resurrection(复活)-第102章

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and　that　could　not　be　dangerous　to　the　government；　they　left　them
imprisoned　for　years；　where　they　became　consumptive；　went　out　of
their　minds　or　committed　suicide；　and　kept　them　only　because　they
had　no　inducement　to　set　them　free；　while　they　might　be　of　use　to
elucidate　some　question　at　a　judicial　inquiry；　safe　in　prison。
The　fate　of　these　persons；　often　innocent　even　from　the
government　point　of　view；　depended　on　the　whim；　the　humour　of；　or
the　amount　of　leisure　at　the　disposal　of　some　police　officer　or
spy；　or　public　prosecutor；　or　magistrate；　or　governor；　or
minister。　Some　one　of　these　officials　feels　dull；　or　inclined　to
distinguish　himself；　and　makes　a　number　of　arrests；　and　imprisons
or　sets　free；　according　to　his　own　fancy　or　that　of　the　higher
authorities。　And　the　higher　official；　actuated　by　like　motives；
according　to　whether　he　is　inclined　to　distinguish　himself；　or　to
what　his　relations　to　the　minister　are；　exiles　men　to　the　other
side　of　the　world　or　keeps　them　in　solitary　confinement；　condemns
them　to　Siberia；　to　hard　labour；　to　death；　or　sets　them　free　at
the　request　of　some　lady。

They　were　dealt　with　as　in　war；　and　they　naturally　employed　the
means　that　were　used　against　them。　And　as　the　military　men　live
in　an　atmosphere　of　public　opinion　that　not　only　conceals　from
them　the　guilt　of　their　actions；　but　sets　these　actions　up　as
feats　of　heroism；　so　these　political　offenders　were　also
constantly　surrounded　by　an　atmosphere　of　public　opinion　which
made　the　cruel　actions　they　committed；　in　the　face　of　danger　and
at　the　risk　of　liberty　and　life；　and　all　that　is　dear　to　men；
seem　not　wicked　but　glorious　actions。　Nekhludoff　found　in　this
the　explanation　of　the　surprising　phenomenon　that　men；　with　the
mildest　characters；　who　seemed　incapable　of　witnessing　the
sufferings　of　any　living　creature；　much　less　of　inflicting　pain；
quietly　prepared　to　murder　men；　nearly　all　of　them　considering
murder　lawful　and　just　on　certain　occasions　as　a　means　for
self…defence；　for　the　attainment　of　higher　aims　or　for　the
general　welfare。

The　importance　they　attribute　to　their　cause；　and　consequently　to
themselves；　flowed　naturally　from　the　importance　the　government
attached　to　their　actions；　and　the　cruelty　of　the　punishments　it
inflicted　on　them。　When　Nekhludoff　came　to　know　them　better　he
became　convinced　that　they　were　not　the　right…down　villains　that
some　imagined　them　to　be；　nor　the　complete　heroes　that　others
thought　them；　but　ordinary　people；　just　the　same　as　others；　among
whom　there　were　some　good　and　some　bad；　and　some　mediocre；　as
there　are　everywhere。

There　were　some　among　them　who　had　turned　revolutionists　because
they　honestly　considered　it　their　duty　to　fight　the　existing
evils；　but　there　were　also　those　who　chose　this　work　for　selfish；
ambitious　motives；　the　majority；　however；　was　attracted　to　the
revolutionary　idea　by　the　desire　for　danger；　for　risks；　the
enjoyment　of　playing　with　one's　life；　which；　as　Nekhludoff　knew
from　his　military　experiences；　is　quite　common　to　the　most
ordinary　people　while　they　are　young　and　full　of　energy。　But
wherein　they　differed　from　ordinary　people　was　that　their　moral
standard　was　a　higher　one　than　that　of　ordinary　men。　They
considered　not　only　self…control；　hard　living；　truthfulness；　but
also　the　readiness　to　sacrifice　everything；　even　life；　for　the
common　welfare　as　their　duty。　Therefore　the　best　among　them　stood
on　a　moral　level　that　is　not　often　reached；　while　the　worst　were
far　below　the　ordinary　level；　many　of　them　being　untruthful；
hypocritical　and　at　the　same　time　self…satisfied　and　proud。　So
that　Nekhludoff　learned　not　only　to　respect　but　to　love　some　of
his　new　acquaintances；　while　he　remained　more　than　indifferent　to
others。


CHAPTER　VI。

KRYLTZOFF'S　STORY。

Nekhludoff　grew　especially　fond　of　Kryltzoff；　a　consumptive　young
man　condemned　to　hard　labour；　who　was　going　with　the　same　gang　as
Katusha。　Nekhludoff　had　made　his　acquaintance　already　in
Ekaterinburg；　and　talked　with　him　several　times　on　the　road　after
that。　Once；　in　summer；　Nekhludoff　spent　nearly　the　whole　of　a　day
with　him　at　a　halting　station；　and　Kryltzoff；　having　once　started
talking；　told　him　his　story　and　how　he　had　become　a
revolutionist。　Up　to　the　time　of　his　imprisonment　his　story　was
soon　told。　He　lost　his　father；　a　rich　landed　proprietor　in　the
south　of　Russia；　when　still　a　child。　He　was　the　only　son；　and　his
mother　brought　him　up。　He　learned　easily　in　the　university；　as
well　as　the　gymnasium；　and　was　first　in　the　mathematical　faculty
in　his　year。　He　was　offered　a　choice　of　remaining　in　the
university　or　going　abroad。　He　hesitated。　He　loved　a　girl　and　was
thinking　of　marriage；　and　taking　part　in　the　rural
administration。　He　did　not　like　giving　up　either　offer；　and　could
not　make　up　his　mind。　At　this　time　his　fellow…students　at　the
university　asked　him　for　money　for　a　common　cause。　He　did　not
know　that　this　common　cause　was　revolutionary；　which　he　was　not
interested　in　at　that　time；　but　gave　the　money　from　a　sense　of
comradeship　and　vanity；　so　that　it　should　not　be　said　that　he　was
afraid。　Those　who　received　the　money　were　caught；　a　note　was
found　which　proved　that　the　money　had　been　given　by　Kryltzoff。　he
was　arrested；　and　first　kept　at　the　police　station；　then
imprisoned。

〃The　prison　where　I　was　put；〃　Kryltzoff　went　on　to　relate　（he　was
sitting　on　the　high　shelf　bedstead；　his　elbows　on　his　knees；　with
sunken　chest；　the　beautiful；　intelligent　eyes　with　which　he
looked　at　Nekhludoff　glistening　feverishly）　〃they　were　not
specially　strict　in　that　prison。　We　managed　to　converse；　not　only
by　tapping　the　wall；　but　could　walk　about　the　corridors；　share
our　provisions　and　our　tobacco；　and　in　the　evenings　we　even　sang
in　chorus。　I　had　a　fine　voiceyes；　if　it　had　not　been　for　mother
it　would　have　been　all　right；　even　pleasant　and　interesting。　Here
I　made　the　acquaintance　of　the　famous　Petroffhe　afterwards
killed　himself　with　a　piece　of　glass　at　the　fortress　and　also
of　others。　But　I　was　not　yet　a　revolutionary。　I　also　became
acquainted　with　my　neighbours　in　the　cells　next　to　mine。　They
were　both　caught　with　Polish　proclamations　and　arrested　in　the
same　cause；　and　were　tried　for　an　attempt　to　escape　from　the
convoy　when　they　were　being　taken　to　the　railway　station。　One　was
a　Pole；　Lozinsky；　the　other　a　Jew；　Rozovsky。　Yes。　Well；　this
Rozovsky　was　quite　a　boy。　He　said　he　was　seventeen；　but　he　looked
fifteenthin；　small；　active；　with　black；　sparkling　eyes；　and；
like　most　Jews；　very　musical。　His　voice　was　still　breaking；　and
yet　he　sang　beautifully。　Yes。　I　saw　them　both　taken　to　be　tried。
They　were　taken　in　the　morning。　They　returned　in　the　evening；
and　said　they　were　condemned　to　death。　No　one　had　expected　it。
Their　case　was　so　unimportant；　they　only　tried　to　get　away　from
the　convoy；　and　had　not　even　wounded　any　one。　And　then　it　was　so
unnatural　to　execute　such　a　child　as　Rozovsky。　And　we　in　prison
all　came　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　only　done　to　frighten
them；　and　would　not　be　confirmed。　At　first　we　were　excited；　and
then　we　comforted　ourselves；　and　life　went　on　as　before。　Yes。
Well；　one　evening；　a　watchman　comes　to　my　door　and　mysteriously
announces　to　me　that　carpenters　had　arrived；　and　were　putting　up
the　gallows。　At　first　I　did　not　understand。　What's　that？　What
gallows？　But　the　watchman　was　so　excited　that　I　saw　at　once　it
was　for　our　two。　I　wished　to　tap　and　communicate　with　my
comrades；　but　was　afraid　those　two　would　hear。　The　comrades　were
also　silent。　Evidently　everybody　knew。　In　the　corridors　and　in
the　cells　everything　was　as　still　as　death　all　that　evening。　They
did　not　tap　the　wall　nor　sing。　At　ten　the　watchman　came　again　and
announced　that　a　hangman　had　arrived　from　Moscow。　He　said　it　and
went　away。　I　began　calling　him　back。　Suddenly　I　hear　Rozovsky
shouting　to　me　across　the　corridor：　'What's　the　matter？　Why　do
you　call　him？'　I　answered　something　about　asking　him　to　get　me
some　tobacco；　but　he　seemed　to　guess；　and　asked　me：　'Why　did　we
not　sing　to…night；　why　did　we　not　tap　the　walls？'　I　do　not
remember　what　I　said；　but　I　went　away　so　as　not　to　speak　to　him。
Yes。　It　was　a　te