06-the young tsar-第4章

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over　whom　your　power　extends。

〃But　what　can　I　do？〃　exclaimed　the　Tsar　in
despair。　　〃I　do　not　wish　to　torture；　to　flog；　to
corrupt；　to　kill　any　one！　I　only　want　the　welfare
of　all。　　Just　as　I　yearn　for　happiness　myself；　so　I
want　the　world　to　be　happy　as　well。　　Am　I　actu…
ally　responsible　for　everything　that　is　done　in　my
name？　What　can　I　do？　What　am　I　to　do　to
rid　myself　of　such　a　responsibility？　What　can　I
do？　I　do　not　admit　that　the　responsibility　for　all
this　is　mine。　　If　I　felt　myself　responsible　for　one…
hundredth　part　of　it；　I　would　shoot　myself　on　the
spot。　　It　would　not　be　possible　to　live　if　that　were
true。　　But　how　can　I　put　an　end；　to　all　this　evil？
It　is　bound　up　with　the　very　existence　of　the
State。　　I　am　the　head　of　the　State！　What　am　I
to　do？　Kill　myself？　Or　abdicate？　But　that
would　mean　renouncing　my　duty。　O　God；　O　God；
God；　help　me！〃　He　burst　into　tears　and　awoke。

〃How　glad　I　am　that　it　was　only　a　dream；〃
was　his　first　thought。　　But　when　he　began　to
recollect　what　he　had　seen　in　his　dream；　and　to
compare　it　with　actuality；　he　realised　that　the
problem　propounded　to　him　in　dream　remained
just　as　important　and　as　insoluble　now　that　he　was
awake。　　For　the　first　time　the　young　Tsar　became
aware　of　the　heavy　responsibility　weighing　on　him；
and　was　aghast。　　His　thoughts　no　longer　turned
to　the　young　Queen　and　to　the　happiness　he　had
anticipated　for　that　evening；　but　became　centred
on　the　unanswerable　question　which　hung　over
him：　　〃What　was　to　be　done？〃

In　a　state　of　great　agitation　he　arose　and　went
into　the　next　room。　　An　old　courtier；　a　co…worker
and　friend　of　his　father's；　was　standing　there　in
the　middle　of　the　room　in　conversation　with　the
young　Queen；　who　was　on　her　way　to　join　her
husband。　　The　young　Tsar　approached　them；　and
addressing　his　conversation　principally　to　the　old
courtier；　told　him　what　he　had　seen　in　his　dream
and　what　doubts　the　dream　had　left　in　his　mind。

〃That　is　a　noble　idea。　　It　proves　the　rare
nobility　of　your　spirit；〃　said　the　old　man。　　〃But
forgive　me　for　speaking　franklyyou　are　too
kind　to　be　an　　emperor；　and　you　exaggerate　your
responsibility。　　In　the　first　place；　the　state　of
things　is　not　as　you　imagine　it　to　be。　　The　people
are　not　poor。　　They　are　well…to…do。　　Those　who
are　poor　are　poor　through　their　own　fault。　　Only
the　guilty　are　punished；　and　if　an　unavoidable
mistake　does　sometimes　occur；　it　is　like　a　thunder…
boltan　accident；　or　the　will　of　God。　　You　have
but　one　responsibility：　　to　fulfil　your　task　coura…
geously　and　to　retain　the　power　that　is　given　to
you。　　You　wish　the　best　for　your　people　and　God
sees　that。　　As　for　the　errors　which　you　have　com…
mitted　unwittingly；　you　can　pray　for　forgiveness；
and　God　will　guide　you　and　pardon　you。　　All　the
more　because　you　have　done　nothing　that　demands
forgiveness；　and　there　never　have　been　and　never
will　be　men　possessed　of　such　extraordinary　qual…
ities　as　you　and　your　father。　　Therefore　all　we
implore　you　to　do　is　to　live；　and　to　reward　our
endless　devotion　and　love　with　your　favour；　and
every　one；　save　scoundrels　who　deserve　no　happi…
ness；　will　be　happy。〃

〃What　do　you　think　about　that？〃　the　young
Tsar　asked　his　wife。

〃I　have　a　different　opinion；〃　said　the　clever
young　woman；　who　had　been　brought　up　in　a　free
country。　　〃I　am　glad　you　had　that　dream；　and　I
agree　with　you　that　there　are　grave　responsibili…
ties　resting　upon　you。　　I　have　often　thought　about
it　with　great　anxiety；　and　I　think　there　is　a　simple
means　of　casting　off　a　part　of　the　responsibility
you　are　unable　to　bear；　if　not　all　of　it。　　A　large
proportion　of　the　power　which　is　too　heavy　for
you；　you　should　delegate　to　the　people；　to　its
representatives；　reserving　for　yourself　only　the
supreme　control；　that　is；　the　general　direction　of
the　affairs　of　State。〃

The　Queen　had　hardly　ceased　to　expound　her
views；　when　the　old　courtier　began　eagerly　to
refute　her　arguments；　and　they　started　a　polite
but　very　heated　discussion。

For　a　time　the　young　Tsar　followed　their　argu…
ments；　but　presently　he　ceased　to　be　aware　of
what　they　said；　listening　only　to　the　voice　of　him
who　had　been　his　guide　in　the　dream；　and　who
was　now　speaking　audibly　in　his　heart。

〃You　are　not　only　the　Tsar；〃　said　the　voice；
〃but　more。　　You　are　a　human　being；　who　only
yesterday　came　into　this　world；　and　will　perchance
to…morrow　depart　out　of　it。　　Apart　from　your
duties　as　a　Tsar；　of　which　that　old　man　is　now
speaking；　you　have　more　immediate　duties　not　by
any　means　to　be　disregarded；　human　duties；　not
the　duties　of　a　Tsar　towards　his　subjects；　which
are　only　accidental；　but　an　eternal　duty；　the　duty
of　a　man　in　his　relation　to　God；　the　duty　toward
your　own　soul；　which　is　to　save　it；　and　also；　to
serve　God　in　establishing　his　kingdom　on　earth。
You　are　not　to　be　guarded　in　your　actions　either
by　what　has　been　or　what　will　be；　but　only　by
what　it　is　your　own　duty　to　do。

***

He　opened　his　eyeshis　wife　was　awakening　him。
Which　of　the　three　courses　the　young　Tsar　chose；
will　be　told　in　fifty　years。



End