RagpickersandcostermongersofallkindswerecrowdingroundthetavernsinthedirtyandstinkingcourtyardsoftheHayMarket。
Raskolnikovparticularlylikedthisplaceandtheneighbouringalleys,whenhewanderedaimlesslyinthestreets。Herehisragsdidnotattractcontemptuousattention,andonecouldwalkaboutinanyattirewithoutscandalisingpeople。Atthecornerofanalleyahucksterandhiswifehadtwotablessetoutwithtapes,thread,cottonhandkerchiefs,&c。They,too,hadgotuptogohome,butwerelingeringinconversationwithafriend,whohadjustcomeuptothem。
ThisfriendwasLizavetaIvanovna,or,aseveryonecalledher,Lizaveta,theyoungersisteroftheoldpawnbroker,AlyonaIvanovna,whomRaskolnikovhadvisitedthepreviousdaytopawnhiswatchandmakehisexperiment……HealreadyknewallaboutLizavetaandsheknewhimalittletoo。Shewasasinglewomanofaboutthirty-five,tall,clumsy,timid,submissiveandalmostidiotic。Shewasacompleteslaveandwentinfearandtremblingofhersister,whomadeherworkdayandnight,andevenbeather。Shewasstandingwithabundlebeforethehucksterandhiswife,listeningearnestlyanddoubtfully。Theyweretalkingofsomethingwithspecialwarmth。ThemomentRaskolnikovcaughtsightofher,hewasovercomebyastrangesensationasitwereofintenseastonishment,thoughtherewasnothingastonishingaboutthismeeting。
“Youcouldmakeupyourmindforyourself,LizavetaIvanovna,“thehucksterwassayingaloud。“Comeroundtomorrowaboutseven。Theywillbeheretoo。“
“To-morrow？”saidLizavetaslowlyandthoughtfully,asthoughunabletomakeuphermind。