resurrection(复活)-第85章

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impression　on　me。　You　were　right　concerning　Maslova。　I　looked
carefully　through　the　case；　and　see　that　shocking　injustice　has
been　done　her。　It　could　he　remedied　only　by　the　Committee　of
Petitions　before　which　you　laid　it。　I　managed　to　assist　at　the
examination　of　the　case；　and　I　enclose　herewith　the　copy　of　the
mitigation　of　the　sentence。　Your　aunt；　the　Countess　Katerina
Ivanovna；　gave　me　the　address　which　I　am　sending　this　to。　The
original　document　has　been　sent　to　the　place　where　she　was
imprisoned　before　her　trial；　and　will　from　there　he　probably　sent
at　once　to　the　principal　Government　office　in　Siberia。　I　hasten
to　communicate　this　glad　news　to　you　and　warmly　press　your　hand。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Yours；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃SELENIN。〃

The　document　ran　thus：　〃His　Majesty's　office　for　the　reception　of
petitions；　addressed　to　his　Imperial　name〃here　followed　the
date〃by　order　of　the　chief　of　his　Majesty's　office　for　the
reception　of　petitions　addressed　to　his　Imperial　name。　The
meschanka　Katerina　Maslova　is　hereby　informed　that　his　Imperial
Majesty；　with　reference　to　her　most　loyal　petition；　condescending
to　her　request；　deigns　to　order　that　her　sentence　to　hard　labour
should　be　commuted　to　one　of　exile　to　the　less　distant　districts
of　Siberia…〃

This　was　joyful　and　important　news；　all　that　Nekhludoff　could
have　hoped　for　Katusha；　and　for　himself　also；　had　happened。　It
was　true　that　the　new　position　she　was　in　brought　new
complications　with　it。　While　she　was　a　convict；　marriage　with　her
could　only　be　fictitious；　and　would　have　had　no　meaning　except
that　he　would　have　been　in　a　position　to　alleviate　her　condition。
And　now　there　was　nothing　to　prevent　their　living　together；　and
Nekhludoff　had　not　prepared　himself　for　that。　And；　besides；　what
of　her　relations　to　Simonson？　What　was　the　meaning　of　her　words
yesterday？　If　she　consented　to　a　union　with　Simonson；　would　it　be
well？　He　could　not　unravel　all　these　questions；　and　gave　up
thinking　about　it。　〃It　will　all　clear　itself　up　later　on；〃　he
thought；　〃I　must　not　think　about　it　now；　but　convey　the　glad　news
to　her　as　soon　as　possible；　and　set　her　free。　He　thought　that　the
copy　of　the　document　he　had　received　would　suffice；　so　when　he
left　the　post…office　he　told　the　isvostchik　to　drive　him　to　the
prison。

Though　he　had　received　no　order　from　the　governor　to　visit　the
prison　that　morning；　he　knew　by　experience　that　it　was　easy　to
get　from　the　subordinates　what　the　higher　officials　would　not
grant；　so　now　he　meant　to　try　and　get　into　the　prison　to　bring
Katusha　the　joyful　news；　and　perhaps　to　get　her　set　free；　and　at
the　same　time　to　inquire　about　Kryltzoff's　state　of　health；　and
tell　him　and　Mary　Pavlovna　what　the　general　had　said。　The　prison
inspector　was　a　tall；　imposing…looking　man；　with　moustaches　and
whiskers　that　twisted　towards　the　corners　of　his　mouth。　He
received　Nekhludoff　very　gravely；　and　told　him　plainly　that　he
could　not　grant　an　outsider　the　permission　to　interview　the
prisoners　without　a　special　order　from　his　chief。　To　Nekhludoff's
remark　that　he　had　been　allowed　to　visit　the　prisoners　even　in
the　cities　he　answered：

〃That　may　be　so；　but　I　do　not　allow　it；〃　and　his　tone　implied；
〃You　city　gentlemen　may　think　to　surprise　and　perplex　us；　but　we
in　Eastern　Siberia　also　know　what　the　law　is；　and　may　even　teach
it　you。〃　The　copy　of　a　document　straight　from　the　Emperor's　own
office　did　not　have　any　effect　on　the　prison　inspector　either。　He
decidedly　refused　to　let　Nekhludoff　come　inside　the　prison　walls。
He　only　smiled　contemptuously　at　Nekhludoff's　naive　conclusion；
that　the　copy　he　had　received　would　suffice　to　set　Maslova　free；
and　declared　that　a　direct　order　from　his　own　superiors　would　be
needed　before　any　one　could　be　set　at　liberty。　The　only　things　he
agreed　to　do　were　to　communicate　to　Maslova　that　a　mitigation　had
arrived　for　her；　and　to　promise　that　he　would　not　detain　her　an
hour　after　the　order　from　his　chief　to　liberate　her　would　arrive。
He　would　also　give　no　news　of　Kryltzoff；　saying　he　could　not　even
tell　if　there　was　such　a　prisoner；　and　so　Nekhludoff；　having
accomplished　next　to　nothing；　got　into　his　trap　and　drove　back　to
his　hotel。

The　strictness　of　the　inspector　was　chiefly　due　to　the　fact　that
an　epidemic　of　typhus　had　broken　out　in　the　prison；　owing　to
twice　the　number　of　persons　that　it　was　intended　for　being
crowded　in　it。　The　isvostchik　who　drove　Nekhludoff　said；　〃Quite　a
lot　of　people　are　dying　in　the　prison　every　day；　some　kind　of
disease　having　sprung　up　among　them；　so　that　as　many　as　twenty
were　buried　in　one　day。〃


CHAPTER　XXIV。

THE　GENERAL'S　HOUSEHOLD。

In　spite　of　his　ineffectual　attempt　at　the　prison；　Nekhludoff；
still　in　the　same　vigorous；　energetic　frame　of　mind；　went　to　the
Governor's　office　to　see　if　the　original　of　the　document　had
arrived　for　Maslova。　It　had　not　arrived；　so　Nekhludoff　went　back
to　the　hotel　and　wrote　without　delay　to　Selenin　and　the　advocate
about　it。　When　he　had　finished　writing　he　looked　at　his　watch　and
saw　it　was　time　to　go　to　the　General's　dinner　party。

On　the　way　he　again　began　wondering　how　Katusha　would　receive　the
news　of　the　mitigation　of　her　sentence。　Where　she　would　be
settled？　How　he　should　live　with　her？　What　about　Simonson？　What
would　his　relations　to　her　be？　He　remembered　the　change　that　had
taken　place　in　her；　and　this　reminded　him　of　her　past。　〃I　must
forget　it　for　the　present；〃　he　thought；　and　again　hastened　to
drive　her　out　of　his　mind。　〃When　the　time　comes　I　shall　see；〃　he
said　to　himself；　and　began　to　think　of　what　he　ought　to　say　to
the　General。

The　dinner　at　the　General's；　with　the　luxury　habitual　to　the
lives　of　the　wealthy　and　those　of　high　rank；　to　which　Nekhludoff
had　been　accustomed；　was　extremely　enjoyable　after　he　had　been　so
long　deprived　not　only　of　luxury　but　even　of　the　most　ordinary
comforts。　The　mistress　of　the　house　was　a　Petersburg　grande　dame
of　the　old　school；　a　maid　of　honour　at　the　court　of　Nicholas　I。；
who　spoke　French　quite　naturally　and　Russian　very　unnaturally。
She　held　herself　very　erect　and；　moving　her　hands；　she　kept　her
elbows　close　to　her　waist。　She　was　quietly　and；　somewhat　sadly
considerate　for　her　husband；　and　extremely　kind　to　all　her
visitors；　though　with　a　tinge　of　difference　in　her　behaviour
according　to　their　position。　She　received　Nekhludoff　as　if　he
were　one　of　them；　and　her　fine；　almost　imperceptible　flattery
made　him　once　again　aware　of　his　virtues　and　gave　him　a　feeling
of　satisfaction。　She　made　him　feel　that　she　knew　of　that　honest
though　rather　singular　step　of　his　which　had　brought　him　to
Siberia；　and　held　him　to　be　an　exceptional　man。　This　refined
flattery　and　the　elegance　and　luxury　of　the　General's　house　had
the　effect　of　making　Nekhludoff　succumb　to　the　enjoyment　of　the
handsome　surroundings；　the　delicate　dishes　and　the　case　and
pleasure　of　intercourse　with　educated　people　of　his　own　class；　so
that　the　surroundings　in　the　midst　of　which　he　had　lived　for　the
last　months　seemed　a　dream　from　which　he　had　awakened　to　reality。
Besides　those　of　the　household；　the　General's　daughter　and　her
husband　and　an　aide…de…camp；　there　were　an　Englishman；　a　merchant
interested　in　gold　mines；　and　the　governor　of　a　distant　Siberian
town。　All　these　people　seemed　pleasant　to　Nekhludoff。　The
Englishman；　a　healthy　man　with　a　rosy　complexion；　who　spoke　very
bad　French；　but　whose　command　of　his　own　language　was　very　good
and　oratorically　impressive；　who　had　seen　a　great　deal；　was　very
interesting　to　listen　to　when　he　spoke　about　America；　India；
Japan　and　Siberia。

The　young　merchant　interested　in　the　gold　mines；　the　son　of　a
peasant；　whose　evening　dress　was　made　in　London；　who　had　diamond
studs　to　his　shirt；　possessed　a　fine　library；　contributed　freely
to　philanthropic　work；　and　held　liberal　European　views；　seemed
pleasant　to　Nekhludoff　as　a　sample　of　a　quite　new　and　good　type
of　civilised　European　culture；　grafted　on　a　healthy；　uncultivated
peasant　stem。

The　governor　of　the　distant　Siberian　town　was　that　same　man　who
had　been　so　much　talked　about　in　Petersburg　at　the　time
Nekhludoff　was　there。　He　was　plump；　with　thin；　curly　hair；　soft
blue　eyes；　carefully…tended　white　hands；　with　rings　on　the
fingers；　a　pleasant　smile；　and　very　big　in　the　lower　part　of　his
body。　The　master　of　the　house　valued　this　governor　because　of　all
the　officials　he　was　the　only　one　who　would　not　be　bribed。　The
mistress　of　the　house；　who　was　very　fond　of　music　and　a　very　good
pianist　herself；　valued　him　because　he　was　a　good　musician　and
played　duets　with　her。

Nekhludoff　was　in　such　good　humour　that　even　this　man　was　not
unpleasant　to　him；　in　spite　of　what　he　knew　of　his　vices。　The
bright；　energetic　aide…de…camp；　with　his　bluey　grey　chin；　who　was
continually　offering　his　services；　pleased　Nekhludoff　by　his　good
nature。　But　it　was　the　charming　young　couple；　the　General's
daughter　and　her　husband；　who　pleased　Nekhludoff　best。　The
daughter　was　a　plain…looking；　simple…minded　young　woman；　wholly
absorbed　in　her　two　children。　Her　husband；　whom　she　had　fallen　in
love　with　and　married　after　a　long　struggle　with　her　parents；　was
a　Liberal；　who　had　taken　honours　at　the　Moscow　University；　a
modest　and　intellectual　young　man　in　Government　service；　who　made
up　statistics　and　studied　chiefly　the　foreign　tribes；　which　he
liked　and　tried　to　save　from　dying　out。

All　of　them　were　not　only　kind　and　attentive　to　Nekhludoff；　but
evidently　pleased　to　see　him；　as　a　new　and　interesting
acquaintance。　The　General；　who　came　in　to　dinner　in　uniform　and
with　a　white　cross　round　his　neck；　greeted　Nekhludoff　as　a
friend；　and　asked　the　visitors　to　the　side　table　to　take　a　glass
of　vodka　and　something　to　whet　their　appetites。　The　General　asked
Nekhludoff　what　he　had　been　doing　since　he　left　that　morning；　and
Nekhludoff　told　him　he　had　been　to　the　post…office　and　received
the　news　of　the　mitigation　of　that　person's　sentence　that　he　had
spoken　of　in　the　morning；　and　again　asked　for　a　permission　to
visit　the　prison。

The　General；　apparently　displeased　that　business　should　be
mentioned　at　dinner；　frowned　and　said　nothing。

〃Have　a　glass　of　vodka〃　he　said；　addressing　the　Englishman；　who
had　just　come　up　to　the　table。　The　Englishman　drank　a　glass；　and
said　he　had　been　to　see　the　cathedral　and　the　factory；　but　would
like　to　visit　the　great　transportation　prison。

〃Oh；　that　will　just　fit　in；〃　said　the　General　to　Nekhludoff。
〃You　will　he　able　to　go　together。　Give　them　a　pass；〃　he　added；
turning　to　his　aide…de…camp。

〃When　would　you　like　to　go？〃　Nekhludoff　asked。

〃I　prefer　visiting　the　prisons　in　the　evening；〃　the　Englishman
answered。　〃All　are　indoors　and　there　is　no　preparation；　you　find
them　all　as　they　are。〃

〃Ah；　he　would　like　to　see　it　in　all　its　glory！　Let　him　do　so。　I
have　written　about　it　and　no　attention　has　been　paid　to　it。　Let
him　find　out　from　foreign　publications；〃　the　General　said；　and
went　up　to　the　dinner　table；　where　the　mistress　of　the　house　was
showing　the　visitors　their　places。　Nekhludoff　sat　between　his
hostess　and　the　Englishman。　In　front　of　him　sat　the　General's
daughter　and　the　ex…director　of　the　Government　depart