resurrection(复活)-第39章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Why；　surely　he　has　not　changed　his　mind　about　marrying？〃　asked
Korableva。

〃No；　he　has　not；　but　I　don't　wish　to；〃　said　Maslova；　〃and　so　I
told　him。〃

〃More　fool　you！〃　muttered　Korableva　in　her　deep　tones。

〃If　one's　not　to　live　together；　what's　the　use　of　marrying？〃　said
Theodosia。

〃There's　your　husbandhe's　going　with　you；〃　said　the　watchman's
wife。

〃Well；　of　course；　we're　married；〃　said　Theodosia。　〃But　why　should
he　go　through　the　ceremony　if　he　is　not　to　live　with　her？〃

〃Why；　indeed！　Don't　be　a　fool！　You　know　if　he　marries　her　she'll
roll　in　wealth；〃　said　Korableva。

〃He　says；　'Wherever　they　take　you；　I'll　follow；'〃　said　Maslova。
〃If　he　does；　it's　well；　if　he　does　not；　well　also。　I　am　not　going
to　ask　him　to。　Now　he　is　going　to　try　and　arrange　the　matter　in
Petersburg。　He　is　related　to　all　the　Ministers　there。　But；　all
the　same；　I　have　no　need　of　him；〃　she　continued。

〃Of　course　not；〃　suddenly　agreed　Korableva；　evidently　thinking
about　something　else　as　she　sat　examining　her　bag。　〃Well；　shall
we　have　a　drop？〃

〃You　have　some；〃　replied　Maslova。　〃I　won't。〃

END　OF　BOOK　I。



BOOK　II。


CHAPTER　I。

PROPERTY　IN　LAND。

It　was　possible　for　Maslova's　case　to　come　before　the　Senate　in　a
fortnight；　at　which　time　Nekhludoff　meant　to　go　to　Petersburg；
and；　if　need　be；　to　appeal　to　the　Emperor　（as　the　advocate　who
had　drawn　up　the　petition　advised）　should　the　appeal　be
disregarded　（and；　according　to　the　advocate；　it　was　best　to　be
prepared　for　that；　since　the　causes　for　appeal　were　so　slight）。
The　party　of　convicts；　among　whom　was　Maslova；　would　very　likely
leave　in　the　beginning　of　June。　In　order　to　be　able　to　follow　her
to　Siberia；　as　Nekhludoff　was　firmly　resolved　to　do；　he　was　now
obliged　to　visit　his　estates；　and　settle　matters　there。
Nekhludoff　first　went　to　the　nearest；　Kousminski；　a　large　estate
that　lay　in　the　black　earth　district；　and　from　which　he　derived
the　greatest　part　of　his　income。

He　had　lived　on　that　estate　in　his　childhood　and　youth；　and　had
been　there　twice　since；　and　once；　at　his　mother's　request；　he　had
taken　a　German　steward　there；　and　had　with　him　verified　the
accounts。　The　state　of　things　there　and　the　peasants'　relations
to　the　management；　i。e。；　the　landlord；　had　therefore　been　long
known　to　him。　The　relations　of　the　peasants　to　the　administration
were　those　of　utter　dependence　on　that　management。　Nekhludoff
knew　all　this　when　still　a　university　student；　he　had　confessed
and　preached　Henry　Georgeism；　and；　on　the　basis　of　that　teaching；
had　given　the　land　inherited　from　his　father　to　the　peasants。　It
is　true　that　after　entering　the　army；　when　he　got　into　the　habit
of　spending　20；000　roubles　a　year；　those　former　occupations
ceased　to　be　regarded　as　a　duty；　and　were　forgotten；　and　he　not
only　left　off　asking　himself　where　the　money　his　mother　allowed
him　came　from；　but　even　avoided　thinking　about　it。　But　his
mother's　death；　the　coming　into　the　property；　and　the　necessity
of　managing　it；　again　raised　the　question　as　to　what　his　position
in　reference　to　private　property　in　land　was。　A　month　before
Nekhludoff　would　have　answered　that　he　had　not　the　strength　to
alter　the　existing　order　of　things；　that　it　was　not　he　who　was
administering　the　estate；　and　would　one　way　or　another　have　eased
his　conscience；　continuing　to　live　far　from　his　estates；　and
having　the　money　sent　him。　But　now　he　decided　that　he　could　not
leave　things　to　go　on　as　they　were；　but　would　have　to　alter　them
in　a　way　unprofitable　to　himself；　even　though　he　had　all　these
complicated　and　difficult　relations　with　the　prison　world　which
made　money　necessary；　as　well　as　a　probable　journey　to　Siberia
before　him。　Therefore　he　decided　not　to　farm　the　land；　but　to　let
it　to　the　peasants　at　a　low　rent；　to　enable　them　to　cultivate　it
without　depending　on　a　landlord。　More　than　once；　when　comparing
the　position　of　a　landowner　with　that　of　an　owner　of　serfs；
Nekhludoff　had　compared　the　renting　of　land　to　the　peasants
instead　of　cultivating　it　with　hired　labour；　to　the　old　system　by
which　serf　proprietors　used　to　exact　a　money　payment　from　their
serfs　in　place　of　labour。　It　was　not　a　solution　of　the　problem；
and　yet　a　step　towards　the　solution；　it　was　a　movement　towards　a
less　rude　form　of　slavery。　And　it　was　in　this　way　he　meant　to
act。

Nekhludoff　reached　Kousminski　about　noon。　Trying　to　simplify　his
life　in　every　way；　he　did　not　telegraph；　but　hired　a　cart　and
pair　at　the　station。　The　driver　was　a　young　fellow　in　a　nankeen
coat；　with　a　belt　below　his　long　waist。　He　was　glad　to　talk　to
the　gentleman；　especially　because　while　they　were　talking　his
broken…winded　white　horse　and　the　emaciated　spavined　one　could　go
at　a　foot…pace；　which　they　always　liked　to　do。

The　driver　spoke　about　the　steward　at　Kousminski　without　knowing
that　he　was　driving　〃the　master。〃　Nekhludoff　had　purposely　not
told　him　who　he　was。

〃That　ostentatious　German；〃　said　the　driver　（who　had　been　to　town
and　read　novels）　as　he　sat　sideways　on　the　box；　passing　his　hand
from　the　top　to　the　bottom　of　his　long　whip；　and　trying　to　show
off　his　accomplishments〃that　ostentatious　German　has　procured
three　light　bays；　and　when　he　drives　out　with　his　lady…oh；　my！
At　Christmas　he　had　a　Christmas…tree　in　the　big　house。　I　drove
some　of　the　visitors　there。　It　had　'lectric　lights；　you　could
not　see　the　like　of　it　in　the　whole　of　the　government。　What's　it
to　him；　he　has　cribbed　a　heap　of　money。　I　heard　say　he　has　bought
an　estate。〃

Nekhludoff　had　imagined　that　he　was　quite　indifferent　to　the　way
the　steward　managed　his　estate；　and　what　advantages　the　steward
derived　from　it。　The　words　of　the　long…waisted　driver；　however；
were　not　pleasant　to　hear。

A　dark　cloud　now　and　then　covered　the　sun；　the　larks　were　soaring
above　the　fields　of　winter　corn；　the　forests　were　already　covered
with　fresh　young　green；　the　meadows　speckled　with　grazing　cattle
and　horses。　The　fields　were　being　ploughed；　and　Nekhludoff
enjoyed　the　lovely　day。　But　every　now　and　then　he　had　an
unpleasant　feeling；　and；　when　he　asked　himself　what　it　was　caused
by；　he　remembered　what　the　driver　had　told　him　about　the　way　the
German　was　managing　Kousminski。　When　he　got　to　his　estate　and　set
to　work　this　unpleasant　feeling　vanished。

Looking　over　the　books　in　the　office；　and　a　talk　with　the
foreman；　who　naively　pointed　out　the　advantages　to　be　derived
from　the　facts　that　the　peasants　had　very　little　land　of　their
own　and　that　it　lay　in　the　midst　of　the　landlord's　fields；　made
Nekhludoff　more　than　ever　determined　to　leave　off　farming　and　to
let　his　land　to　the　peasants。

From　the　office　books　and　his　talk　with　the　foreman；　Nekhludoff
found　that　two…thirds　of　the　best　of　the　cultivated　land　was
still　being　tilled　with　improved　machinery　by　labourers　receiving
fixed　wages；　while　the　other　third　was　tilled　by　the　peasants　at
the　rate　of　five　roubles　per　desiatin　＇about　two　and
three…quarter　acres＇。　So　that　the　peasants　had　to　plough　each
desiatin　three　times；　harrow　it　three　times；　sow　and　mow　the
corn；　make　it　into　sheaves；　and　deliver　it　on　the　threshing
ground　for　five　roubles；　while　the　same　amount　of　work　done　by
wage　labour　came　to　at　least　10　roubles。　Everything　the　peasants
got　from　the　office　they　paid　for　in　labour　at　a　very　high　price。
They　paid　in　labour　for　the　use　of　the　meadows；　for　wood；　for
potato…stalks；　and　were　nearly　all　of　them　in　debt　to　the　office。
Thus；　for　the　land　that　lay　beyond　the　cultivated　fields；　which
the　peasants　hired；　four　times　the　price　that　its　value　would
bring　in　if　invested　at　five　per　cent　was　taken　from　the
peasants。

Nekhludoff　had　known　all　this　before；　but　he　now　saw　it　in　a　new
light；　and　wondered　how　he　and　others　in　his　position　could　help
seeing　how　abnormal　such　conditions　are。　The　steward's　arguments
that　if　the　land　were　let　to　the　peasants　the　agricultural
implements　would　fetch　next　to　nothing；　as　it　would　be　impossible
to　get　even　a　quarter　of　their　value　for　them；　and　that　the
peasants　would　spoil　the　land；　and　how　great　a　loser　Nekhludoff
would　be；　only　strengthened　Nekhludoff　in　the　opinion　that　he　was
doing　a　good　action　in　letting　the　land　to　the　peasants　and　thus
depriving　himself　of　a　large　part　of　his　income。　He　decided　to
settle　this　business　now；　at　once；　while　he　was　there。　The
reaping　and　selling　of　the　corn　he　left　for　the　steward　to　manage
in　due　season；　and　also　the　selling　of　the　agricultural
implements　and　useless　buildings。　But　he　asked　his　steward　to
call　the　peasants　of　the　three　neighbouring　villages　that　lay　in
the　midst　of　his　estate　（Kousminski）　to　a　meeting；　at　which　he
would　tell　them　of　his　intentions　and　arrange　about　the　price　at
which　they　were　to　rent　the　land。

With　the　pleasant　sense　of　the　firmness　he　had　shown　in　the　face
of　the　steward's　arguments；　and　his　readiness　to　make　a
sacrifice；　Nekhludoff　left　the　office；　thinking　over　the　business
before　him；　and　strolled　round　the　house；　through　the　neglected
flower…gardenthis　year　the　flowers　were　planted　in　front　of　the
steward's　houseover　the　tennis　ground；　now　overgrown　with
dandelions；　and　along　the　lime…tree　walk；　where　he　used　to　smoke
his　cigar；　and　where　he　had　flirted　with　the　pretty　Kirimova；　his
mother's　visitor。　Having　briefly　prepared　in　his　mind　the　speech
he　was　going　to　make　to　the　peasants；　he　again　went　in　to　the
steward；　and；　after　tea；　having　once　more　arranged　his　thoughts；
he　went　into　the　room　prepared　for　him　in　the　big　house；　which
used　to　be　a　spare　bedroom。

In　this　clean　little　room；　with　pictures　of　Venice　on　the　walls；
and　a　mirror　between　the　two　windows；　there　stood　a　clean　bed
with　a　spring　mattress；　and　by　the　side　of　it　a　small　table；　with
a　decanter　of　water；　matches；　and　an　extinguisher。　On　a　table　by
the　looking…glass　lay　his　open　portmanteau；　with　his
dressing…case　and　some　books　in　it；　a　Russian　book；　The
Investigation　of　the　Laws　of　Criminality；　and　a　German　and　an
English　book　on　the　same　subject；　which　he　meant　to　read　while
travelling　in　the　country。　But　it　was　too　late　to　begin　to…day；
and　he　began　preparing　to　go　to　bed。

An　old…fashioned　inlaid　mahogany　arm…chair　stood　in　the　corner　of
the　room；　and　this　chair；　which　Nekhludoff　remembered　standing　in
his　mother's　bedroom；　suddenly　raised　a　perfectly　unexpected
sensation　in　his　soul。　He　was　suddenly　filled　with　regret　at　the
thought　of　the　house　that　would　tumble　to　ruin；　and　the　garden
that　would　run　wild；　and　the　forest　that　would　be　cut　down；　and
all　these　farmyards；　stables；　sheds；　machines；　horses；　cows　which
he　knew　had　cost　so　much　effort；　though　not　to　himself；　to
acquire　and　to　keep。　It　had　seemed　easy　to　give　up　all　this；　but
now　it　was　hard；　not　only　to　give　this；　but　even　to　let　the　land
and　lose　half　his　income。　And　at　once　a　consideration；　which
proved　that　it　was　unreasonable　to　let　the　land　to　the　peasants；
and　thus　to　destroy　his　property；　came　to　his　service。　〃I　must
not　hold　property　in　land。　If　I　possess　no　property　in　land；　I
cannot　keep　up　the　house　and　farm。　And；　besides；　I　am　going　to
Siberia；　and　shall　not　need　either　the　house　or　the　estate；〃　said
one　voice。　〃All　this　is　so；〃　said　another　voice；　〃but