resurrection(复活)-第77节

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patch；　and　his　black　beard　all　glistening。

〃How　do　you　do？　How　do　you　do？〃　he　said；　laying　an　unnatural　and
intentional　stress　on　his　words。　（Though；　soon　after　the
marriage；　they　had　tried　to　be　more　familiar　with　each　other；
they　had　never　succeeded。）

They　shook　hands；　and　Rogozhinsky　sank　softly　into　an　easy…chair。

〃Am　I　not　interrupting　your　conversation？〃

〃No；　I　do　not　wish　to　hide　what　I　am　saying　or　doing　from　any
one。〃

As　soon　as　Nekhludoff　saw　the　hairy　hands；　and　heard　the
patronising；　self…assured　tones；　his　meekness　left　him　in　a
moment。

〃Yes；　we　were　talking　about　his　intentions；〃　said　Nathalie。
〃Shall　I　give　you　a　cup　of　tea？〃　she　added；　taking　the　teapot。

〃Yes；　please。　What　particular　intentions　do　you　mean？〃

That　of　going　to　Siberia　with　the　gang　of　prisoners；　among　whom
is　the　woman　I　consider　myself　to　have　wronged；〃　uttered
Nekhludoff。

〃I　hear　not　only　to　accompany　her；　but　more　than　that。〃

〃Yes；　and　to　marry　her　if　she　wishes　it。〃

〃Dear　me！　But　if　you　do　not　object　I　should　like　to　ask　you　to
explain　your　motives。　I　do　not　understand　them。〃

〃My　motives　are　that　this　womanthat　this　woman's　first　step　on
her　way　to　degradation〃　Nekhludoff　got　angry　with　himself；　and
was　unable　to　find　the　right　expression。　〃My　motives　are　that　I
am　the　guilty　one；　and　she　gets　the　punishment。〃

〃If　she　is　being　punished　she　cannot　be　innocent；　either。〃

〃She　is　quite　innocent。〃　And　Nekhludoff　related　the　whole
incident　with　unnecessary　warmth。

〃Yes；　that　was　a　case　of　carelessness　on　the　part　of　the
president；　the　result　of　which　was　a　thoughtless　answer　on　the
part　of　the　jury；　but　there　is　the　Senate　for　cases　like　that。〃

〃The　Senate　has　rejected　the　appeal。〃

〃Well；　if　the　Senate　has　rejected　it；　there　cannot　have　been
sufficient　reasons　for　an　appeal；〃　said　Rogozhinsky；　evidently
sharing　the　prevailing　opinion　that　truth　is　the　product　of
judicial　decrees。　〃The　Senate　cannot　enter　into　the　question　on
its　merits。　If　there　is　a　real　mistake；　the　Emperor　should　be
petitioned。〃

〃That　has　been　done；　but　there　is　no　probability　of　success。　They
will　apply　to　the　Department　of　the　Ministry；　the　Department　will
consult　the　Senate；　the　Senate　will　repeat　its　decision；　and；　as
usual；　the　innocent　will　get　punished。〃

〃In　the　first　place；　the　Department　of　the　Ministry　won't　consult
the　Senate；〃　said　Rogozhinsky；　with　a　condescending　smile；　〃it
will　give　orders　for　the　original　deeds　to　be　sent　from　the　Law
Court；　and　if　it　discovers　a　mistake　it　will　decide　accordingly。
And；　secondly；　the　innocent　are　never　punished；　or　at　least　in
very　rare；　exceptional　cases。　It　is　the　guilty　who　are　punished；〃
Rogozhinsky　said　deliberately；　and　smiled　self…complacently。

〃And　I　have　become　fully　convinced　that　most　of　those　condemned
by　law　are　innocent。〃

〃How's　that？

〃Innocent　in　the　literal　sense。　Just　as　this　woman　is　innocent　of
poisoning　any　one；　as　innocent　as　a　peasant　I　have　just　come　to
know；　of　the　murder　he　never　committed；　as　a　mother　and　son　who
were　on　the　point　of　being　condemned　for　incendiarism；　which　was
committed　by　the　owner　of　the　house　that　was　set　on　fire。〃

〃Well；　of　course　there　always　have　been　and　always　will　be
judicial　errors。　Human　institutions　cannot　be　perfect。〃

〃And；　besides；　there　are　a　great　many　people　convicted　who　are
innocent　of　doing　anything　considered　wrong　by　the　society　they
have　grown　up　in。〃

〃Excuse　me；　this　is　not　so；　every　thief　knows　that　stealing　is
wrong；　and　that　we　should　not　steal；　that　it　is　immoral；〃　said
Rogozhinsky；　with　his　quiet；　self…assured；　slightly　contemptuous
smile；　which　specially　irritated　Nekhludoff。

〃No；　he　does　not　know　it；　they　say　to　him　'don't　steal；'　and　he
knows　that　the　master　of　the　factory　steals　his　labour　by　keeping
back　his　wages；　that　the　Government；　with　its　officials；　robs　him
continually　by　taxation。〃

〃Why；　this　is　anarchism；〃　Rogozhinsky　said；　quietly　defining　his
brother…in…law's　words。

〃I　don't　know　what　it　is；　I　am　only　telling　you　the　truth；〃
Nekhludoff　continued。　〃He　knows　that　the　Government　is　robbing
him；　knows　that　we　landed　proprietors　have　robbed　him　long　since；
robbed　him　of　the　land　which　should　be　the　common　property　of
all；　and　then；　if　he　picks　up　dry　wood　to　light　his　fire　on　that
land　stolen　from　him；　we　put　him　in　jail；　and　try　to　persuade　him
that　he　is　a　thief。　Of　course　he　knows　that　not　he　but　those　who
robbed　him　of　the　land　are　thieves；　and　that　to　get　any
restitution　of　what　has　been　robbed　is　his　duty　towards　his
family。〃

〃I　don't　understand；　or　if　I　do　I　cannot　agree　with　it。　The　land
must　be　somebody's　property；〃　began　Rogozhinsky　quietly；　and；
convinced　that　Nekhludoff　was　a　Socialist；　and　that　Socialism
demands　that　all　the　land　should　be　divided　equally；　that　such　a
division　would　be　very　foolish；　and　that　he　could　easily　prove　it
to　be　so；　he　said。　〃If　you　divided　it　equally　to…day；　it　would
to…morrow　be　again　in　the　hands　of　the　most　industrious　and
clever。〃

〃Nobody　is　thinking　of　dividing　the　land　equally。　The　land　must
not　be　anybody's　property；　must　not　be　a　thing　to　be　bought　and
sold　or　rented。〃

〃The　rights　of　property　are　inborn　in　man；　without　them　the
cultivation　of　land　would　present　no　interest。　Destroy　the　rights
of　property　and　we　lapse　into　barbarism。〃　Rogozhinsky　uttered
this　authoritatively；　repeating　the　usual　argument　in　favour　of
private　ownership　of　land　which　is　supposed　to　be　irrefutable；
based　on　the　assumption　that　people's　desire　to　possess　land
proves　that　they　need　it。

〃On　the　contrary；　only　when　the　land　is　nobody's　property　will　it
cease　to　lie　idle；　as　it　does　now；　while　the　landlords；　like　dogs
in　the　manger；　unable　themselves　to　put　it　to　use；　will　not　let
those　use　it　who　are　able。〃

〃But；　Dmitri　Ivanovitch；　what　you　are　saying　is　sheer　madness。　Is
it　possible　to　abolish　property　in　land　in　our　age？　I　know　it　is
your　old　hobby。　But　allow　me　to　tell　you　straight；〃　and
Rogozhinsky　grew　pale；　and　his　voice　trembled。　It　was　evident
that　this　question　touched　him　very　nearly。　〃I　should　advise　you
to　consider　this　question　well　before　attempting　to　solve　it
practically。〃

〃Are　you　speaking　of　my　personal　affairs？〃

〃Yes；　I　hold　that　we　who　are　placed　in　special　circumstances
should　bear　the　responsibilities　which　spring　from　those
circumstances；　should　uphold　the　conditions　in　which　we　were
born；　and　which　we　have　inherited　from　our　predecessors；　and
which　we　ought　to　pass　on　to　our　descendants。〃

〃I　consider　it　my　duty〃

〃Wait　a　bit；〃　said　Rogozhinsky；　not　permitting　the　interruption。
〃I　am　not　speaking　for　myself　or　my　children。　The　position　of　my
children　is　assured；　and　I　earn　enough　for　us　to　live
comfortably；　and　I　expect　my　children　will　live　so　too；　so　that
my　interest　in　your　actionwhich；　if　you　will　allow　me　to　say
so；　is　not　well　consideredis　not　based　on　personal　motives；　it
is　on　principle　that　I　cannot　agree　with　you。　I　should　advise　you
to　think　it　well　over；　to　read…？〃

〃Please　allow　me　to　settle　my　affairs；　and　to　choose　what　to　read
and　what　not　to　read；　myself；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　turning　pale。
Feeling　his　hands　grow　cold；　and　that　he　was　no　longer　master　of
himself；　he　stopped；　and　began　drinking　his　tea。


CHAPTER　XXXIII。

THE　AIM　OF　THE　LAW。

〃Well；　and　how　are　the　children？〃　Nekhludoff　asked　his　sister
when　he　was　calmer。　The　sister　told　him　about　the　children。　She
said　they　were　staying　with　their　grandmother　（their　father's
mother）；　and；　pleased　that　his　dispute　with　her　husband　had　come
to　an　end；　she　began　telling　him　how　her　children　played　that
they　were　travelling；　just　as　he　used　to　do　with　his　three　dolls；
one　of　them　a　negro　and　another　which　he　called　the　French　lady。

〃Can　you　really　remember　it　all？〃　said　Nekhludoff；　smiling。

〃Yes；　and　just　fancy；　they　play　in　the　very　same　way。〃

The　unpleasant　conversation　had　been　brought　to　an　end；　and
Nathalie　was　quieter；　but　she　did　not　care　to　talk　in　her
husband's　presence　of　what　could　be　comprehensible　only　to　her
brother；　so；　wishing　to　start　a　general　conversation；　she　began
talking　about　the　sorrow　of　Kamenski's　mother　at　losing　her　only
son；　who　had　fallen　in　a　duel；　for　this　Petersburg　topic　of　the
day　had　now　reached　Moscow。　Rogozhinsky　expressed　disapproval　at
the　state　of　things　that　excluded　murder　in　a　duel　from　the
ordinary　criminal　offences。　This　remark　evoked　a　rejoinder　from
Nekhludoff；　and　a　new　dispute　arose　on　the　subject。　Nothing　was
fully　explained；　neither　of　the　antagonists　expressed　all　he　had
in　his　mind；　each　keeping　to　his　conviction；　which　condemned　the
other。　Rogozhinsky　felt　that　Nekhludoff　condemned　him　and
despised　his　activity；　and　he　wished　to　show　him　the　injustice　of
his　opinions。

Nekhludoff；　on　the　other　hand；　felt　provoked　by　his
brother…in…law's　interference　in　his　affairs　concerning　the　land。
And　knowing　in　his　heart　of　hearts　that　his　sister；　her　husband；
and　their　children；　as　his　heirs；　had　a　right　to　do　so；　was
indignant　that　this　narrow…minded　man　persisted　with　calm
assurance　to　regard　as　just　and　lawful　what　Nekhludoff　no　longer
doubted　was　folly　and　crime。