Elizabeth, as she knew also a little about him.  She was a tall, awkward woman, about thirty-five years of age, timid and quiet, indeed almost an idiot, and was a regular slave to her sister, working for her day and night, trembling before her and enduring even blows.  She was evidently hesitating about something, as she stood there with a bundle under her arm, and her friends were pressing some subject rather warmly.  When Raskolnikoff recognized her he seemed struck with the greatest astonishment, although there was nothing strange about such a meeting.

“You ought to decide yourself, Elizabeth Ivanovna,” said the man.  “Come to-morrow at seven o’clock.”

“To-morrow?” said Elizabeth slowly, as if undecided.

“She is frightened of Alena Ivanovna,” cried the wife, a brisk little woman.  “You are like a little child, Elizabeth Ivanovna, and she’s not your own sister, but a stepsister.  She has too much her own way.”

“You say nothing to Alena Ivanovna,” interrupted the man, “and come without asking, that’s the way to do it, and your sister can manage herself.”

“When shall I come?”

“At seven o’clock, to-morrow.”

“Very well, I will come,” said Elizabeth, slowly and reluctantly.  She then quitted them.

Raskolnikoff also went away, and stayed to hear no more.  His original amazement had changed gradually into a feeling of actual terror; a chill ran down his back.  He had learned unexpectedly and positively, that, at seven o’clock the next evening, Elizabeth, the old woman’s sister, the only person living with her, would not be at home, and that, therefore, the old woman, at seven o’clock to-morrow, would be there alone.  It needed but a few steps to reach his room.  He went along like one sentenced to death, with his reason clogged and numbed.  He felt that now all liberty of action and free will were gone, and everything was irrevocably decided.  A more convenient occasion than was thus unexpectedly offered to him now would never arise, and he might never learn again, beforehand, that, at a certain time on a certain day, she, on whom he was to make the attempt, would be entirely alone.

Raskolnikoff learned subsequently what induced the man and his wife to invite Elizabeth to call on them.  It was a very simple matter.  A foreign family, finding themselves in straitened circumstances, were desirous of parting with various things, consisting for the most part in articles of female attire.  They were anxious, therefore, to meet with a dealer in cast-off clothes, and this was one of Elizabeth’s callings.  She had a large connection, because she was very honest and always stuck to her price:  there was no higgling to be done with her.  She was a woman of few words and very shy and reserved.  But Raskolnikoff was very superstitious, and traces of this remained in him long after.  In all the events of this period of his life he was ever ready to detect something mysterious, and attribute every circumstance to the presence of some particular influence upon his destiny.