the moscow census-第3章

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for　two　days。〃　　He　spoke　modestly；　with　an　effort　at　a　smile。　　A
sbiten｛4｝…seller；　an　old　soldier；　stood　near　by。　　I　called　him　up。
He　poured　out　his　sbiten。　　The　peasant　took　a　boiling…hot　glassful　in
his　hands；　and　as　he　tried　before　drinking　not　to　let　any　of　the　heat
escape　in　vain；　and　warmed　his　hands　over　it；　he　related　his
adventures　to　me。　　These　adventures；　or　the　histories　of　them；　are
almost　always　identical：　　the　man　has　been　a　laborer；　then　he　has
changed　his　residence；　then　his　purse　containing　his　money　and　ticket
has　been　stolen　from　him　in　the　night　lodging…house；　now　it　is
impossible　to　get　away　from　Moscow。　　He　told　me　that　he　kept　himself
warm　by　day　in　the　dram…shops；　that　he　nourished　himself　on　the　bits
of　bread　in　these　drinking　places；　when　they　were　given　to　him；　and
when　he　was　driven　out　of　them；　he　came　hither　to　the　Lyapinsky　house
for　a　free　lodging。　　He　was　only　waiting　for　the　police　to　make　their
rounds；　when；　as　he　had　no　passport；　he　would　be　taken　to　jail；　and
then　despatched　by　stages　to　his　place　of　settlement。　　〃They　say　that
the　inspection　will　be　made　on　Friday；〃　said　he；　〃then　they　will
arrest　me。　　If　I　can　only　get　along　until　Friday。〃　　（The　jail；　and
the　journey　by　stages；　represent　the　Promised　Land　to　him。）

As　he　told　his　story；　three　men　from　among　the　throng　corroborated
his　statements；　and　said　that　they　were　in　the　same　predicament。　　A
gaunt；　pale；　long…nosed　youth；　with　merely　a　shirt　on　the　upper
portion　of　his　body；　and　that　torn　on　the　shoulders；　and　a　cap
without　a　visor；　forced　his　way　sidelong　through　the　crowd。　　He
shivered　violently　and　incessantly；　but　tried　to　smile　disdainfully
at　the　peasants'　remarks；　thinking　by　this　means　to　adopt　the　proper
tone　with　me；　and　he　stared　at　me。　　I　offered　him　some　sbiten；　he
also；　on　taking　the　glass；　warmed　his　hands　over　it；　but　no　sooner
had　he　begun　to　speak；　than　he　was　thrust　aside　by　a　big；　black；
hook…nosed　individual；　in　a　chintz　shirt　and　waistcoat；　without　a
hat。　　The　hook…nosed　man　asked　for　some　sbiten　also。　　Then　came　a
tall　old　man；　with　a　mass　of　beard；　clad　in　a　great…coat　girded　with
a　rope；　and　in　bast　shoes；　who　was　drunk。　　Then　a　small　man　with　a
swollen　face　and　tearful　eyes；　in　a　brown　nankeen　round…jacket；　with
his　bare　knees　protruding　from　the　holes　in　his　summer　trousers；　and
knocking　together　with　cold。　　He　shivered　so　that　he　could　not　hold
his　glass；　and　spilled　it　over　himself。　　The　men　began　to　reproach
him。　　He　only　smiled　in　a　woe…begone　way；　and　went　on　shivering。
Then　came　a　crooked　monster　in　rags；　with　pattens　on　his　bare　feet；
then　some　sort　of　an　officer；　then　something　in　the　ecclesiastical
line；　then　something　strange　and　nose…less；all　hungry　and　cold；
beseeching　and　submissive；　thronged　round　me；　and　pressed　close　to
the　sbiten。　　They　drank　up　all　the　sbiten。　　One　asked　for　money；　and
I　gave　it。　　Then　another　asked；　then　a　third；　and　the　whole　crowd
besieged　me。　　Confusion　and　a　press　resulted。　　The　porter　of　the
adjoining　house　shouted　to　the　crowd　to　clear　the　sidewalk　in　front
of　his　house；　and　the　crowd　submissively　obeyed　his　orders。　　Some
managers　stepped　out　of　the　throng；　and　took　me　under　their
protection；　and　wanted　to　lead　me　forth　out　of　the　press；　but　the
crowd；　which　had　at　first　been　scattered　over　the　sidewalk；　now
became　disorderly；　and　hustled　me。　　All　stared　at　me　and　begged；　and
each　face　was　more　pitiful　and　suffering　and　humble　than　the　last。　　I
distributed　all　that　I　had　with　me。　　I　had　not　much　money；　something
like　twenty　rubles；　and　in　company　with　the　crowd；　I　entered　the
Lyapinsky　lodging…house。　　This　house　is　huge。　　It　consists　of　four
sections。　　In　the　upper　stories　are　the　men's　quarters；　in　the　lower；
the　women's。　　I　first　entered　the　women's　place；　a　vast　room　all
occupied　with　bunks；　resembling　the　third…class　bunks　on　the　railway。
These　bunks　were　arranged　in　two　rows；　one　above　the　other。　　The
women；　strange；　tattered　creatures；　both　old　and　young；　wearing
nothing　over　their　dresses；　entered　and　took　their　places；　some　below
and　some　above。　　Some　of　the　old　ones　crossed　themselves；　and　uttered
a　petition　for　the　founder　of　this　refuge；　some　laughed　and　scolded。
I　went　up…stairs。　　There　the　men　had　installed　themselves；　among　them
I　espied　one　of　those　to　whom　I　had　given　money。　　＇On　catching　sight
of　him；　I　all　at　once　felt　terribly　abashed；　and　I　made　haste　to
leave　the　room。　　And　it　was　with　a　sense　of　absolute　crime　that　I
quitted　that　house　and　returned　home。　　At　home　I　entered　over　the
carpeted　stairs　into　the　ante…room；　whose　floor　was　covered　with
cloth；　and　having　removed　my　fur　coat；　I　sat　down　to　a　dinner　of　five
courses；　waited　on　by　two　lackeys　in　dress…coats；　white　neckties；　and
white　gloves。

Thirty　years　ago　I　witnessed　in　Paris　a　man's　head　cut　off　by　the
guillotine　in　the　presence　of　thousands　of　spectators。　　I　knew　that
the　man　was　a　horrible　criminal。　　I　was　acquainted　with　all　the
arguments　which　people　have　been　devising　for　so　many　centuries；　in
order　to　justify　this　sort　of　deed。　　I　knew　that　they　had　done　this
expressly；　deliberately。　　But　at　the　moment　when　head　and　body　were
severed；　and　fell　into　the　trough；　I　groaned；　and　apprehended；　not
with　my　mind；　but　with　my　heart　and　my　whole　being；　that　all　the
arguments　which　I　had　heard　anent　the　death…penalty　were　arrant
nonsense；　that；　no　matter　how　many　people　might　assemble　in　order　to
perpetrate　a　murder；　no　matter　what　they　might　call　themselves；
murder　is　murder；　the　vilest　sin　in　the　world；　and　that　that　crime
had　been　committed　before　my　very　eyes。　　By　my　presence　and　non…
interference；　I　had　lent　my　approval　to　that　crime；　and　had　taken
part　in　it。　　So　now；　at　the　sight　of　this　hunger；　cold；　and
degradation　of　thousands　of　persons；　I　understood　not　with　my　mind；
but　with　my　heart　and　my　whole　being；　that　the　existence　of　tens　of
thousands　of　such　people　in　Moscow；　while　I　and　other　thousands　dined
on　fillets　and　sturgeon；　and　covered　my　horses　and　my　floors　with
cloth　and　rugs；no　matter　what　the　wise　ones　of　this　world　might　say
to　me　about　its　being　a　necessity；was　a　crime；　not　perpetrated　a
single　time；　but　one　which　was　incessantly　being　perpetrated　over　and
over　again；　and　that　I；　in　my　luxury；　was　not　only　an　accessory；　but
a　direct　accomplice　in　the　matter。　　The　difference　for　me　between
these　two　impressions　was　this；　that　I　might　have　shouted　to　the
assassins　who　stood　around　the　guillotine；　and　perpetrated　the
murder；　that　they　were　committing　a　crime；　and　have　tried　with　all　my
might　to　prevent　the　murder。　　But　while　so　doing　I　should　have　known
that　my　action　would　not　prevent　the　murder。　　But　here　I　might　not
only　have　given　sbiten　and　the　money　which　I　had　with　me；　but　the
coat　from　my　back；　and　every　thing　that　was　in　my　house。　　But　this　I
had　not　done；　and　therefore　I　felt；　I　feel；　and　shall　never　cease　to
feel；　myself　an　accomplice　in　this　constantly　repeated　crime；　so　long
as　I　have　superfluous　food　and　any　one　else　has　none　at　all；　so　long
as　I　have　two　garments　while　any　one　else　has　not　even　one。＇　｛5｝



CHAPTER　III。



That　very　evening；　on　my　return　from　the　Lyapinsky　house；　I　related
my　impressions　to　a　friend。　　The　friend；　an　inhabitant　of　the　city；
began　to　tell　me；　not　without　satisfaction；　that　this　was　the　most
natural　phenomenon　of　town　life　possible；　that　I　only　saw　something
extraordinary　in　it　because　of　my　provincialism；　that　it　had　always
been　so；　and　always　would　be　so；　and　that　such　must　be　and　is　the
inevitable　condition　of　civilization。　　In　London　it　is　even　worse。
Of　course　there　is　nothing　wrong　about　it；　and　it　is　impossible　to　be
displeased　with　it。　　I　began　to　reply　to　my　friend；　but　with　so　much
heat　and　ill…temper；　that　my　wife　ran　in　from　the　adjoining　room　to
inquire　what　had　happened。　　It　appears　that；　without　being　conscious
of　it　myself；　I　had　been　shouting；　with　tears　in　my　voice；　and
flourishing　my　hands　at　my　friend。　　I　shouted：　　〃It's　impossible　to
live　thus；　impossible　to　live　thus；　impossible！〃　　They　made　me　feel
ashamed　of　my　unnecessary　warmth；　they　told　me　that　I　could　not　talk
quietly　about