Pagina 368 di 1294

"There are many economic changes," put in Zossimov.

"How are we to explain it?" Razumihin caught him up. "It might be

explained by our inveterate impracticality."

"How do you mean?"

"What answer had your lecturer in Moscow to make to the question

why he was forging notes? 'Everybody is getting rich one way or

another, so I want to make haste to get rich too.' I don't

remember the exact words, but the upshot was that he wants money

for nothing, without waiting or working! We've grown used to

having everything ready-made, to walking on crutches, to having

our food chewed for us. Then the great hour struck,[*] and every

man showed himself in his true colours."

[*] The emancipation of the serfs in 1861 is meant.

--TRANSLATOR'S NOTE.

"But morality? And so to speak, principles..."

"But why do you worry about it?" Raskolnikov interposed suddenly.

"It's in accordance with your theory!"

"In accordance with my theory?"