rezanov-第45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！
was mortal。 With but a remnant of his for… mer superb strength； and emaciated beyond recog… nition； he attended a banquet on the night preced… ing his departure； and on the following morning stood up in his sledge and acknowledged the God… speed of the population of Irkutsk assembled in the square before the palace of the Governor。 All his life he had excited interest wherever he went； but never to such a degree as on that last journey when he made his desperate fight for life and happiness。
XXVII
The snow rarely falls in Krasnoiarsk。 It is a little oasis in the great winter desert of Siberia。 Reza… nov； his face turned to the window； could see the red banks on the opposite side of the river。 The sun transformed the gilded cupolas and crosses into dazzling points of light； and the sky above the spires and towers； the stately square and narrow dirty streets of the bustling little capital； was as blue and unflecked as that which arched so high above a land where Castilian roses grew； and one woman among a gay and thoughtless people dreamed； with all the passion of her splendid youth； of the man to whom she had pledged an eternal troth。 Rezanov's mind was clear in those last moments； but something of the serenity and the selfishness of death had already descended upon him。 He heard with indifference the sobs of Jon； crouched at the foot of his bed。 Tears and regrets were a part of the general futility of life； insignificant enough at the grand threshold of death。
No doubt that his great schemes would die with him； and were he remembered at all it would be as a dreamer； or as a failure because he had died be… fore accomplishing what his brain and energy and enthusiasm alone could force to fruition。 None realized better than he the paucity of initiative and executive among the characteristics of the Slav。 What mattered it？ He had had glimpses more than once of the apparently illogical sequence of life； the vanity of human effort； the wanton cruelty of Na… ture。 He had known men struck down before in the maturity of their usefulness； cities destroyed by earthquake or hurricane in the fairest and most promising of their days： public men； priests； par… ents； children； wantons； criminals； blotted out with equal impartiality by a brutal force that would seem to have but a casual use for the life she flung broadcast on her planets。 Man was the helpless victim of Nature； a calf in a tiger's paws。 If she overlooked him； or swept him contemptuously into the class of her favorites； well and good； otherwise he was her sport； the plaything of her idler mo… ments。 Those that cried 〃But why？〃 〃What rea… son？〃 〃What use？〃 were those that had never looked over the walls of their ego at the great dra… matic moments in the career of Nature； when she made immortal fame for herself at the expense of millions of pigmies。
And if his energies； his talents； his usefulness； were held of no account； at least he could look back upon a past when he would have seemed to be one of the few supreme favorites of the forces that shaped man's life and destiny。 Until he had started from Kronstadt four years before on a voyage that had humiliated his proud spirit more than once； and undermined as splendid a physique as ever was granted to even a Russian； he had rolled the world under his foot。 With an appearance and a personal magnetism； gifts of mind and manner and charac… ter that would have commanded attention amid the general flaccidity of his race and conquered life without the great social advantages he inherited； he had enjoyed power and pleasure to a degree that would have spoiled a coarser nature long since。 True； the time had come when he had cared little for any of his endowments save as a means to great ends； when all his energies had concentrated in the determination to live a life of the highest possible usefulnesswithout which man's span was but exist… encehis ambitions had cohered and been driven steadily toward a permanent niche in history； then paled and dissolved for an hour in the glorious vision of human happiness。
And wholly as he might realize man's insignifi… cance among the blind forces of nature； he could accept it philosophically and die with his soul uncor… roded by misanthropy； that final and uncompromis… ing admission of failure。 The misanthrope was the supreme failure of life because he had not the in… telligence to realize； or could not reconcile himself to； the incomplete condition of human nature。 Man was made up of little qualities； and aspirations for great ones。 Many yielded in the struggle and sank into impotent discontent among the small material things of life； instead of uplifting themselves with the picture of the inevitable future when develop… ment had run its course； and indulgently pitying the children of their own period who so often made life hateful with their greed； selfishness； snobbery most potent obstacle to human endeavorand in… justice。 The bad judgment of the mass！ How many careers it had balked； if not ruined； with its poor ideals； its mean heroes； its instinctive avoid… ance of superior qualities foreign to itself； its con… temptible desire to be identified with a fashion。 It was this low standard of the crowd that induced misanthropy in many otherwise brave spirits who lacked the insight to discern the divine spark un… derneath； the persistence； sure of reward； to fight their way to this spark and reveal it to the gaze of astonished and flattered humanity。 Rezanov's very arrogance had led him to regard the mass of man… kind as but one degree removed from the nursery； his good nature and philosophical spirit to treat them with an indulgence that kept sourness out of his cynicism and inevitably recurring weariness and disgust； his ardent imagination had consoled itself with the vision of a future when man should live in a world made reasonable by the triumph of ideals that now lurked half ashamed in the high spaces of the human mind。
He looked back in wonder at the moment of wild regret and protestthe bitterer in its silence when they had told him he must die； when in the last rally of the vital forces he had believed his will was still strong enough to command his ravaged body； to propel his brain； still teeming with a vast and complicated future； his heart； still warm and insistent with the image it cherished； on to the ulti… mates of ambition and love。 How brief it had been； that last cry of mortality； with its accompaniment of furious wonder at his unseemly and senseless cutting off。 In the adjustment and readjustment of political and natural forces the world ambled on philosophically； fulfilling its inevitable destiny。
If he had not been beyond humor； he would have smiled at the idea that in the face of all eternity it mattered what nation on one little planet eventually possessed a fragment called California。 To him that fair land was empty and purposeless save for one figure； and even of her he thought with the terrible calm of dissolution。 During these last months of illness and isolation he had been less lonely than at any time of his life save during those few weeks in California； for he had lived with her incessantly in spirit； and in that subtle imaginative communion had pressed close to a profound and complex soul； revealed before only in flashes to a vision astray in the confusion of the senses。 He had felt that her response to his passion was far more vital and enduring than dwelt in the capacity of most women； he had appreciated her gifts of mind； her piquant variousness that scotched monot… ony； the admirable characteristics that would give a man repose and content in his leisure； and subtly advance his career。 But in those long reveries； at the head of his forlorn caravan or in the desolate months of convalescence； he had arrived at an abso… lute understanding of what she herself had divined while half comprehending。
Theirs was one of the few immortal loves that reveal the rarely sounded deeps of the soul while in its frail tenement on earth； and he harbored not a doubt that their love was stronger than mortality and that their ultimate union was decreed。 Mean… while； she would suffer； no one but he could dream how completely； but her strong s
