And, here, I take my cap and go.
What will you say now if you mean to arrest me?"
He took up his cap and went to the door.
"And won't you see my little surprise?" chuckled Porfiry, again taking him by the arm and stopping him at the door.
He seemed to become more playful and good-humoured which maddened Raskolnikov.
"What surprise?" he asked, standing still and looking at Porfiry in alarm.
"My little surprise, it's sitting there behind the door, he-he-he!" (He pointed to the locked door.) "I locked him in that he should not escape."
"What is it? Where? What?..."
Raskolnikov walked to the door and would have opened it, but it was locked.
"It's locked, here is the key!"
And he brought a key out of his pocket.
"You are lying," roared Raskolnikov without restraint, "you lie, you damned punchinello!" and he rushed at Porfiry who retreated to the other door, not at all alarmed.
"I understand it all!
You are lying and mocking so that I may betray myself to you..."
"Why, you could not betray yourself any further, my dear Rodion Romanovitch.
You are in a passion.
Don't shout, I shall call the clerks."
"You are lying!
Call the clerks!
You knew I was ill and tried to work me into a frenzy to make me betray myself, that was your object!
Produce your facts!
I understand it all.
You've no evidence, you have only wretched rubbishly suspicions like Zametov's!
You knew my character, you wanted to drive me to fury and then to knock me down with priests and deputies....
Are you waiting for them? eh!
What are you waiting for?
Where are they?
Produce them?"
"Why deputies, my good man?
What things people will imagine!
And to do so would not be acting in form as you say, you don't know the business, my dear fellow....
And there's no escaping form, as you see," Porfiry muttered, listening at the door through which a noise could be heard.
"Ah, they're coming," cried Raskolnikov.
"You've sent for them!
You expected them!
Well, produce them all: your deputies, your witnesses, what you like!...
I am ready!"
But at this moment a strange incident occurred, something so unexpected that neither Raskolnikov nor Porfiry Petrovitch could have looked for such a conclusion to their interview.
CHAPTER VI
When he remembered the scene afterwards, this is how Raskolnikov saw it.
The noise behind the door increased, and suddenly the door was opened a little.
"What is it?" cried Porfiry Petrovitch, annoyed.
"Why, I gave orders..."
For an instant there was no answer, but it was evident that there were several persons at the door, and that they were apparently pushing somebody back.
"What is it?" Porfiry Petrovitch repeated, uneasily.
"The prisoner Nikolay has been brought," someone answered.
"He is not wanted!
Take him away!
Let him wait!
What's he doing here?