Fyodor Dostoevsky: Crime and Punishment

PART VI 4. CHAPTER IV (continued)

"I have. Luzhin charged you with having caused the death of a child. Is that true?"

"Don't refer to those vulgar tales, I beg," said Svidrigailov with disgust and annoyance. "If you insist on wanting to know about all that idiocy, I will tell you one day, but now . . ."

"I was told too about some footman of yours in the country whom you treated badly."

"I beg you to drop the subject," Svidrigailov interrupted again with obvious impatience.

"Was that the footman who came to you after death to fill your pipe? . . . you told me about it yourself." Raskolnikov felt more and more irritated.

Svidrigailov looked at him attentively and Raskolnikov fancied he caught a flash of spiteful mockery in that look. But Svidrigailov restrained himself and answered very civilly: