resurrection(复活)-第71节

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taking　a　cigarette　that　lay　on　the　table；　he　began　to　smoke。


CHAPTER　XXVI。

LYDIA'S　AUNT。

〃Yes；　that　solitary　confinement　is　terrible　for　the　young；〃　said
the　aunt；　shaking　her　head　and　also　lighting　a　cigarette。

〃I　should　say　for　every　one；〃　Nekhludoff　replied。

〃No；　not　for　all；〃　answered　the　aunt。　〃For　the　real
revolutionists；　I　have　been　told；　it　is　rest　and　quiet。　A　man　who
is　wanted　by　the　police　lives　in　continual　anxiety；　material
want；　and　fear　for　himself　and　others；　and　for　his　cause；　and　at
last；　when　he　is　taken　up　and　it　is　all　over；　and　all
responsibility　is　off　his　shoulders；　he　can　sit　and　rest。　I　have
been　told　they　actually　feel　joyful　when　taken　up。　But　the　young
and　innocent　（they　always　first　arrest　the　innocent；　like　Lydia）；
for　them　the　first　shock　is　terrible。　It　is　not　that　they　deprive
you　of　freedom；　and　the　bad　food　and　bad　airall　that　is
nothing。　Three　times　as　many　privations　would　be　easily　borne　if
it　were　not　for　the　moral　shock　when　one　is　first　taken。〃

〃Have　you　experienced　it？〃

〃I？　I　was　twice　in　prison；〃　she　answered；　with　a　sad；　gentle
smile。　〃When　I　was　arrested　for　the　first　time　I　had　done
nothing。　I　was　22；　had　a　child；　and　was　expecting　another。　Though
the　loss　of　freedom　and　the　parting　with　my　child　and　husband
were　hard；　they　were　nothing　when　compared　with　what　I　felt　when
I　found　out　that　I　had　ceased　being　a　human　creature　and　had
become　a　thing。　I　wished　to　say　good…bye　to　my　little　daughter。　I
was　told　to　go　and　get　into　the　trap。　I　asked　where　I　was　being
taken　to。　The　answer　was　that　I　should　know　when　I　got　there。　I
asked　what　I　was　accused　of；　but　got　no　reply。　After　I　had　been
examined；　and　after　they　had　undressed　me　and　put　numbered　prison
clothes　on　me；　they　led　me　to　a　vault；　opened　a　door；　pushed　me
in；　and　left　me　alone；　a　sentinel；　with　a　loaded　gun；　paced　up
and　down　in　front　of　my　door；　and　every　now　and　then　looked　in
through　a　crackI　felt　terribly　depressed。　What　struck　me　most
at　the　time　was　that　the　gendarme　officer　who　examined　me　offered
me　a　cigarette。　So　he　knew　that　people　liked　smoking；　and　must
know　that　they　liked　freedom　and　light；　and　that　mothers　love
their　children；　and　children　their　mothers。　Then　how　could　they
tear　me　pitilessly　from　all　that　was　dear　to　me；　and　lock　me　up
in　prison　like　a　wild　animal？　That　sort　of　thing　could　not　be
borne　without　evil　effects。　Any　one　who　believes　in　God　and　men；
and　believes　that　men　love　one　another；　will　cease　to　believe　it
after　all　that。　I　have　ceased　to　believe　in　humanity　since　then；
and　have　grown　embittered；〃　she　finished；　with　a　smile。

Shoustova's　mother　came　in　at　the　door　through　which　her　daughter
had　gone　out；　and　said　that　Lydia　was　very　much　upset；　and　would
not　come　in　again。

〃And　what　has　this　young　life　been　ruined　for？〃　said　the　aunt。
〃What　is　especially　painful　to　me　is　that　I　am　the　involuntary
cause　of　it。〃

〃She　will　recover　in　the　country；　with　God's　help；〃　said　the
mother。　〃We　shall　send　her　to　her　father。〃

〃Yes；　if　it　were　not　for　you　she　would　have　perished　altogether；〃
said　the　aunt。　〃Thank　you。　But　what　I　wished　to　see　you　for　is
this：　I　wished　to　ask　you　to　take　a　letter　to　Vera　Doukhova；〃　and
she　got　the　letter　out　of　her　pocket。

〃The　letter　is　not　closed；　you　may　read　and　tear　it　up；　or　hand
it　to　her；　according　to　how　far　it　coincides　with　your
principles；〃　she　said。　〃It　contains　nothing　compromising。〃

Nekhludoff　took　the　letter；　and；　having　promised　to　give　it　to
Vera　Doukhova；　he　took　his　leave　and　went　away。　He　scaled　the
letter　without　reading　it；　meaning　to　take　it　to　its　destination。


CHAPTER　XXVII。

THE　STATE　CHURCH　AND　THE　PEOPLE。

The　last　thing　that　kept　Nekhludoff　in　Petersburg　was　the　case　of
the　sectarians；　whose　petition　he　intended　to　get　his　former
fellow…officer；　Aide…de…camp　Bogatyreff；　to　hand　to　the　Tsar。　He
came　to　Bogatyreff　in　the　morning；　and　found　him　about　to　go　out；
though　still　at　breakfast。　Bogatyreff　was　not　tall；　but　firmly
built　and　wonderfully　strong　（he　could　bend　a　horseshoe）；　a　kind；
honest；　straight；　and　even　liberal　man。　In　spite　of　these
qualities；　he　was　intimate　at　Court；　and　very　fond　of　the　Tsar
and　his　family；　and　by　some　strange　method　he　managed；　while
living　in　that　highest　circle；　to　see　nothing　but　the　good　in　it
and　to　take　no　part　in　the　evil　and　corruption。　He　never
condemned　anybody　nor　any　measure；　and　either　kept　silent　or
spoke　in　a　bold；　loud　voice；　almost　shouting　what　he　had　to　say；
and　often　laughing　in　the　same　boisterous　manner。　And　he　did　not
do　it　for　diplomatic　reasons；　but　because　such　was　his　character。

〃Ah；　that's　right　that　you　have　come。　Would　you　like　some
breakfast？　Sit　down；　the　beefsteaks　are　fine！　I　always　begin　with
something　substantialbegin　and　finish；　too。　Ha！　ha！　ha！　Well；
then；　have　a　glass　of　wine；〃　he　shouted；　pointing　to　a　decanter
of　claret。　〃I　have　been　thinking　of　you。　I　will　hand　on　the
petition。　I　shall　put　it　into　his　own　hands。　You　may　count　on
that；　only　it　occurred　to　me　that　it　would　be　best　for　you　to
call　on　Toporoff。〃

Nekhludoff　made　a　wry　face　at　the　mention　of　Toporoff。

〃It　all　depends　on　him。　He　will　be　consulted；　anyhow。　And　perhaps
he　may　himself　meet　your　wishes。〃

〃If　you　advise　it　I　shall　go。〃

〃That's　right。　Well；　and　how　does　Petersburg　agree　with　you？〃
shouted　Bogatyreff。　〃Tell　me。　Eh？〃

〃I　feel　myself　getting　hypnotised；〃　replied　Nekhludoff。

〃Hypnotised！〃　Bogatyreff　repeated；　and　burst　out　laughing。　〃You
won't　have　anything？　Well；　just　as　you　please；〃　and　he　wiped　his
moustaches　with　his　napkin。　〃Then　you'll　go？　Eh？　If　he　does　not
do　it；　give　the　petition　to　me；　and　I　shall　hand　it　on
to…morrow。〃　Shouting　these　words；　he　rose；　crossed　himself　just
as　naturally　as　he　had　wiped　his　mouth；　and　began　buckling　on　his
sword。

〃And　now　good…bye；　I　must　go。　We　are　both　going　out；〃　said
Nekhludoff；　and　shaking　Bogatyreff's　strong；　broad　hand；　and　with
the　sense　of　pleasure　which　the　impression　of　something　healthy
and　unconsciously　fresh　always　gave　him；　Nekhludoff　parted　from
Bogatyreff　on　the　door…steps。

Though　he　expected　no　good　result　from　his　visit；　still
Nekhludoff；　following　Bogatyreff's　advice；　went　to　see　Toporoff；
on　whom　the　sectarians'　fate　depended。

The　position　occupied　by　Toporoff；　involving　as　it　did　an
incongruity　of　purpose；　could　only　be　held　by　a　dull　man　devoid
of　moral　sensibility。　Toporoff　possessed　both　these　negative
qualities。　The　incongruity　of　the　position　he　occupied　was　this。
It　was　his　duty　to　keep　up　and　to　defend；　by　external　measures；
not　excluding　violence；　that　Church　which；　by　its　own
declaration；　was　established　by　God　Himself　and　could　not　be
shaken　by　the　gates　of　hell　nor　by　anything　human。　This　divine
and　immutable　God…established　institution　had　to　be　sustained　and
defended　by　a　human　institutionthe　Holy　Synod；　managed　by
Toporoff　and　his　officials。　Toporoff　did　not　see　this
contradiction；　nor　did　he　wish　to　see　it；　and　he　was　therefore
much　concerned　lest　some　Romish　priest；　some　pastor；　or　some
sectarian　should　destroy　that　Church　which　the　gates　of　hell
could　not　conquer。

Toporoff；　like　all　those　who　are　quite　destitute　of　the
fundamental　religious　feeling　that　recognises　the　equality　and
brotherhood　of　men；　was　fully　convinced　that　the　common　people
were　creatures　entirely　different　from　himself；　and　that　the
people　needed　what　he　could　very　well　do　without；　for　at　the
bottom　of　his　heart　he　believed　in　nothing；　and　found　such　a
state　very　convenient　and　pleasant。　Yet　he　feared　lest　the　people
might　also　come　to　such　a　state；　and　looked　upon　it　as　his　sacred
duty；　as　he　called　it；　to　save　the　people　therefrom。

A　certain　cookery　book　declares　that　some　crabs　like　to　be　boiled
alive。　In　the　same　way　he　thought　and　spoke　as　if　the　people
liked　being　kept　in　superstition；　only　he　meant　this　in　a　literal
sense；　whereas　the　cookery　book　did　not　mean　its　words　literally。

His　feelings　towards　the　religion　he　was　keeping　up　were　the　same
as　those　of　the　poultry…keeper　towards　the　carrion　he　fed　his
fowls　on。　Carrion　was　very　disgusting；　but　the　fowls　liked　it；
therefore　it　was　right　to　feed　the　fowls　on　carrion。　Of　course
all　this　worship　of　the　images　of　the　Iberian；　Kasan　and　Smolensk
Mothers　of　God　was　a　gross　superstition；　but　the　people　liked　it
and　believed　in　it；　and　therefore　the　superstition　must　be　kept
up。

Thus　thought　Toporoff；　not　considering　that　the　people　only　liked
superstition　because　there　always　have　been；　and　still　are；　men
like　himself　who；　being　enlightened；　instead　of　using　their　light
to　help　others　to　struggle　out　of　their　dark　ignorance；　use　it　to
plunge　them　still　deeper　into　it。

When　Nekhludoff　entered　the　reception…room　Toporoff　was　in　his
study　talking　with　an　abbess；　a　lively　and　aristocratic　lady；　who
was　spreading　the　Greek　orthodox　faith　in　Western　Russia　among
the　Uniates　（who　acknowledge　the　Pope　of　Rome）；　and　who　have　the
Greek　religion　enforced　on　them。　An　official　who　was　in　the
reception…room　inquired　what　Nekhludoff　wanted；　and　when　he　heard
that　Nekhludoff　meant　to　hand　in　a　petition　to　the　Emperor；