“I don’t want to look upon you as a mouse.”
“What’s that, a compliment? But the tea is cold—and that shows that everything is topsy-turvy. Bah! But I see something in the window, on a plate.” He went to the window. “Oh oh, boiled chicken and rice!… But why haven’t you begun upon it yet? So we are in such a state of mind that even chicken …”
“I’ve dined, and it’s not your business. Hold your tongue!”
“Oh, of course; besides, it’s no consequence—though for me at the moment it is of consequence. Only fancy, I scarcely had any dinner, and so if, as I suppose, that chicken is not wanted now … eh?”
“Eat it if you can.”
“Thank you, and then I’ll have tea.”
He instantly settled himself at the other end of the sofa and fell upon the chicken with extraordinary greediness; at the same time he kept a constant watch on his victim. Kirillov looked at him fixedly with angry aversion, as though unable to tear himself away.
“I say, though,” Pyotr Stepanovitch fired off suddenly, while he still went on eating, “what about our business? We are not crying off, are we? How about that document?”
“I’ve decided in the night that it’s nothing to me. I’ll write it. About the manifestoes?”
“Yes, about the manifestoes too. But I’ll dictate it. Of course, that’s nothing to you. Can you possibly mind what’s in the letter at such a moment?”
“That’s not your business.”
“It’s not mine, of course. It need only be a few lines, though: that you and Shatov distributed the manifestoes and with the help of Fedka, who hid in your lodgings. This last point about Fedka and your lodgings is very important—the most important of all, indeed. You see, I am talking to you quite openly.”
“Shatov? Why Shatov? I won’t mention Shatov for anything.”
“What next! What is it to you? You can’t hurt him now.”
“His wife has come back to him. She has waked up and has sent to ask me where he is.”
“She has sent to ask you where he is? H’m … that’s unfortunate. She may send again; no one ought to know I am here.”
Pyotr Stepanovitch was uneasy.
“She won’t know, she’s gone to sleep again. There’s a midwife with her, Arina Virginsky.”
“So that’s how it was.… She won’t overhear, I suppose? I say, you’d better shut the front door.”
“She won’t overhear anything. And if Shatov comes I’ll hide you in another room.”
“Shatov won’t come; and you must write that you quarrelled with him because he turned traitor and informed the police … this evening … and caused his death.”
“He is dead!” cried Kirillov, jumping up from the sofa.
“He died at seven o’clock this evening, or rather, at seven o’clock yesterday evening, and now it’s one o’clock.”
“You have killed him!… And I foresaw it yesterday!”
“No doubt you did! With this revolver here.” (He drew out his revolver as though to show it, but did not put it back again and still held it in his right hand as though in readiness.) “You are a strange man, though, Kirillov; you knew yourself that the stupid fellow was bound to end like this. What was there to foresee in that? I made that as plain as possible over and over again. Shatov was meaning to betray us; I was watching him, and it could not be left like that. And you too had instructions to watch him; you told me so yourself three weeks ago.…”
“Hold your tongue! You’ve done this because he spat in your face in Geneva!”
“For that and for other things too—for many other things; not from spite, however. Why do you jump up? Why look like that? Oh oh, so that’s it, is it?”
He jumped up and held out his revolver before him. Kirillov had suddenly snatched up from the window his revolver, which had been loaded and put ready since the morning. Pyotr Stepanovitch took up his position and aimed his weapon at Kirillov. The latter laughed angrily.
“Confess, you scoundrel, that you brought your revolver because I might shoot you.… But I shan’t shoot you … though … though …”
And again he turned his revolver upon Pyotr Stepanovitch, as it were rehearsing, as though unable to deny himself the pleasure of imagining how he would shoot him. Pyotr Stepanovitch, holding his ground, waited for him, waited for him till the last minute without pulling the trigger, at the risk of being the first to get a bullet in his head: it might well be expected of “the maniac.” But at last “the maniac” dropped his hand, gasping and trembling and unable to speak.
“You’ve played your little game and that’s enough.” Pyotr Stepanovitch, too, dropped his weapon. “I knew it was only a game; only you ran a risk, let me tell you: I might have fired.”
And he sat down on the sofa with a fair show of composure and poured himself out some tea, though his hand trembled a little. Kirillov laid his revolver on the table and began walking up and down.
“I won’t write that I killed Shatov … and I won’t write anything now. You won’t have a document!”
“I shan’t?”
“No, you won’t.”
“What meanness and what stupidity!” Pyotr Stepanovitch turned green with resentment. “I foresaw it, though. You’ve not taken me by surprise, let me tell you. As you please, however. If I could make you do it by force, I would. You are a scoundrel, though.” Pyotr Stepanovitch was more and more carried away and unable to restrain himself. “You asked us for money out there and promised us no end of things.… I won’t go away with nothing, however: I’ll see you put the bullet through your brains first, anyway.”
“I want you to go away at once.” Kirillov stood firmly before him.
“No, that’s impossible.” Pyotr Stepanovitch took up his revolver again. “Now in your spite and cowardice you may think fit to put it off and to turn traitor to-morrow, so as to get money again; they’ll pay you for that, of course. Damn it all, fellows like you are capable of anything! Only don’t trouble yourself; I’ve provided for all contingencies: I am not going till I’ve dashed your brains out with this revolver, as I did to that scoundrel Shatov, if you are afraid to do it yourself and put off your intention, damn you!”
“You are set on seeing my blood, too?”
“I am not acting from spite; let me tell you, it’s nothing to me. I am doing it to be at ease about the cause. One can’t rely on men; you see that for yourself. I don’t understand what fancy possesses you to put yourself to death. It wasn’t my idea; you thought of it yourself before I appeared, and talked of your intention to the committee abroad before you said anything to me. And you know, no one has forced it out of you; no one of them knew you, but you came to confide in them yourself, from sentimentalism. And what’s to be done if a plan of action here, which can’t be altered now, was founded upon that with your consent and upon your suggestion?… your suggestion, mind that! You have put yourself in a position in which you know too much. If you are an ass and go off to-morrow to inform the police, that would be rather a disadvantage to us; what do you think about it? Yes, you’ve bound yourself; you’ve given your word, you’ve taken money. That you can’t deny.…”
Pyotr Stepanovitch was much excited, but for some time past Kirillov had not been listening. He paced up and down the room, lost in thought again.
“I am sorry for Shatov,” he said, stopping before Pyotr Stepanovitch again.
“Why so? I am sorry, if that’s all, and do you suppose …”
“Hold your tongue, you scoundrel,” roared Kirillov, making an alarming and unmistakable movement; “I’ll kill you.”
“There, there, there! I told a lie, I admit it; I am not sorry at all. Come, that’s enough, that’s enough.” Pyotr Stepanovitch started up apprehensively, putting out his hand.
Kirillov subsided and began walking up and down again.
“I won’t put it off; I want to kill myself now: all are scoundrels.”
“Well, that’s an idea; of course all are scoundrels; and since life is a beastly thing for a decent man …”
“Fool, I am just such a scoundrel as you, as all, not a decent man. There’s never been a decent man anywhere.”
“He’s guessed the truth at last! Can you, Kirillov, with your sense, have failed to see till now that all men are alike, that there are none better or worse, only some are stupider, than others, and that if all are scoundrels (which is nonsense, though) there oughtn’t to be any people that are not?”
“Ah! Why, you are really in earnest?” Kirillov looked at him with some wonder. “You speak with heat and simply.… Can it be that even fellows like you have convictions?”
“Kirillov, I’ve never been able to understand why you mean to kill yourself. I only know it’s from conviction … strong conviction. But if you feel a yearning to express yourself, so to say, I am at your service.… Only you must think of the time.”
“What time is it?”
“Oh oh, just two.” Pyotr Stepanovitch looked at his watch and lighted a cigarette.
“It seems we can come
