“PyotrPetrovitch，”shecried，“protectme…youatleast！Makethisfoolishwomanunderstandthatshecan’tbehavelikethistoaladyinmisfortune…thatthereisalawforsuchthings。…I’llgotothegovernor-generalhimself。…Sheshallanswerforit。…Rememberingmyfather’shospitalityprotecttheseorphans。”
“Allowme，madam。…Allowme。”PyotrPetrovitchwavedheroff。“YourpapaasyouarewellawareIhadnotthehonourofknowing”someonelaughedaloud“andIdonotintendtotakepartinyoureverlastingsquabbleswithAmaliaIvanovna。…Ihavecomeheretospeakofmyownaffairs…andIwanttohaveawordwithyourstepdaughter，Sofya…Ivanovna，Ithinkitis？Allowmetopass。”
PyotrPetrovitch，edgingbyher，wenttotheoppositecornerwhereSoniawas。
KaterinaIvanovnaremainedstandingwhereshewas，asthoughthunderstruck。ShecouldnotunderstandhowPyotrPetrovitchcoulddenyhavingenjoyedherfather’shospitility。Thoughshehadinventeditherself，shebelievedinitfirmlybythistime。Shewasstrucktoobythebusinesslike，dryandevencontemptuousmenacingtoneofPyotrPetrovitch。Alltheclamourgraduallydiedawayathisentrance。Notonlywasthis“seriousbusinessman”strikinglyincongruouswiththerestoftheparty，butitwasevident，too，thathehadcomeuponsomematterofconsequence，thatsomeexceptionalcausemusthavebroughthimandthatthereforesomethingwasgoingtohappen。Raskolnikov，standingbesideSonia，movedasidetolethimpass；PyotrPetrovitchdidnotseemtonoticehim。AminutelaterLebeziatnikov，too，appearedinthedoorway；hedidnotcomein，butstoodstill，listeningwithmarkedinterest，almostwonder，andseemedforatimeperplexed。
“Excusemeforpossiblyinterruptingyou，butit’samatterofsomeimportance，”PyotrPetrovitchobserved，addressingthecompanygenerally。“Iamgladindeedtofindotherpersonspresent。AmaliaIvanovna，IhumblybegyouasmistressofthehousetopaycarefulattentiontowhatIhavetosaytoSofyaIvanovna。SofyaIvanovna，”hewenton，addressingSonia，whowasverymuchsurprisedandalreadyalarmed，“immediatelyafteryourvisitIfoundthatahundred-roublenotewasmissingfrommytable，intheroomofmyfriendMr。Lebeziatnikov。Ifinanywaywhateveryouknowandwilltelluswhereitisnow，Iassureyouonmywordofhonourandcallallpresenttowitnessthatthemattershallendthere。IntheoppositecaseIshallbecompelledtohaverecoursetoveryseriousmeasuresandthen…youmustblameyourself。”