第23章

Allthiswassuspiciousandunsatisfactory。Verylikelytheporterhadreceivednewinstructionsduringtheintervaloftheprince’sabsence；hismannerwassodifferentnow。Hehadbeenobliging——nowhewasasobstinateandsilentasamule。However，theprincedecidedtocallagaininacoupleofhours，andafterthattowatchthehouse，incaseofneed。HishopewasthathemightyetfindNastasiaattheaddresswhichhehadjustreceived。Tothataddresshenowsetoffatfullspeed。

Butalas！attheGermanlady’shousetheydidnotevenappeartounderstandwhathewanted。Afterawhile，bymeansofcertainhints，hewasabletogatherthatNastasiamusthavehadaquarrelwithherfriendtwoorthreeweeksago，sincewhichdatethelatterhadneitherheardnorseenanythingofher。HewasgiventounderstandthatthesubjectofNastasia’spresentwhereaboutswasnotoftheslightestinteresttoher；andthatNastasiamightmarryalltheprincesintheworldforallshecared！SoMuishkintookhisleavehurriedly。ItstruckhimnowthatshemighthavegoneawaytoMoscowjustasshehaddonethelasttime，andthatRogojinhadperhapsgoneafterher，orevenWITHher。Ifonlyhecouldfindsometrace！

However，hemusttakehisroomatthehotel；andhestartedoffinthatdirection。Havingengagedhisroom，hewasaskedbythewaiterwhetherhewouldtakedinner；replyingmechanicallyintheaffirmative，hesatdownandwaited；butitwasnotlongbeforeitstruckhimthatdiningwoulddelayhim。Enragedatthisidea，hestartedup，crossedthedarkpassage(whichfilledhimwithhorribleimpressionsandgloomyforebodings)，andsetoutoncemoreforRogojin’s。Rogojinhadnotreturned，andnoonecametothedoor。Herangattheoldlady’sdooropposite，andwasinformedthatParfenSemionovitchwouldnotreturnforthreedays。Thecuriositywithwhichtheoldservantstaredathimagainimpressedtheprincedisagreeably。Hecouldnotfindtheporterthistimeatall。

Asbefore，hecrossedthestreetandwatchedthewindowsfromtheotherside，walkingupanddowninanguishofsoulforhalfanhourorsointhestiflingheat。Nothingstirred；theblindsweremotionless；indeed，theprincebegantothinkthattheapparitionofRogojin’sfacecouldhavebeennothingbutfancy。Soothedbythisthought，hedroveoffoncemoretohisfriendsattheIsmailofskybarracks。Hewasexpectedthere。ThemotherhadalreadybeentothreeorfourplacestolookforNastasia，buthadnotfoundatraceofanykind。

Theprincesaidnothing，butenteredtheroom，satdownsilently，andstaredatthem，oneaftertheother，withtheairofamanwhocannotunderstandwhatisbeingsaidtohim。Itwasstrange——

onemomentheseemedtobesoobservant，thenextsoabsent；hisbehaviourstruckallthefamilyasmostremarkable。Atlengthherosefromhisseat，andbeggedtobeshownNastasia’srooms。Theladiesreportedafterwardshowhehadexaminedeverythingintheapartments。Heobservedanopenbookonthetable，MadamBovary，andrequestedtheleaveoftheladyofthehousetotakeitwithhim。Hehadturneddowntheleafattheopenpage，andpocketeditbeforetheycouldexplainthatitwasalibrarybook。Hehadthenseatedhimselfbytheopenwindow，andseeingacard-table，heaskedwhoplayedcards。

HewasinformedthatNastasiausedtoplaywithRogojineveryevening，eitherat"preference"or"littlefool，"or"whist"；

thatthishadbeentheirpracticesinceherlastreturnfromPavlofsk；thatshehadtakentothisamusementbecauseshedidnotliketoseeRogojinsittingsilentanddullforwholeeveningsatatime；thatthedayafterNastasiahadmadearemarktothiseffect，Rogojinhadwhippedapackofcardsoutofhispocket。Nastasiahadlaughed，butsoontheybeganplaying。Theprinceaskedwherewerethecards，butwastoldthatRogojinusedtobringanewpackeveryday，andalwayscarrieditawayinhispocket。

ThegoodladiesrecommendedtheprincetotryknockingatRogojin’soncemore——notatonce，butintheeveningMeanwhile，themotherwouldgotoPavlofsktoinquireatDanaAlexeyevna’swhetheranythinghadbeenheardofNastasiathere。Theprincewastocomebackatteno’clockandmeether，tohearhernewsandarrangeplansforthemorrow。

Inspiteofthekindly-meantconsolationsofhisnewfriends，theprincewalkedtohishotelininexpressibleanguishofspirit，throughthehot，dustystreets，aimlesslystaringatthefacesofthosewhopassedhim。Arrivedathisdestination，hedeterminedtorestawhileinhisroombeforebestartedforRogojin’soncemore。Hesatdown，restedhiselbowsonthetableandhisheadonhishands，andfelltothinking。

Heavenknowshowlonganduponwhatsubjectshethought。Hethoughtofmanythings——ofVeraLebedeff，andofherfather；ofHippolyte；ofRogojinhimself，firstatthefuneral，thenashehadmethiminthepark，then，suddenly，astheyhadmetinthisverypassage，outside，whenRogojinhadwatchedinthedarknessandawaitedhimwithupliftedknife。Theprincerememberedhisenemy’seyesastheyhadglaredathiminthedarkness。Heshuddered，asasuddenideastruckhim。

Thisideawas，thatifRogojinwereinPetersburg，thoughhemighthideforatime，yethewasquitesuretocometohim——theprince——beforelong，witheithergoodorevilintentions，butprobablywiththesameintentionasonthatotheroccasion。Atallevents，ifRogojinweretocomeatallhewouldbesuretoseektheprincehere——hehadnoothertownaddress——perhapsinthissamecorridor；hemightwellseekhimhereifheneededhim。Andperhapshedidneedhim。Thisideaseemedquitenaturaltotheprince，thoughhecouldnothaveexplainedwhyheshouldsosuddenlyhavebecomenecessarytoRogojin。Rogojinwouldnotcomeifallwerewellwithhim，thatwaspartofthethought；hewouldcomeifallwerenotwell；andcertainly，undoubtedly，allwouldnotbewellwithhim。Theprincecouldnotbearthisnewidea；hetookhishatandrushedouttowardsthestreet。Itwasalmostdarkinthepassage。

"WhatifheweretocomeoutofthatcornerasIgobyand——andstopme？"thoughttheprince，asheapproachedthefamiliarspot。

Butnoonecameout。

Hepassedunderthegatewayandintothestreet。Thecrowdsofpeoplewalkingabout——asisalwaysthecaseatsunsetinPetersburg，duringthesummer——surprisedhim，buthewalkedoninthedirectionofRogojin’shouse。

Aboutfiftyyardsfromthehotel，atthefirstcross-road，ashepassedthroughthecrowdoffoot-passengerssaunteringalong，someonetouchedhisshoulder，andsaidinawhisperintohisear:

"LefNicolaievitch，myfriend，comealongwithme。"ItwasRogojin。

Theprinceimmediatelybegantotellhim，eagerlyandjoyfully，howhehadbutthemomentbeforeexpectedtoseehiminthedarkpassageofthehotel。

"Iwasthere，"saidRogojin，unexpectedly。"Comealong。"Theprincewassurprisedatthisanswer；buthisastonishmentincreasedacoupleofminutesafterwards，whenhebegantoconsiderit。Havingthoughtitover，heglancedatRogojininalarm。Thelatterwasstridingalongayardorsoahead，lookingstraightinfrontofhim，andmechanicallymakingwayforanyonehemet。

"Whydidyounotaskformeatmyroomifyouwereinthehotel？"

askedtheprince，suddenly。

Rogojinstoppedandlookedathim；thenreflected，andrepliedasthoughhehadnotheardthequestion:

"Lookhere，LefNicolaievitch，yougostraightontothehouse；I

shallwalkontheotherside。Seethatwekeeptogether。"

Sosaying，Rogojincrossedtheroad。

Arrivedontheoppositepavement，helookedbacktoseewhethertheprinceweremoving，wavedhishandinthedirectionoftheGorohovaya，andstrodeon，lookingacrosseverymomenttoseewhetherMuishkinunderstoodhisinstructions。TheprincesupposedthatRogojindesiredtolookoutforsomeonewhomhewasafraidtomiss；butifso，whyhadhenottoldHIMwhomtolookoutfor？

Sothetwoproceededforhalfamileorso。Suddenlytheprincebegantotremblefromsomeunknowncause。Hecouldnotbearit，andsignalledtoRogojinacrosstheroad。

Thelattercameatonce。

"IsNastasiaPhilipovnaatyourhouse？"

"Yes。"

"Andwasityoulookedoutofthewindowundertheblindthismorning？"

"Yes。"

"Thenwhydid——"

Buttheprincecouldnotfinishhisquestion；hedidnotknowwhattosay。Besidesthis，hisheartwasbeatingsothathefounditdifficulttospeakatall。Rogojinwassilentalsoandlookedathimasbefore，withanexpressionofdeepthoughtfulness。

"Well，I’mgoing，"hesaid，atlast，preparingtorecrosstheroad。"Yougoalonghereasbefore；wewillkeeptodifferentsidesoftheroad；it’sbetterso，you’llsee。"

WhentheyreachedtheGorohovaya，andcamenearthehouse，theprince’slegsweretremblingsothathecouldhardlywalk。Itwasaboutteno’clock。Theoldlady’swindowswereopen，asbefore；

Rogojin’swereallshut，andinthedarknessthewhiteblindsshowedwhiterthanever。Rogojinandtheprinceeachapproachedthehouseonhisrespectivesideoftheroad；Rogojin，whowasonthenearside，beckonedtheprinceacross。Hewentovertothedoorway。

"EventheporterdoesnotknowthatIhavecomehomenow。Itoldhim，andtoldthematmymother’stoo，thatIwasofftoPavlofsk，"saidRogojin，withacunningandalmostsatisfiedsmile。"We’llgoinquietlyandnobodywillhearus。"

Hehadthekeyinhishand。Mountingthestaircaseheturnedandsignalledtotheprincetogomoresoftly；heopenedthedoorveryquietly，lettheprincein，followedhim，lockedthedoorbehindhim，andputthekeyinhispocket。

"Comealong，"hewhispered。

Hehadspokeninawhisperalltheway。Inspiteofhisapparentoutwardcomposure，hewasevidentlyinastateofgreatmentalagitation。Arrivedinalargesalon，nexttothestudy，hewenttothewindowandcautiouslybeckonedtheprinceuptohim。

"WhenyourangthebellthismorningIthoughtitmustbeyou。I

wenttothedoorontip-toeandheardyoutalkingtotheservantopposite。Ihadtoldherbeforethatifanyonecameandrang——

especiallyyou，andIgaveheryourname——shewasnottotellaboutme。ThenIthought，whatifhegoesandstandsoppositeandlooksup，orwaitsabouttowatchthehouse？SoIcametothisverywindow，lookedout，andthereyouwerestaringstraightatme。That’showitcameabout。"

"WhereisNastasiaPhilipovna？"askedtheprince，breathlessly。

"She’shere，"repliedRogojin，slowly，afteraslightpause。

"Where？"

Rogojinraisedhiseyesandgazedintentlyattheprince。

"Come，"hesaid。

Hecontinuedtospeakinawhisper，verydeliberatelyasbefore，andlookedstrangelythoughtfulanddreamy。Evenwhilehetoldthestoryofhowhehadpeepedthroughtheblind，hegavetheimpressionofwishingtosaysomethingelse。Theyenteredthestudy。Inthisroomsomechangeshadtakenplacesincetheprincelastsawit。Itwasnowdividedintotwoequalpartsbyaheavygreensilkcurtainstretchedacrossit，separa