Chapter 3

           HehurriedtoSvidrigaïlov’s.Whathehadtohopefromthatmanhedidnotknow.Butthatmanhadsomehiddenpoweroverhim.Havingoncerecognisedthis,hecouldnotrest,andnowthetimehadcome.

           Ontheway,onequestionparticularlyworriedhim:hadSvidrigaïlovbeentoPorfiry’s?

           Asfarashecouldjudge,hewouldsweartoit,thathehadnot.Heponderedagainandagain,wentoverPorfiry’svisit;no,hehadn’tbeen,ofcoursehehadn’t.

           Butifhehadnotbeenyet,wouldhego?Meanwhile,forthepresenthefanciedhecouldn’t.Why?Hecouldnothaveexplained,butifhecould,hewouldnothavewastedmuchthoughtoveritatthemoment.Itallworriedhimandatthesametimehecouldnotattendtoit.Strangetosay,nonewouldhavebelieveditperhaps,butheonlyfeltafaintvagueanxietyabouthisimmediatefuture.Another,muchmoreimportantanxietytormentedhim—itconcernedhimself,butinadifferent,morevitalway.Moreover,hewasconsciousofimmensemoralfatigue,thoughhismindwasworkingbetterthatmorningthanithaddoneoflate.