पृष्ठ 376 / 1294

From old habit he took his usual walk in the direction of the Hay

Market. A dark-haired young man with a barrel organ was standing

in the road in front of a little general shop and was grinding

out a very sentimental song. He was accompanying a girl of

fifteen, who stood on the pavement in front of him. She was

dressed up in a crinoline, a mantle and a straw hat with a

flame-coloured feather in it, all very old and shabby. In a

strong and rather agreeable voice, cracked and coarsened by

street singing, she sang in hope of getting a copper from the

shop. Raskolnikov joined two or three listeners, took out a five

copeck piece and put it in the girl's hand. She broke off

abruptly on a sentimental high note, shouted sharply to the organ

grinder "Come on," and both moved on to the next shop.

"Do you like street music?" said Raskolnikov, addressing a

middle-aged man standing idly by him. The man looked at him,

startled and wondering.