Pagina 159 de 1294

He got two roubles from her and went into a miserable little

tavern on his way home. He asked for tea, sat down and sank into

deep thought. A strange idea was pecking at his brain like a

chicken in the egg, and very, very much absorbed him.

Almost beside him at the next table there was sitting a student,

whom he did not know and had never seen, and with him a young

officer. They had played a game of billiards and began drinking

tea. All at once he heard the student mention to the officer the

pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna and give him her address. This of

itself seemed strange to Raskolnikov; he had just come from her

and here at once he heard her name. Of course it was a chance,

but he could not shake off a very extraordinary impression, and

here someone seemed to be speaking expressly for him; the student

began telling his friend various details about Alyona Ivanovna.