resurrection(复活)-第107章

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room；　and　now　she　has　gone　to　clean　the　women's！　Only　it　is　not
possible　to　clean　away　the　fleas。　And　what　is　Mary　doing　there？〃
he　asked；　nodding　towards　the　corner　where　Mary　Pavlovna　sat。

〃She　is　combing　out　her　adopted　daughter's　hair；〃　replied
Rintzeva。

〃But　won't　she　let　the　insects　loose　on　us？〃　asked　Kryltzoff。

〃No；　no；　I　am　very　careful。　She　is　a　clean　little　girl　now。　You
take　her；〃　said　Mary；　turning　to　Rintzeva；　〃while　I　go　and　help
Katusha；　and　I　will　also　bring　him　his　plaid。〃

Rintzeva　took　the　little　girl　on　her　lap；　pressing　her　plump；
bare；　little　arms　to　her　bosom　with　a　mother's　tenderness；　and
gave　her　a　bit　of　sugar。　As　Mary　Pavlovna　left　the　room；　two　men
came　in　with　boiling　water　and　provisions。


CHAPTER　XII。

NABATOFF　AND　MARKEL。

One　of　the　men　who　came　in　was　a　short；　thin；　young　man；　who　had
a　cloth…covered　sheepskin　coat　on；　and　high　top…boots。　He　stepped
lightly　and　quickly；　carrying　two　steaming　teapots；　and　holding　a
loaf　wrapped　in　a　cloth　under　his　arm。

〃Well；　so　our　prince　has　put　in　an　appearance　again；〃　he　said；　as
he　placed　the　teapot　beside　the　cups；　and　handed　the　bread　to
Rintzeva。　〃We　have　bought　wonderful　things；〃　he　continued；　as　he
took　off　his　sheepskin；　and　flung　it　over　the　heads　of　the　others
into　the　corner　of　the　bedstead。　〃Markel　has　bought　milk　and
eggs。　Why；　we'll　have　a　regular　ball　to…day。　And　Rintzeva　is
spreading　out　her　aesthetic　cleanliness；〃　he　said；　and　looked
with　a　smile　at　Rintzeva；　〃and　now　she　will　make　the　tea。〃

The　whole　presence　of　this　manhis　motion；　his　voice；　his
lookseemed　to　breathe　vigour　and　merriment。　The　other　newcomer
was　just　the　reverse　of　the　first。　He　looked　despondent　and　sad。
He　was　short；　bony；　had　very　prominent　cheek　bones；　a　sallow
complexion；　thin　lips　and　beautiful；　greenish　eyes；　rather　far
apart。　He　wore　an　old　wadded　coat；　top…boots　and　goloshes；　and
was　carrying　two　pots　of　milk　and　two　round　boxes　made　of　birch
bark；　which　he　placed　in　front　of　Rintzeva。　He　bowed　to
Nekhludoff；　bending　only　his　neck；　and　with　his　eyes　fixed　on
him。　Then；　having　reluctantly　given　him　his　damp　hand　to　shake；
he　began　to　take　out　the　provisions。

Both　these　political　prisoners　were　of　the　people；　the　first　was
Nabatoff；　a　peasant；　the　second；　Markel　Kondratieff；　a　factory
hand。　Markel　did　not　come　among　the　revolutionists　till　he　was
quite　a　man；　Nabatoff　only　eighteen。　After　leaving　the　village
school；　owing　to　his　exceptional　talents　Nabatoff　entered　the
gymnasium；　and　maintained　himself　by　giving　lessons　all　the　time
he　studied　there；　and　obtained　the　gold　medal。　He　did　not　go　to
the　university　because；　while　still　in　the　seventh　class　of　the
gymnasium；　he　made　up　his　mind　to　go　among　the　people　and
enlighten　his　neglected　brethren。　This　he　did；　first　getting　the
place　of　a　Government　clerk　in　a　large　village。　He　was　soon
arrested　because　he　read　to　the　peasants　and　arranged　a
co…operative　industrial　association　among　them。　They　kept　him
imprisoned　for　eight　months　and　then　set　him　free；　but　he
remained　under　police　supervision。　As　soon　as　he　was　liberated　he
went　to　another　village；　got　a　place　as　schoolmaster；　and　did　the
same　as　he　had　done　in　the　first　village。　He　was　again　taken　up
and　kept　fourteen　months　in　prison；　where　his　convictions　became
yet　stronger。　After　that　he　was　exiled　to　the　Perm　Government；
from　where　he　escaped。　Then　he　was　put　to　prison　for　seven　months
and　after　that　exiled　to　Archangel。　There　he　refused　to　take　the
oath　of　allegiance　that　was　required　of　them　and　was　condemned　to
be　exiled　to　the　Takoutsk　Government；　so　that　half　his　life　since
he　reached　manhood　was　passed　in　prison　and　exile。　All　these
adventures　did　not　embitter　him　nor　weaken　his　energy；　but　rather
stimulated　it。　He　was　a　lively　young　fellow；　with　a　splendid
digestion；　always　active；　gay　and　vigorous。　He　never　repented　of
anything；　never　looked　far　ahead；　and　used　all　his　powers；　his
cleverness；　his　practical　knowledge　to　act　in　the　present。　When
free　he　worked　towards　the　aim　he　had　set　himself；　the
enlightening　and　the　uniting　of　the　working　men；　especially　the
country　labourers。　When　in　prison　he　was　just　as　energetic　and
practical　in　finding　means　to　come　in　contact　with　the　outer
world；　and　in　arranging　his　own　life　and　the　life　of　his　group　as
comfortably　as　the　conditions　would　allow。　Above　all　things　he
was　a　communist。　He　wanted；　as　it　seemed　to　him；　nothing　for
himself　and　contented　himself　with　very　little；　but　demanded　very
much　for　the　group　of　his　comrades；　and　could　work　for　it　either
physically　or　mentally　day　and　night；　without　sleep　or　food。　As　a
peasant　he　had　been　industrious；　observant；　clever　at　his　work；
and　naturally　self…controlled；　polite　without　any　effort；　and
attentive　not　only　to　the　wishes　but　also　the　opinions　of　others。
His　widowed　mother；　an　illiterate；　superstitious；　old　peasant
woman；　was　still　living；　and　Nabatoff　helped　her　and　went　to　see
her　while　he　was　free。　During　the　time　he　spent　at　home　he
entered　into　all　the　interests　of　his　mother's　life；　helped　her
in　her　work；　and　continued　his　intercourse　with　former
playfellows；　smoked　cheap　tobacco　with　them　in　so…called　〃dog's
feet；〃　＇a　kind　of　cigarette　that　the　peasants　smoke；　made　of　a
bit　of　paper　and　bent　at　one　end　into　a　hook＇　took　part　in　their
fist　fights；　and　explained　to　them　how　they　were　all　being
deceived　by　the　State；　and　how　they　ought　to　disentangle
themselves　out　of　the　deception　they　were　kept　in。　　When　he
thought　or　spoke　of　what　a　revolution　would　do　for　the　people　he
always　imagined　this　people　from　whom　he　had　sprung　himself　left
in　very　nearly　the　same　conditions　as　they　were　in；　only　with
sufficient　land　and　without　the　gentry　and　without　officials。　The
revolution；　according　to　him；　and　in　this　he　differed　from
Novodvoroff　and　Novodvoroff's　follower；　Markel　Kondratieff；
should　not　alter　the　elementary　forms　of　the　life　of　the　people；
should　not　break　down　the　whole　edifice；　but　should　only　alter
the　inner　walls　of　the　beautiful；　strong；　enormous　old　structure
he　loved　so　dearly。　He　was　also　a　typical　peasant　in　his　views　on
religion；　never　thinking　about　metaphysical　questions；　about　the
origin　of　all　origin；　or　the　future　life。　　God　was　to　him；　as
also　to　Arago；　an　hypothesis；　which　he　had　had　no　need　of　up　to
now。　He　had　no　business　with　the　origin　of　the　world；　whether
Moses　or　Darwin　was　right。　Darwinism；　which　seemed　so　important
to　his　fellows；　was　only　the　same　kind　of　plaything　of　the　mind
as　the　creation　in　six　days。　The　question　how　the　world　had
originated　did　not　interest　him；　just　because　the　question　how　it
would　be　best　to　live　in　this　world　was　ever　before　him。　He　never
thought　about　future　life；　always　bearing　in　the　depth　of　his
soul　the　firm　and　quiet　conviction　inherited　from　his
forefathers；　and　common　to　all　labourers　on　the　land；　that　just
as　in　the　world　of　plants　and　animals　nothing　ceases　to　exist；
but　continually　changes　its　form；　the　manure　into　grain；　the
grain　into　a　food；　the　tadpole　into　a　frog；　the　caterpillar　into
a　butterfly；　the　acorn　into　an　oak；　so　man　also　does　not　perish；
but　only　undergoes　a　change。　He　believed　in　this；　and　therefore
always　looked　death　straight　in　the　face；　and　bravely　bore　the
sufferings　that　lead　towards　it；　but　did　not　care　and　did　not
know　how　to　speak　about　it。　He　loved　work；　was　always　employed　in
some　practical　business；　and　put　his　comrades　in　the　way　of　the
same　kind　of　practical　work。

The　other　political　prisoner　from　among　the　people；　Markel
Kondratieff；　was　a　very　different　kind　of　man。　He　began　to　work
at　the　age　of　fifteen；　and　took　to　smoking　and　drinking　in　order
to　stifle　a　dense　sense　of　being　wronged。　He　first　realised　he
was　wronged　one　Christmas　when　they；　the　factory　children；　were
invited　to　a　Christmas　tree；　got　up　by　the　employer's　wife；　where
he　received　a　farthing　whistle；　an　apple；　a　gilt　walnut　and　a
fig；　while　the　employer's　children　had　presents　given　them　which
seemed　gifts　from　fairyland；　and　had　cost　more　than　fifty
roubles；　as　he　afterwards　heard。

When　he　was　twenty　a　celebrated　revolutionist　came　to　the