a personal record-第17章

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There　was　a　door　facing　him；　a　door　to　the　right；　and　a　door　to



the　left。　　The　officer　chose　to　enter　the　room　on　the　left；　and



ordered　the　blinds　to　be　pulled　up。　　It　was　Mr。　Nicholas　B。's



study；　with　a　couple　of　tall　bookcases；　some　pictures　on　the



walls；　and　so　on。　　Besides　the　big　centre…table；　with　books　and



papers；　there　was　a　quite　small　writing…table；　with　several



drawers；　standing　between　the　door　and　the　window　in　a　good



light；　and　at　this　table　my　granduncle　usually　sat　either　to　read



or　write。







On　pulling　up　the　blind　the　servant　was　startled　by　the　discovery



that　the　whole　male　population　of　the　village　was　massed　in



front；　trampling　down　the　flower…beds。　　There　were　also　a　few



women　among　them。　　He　was　glad　to　observe　the　village　priest　（of



the　Orthodox　Church）　coming　up　the　drive。　　The　good　man　in　his



haste　had　tucked　up　his　cassock　as　high　as　the　top　of　his　boots。







The　officer　had　been　looking　at　the　backs　of　the　books　in　the



bookcases。　　Then　he　perched　himself　on　the　edge　of　the　centre



table　and　remarked　easily：







〃Your　master　did　not　take　you　to　town　with　him；　then？〃







〃I　am　the　head　servant；　and　he　leaves　me　in　charge　of　the　house。　



It's　a　strong；　young　chap　that　travels　with　our　master。　　IfGod



forbidthere　was　some　accident　on　the　road；　he　would　be　of　much



more　use　than　I。〃







Glancing　through　the　window；　he　saw　the　priest　arguing　vehemently



in　the　thick　of　the　crowd；　which　seemed　subdued　by　his



interference。　　Three　or　four　men；　however；　were　talking　with　the



Cossacks　at　the　door。







〃And　you　don't　think　your　master　has　gone　to　join　the　rebels



maybeeh？〃　asked　the　officer。







〃Our　master　would　be　too　old　for　that；　surely。　　He's　well　over



seventy；　and　he's　getting　feeble；　too。　　It's　some　years　now　since



he's　been　on　horseback；　and　he　can't　walk　much；　either；　now。〃







The　officer　sat　there　swinging　his　leg；　very　quiet　and



indifferent。　　By　that　time　the　peasants　who　had　been　talking　with



the　Cossack　troopers　at　the　door　had　been　permitted　to　get　into



the　hall。　　One　or　two　more　left　the　crowd　and　followed　them　in。　



They　were　seven　in　all；　and　among　them　the　blacksmith；　an



ex…soldier。　　The　servant　appealed　deferentially　to　the　officer。







〃Won't　your　honour　be　pleased　to　tell　the　people　to　go　back　to



their　homes？　　What　do　they　want　to　push　themselves　into　the　house



like　this　for？　　It's　not　proper　for　them　to　behave　like　this



while　our　master's　away　and　I　am　responsible　for　everything



here。〃







The　officer　only　laughed　a　little；　and　after　a　while　inquired：







〃Have　you　any　arms　in　the　house？〃







〃Yes。　　We　have。　　Some　old　things。〃







〃Bring　them　all　here；　onto　this　table。〃







The　servant　made　another　attempt　to　obtain　protection。







〃Won't　your　honour　tell　these　chaps。　。　。　？〃







But　the　officer　looked　at　him　in　silence；　in　such　a　way　that　he



gave　it　up　at　once　and　hurried　off　to　call　the　pantry…boy　to　help



him　collect　the　arms。　　Meantime；　the　officer　walked　slowly



through　all　the　rooms　in　the　house；　examining　them　attentively



but　touching　nothing。　　The　peasants　in　the　hall　fell　back　and



took　off　their　caps　when　he　passed　through。　　He　said　nothing



whatever　to　them。　　When　he　came　back　to　the　study　all　the　arms　to



be　found　in　the　house　were　lying　on　the　table。　　There　was　a　pair



of　big；　flint…lock　holster　pistols　from　Napoleonic　times；　two



cavalry　swords；　one　of　the　French；　the　other　of　the　Polish　army



pattern；　with　a　fowling…piece　or　two。







The　officer；　opening　the　window；　flung　out　pistols；　swords；　and



guns；　one　after　another；　and　his　troopers　ran　to　pick　them　up。



The　peasants　in　the　hall；　encouraged　by　his　manner；　had　stolen



after　him　into　the　study。　　He　gave　not　the　slightest　sign　of



being　conscious　of　their　existence；　and；　his　business　being



apparently　concluded；　strode　out　of　the　house　without　a　word。　



Directly　he　left；　the　peasants　in　the　study　put　on　their　caps　and



began　to　smile　at　each　other。







The　Cossacks　rode　away；　passing　through　the　yards　of　the　home



farm　straight　into　the　fields。　　The　priest；　still　arguing　with



the　peasants；　moved　gradually　down　the　drive　and　his　earnest



eloquence　was　drawing　the　silent　mob　after　him；　away　from　the



house。　　This　justice　must　be　rendered　to　the　parish　priests　of



the　Greek　Church　that；　strangers　to　the　country　as　they　were



（being　all　drawn　from　the　interior　of　Russia）；　the　majority　of



them　used　such　influence　as　they　had　over　their　flocks　in　the



cause　of　peace　and　humanity。　　True　to　the　spirit　of　their



calling；　they　tried　to　soothe　the　passions　of　the　excited



peasantry；　and　opposed　rapine　and　violence；　whenever　they　could；



with　all　their　might。　　And　this　conduct　they　pursued　against　the



express　wishes　of　the　authorities。　　Later　on　some　of　them　were



made　to　suffer　for　this　disobedience　by　being　removed　abruptly　to



the　far　north　or　sent　away　to　Siberian　parishes。







The　servant　was　anxious　to　get　rid　of　the　few　peasants　who　had



got　into　the　house。　　What　sort　of　conduct　was　that；　he　asked



them；　toward　a　man　who　was　only　a　tenant；　had　been　invariably



good　and　considerate　to　the　villagers　for　years；　and　only　the



other　day　had　agreed　to　give　up　two　meadows　for　the　use　of　the



village　herd？　　He　reminded　them；　too；　of　Mr。　Nicholas　B。's



devotion　to　the　sick　in　time　of　cholera。　　Every　word　of　this　was



true；　and　so　far　effective　that　the　fellows　began　to　scratch



their　heads　and　look　irresolute。　　The　speaker　then　pointed　at　the



window；　exclaiming：　〃Look！　there's　all　your　crowd　going　away



quietly；　and　you　silly　chaps　had　better　go　after　them　and　pray



God　to　forgive　you　your　evil　thoughts。〃







This　appeal　was　an　unlucky　inspiration。







In　crowding　clumsily　to　the　window　to　see　whether　he　was　speaking



the　truth；　the　fellows　overturned　the　little　writing…table。　　As



it　fell　over　a　chink　of　loose　coin　was　heard。　　〃There's　money　in



that　thing；〃　cried　the　blacksmith。　　In　a　moment　the　top　of　the



delicate　piece　of　furniture　was　smashed　and　there　lay　exposed　in



a　drawer　eighty　half　imperials。　　Gold　coin　was　a　rare　sight　in



Russia　even　at　that　time；　it　put　the　peasants　beside　themselves。　



〃There　must　be　more　of　that　in　the　house；　and　we　shall　have　it；〃



yelled　the　ex…soldier　blacksmith。　　〃This　is　war…time。〃　　The



others　were　already　shouting　out　of　the　window；　urging　the　crowd



to　come　back　and　help。　　The　priest；　abandoned　suddenly　at　the



gate；　flung　his　arms　up　and　hurried　away　so　as　not　to　see　what



was　going　to　happen。







In　their　search　for　money　that　bucolic　mob　smashed　everything　in



the　house；　ripping　with　knives；　splitting　with　hatchets；　so　that；



as　the　servant　said；　there　were　no　two　pieces　of　wood　holding



together　left　in　the　whole　house。　　They　broke　some　very　fine



mirrors；　all　the　windows；　and　every　piece　of　glass　and　china。　



They　threw　the　books　and　papers　out　on　the　lawn　and　set　fire　to



the　heap　for　the　mere　fun　of　the　thing；　apparently。　　Absolutely



the　only　one　solitary　thing　which　they　left　whole　was　a　small



ivory　crucifix；　which　remained　hanging　on　the　wall　in　the　wrecked



bedroom　above　a　wild　heap　of　rags；　broken　mahogany；　and



splintered　boards　which　had　been　Mr。　Nicholas　B。's　bedstead。



Detecting　the　servant　in　the　act　of　stealing　away　with　a　japanned



tin　box；　they　tore　it　from　him；　and　because　he　resisted　they



threw　him　out　of　the　dining…room　window。　　The　house　was　on　one



floor；　but　raised　well　above　the　ground；　and　the　fall　was