as he could wish 232 00:14:42.519 --> 00:14:45.600 his lodging, which he had taken last March and had 233 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:50.080 abused ever since, apologizing to himself for living in such 234 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:53.759 a hole, and at the same time excusing himself for 235 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:56.279 the fact by the reflection that it was only for 236 00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:59.679 a while, and that he had dropped quite accidentally into 237 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:04.919 Saint Petersburg thanks to that cursed lawsuit. His lodging, I say, 238 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:07.519 was by no means so bad as he made it 239 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:11.279 out to be. The entrance certainly was a little dark 240 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:14.679 and dirty looking, being just under the arch of the gateway. 241 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:17.919 But he had two fine, large light rooms on the 242 00:15:17.960 --> 00:15:21.720 second floor, separated by the entrance hall. One of these 243 00:15:21.799 --> 00:15:25.360 rooms overlooked the yard and the other the street. Leading 244 00:15:25.399 --> 00:15:28.000 out of the former of these was a smaller room 245 00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:31.759 meant to be used as a bedroom, but Velchionanov had 246 00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:34.600 filled it with a disordered array of books and papers 247 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:37.600 and preferred to sleep in one of the large rooms, 248 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:41.519 the one overlooking the street. To wit his bed was 249 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:45.120 made for him every day upon the large divan. The 250 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:48.919 rooms were full of good furniture, and some valuable ornaments 251 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:52.159 and pictures were scattered about, but the whole place was 252 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:55.639 in dreadful disorder, the fact being that at this time 253 00:15:55.879 --> 00:16:00.440 Velchonnanov was without a regular servant. His one domestic had 254 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:02.720 gone away to stay with her friends in the country. 255 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:05.919 He thought of taking a man, but decided it was 256 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:10.440 not worth while for a short time. Besides, he hated flunkeys, 257 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:15.120 and ended by making arrangements with his Vornik's sister Martha, 258 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:17.879 who was to come up every morning and do out 259 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:20.720 his rooms, he leaving the key with her as he 260 00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:25.799 went out each day. Martha did absolutely nothing towards tidying 261 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:29.200 the place and robbed him. Besides, but he didn't care. 262 00:16:29.639 --> 00:16:32.919 He liked to be alone in the house. But solitude 263 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:36.840 is all very well within certain limits, and Belchaninov found 264 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:39.559 that his nerves could not stand all this sort of 265 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:43.519 thing at certain bilious moments, and it so fell out 266 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:46.360 that he began to loathe his room more and more 267 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:50.200 every time he entered it. However, on this particular evening 268 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:54.600 he hardly gave himself time to undress. He threw himself 269 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:57.720 on his bed and determined that nothing should make him 270 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:01.120 think of anything, and that he would all asleep at once. 271 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:05.799 And strangely enough, his head had hardly touched the pillow 272 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:09.880 before he actually was asleep, and this was the first 273 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.960 time for a month past that such a thing had occurred. 274 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:18.599 He awoke at about two considerably agitated. He had dreamed 275 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:23.359 certain very strange dreams, reminding him of the incoherent wanderings 276 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:27.480 of fever. The subject seemed to be some crime which 277 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:30.359 he had committed and concealed, but of which he was 278 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:34.119 accused by a continuous flow of people who swarmed into 279 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:37.680 his rooms for the purpose. The crowd which had already 280 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.559 collected within was enormous, and yet they continued to pour 281 00:17:41.640 --> 00:17:44.519 in in such numbers that the door was never shut 282 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:48.400 for an instant. But his whole interest seemed to center 283 00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:52.400 in one strange looking individual, a man who seemed to 284 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:55.839 have once been very closely and intimately connected with him, 285 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:59.680 but who had died long ago and now reappeared for 286 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:03.480 some reason or other. The most tormenting part of the 287 00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:07.880 matter was that Velchaninov could not recollect who this man was. 288 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:11.519 He could not remember his name, though he recollected the 289 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:14.839 fact that he had once dearly loved him. All the 290 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:17.960 rest of the people swarming into the room seemed to 291 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.960 be waiting for the final word of this man, either 292 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:25.240 the condemnation or the justification of Velchaninov was to be 293 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:29.160 pronounced by him, and everyone was impatiently waiting to hear 294 00:18:29.240 --> 00:18:33.240 him speak. But he sat motionless at the table and 295 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:35.440 would not open his lips to say a word of 296 00:18:35.480 --> 00:18:41.079 any sort. The uproar continued, the general annoyance increased, and 297 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:45.400 suddenly Velchaninov himself strode up to the man in a 298 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:50.160 fury and smote him. Because he would not speak, Velchanov 299 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:54.759 felt the strangest satisfaction in having thus smitten him. His 300 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.519 heart seemed to freeze in horror for what he had 301 00:18:57.559 --> 00:19:00.799 done and an acute suffering for the c involved in 302 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:04.920 his action. But in that very sensation of freezing at 303 00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:08.000 the heart lay the sense of satisfaction, which he felt. 304 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:12.759 Exasperated more and more, he struck the man a second 305 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:15.759 and a third time, and then, in a sort of 306 00:19:15.799 --> 00:19:20.759 intoxication of fury and terror which amounted to actual insanity, 307 00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:24.799 and yet bore within it a germ of delightful satisfaction, 308 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:28.400 he ceased to count his blows and reined them in 309 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:34.440 without ceasing. He felt he must destroy, annihilate, demolish all this. 310 00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:40.519 Suddenly something strange happened. Everyone present had given a dreadful 311 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:44.559 cry and turned expectantly towards the door, while at the 312 00:19:44.599 --> 00:19:48.319 same moment there came three terrific peals of the hall bell, 313 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:52.039 so violent that it appeared someone was anxious to pull 314 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:56.920 the bell handle out. Velchanyanov awoke, started up in a 315 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:00.640 second and made for the door. He was persuaded that 316 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.680 the ring at the bell had been no dream or illusion, 317 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:07.000 but that someone had actually rung and was at that 318 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:11.200 moment standing at the front door. It would be too 319 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:15.400 unnatural if such a clear and unmistakable ring should turn 320 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:17.480 out to be nothing but an item of a dream, 321 00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:21.559 he thought, But to his surprise it proved that such 322 00:20:21.799 --> 00:20:25.640 was nevertheless the actual state of the case. He opened 323 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:28.240 the door and went out on to the landing. He 324 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:31.319 looked downstairs and about him, but there was not a 325 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:37.079 soul to be seen. The bell hung motionless. Surprised but pleased, 326 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:40.920 he returned into his room. He lit a candle and 327 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:44.400 suddenly remembered that he had left the door closed, but 328 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:48.279 not locked and chained. He had often returned home before 329 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:51.440 this evening and forgotten to lock the door behind him, 330 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:55.960 without attaching any special significance to the fact his maid 331 00:20:56.000 --> 00:21:00.200 had often respectfully protested against such neglect while with him. 332 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:03.599 He now returned to the entrance hall to make the 333 00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:07.559 door fast. Before doing so, he opened it, however, and 334 00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:11.000 had one more look about the stairs. He then shut 335 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:13.759 the door and fastened the chain and hook, but did 336 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:16.039 not take the trouble to turn the key in the lock. 337 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:20.400 Some clock struck half past two at this moment, so 338 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:23.319 that he had had three hours sleep. More or less, 339 00:21:24.359 --> 00:21:27.559 his dream had agitated him to such an extent that 340 00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:30.799 he felt unwilling to lie down again at once. He 341 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:33.279 decided to walk up and down the room two or 342 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:36.880 three times, first, just long enough to smoke a cigar. 343 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:41.359 Having half dressed himself, he went to the window, drew 344 00:21:41.400 --> 00:21:44.759 the heavy curtains aside, and pulled up one of the blinds. 345 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:49.000 It was almost full daylight. These light summer nights of 346 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:52.720 Saint Petersburg always had a bad effect upon his nerves, 347 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:55.400 and of late they had added to the causes of 348 00:21:55.400 --> 00:21:58.880 his sleeplessness, so that a few weeks since he had 349 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:02.319 invested in these things curtains which completely shut out the 350 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:06.799 light when drawn close, having thus let in the sunshine 351 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:10.319 quite Oblivious of the lighted candle on the table, he 352 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:14.079 commenced to walk up and down the room, still feeling 353 00:22:14.119 --> 00:22:17.279 the burden of his dream upon him. Its impression was 354 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:20.519 even now at work upon his mind. He still felt 355 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:24.319 a painful, guilty sensation about him, caused by the fact 356 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:27.119 that he had allowed himself to raise his hand against 357 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:31.599 that man, then strike him. But my dear sir, he 358 00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:34.599 argued with himself, it was not a man at all. 359 00:22:35.079 --> 00:22:37.839 The whole thing was a dream. What's the use of 360 00:22:37.880 --> 00:22:43.920 worrying yourself for nothing? Ilchaninoff now became obstinately convinced that 361 00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:46.759 he was a sick man, and that to his sickly 362 00:22:46.839 --> 00:22:50.119 state of body was to be attributed all his perturbation 363 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:54.519 of mind. He was an invalid. It had always been 364 00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:57.640 a weak point with Velchaoninov that he hated to think 365 00:22:57.680 --> 00:23:01.480 of himself as growing old or in firm, and yet 366 00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:04.920 in his moments of anger he loved to exaggerate one 367 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:09.160 or the other in order to worry himself. It's old age, 368 00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:12.079 he now muttered to himself, as he paced up and 369 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:16.119 down the room. I'm becoming an old fogy. That's the 370 00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:20.079 fact of the matter. I'm losing my memory, see ghosts 371 00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:23.720 and have dreams, and hear bells ring. Curse it all. 372 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:27.599 I know these dreams of old. They always herald fever 373 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:31.000 with me. I dare swear that the whole business of 374 00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:33.400 this man with the crape hat band has been a 375 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:38.119 dream too. I was perfectly right yesterday. He isn't haunting 376 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:40.759 me the least bit in the world. It is I 377 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:44.599 that am haunting him. I've invented a pretty little ghost 378 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:47.799 story about him, and then climb under the table in 379 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:51.599 terror at my own creation. Why do I call him 380 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:55.680 a little cad too? He may be a most respectable individual, 381 00:23:55.759 --> 00:23:59.599 for all I know. His face is a disagreeable one, certainly, 382 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:03.319 though there is nothing hideous about it. He dresses just 383 00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:07.440 like anyone else. I don't know. There's something about his look. 384 00:24:07.880 --> 00:24:11.119 There I go again. What the devil have I got 385 00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:13.799 to do with his look? What a fool I am, 386 00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:16.680 just as though I could not live without the dirty 387 00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:21.400 little wretch. Curse him. Among other thoughts connected with this 388 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:26.559 haunting crape man was one which puzzled Volchoonyanov immensely. He 389 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:29.720 felt convinced that, at some time or other he had 390 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:33.319 known the man and known him very intimately, and that 391 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:37.000 now the latter, when meeting him, always laughed at him 392 00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:39.640 because he was aware of some great secret of his 393 00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:43.759 former life, or because he was amused to see Balchonyanov's 394 00:24:43.799 --> 00:24:50.000 present humiliating condition of poverty. Mechanically, our hero approached the 395 00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:52.200 window in order to get a breath of fresh air, 396 00:24:52.759 --> 00:24:56.079 when he was suddenly seized with a violent fit of shuddering. 397 00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:59.880 The feeling came over him that something unusual and un 398 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:04.000 heard of was happening before his very eyes. He had 399 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:07.000 not had time to open the window when something he 400 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:09.880 saw caused him to slip behind the corner of the 401 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:13.960