resurrection(复活)-第101章

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idea　of　his　own；　he　thought　that　increase　was　a　lower　function　of
man；　the　highest　function　being　to　serve　the　already　existing
lives。　He　found　a　confirmation　of　his　theory　in　the　fact　that
there　were　phacocytes　in　the　blood。　Celibates；　according　to　his
opinion；　were　the　same　as　phacocytes；　their　function　being　to
help　the　weak　and　the　sickly　particles　of　the　organism。　From　the
moment　he　came　to　this　conclusion　he　began　to　consider　himself　as
well　as　Mary　Pavlovna　as　phacocytes；　and　to　live　accordingly；
though　as　a　youth　he　had　been　addicted　to　vice。　His　love　for
Katusha　did　not　infringe　this　conception；　because　he　loved　her
platonically；　and　such　love　he　considered　could　not　hinder　his
activity　as　a　phacocytes；　but　acted；　on　the　contrary；　as　an
inspiration。

Not　only　moral；　but　also　most　practical　questions　he　decided　in
his　own　way。　He　applied　a　theory　of　his　own　to　all　practical
business；　had　rules　relating　to　the　number　of　hours　for　rest　and
for　work；　to　the　kind　of　food　to　eat；　the　way　to　dress；　to　heat
and　light　up　the　rooms。　With　all　this　Simonson　was　very　shy　and
modest；　and　yet　when　he　had　once　made　up　his　mind　nothing　could
make　him　waver。　And　this　man　had　a　decided　influence　on　Maslova
through　his　love　for　her。　With　a　woman's　instinct　Maslova　very
soon　found　out　that　he　loved　her。　And　the　fact　that　she　could
awaken　love　in　a　man　of　that　kind　raised　her　in　her　own
estimation。　It　was　Nekhludoff's　magnanimity　and　what　had　been　in
the　past　that　made　him　offer　to　marry　her；　but　Simonson　loved　her
such　as　she　was　now；　loved　her　simply　because　of　the　love　he　bore
her。　And　she　felt　that　Simonson　considered　her　to　be　an
exceptional　woman；　having　peculiarly　high　moral　qualities。　She
did　not　quite　know　what　the　qualities　he　attributed　to　her　were；
but　in　order　to　be　on　the　safe　side　and　that　he　should　not　be
disappointed　in　her；　she　tried　with　all　her　might　to　awaken　in
herself　all　the　highest　qualities　she　could　conceive；　and　she
tried　to　be　as　good　as　possible。　This　had　begun　while　they　were
still　in　prison；　when　on　a　common　visiting　day　she　had　noticed
his　kindly　dark　blue　eyes　gazing　fixedly　at　her　from　under　his
projecting　brow。　Even　then　she　had　noticed　that　this　was　a
peculiar　man；　and　that　he　was　looking　at　her　in　a　peculiar
manner；　and　had　also　noticed　the　striking　combination　of
sternnessthe　unruly　hair　and　the　frowning　forehead　gave　him
this　appearancewith　the　child…like　kindness　and　innocence　of
his　look。　She　saw　him　again　in　Tomsk；　where　she　joined　the
political　prisoners。　Though　they　had　not　uttered　a　word；　their
looks　told　plainly　that　they　had　understood　one　another。　Even
after　that　they　had　had　no　serious　conversation　with　each　other；
but　Maslova　felt　that　when　he　spoke　in　her　presence　his　words
were　addressed　to　her；　and　that　he　spoke　for　her　sake；　trying　to
express　himself　as　plainly　as　he　could；　but　it　was　when　he
started　walking　with　the　criminal　prisoners　that　they　grew
specially　near　to　one　another。


CHAPTER　V。

THE　POLITICAL　PRISONERS。

Until　they　left　Perm　Nekhludoff　only　twice　managed　to　see
Katusha；　once　in　Nijni；　before　the　prisoners　were　embarked　on　a
barge　surrounded　with　a　wire　netting；　and　again　in　Perm　in　the
prison　office。　At　both　these　interviews　he　found　her　reserved　and
unkind。　She　answered　his　questions　as　to　whether　she　was　in　want
of　anything；　and　whether　she　was　comfortable；　evasively　and
bashfully；　and；　as　he　thought；　with　the　same　feeling　of　hostile
reproach　which　she　had　shown　several　times　before。　Her　depressed
state　of　mind；　which　was　only　the　result　of　the　molestations　from
the　men　that　she　was　undergoing　at　the　time；　tormented
Nekhludoff。　He　feared　lest；　influenced　by　the　hard　and　degrading
circumstances　in　which　she　was　placed　on　the　journey；　she　should
again　get　into　that　state　of　despair　and　discord　with　her　own
self　which　formerly　made　her　irritable　with　him；　and　which　had
caused　her　to　drink　and　smoke　excessively　to　gain　oblivion。　But
he　was　unable　to　help　her　in　any　way　during　this　part　of　the
journey；　as　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　be　with　her。　It　was　only
when　she　joined　the　political　prisoners　that　he　saw　how　unfounded
his　fears　were；　and　at　each　interview　he　noticed　that　inner
change　he　so　strongly　desired　to　see　in　her　becoming　more　and
more　marked。　The　first　time　they　met　in　Tomsk　she　was　again　just
as　she　had　been　when　leaving　Moscow。　She　did　not　frown　or　become
confused　when　she　saw　him；　but　met　him　joyfully　and　simply；
thanking　him　for　what　he　had　done　for　her；　especially　for
bringing　her　among　the　people　with　whom　she　now　was。

After　two　months'　marching　with　the　gang；　the　change　that　had
taken　place　within　her　became　noticeable　in　her　appearance。　She
grew　sunburned　and　thinner；　and　seemed　older；　wrinkles　appeared
on　her　temples　and　round　her　mouth。　She　had　no　ringlets　on　her
forehead　now；　and　her　hair　was　covered　with　the　kerchief；　in　the
way　it　was　arranged；　as　well　as　in　her　dress　and　her　manners；
there　was　no　trace　of　coquetry　left。　And　this　change；　which　had
taken　place　and　was　still　progressing　in　her；　made　Nekhludoff
very　happy。

He　felt　for　her　something　he　had　never　experienced　before。　This
feeling　had　nothing　in　common　with　his　first　poetic　love　for　her；
and　even　less　with　the　sensual　love　that　had　followed；　nor　even
with　the　satisfaction　of　a　duty　fulfilled；　not　unmixed　with
self…admiration；　with　which　he　decided　to　marry　her　after　the
trial。　The　present　feeling　was　simply　one　of　pity　and　tenderness。
He　had　felt　it　when　he　met　her　in　prison　for　the　first　time；　and
then　again　when；　after　conquering　his　repugnance；　he　forgave　her
the　imagined　intrigue　with　the　medical　assistant　in　the　hospital
（the　injustice　done　her　had　since　been　discovered）；　it　was　the
same　feeling　he　now　had；　only　with　this　difference；　that　formerly
it　was　momentary；　and　that　now　it　had　become　permanent。　Whatever
he　was　doing；　whatever　he　was　thinking　now；　a　feeling　of　pity　and
tenderness　dwelt　with　him；　and　not　only　pity　and　tenderness　for
her；　but　for　everybody。　This　feeling　seemed　to　have　opened　the
floodgates　of　love；　which　had　found　no　outlet　in　Nekhludoff's
soul；　and　the　love　now　flowed　out　to　every　one　he　met。

During　this　journey　Nekhludoff's　feelings　were　so　stimulated　that
he　could　not　help　being　attentive　and　considerate　to　everybody；
from　the　coachman　and　the　convoy　soldiers　to　the　prison
inspectors　and　governors　whom　he　had　to　deal　with。　Now　that
Maslova　was　among　the　political　prisoners；　Nekhludoff　could　not
help　becoming　acquainted　with　many　of　them；　first　in
Ekaterinburg；　where　they　had　a　good　deal　of　freedom　and　were　kept
altogether　in　a　large　cell；　and　then　on　the　road　when　Maslova　was
marching　with　three　of　the　men　and　four　of　the　women。　Coming　in
contact　with　political　exiles　in　this　way　made　Nekhludoff
completely　change　his　mind　concerning　them。

From　the　very　beginning　of　the　revolutionary　movement　in　Russia；
but　especially　since　that　first　of　March；　when　Alexander　II　was
murdered；　Nekhludoff　regarded　the　revolutionists　with　dislike　and
contempt。　He　was　repulsed　by　the　cruelty　and　secrecy　of　the
methods　they　employed　in　their　struggles　against　the　government；
especially　the　cruel　murders　they　committed；　and　their　arrogance
also　disgusted　him。　But　having　learned　more　intimately　to　know
them　and　all　they　had　suffered　at　the　hands　of　the　government；　he
saw　that　they　could　not　be　other　than　they　were

Terrible　and　endless　as　were　the　torments　which　were　inflicted　on
the　criminals；　there　was　at　least　some　semblance　of　justice　shown
them　before　and　after　they　were　sentenced；　but　in　the　case　of　the
political　prisoners　there　was　not　even　that　semblance；　as
Nekhludoff　saw　in　the　case　of　Sholostova　and　that　of　many　and
many　of　his　new　acquaintances。　These　people　were　dealt　with　like
fish　caught　with　a　net；　everything　that　gets　into　the　nets　is
pulled　ashore；　and　then　the　big　fish　which　are　required　are
sorted　out　and　the　little　ones　are　left　to　perish　unheeded　on　the
shore。　Having　captured　hundreds　that　were　evidently　guiltless；
and　that　could　not　be　dangerous　to　the　government；　they　left　them
imprisoned　for　years；　where　they　became　consu