a personal record-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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



serious　that　the　man　remained　lying　stunned　till　the　cook　and　a



stable…boy　ventured　forth　at　dusk　from　their　hiding…places　and



picked　him　up。　　But　by　that　time　the　mob　had　departed；　carrying



off　the　tin　box；　which　they　supposed　to　be　full　of　paper　money。　



Some　distance　from　the　house；　in　the　middle　of　a　field；　they



broke　it　open。　　They　found　in　side　documents　engrossed　on



parchment　and　the　two　crosses　of　the　Legion　of　Honour　and　For



Valour。　　At　the　sight　of　these　objects；　which；　the　blacksmith



explained；　were　marks　of　honour　given　only　by　the　Tsar；　they



became　extremely　frightened　at　what　they　had　done。　They　threw　the



whole　lot　away　into　a　ditch　and　dispersed　hastily。







On　learning　of　this　particular　loss　Mr。　Nicholas　B。　broke　down



completely。　　The　mere　sacking　of　his　house　did　not　seem　to　affect



him　much。　　While　he　was　still　in　bed　from　the　shock；　the　two



crosses　were　found　and　returned　to　him。　　It　helped　somewhat　his



slow　convalescence；　but　the　tin　box　and　the　parchments；　though



searched　for　in　all　the　ditches　around；　never　turned　up　again。　



He　could　not　get　over　the　loss　of　his　Legion　of　Honour　Patent；



whose　preamble；　setting　forth　his　services；　he　knew　by　heart　to



the　very　letter；　and　after　this　blow　volunteered　sometimes　to



recite；　tears　standing　in　his　eyes　the　while。　　Its　terms　haunted



him　apparently　during　the　last　two　years　of　his　life　to　such　an



extent　that　he　used　to　repeat　them　to　himself。　　This　is　confirmed



by　the　remark　made　more　than　once　by　his　old　servant　to　the　more



intimate　friends。　　〃What　makes　my　heart　heavy　is　to　hear　our



master　in　his　room　at　night　walking　up　and　down　and　praying　aloud



in　the　French　language。〃







It　must　have　been　somewhat　over　a　year　afterward　that　I　saw　Mr。



Nicholas　B。or；　more　correctly；　that　he　saw　mefor　the　last



time。　　It　was；　as　I　have　already　said；　at　the　time　when　my　mother



had　a　three　months'　leave　from　exile；　which　she　was　spending　in



the　house　of　her　brother；　and　friends　and　relations　were　coming



from　far　and　near　to　do　her　honour。　　It　is　inconceivable　that　Mr。



Nicholas　B。　should　not　have　been　of　the　number。　　The　little　child



a　few　months　old　he　had　taken　up　in　his　arms　on　the　day　of　his



home…coming；　after　years　of　war　and　exile；　was　confessing　her



faith　in　national　salvation　by　suffering　exile　in　her　turn。　　I　do



not　know　whether　he　was　present　on　the　very　day　of　our　departure。







I　have　already　admitted　that　for　me　he　is　more　especially　the　man



who　in　his　youth　had　eaten　roast　dog　in　the　depths　of　a　gloomy



forest　of　snow…loaded　pines。　　My　memory　cannot　place　him　in　any



remembered　scene。　　A　hooked　nose；　some　sleek　white　hair；　an



unrelated　evanescent　impression　of　a　meagre；　slight；　rigid　figure



militarily　buttoned　up　to　the　throat；　is　all　that　now　exists　on



earth　of　Mr。　Nicholas　B。；　only　this　vague　shadow　pursued　by　the



memory　of　his　grandnephew；　the　last　surviving　human　being；　I



suppose；　of　all　those　he　had　seen　in　the　course　of　his　taciturn



life。







But　I　remember　well　the　day　of　our　departure　back　to　exile。　　The



elongated；　bizarre；　shabby　travelling…carriage　with　four



post…horses；　standing　before　the　long　front　of　the　house　with　its



eight　columns；　four　on　each　side　of　the　broad　flight　of　stairs。　



On　the　steps；　groups　of　servants；　a　few　relations；　one　or　two



friends　from　the　nearest　neighbourhood；　a　perfect　silence；　on　all



the　faces　an　air　of　sober　concentration；　my　grandmother；　all　in



black；　gazing　stoically；　my　uncle　giving　his　arm　to　my　mother



down　to　the　carriage　in　which　I　had　been　placed　already；　at　the



top　of　the　flight　my　little　cousin　in　a　short　skirt　of　a　tartan



pattern　with　a　deal　of　red　in　it；　and　like　a　small　princess



attended　by　the　women　of　her　own　household；　the　head　gouvernante；



our　dear；　corpulent　Francesca　（who　had　been　for　thirty　years　in



the　service　of　the　B。　family）；　the　former　nurse；　now　outdoor



attendant；　a　handsome　peasant　face　wearing　a　compassionate



expression；　and　the　good；　ugly　Mlle。　Durand；　the　governess；　with



her　black　eyebrows　meeting　over　a　short；　thick　nose；　and　a



complexion　like　pale…brown　paper。　　Of　all　the　eyes　turned　toward



the　carriage；　her　good…natured　eyes　only　were　dropping　tears；　and



it　was　her　sobbing　voice　alone　that　broke　the　silence　with　an



appeal　to　me：　〃N'oublie　pas　ton　francais；　mon　cheri。〃　　In　three



months；　simply　by　playing　with　us；　she　had　taught　me　not　only　to



speak　French；　but　to　read　it　as　well。　　She　was　indeed　an



excellent　playmate。　　In　the　distance；　half…way　down　to　the　great



gates；　a　light；　open　trap；　harnessed　with　three　horses　in　Russian



fashion；　stood　drawn　up　on　one　side；　with　the　police　captain　of



the　district　sitting　in　it；　the　vizor　of　his　flat　cap　with　a　red



band　pulled　down　over　his　eyes。







It　seems　strange　that　he　should　have　been　there　to　watch　our



going　so　carefully。　　Without　wishing　to　treat　with　levity　the



just　timidites　of　Imperialists　all　the　world　over；　I　may　allow



myself　the　reflection　that　a　woman；　practically　condemned　by　the



doctors；　and　a　small　boy　not　quite　six　years　old；　could　not　be



regarded　as　seriously　dangerous；　even　for　the　largest　of



conceivable　empires　saddled　with　the　most　sacred　of



responsibilities。　　And　this　good　man　I　believe　did　not　think　so；



either。







I　learned　afterward　why　he　was　present　on　that　day。　　I　don't



remember　any　outward　signs；　but　it　seems　that；　about　a　month



before；　my　mother　became　so　unwell　that　there　was　a　doubt　whether



she　could　be　made　fit　to　travel　in　the　time。　　In　this　uncertainty



the　Governor…General　in　Kiev　was　petitioned　to　grant　her　a



fortnight's　extension　of　stay　in　her　brother's　house。　　No　answer



whatever　was　returned　to　this　prayer；　but　one　day　at　dusk　the



police　captain　of　the　district　drove　up　to　the　house　and　told　my



uncle's　valet；　who　ran　out　to　meet　him；　that　he　wanted　to　speak



with　the　master　in　private；　at　once。　　Very　much　impressed　（he



thought　it　was　going　to　be　an　arrest）；　the　servant；　〃more　dead



than　alive　with　fright；〃　as　he　related　afterward；　smuggled　him



through　the　big　drawing…room；　which　was　dark　（that　room　was　not



lighted　every　evening）；　on　tiptoe；　so　as　not　to　attract　the



attention　of　the　ladies　in　the　house；　and　led　him　by　way　of　the



orangery　to　my　uncle's　private　apartments。







The　policeman；　without　any　preliminaries；　thrust　a　paper　into　my



uncle's　hands。







〃There。　　Pray　read　this。　　I　have　no　business　to　show　this　paper



to　you。　　It　is　wrong　of　me。　　But　I　can't　either　eat　or　sleep　with



such　a　job　hanging　over　me。〃







That　police　captain；　a　native　of　Great　Russia；　had　been　for　many



years　serving　in　the　district。







My　uncle　unfolded　and　read　the　document。　It　was　a　service　order



issued　from　the　Governor…General's　secretariat；　dealing　with　the



matter　of　the　petition　and　directing　the　police　captain　to



disregard　all　remonstrances　and　explanations　in　regard　to　that



illness　either　from　medical　men　or　others；　〃and　if　she　has　not



left　her　brother's　house〃it　went　on　to　say〃on　the　morning　of



the　day　specified　on　her　permit；　you　are　to　despatch　her　at　once



under　escort；　direct〃　（underlined）　〃to　the　prison…hospital　in



Kiev；　where　she　will　be　treated　as　her　case　demands。〃







〃For　God's　sake；　Mr。　B。；　see　that　your　sister　goes　away



punctually　on　that　day。　　Don't　give　me　this　work　to　do　with　a



womanand　with　one　of　your　family；　too。　　I　simply　cannot　bear　to



think　of　it。〃







He　was　absolutely　wrin