Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky: Adapted by Joseph Cowley

Crime and Punishment

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

adapted by Joseph Cowley

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Adapted by Joseph Cowley

Copyright © 2011 by Joseph Cowley

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ISBN: 978-1-4620-3810-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4620-3811-4 (e)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 09/01/2011

Contents

Characters

Part One

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Part Two

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Part Three

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Part Four

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI

Part Five

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

Part Six

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VIII

EPILOGUE

For Bernice Friedson, who

read this book when it was

a work in progress and made

many helpful suggestions.

JGC

Characters

Afanasy Pavlovitch (landlady of house where murder took place)

Alyona Ivanovna (pawnbroker who was murdered)

Amalia Lippevechse (Katerina Ivanovna’s landlady)

Andrey Semononovitch Lebeziatnikov (friend of Pyotr Petrovitch)

Arkady Ivanovitch Svidrigailov (husband of Marfa Petrovna)

Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikov (Dounia, Raskolnikov’s sister)

Bakaleyev (owner of house where Dounia and her mother stay)

Dmitri Prokofitch Razumihin (student friend of Raskolnikov)

Dushkin (tavern keeper)

Ilya Petrovitch (police official)

Kapernaumov (Sonia’s landlord)

Katerina Ivanovna (wife of Marmeladov, step-mother of Sonia)

Koch (young man who knocked at pawnbroker’s door)

Lizaveta Ivanovna (sister of the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna)

Luise Ivanovna (woman in police office)

Marfa Petrovna (wife of Svidrigrailov)

Marmeladov (husband of Katerina Ivanovna)

Mikolka (drunk who beats his horse to death)

Nastasya (servant of Praskovya Pavlovna, Raskolnikov’s landlady)

Nikodim Fomitch (chief of police)

Nikolay (painter)

Pestryakov (one of the men who knock at pawnbroker’s door)

Polenka (daughter of Katerina Ivanovna)

Porfiry Petrovitch (police officer in charge of murder case)

Praskovya Pavlovna (Pashenka, Raskolnikov’s landlady)

Pulcheria Raskolnikov (Raskolnikov’s mother)

Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhin (suitor of Avdotya Romanovna)

Raskolnikov, Rodion Romanovitch (Rodya, son of Pulcheria)

Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov (Sonia, daughter of Marmeladov)

Tchebarov (receiver of Raskolnikov’s IOU)

Vahrushin (agent who sent money from his mother to Raskolnikov)

Vrazumihin (man who gives money from Pulcheria to her son)

Zametov (clerk in police office)

Zossimov (young doctor friend of Razumihin)

Part One

Chapter I

ONE EVENING a young man left his room to go out. Passing his landlady’s open door made him sick. He was in debt to her and afraid of meeting her.

I want to attempt a thing like that and am afraid of these little things! he thought. Why am I going there now? Am I really going to do it?

The heat and smell in the street were terrible.

He came to a house, went up the back stairs, and rang the bell to a flat on the fourth floor. The door opened and an old woman with small, sharp eyes looked at him.

Raskolnikov, a student, he said. How much will you give me for this watch?

It’s hardly worth anything.

Give me four rubles for it.

A ruble and a half, and interest in advance!

A ruble and a half! he cried.

Please yourself, she said.

Remembering he was there for another reason, he agreed.

The woman went into the other room. He heard a chest open.

It must be the top drawer, he thought. She carries the keys in her right pocket. One key’s much bigger than the others. It must be for a strong box.

Here, sir, she said. It’s ten copecks a month per ruble, so I take fifteen in advance. For the two rubles I lent you before, you owe twenty copecks. That makes thirty five. Here’s a ruble and fifteen copecks for the watch.

What! Only a ruble and fifteen copecks! But I may bring you something else in a day or two… something valuable…

We will talk about it then, sir.

As he was going down the stairs, he thought, How awful it is! How could I think of such a thing?

He came to a tavern and had a drink.

By the time he finished he felt better.

All that worry is foolish, he said. It’s due to hunger. A little drink, a piece of bread, and the brain’s stronger, the mind clearer, the will firm!

Cheerful now, he looked around. He saw a man at the next table staring at him. He, too, appeared to be anxious.

Chapter II

The man said, I can tell you’re an educated man. Marmeladov’s my name. He brought his drink and sat beside Raskolnikov.

Being poor, sir, he said, is not a sin. But begging is. When you are poor you keep your honor, but if you beg, never! Have you ever slept on a barge?

No, Raskolnikov answered.

"Well, it’s the fifth night I’ve slept so…. My wife had the best education. She was a widow with three small children. I, a widower with a daughter of fourteen, offered her my hand. And she accepted!

"For a year I didn’t touch a drop. Then I lost my job. And I did touch a drop! I found another job. And lost it again…because of my weakness. Now we share a room in a boarding house.

"How we live I can’t say. My daughter Sonia has grown up. Katerina Ivanovna says to her, ‘Here you live with us. You eat, drink, and are sheltered, yet do nothing to help.’

"I was lying down at the time…well, drunk! I heard Sonia say, ‘Katerina Ivanovna, am I really to do a thing like that?’

"’Why not,’ Katerina said. ‘Are you so precious?’

But don’t blame her. She was out of her mind because of her illness and the crying of the hungry children.

"At six o’clock Sonia went out. At nine she came back, laid thirty rubles on the table and, without saying a word to Katerina Ivanovna, fell on her bed and pulled the blanket over her head.

"Since then Sonia can’t live with us. Our landlady won’t hear of it. Sonia comes to us after dark. She comforts Katerina Ivanovna and gives her all she can.

"The next morning I went to see my former employer. When I told him my story, he said, ‘Marmeladov, I’ll take you on again on my own responsibility.’

Six days ago, when I brought Katerina Ivanovna my earnings, she called me her ‘pet’. Imagine!

Marmeladov broke off, his lips trembling.

The next day I took what was left of my earnings, and…. Look at me, all of you! he shouted to the room. It’s the fifth day since I left home. They are waiting for me. It’s the end of my job… the end of everything!

Let’s go, sir, he said at last. I’m going to Katerina Ivanovna!

Less than steady, he leaned heavily on Raskolnikov.

As they drew near the house he began shaking.

It’s not Katerina Ivanovna I’m afraid of, he said. "It’s her eyes I’m afraid of… her breathing. The children’s crying, too. If Sonia has not taken them food, I don’t know what I shall do!

There is the house! he cried.

On the fourth story, a half open door revealed a small room lit by a lamp. It was really a hall, for there was a door at the end leading to other rooms.

Marmeladov dropped to his knees and pushed Raskolnikov into the room ahead of him.

Katerina Ivanovna, assuming the stranger was passing through, came to close the door.

When she saw her husband on his knees, she screamed.

He’s come back! she cried. The criminal! Where is the money?

She seized his hair and dragged him into the room.

He’s drunk it all, and they are hungry! she cried, pointing to the children.

The inner door flew open, and faces looked in.

Raskolnikov laid some pennies on the window and left.

On the stairs he thought, What a foolish thing to do. They have Sonia to bring them money, and I need those pennies.

Chapter III

Raskolnikov’s landlady gave up sending him his meals, and Nastasya only looked in once a week or so, as she did now.

Why are you asleep? she cried. It’s past nine. I brought you tea.

Here, Nastasya, he said, giving her some pennies. Buy me a roll and a meat pie.

The roll I’ll get you, but wouldn’t you rather have some soup?

When she returned with the soup, she sat beside him.

Praskovya Pavlovna means to complain to the police about you, she said.

To the police? What does she want?

You don’t pay her her money, and you don’t move out.

I’m sick of giving lessons. They pay so little. What’s the use of a few pennies?

You want to get a fortune all at once?

Yes, all at once!

You frighten me! Ah, I forgot! A letter came for you yesterday.

It was from his mother.

My dear Rodya, he read when he was alone. "When you wrote that you heard Dounia had a great deal to put up with in Svidrigrailovs’ house, what could I write? What made it difficult was that Dounia received a hundred rubles in advance, sixty of which she sent to you. From the beginning Mr. Svidrigailov treated her badly. How do you think he explained it?

"He said