resurrection(复活)-第45节

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itself　in　this　room。　And　it　was　apparent　that　this　troubled　him
sorely。　At　length　the　prisoners　and　their　visitors　began　to
gothe　first　out　of　the　inner；　the　latter　out　of　the　outer　door。
The　man　with　the　rubber　jacket　passed　out　among　them；　and　the
consumptive　youth　and　the　dishevelled　man。　Mary　Pavlovna　went　out
with　the　boy　born　in　prison。

The　visitors　went　out　too。　The　old　man　with　the　blue　spectacles；
stepping　heavily；　went　out；　followed　by　Nekhludoff。

〃Yes；　a　strange　state　of　things　this；〃　said　the　talkative　young
man；　as　if　continuing　an　interrupted　conversation；　as　he
descended　the　stairs　side　by　side　with　Nekhludoff。　〃Yet　we　have
reason　to　be　grateful　to　the　inspector　who　does　not　keep　strictly
to　the　rules；　kind…hearted　fellow。　If　they　can　get　a　talk　it　does
relieve　their　hearts　a　bit；　after　all！〃

While　talking　to　the　young　man；　who　introduced　himself　as
Medinzeff；　Nekhludoff　reached　the　hall。　There　the　inspector　came
up　to　them　with　weary　step。

〃If　you　wish　to　see　Maslova；〃　he　said；　apparently　desiring　to　be
polite　to　Nekhludoff；　〃please　come　to…morrow。〃

〃Very　well；〃　answered　Nekhludoff；　and　hurried　away；　experiencing
more　than　ever　that　sensation　of　moral　nausea　which　he　always
felt　on　entering　the　prison。

The　sufferings　of　the　evidently　innocent　Menshoff　seemed
terrible；　and　not　so　much　his　physical　suffering　as　the
perplexity；　the　distrust　in　the　good　and　in　God　which　he　must
feel；　seeing　the　cruelty　of　the　people　who　tormented　him　without
any　reason。

Terrible　were　the　disgrace　and　sufferings　cast　on　these　hundreds
of　guiltless　people　simply　because　something　was　not　written　on
paper　as　it　should　have　been。　Terrible　were　the　brutalised
jailers；　whose　occupation　is　to　torment　their　brothers；　and　who
were　certain　that　they　were　fulfilling　an　important　and　useful
duty；　but　most　terrible　of　all　seemed　this　sickly；　elderly；
kind…hearted　inspector；　who　was　obliged　to　part　mother　and　son；
father　and　daughter；　who　were　just　the　same　sort　of　people　as　he
and　his　own　children。

〃What　is　it　all　for？〃　Nekhludoff　asked　himself；　and　could　not
find　an　answer。


CHAPTER　LVII。

THE　VICE…GOVERNOR'S　〃AT…HOME〃。

The　next　day　Nekhludoff　went　to　see　the　advocate；　and　spoke　to
him　about　the　Menshoffs'　case；　begging　him　to　undertake　their
defence。　The　advocate　promised　to　look　into　the　case；　and　if　it
turned　out　to　be　as　Nekhludoff　said　he　would　in　all　probability
undertake　the　defence　free　of　charge。　Then　Nekhludoff　told　him　of
the　130　men　who　were　kept　in　prison　owing　to　a　mistake。　〃On　whom
did　it　depend？　Whose　fault　was　it？〃

The　advocate　was　silent　for　a　moment；　evidently　anxious　to　give　a
correct　reply。

〃Whose　fault　is　it？　No　one's；〃　he　said；　decidedly。　〃Ask　the
Procureur；　he'll　say　it　is　the　Governor's；　ask　the　Governor；
he'll　say　it　is　the　Procureur's　fault。　No　one　is　in　fault。〃

〃I　am　just　going　to　see　the　Vice…Governor。　I　shall　tell　him。〃

〃Oh；　that's　quite　useless；〃　said　the　advocate；　with　a　smile。　〃He
is　such　ahe　is　not　a　relation　or　friend　of　yours？such　a
blockhead；　if　I　may　say　so；　and　yet　a　crafty　animal　at　the　same
time。〃

Nekhludoff　remembered　what　Maslennikoff　had　said　about　the
advocate；　and　did　not　answer；　but　took　leave　and　went　on　to
Maslennikoff's。　He　had　to　ask　Maslennikoff　two　things：　about
Maslova's　removal　to　the　prison　hospital；　and　about　the　130
passportless　men　innocently　imprisoned。　Though　it　was　very　hard
to　petition　a　man　whom　he　did　not　respect；　and　by　whose　orders
men　were　flogged；　yet　it　was　the　only　means　of　gaining　his　end；
and　he　had　to　go　through　with　it。

As　he　drove　up　to　Maslennikoff's　house　Nekhludoff　saw　a　number　of
different　carriages　by　the　front　door；　and　remembered　that　it　was
Maslennikoff's　wife's　〃at…home〃　day；　to　which　he　had　been
invited。　At　the　moment　Nekhludoff　drove　up　there　was　a　carriage
in　front　of　the　door；　and　a　footman　in　livery；　with　a　cockade　in
his　hat；　was　helping　a　lady　down　the　doorstep。　She　was　holding　up
her　train；　and　showing　her　thin　ankles；　black　stockings；　and
slippered　feet。　Among　the　carriages　was　a　closed　landau；　which　he
knew　to　be　the　Korchagins'。

The　grey…haired；　red…checked　coachman　took　off　his　hat　and　bowed
in　a　respectful　yet　friendly　manner　to　Nekhludoff；　as　to　a
gentleman　he　knew　well。　Nekhludoff　had　not　had　time　to　inquire
for　Maslennikoff；　when　the　latter　appeared　on　the　carpeted
stairs；　accompanying　a　very　important　guest　not　only　to　the　first
landing　but　to　the　bottom　of　the　stairs。　This　very　important
visitor；　a　military　man；　was　speaking　in　French　about　a　lottery
for　the　benefit　of　children's　homes　that　were　to　be　founded　in
the　city；　and　expressed　the　opinion　that　this　was　a　good
occupation　for　the　ladies。　〃It　amuses　them；　and　the　money　comes。〃

〃Qu'elles　s'amusent　et　que　le　bon　dieu　les　benisse。　M。
Nekhludoff！　How　d'you　do？　How　is　it　one　never　sees　you？〃　he
greeted　Nekhludoff。　〃Allez　presenter　vos　devoirs　a　Madame。　And
the　Korchagins　are　here　et　Nadine　Bukshevden。　Toutes　les　jolies
femmes　de　la　ville；〃　said　the　important　guest；　slightly　raising
his　uniformed　shoulders　as　he　presented　them　to　his　own　richly
liveried　servant　to　have　his　military　overcoat　put　on。　〃Au
revoir；　mon　cher。〃　And　he　pressed　Maslennikoff's　hand。

〃Now；　come　up；　I　am　so　glad；〃　said　Maslennikoff；　grasping
Nekhludoff's　hand。　In　spite　of　his　corpulency　Maslennikoff
hurried　quickly　up　the　stairs。　He　was　in　particularly　good
spirits；　owing　to　the　attention　paid　him　by　the　important
personage。　Every　such　attention　gave　him　the　same　sense　of
delight　as　is　felt　by　an　affectionate　dog　when　its　master　pats
it；　strokes　it；　or　scratches　its　ears。　It　wags　its　tail；　cringes；
jumps　about；　presses　its　ears　down；　and　madly　rushes　about　in　a
circle。　Maslennikoff　was　ready　to　do　the　same。　He　did　not　notice
the　serious　expression　on　Nekhludoff's　face；　paid　no　heed　to　his
words；　but　pulled　him　irresistibly　towards　the　drawing…room；　so
that　it　was　impossible　for　Nekhludoff　not　to　follow。　〃Business
after　wards。　I　shall　do　whatever　you　want；〃　said　Meslennikoff；　as
he　drew　Nekhludoff　through　the　dancing　hall。　〃Announce　Prince
Nekhludoff；〃　he　said　to　a　footman；　without　stopping　on　his　way。
The　footman　started　off　at　a　trot　and　passed　them。

〃Vous　n'avez　qu'　a　ordonner。　But　you　must　see　my　wife。　As　it　is；
I　got　it　for　letting　you　go　without　seeing　her　last　time。〃

By　the　time　they　reached　the　drawing…room　the　footman　had　already
announced　Nekhludoff；　and　from　between　the　bonnets　and　heads　that
surrounded　it　the　smiling　face　of　Anna　Ignatievna；　the
Vice…Governor's　wife；　beamed　on　Nekhludoff。　At　the　other　end　of
the　drawing…room　several　ladies　were　seated　round　the　tea…table；
and　some　military　men　and　some　civilians　stood　near　them。　The
clatter　of　male　and　female　voices　went　on　unceasingly。

〃Enfin！　you　seem　to　have　quite　forgotten　us。　How　have　we
offended？〃　With　these　words；　intended　to　convey　an　idea　of
intimacy　which　had　never　existed　between　herself　and　Nekhludoff；
Anna　Ignatievna　greeted　the　newcomer。

〃You　are　acquainted？Madam　Tilyaevsky；　M。　Chernoff。　Sit　down　a
bit　nearer。　Missy　vene　donc　a　notre　table　on　vous　apportera　votre
the　。　。　。　And　you；〃　she　said；　having　evidently　forgotten　his
name；　to　an　officer　who　was　talking　to　Missy；　〃do　come　here。　A
cup　of　tea；　Prince？〃

〃I　shall　never；　never　agree　with　you。　It's　quite　simple；　she　did
not　love；〃　a　woman's　voice　was　heard　saying。

〃But　she　loved　tarts。〃

〃Oh；　your　eternal　silly　jokes！〃　put　in；　laughingly；　another　lady
resplendent　in　silks；　gold；　and　jewels。

〃C'est　excellent　these　little　biscuits；　and　so　light。　I　think
I'll　take　another。〃

〃Well；　are　you　moving　soon？〃

〃Yes；　this　is　our　last　day。　That's　why　we　have　come。　Yes；　it　must
be　lovely　in　the　country；　we　are　having　a　delightful　spring。〃

Missy；　with　her　hat　on；　in　a　dark…striped　dress　of　some　kind　that
fitted　her　like　a　skin；　was　looking　very　handsome。　She　blushed
when　she　saw　Nekhludoff。

〃And　I　thought　you　had　left；〃　she　said　to　him。

〃I　am　on　the　point　of　leaving。　Business　is　keeping　me　in　town；
and　it　is　on　business　I　have　come　here。〃

〃Won't　you　come　to　see　mamma？　She　would　like　to　see　you；〃　she
said；　and　knowing　that　she　was　saying　what　was　not　true；　and　that
he　knew　it　also；　she　blushed　still　more。

〃I　fear　I　shall　scarcely　have　time；〃　Nekhludoff　said　gloomily；
trying　to　appear　as　if　he　had　not　noticed　her　blush。　Missy
frowned　angrily；　shrugged　her　shoulders；　and　turned　towards　an
elegant　officer；　who　grasped　the　empty　cup　she　was　holding；　and
knocking　his　sword　against　the　chairs；　manfully　carried　the　cup
across　to　another　table。

〃You　must　contribute　towards　the　Home　fund。〃

〃I　am　not　refusing；　but　only　wish　to　keep　my　bounty　fresh　for　the
lottery。　There　I　shall　let　it　appear　in　all　its　glory。〃

〃Well；　look　out　for　yourself；〃　said　a　voice；　followed　by　an
evidently　feigned　laugh。

Anna　Ignatievna　was　in　raptures；　her　〃at…home〃　had　turned　out　a
brilliant　success。　〃Micky　tells　me　you　are　busying　yourself　with
prison　work。　I　can　understand　you　so　well；〃　she　said　to
Nekhludoff。　〃Micky　（she　meant　her　fat　husband；　Maslennikoff）　may
have　other　defects；　but　you　know　how　kind…hearted　he　is。　All
th