resurrection(复活)-第113章

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whole　of　their　being　that；　judging　by　what　was　happening　to
themselves；　all　the　moral　laws；　the　respect　and　the　sympathy　for
others　which　church　and　the　moral　teachers　preach；　was　really　set
aside；　and　that；　therefore；　they；　too；　need　not　keep　the　laws。
Nekhludoff　noticed　the　effects　of　prison　life　on　all　the　convicts
he　knewon　Fedoroff；　on　Makar；　and　even　on　Taras；　who；　after　two
months　among　the　convicts；　struck　Nekhludoff　by　the　want　of
morality　in　his　arguments。　Nekhludoff　found　out　during　his
journey　how　tramps；　escaping　into　the　marshes；　persuade　a　comrade
to　escape　with　them；　and　then　kill　him　and　feed　on　his　flesh。　（He
saw　a　living　man　who　was　accused　of　this　and　acknowledged　the
fact。）　And　the　most　terrible　part　was　that　this　was　not　a
solitary；　but　a　recurring　case。

Only　by　a　special　cultivation　of　vice；　such　as　was　perpetrated　in
these　establishments；　could　a　Russian　be　brought　to　the　state　of
this　tramp；　who　excelled　Nietzsche's　newest　teaching；　and　held
that　everything　was　possible　and　nothing　forbidden；　and　who
spread　this　teaching　first　among　the　convicts　and　then　among　the
people　in　general。

The　only　explanation　of　all　that　was　being　done　was　the　wish　to
put　a　stop　to　crime　by　fear；　by　correction；　by　lawful　vengeance
as　it　was　written　in　the　books。　But　in　reality　nothing　in　the
least　resembling　any　of　these　results　came　to　pass。　Instead　of
vice　being　put　a　stop　to；　it　only　spread　further；　instead　of
being　frightened；　the　criminals　were　encouraged　（many　a　tramp
returned　to　prison　of　his　own　free　will）。　Instead　of　being
corrected；　every　kind　of　vice　was　systematically　instilled；　while
the　desire　for　vengeance　did　not　weaken　by　the　measures　of　the
government；　but　was　bred　in　the　people　who　had　none　of　it。

〃Then　why　is　it　done？〃　Nekhludoff　asked　himself；　but　could　find
no　answer。　And　what　seemed　most　surprising　was　that　all　this　was
not　being　done　accidentally；　not　by　mistake；　not　once；　but　that
it　had　continued　for　centuries；　with　this　difference　only；　that
at　first　the　people's　nostrils　used　to　be　torn　and　their　ears　cut
off；　then　they　were　branded；　and　now　they　were　manacled　and
transported　by　steam　instead　of　on　the　old　carts。　The　arguments
brought　forward　by　those　in　government　service；　who　said　that　the
things　which　aroused　his　indignation　were　simply　due　to　the
imperfect　arrangements　of　the　places　of　confinement；　and　that
they　could　all　be　put　to　rights　if　prisons　of　a　modern　type　were
built；　did　not　satisfy　Nekhludoff；　because　he　knew　that　what
revolted　him　was　not　the　consequence　of　a　better　or　worse
arrangement　of　the　prisons。　He　had　read　of　model　prisons　with
electric　bells；　of　executions　by　electricity；　recommended　by
Tard；　but　this　refined　kind　of　violence　revolted　him　even　more。

But　what　revolted　Nekhludoff　most　was　that　there　were　men　in　the
law　courts　and　in　the　ministry　who　received　large　salaries；　taken
from　the　people；　for　referring　to　books　written　by　men　like
themselves　and　with　like　motives；　and　sorting　actions　that
violated　laws　made　by　themselves　according　to　different　statutes；
and；　in　obedience　to　these　statutes；　sending　those　guilty　of　such
actions　to　places　where　they　were　completely　at　the　mercy　of
cruel；　hardened　inspectors；　jailers；　convoy　soldiers；　where
millions　of　them　perished　body　and　soul。

Now　that　he　had　a　closer　knowledge　of　prisons；　Nekhludoff　found
out　that　all　those　vices　which　developed　among　the
prisonersdrunkenness；　gambling；　cruelty；　and　all　these　terrible
crimes；　even　cannibalismwere　not　casual；　or　due　to　degeneration
or　to　the　existence　of　monstrosities　of　the　criminal　type；　as
science；　going　hand　in　hand　with　the　government；　explained　it；
but　an　unavoidable　consequence　of　the　incomprehensible　delusion
that　men　may　punish　one　another。　Nekhludoff　saw　that　cannibalism
did　not　commence　in　the　marshes；　but　in　the　ministry。　He　saw　that
his　brother…in…law；　for　example；　and；　in　fact；　all　the　lawyers
and　officials；　from　the　usher　to　the　minister；　do　not　care　in　the
least　for　justice　or　the　good　of　the　people　about　whom　they
spoke；　but　only　for　the　roubles　they　were　paid　for　doing　the
things　that　were　the　source　whence　all　this　degradation　and
suffering　flowed。　This　was　quite　evident。

〃Can　it　be；　then；　that　all　this　is　done　simply　through
misapprehension？　Could　it　not　be　managed　that　all　these　officials
should　have　their　salaries　secured　to　them；　and　a　premium　paid
them；　besides；　so　that　they　should　leave　off；　doing　all　that　they
were　doing　now？〃　Nekhludoff　thought；　and　in　spite　of　the　fleas；
that　seemed　to　spring　up　round　him　like　water　from　a　fountain
whenever　he　moved；　he　fell　fast　asleep。


CHAPTER　XX。

THE　JOURNEY　RESUMED。

The　carters　had　left　the　inn　long　before　Nekhludoff　awoke。　The
landlady　had　had　her　tea；　and　came　in　wiping　her　fat；　perspiring
neck　with　her　handkerchief；　and　said　that　a　soldier　had　brought　a
note　from　the　halting　station。　The　note　was　from　Mary　Pavlovna。
She　wrote　that　Kryltzoff's　attack　was　more　serious　than　they　had
imagined。　〃We　wished　him　to　be　left　behind　and　to　remain　with
him；　but　this　has　not　been　allowed；　so　that　we　shall　take　him　on；
but　we　fear　the　worst。　Please　arrange　so　that　if　he　should　he
left　in　the　next　town；　one　of　us　might　remain　with　him。　If　in
order　to　get　the　permission　to　stay　I　should　be　obliged　to　get
married　to　him；　I　am　of　course　ready　to　do　so。〃

Nekhludoff　sent　the　young　labourer　to　the　post　station　to　order
horses　and　began　packing　up　hurriedly。　Before　he　had　drunk　his
second　tumbler　of　tea　the　three…horsed　postcart　drove　up　to　the
porch　with　ringing　bells；　the　wheels　rattling　on　the　frozen　mud
as　on　stones。　Nekhludoff　paid　the　fat…necked　landlady；　hurried
out　and　got　into　the　cart；　and　gave　orders　to　the　driver　to　go　on
as　fast　as　possible；　so　as　to　overtake　the　gang。　Just　past　the
gates　of　the　commune　pasture　ground　they　did　overtake　the　carts；
loaded　with　sacks　and　the　sick　prisoners；　as　they　rattled　over
the　frozen　mud；　that　was　just　beginning　to　be　rolled　smooth　by
the　wheels　（the　officer　was　not　there；　he　had　gone　in　advance）。
The　soldiers；　who　had　evidently　been　drinking；　followed　by　the
side　of　the　road；　chatting　merrily。　There　were　a　great　many
carts。　In　each　of　the　first　carts　sat　six　invalid　criminal
convicts；　close　packed。　On　each　of　the　last　two　were　three
political　prisoners。　Novodvoroff；　Grabetz　and　Kondratieff　sat　on
one；　Rintzeva；　Nabatoff　and　the　woman　to　whom　Mary　Pavlovna　had
given　up　her　own　place　on　the　other；　and　on　one　of　the　carts　lay
Kryltzoff　on　a　heap　of　hay；　with　a　pillow　under　his　head；　and
Mary　Pavlovna　sat　by　him　on　the　edge　of　the　cart。　Nekhludoff
ordered　his　driver　to　stop；　got　out　and　went　up　to　Kryltzoff。　One
of　the　tipsy　soldiers　waved　his　hand　towards　Nekhludoff；　but　he
paid　no　attention　and　started　walking　by　Kryltzoff's　side；
holding　on　to　the　side　of　the　cart　with　his　hand。　Dressed　in　a
sheepskin　coat；　with　a　fur　cap　on　his　head　and　his　mouth　bound　up
with　a　handkerchief；　he　seemed　paler　and　thinner　than　ever。　His
beautiful　eyes　looked　very　large　and　brilliant。　Shaken　from　side
to　side　by　the　jottings　of　the　cart；　he　lay　with　his　eyes　fixed
on　Nekhludoff；　but　when　asked　about　his　health；　he　only　closed
his　eyes　and　angrily　shook　his　head。　All　his　energy　seemed　to　be
needed　in　order　to　bear　the　jolting　of　the　cart。　Mary　Pavlovna
was　on　the　other　side。　She　exchanged　a　significant　glance　with
Nekhludoff；　which　expressed　all　her　anxiety　about　Kryltzoff's
state；　and　then　began　to　talk　at　once　in　a　cheerful　manner。

〃It　seems　the　officer　is　ashamed　of　himself；〃　she　shouted；　so　as
to　be　heard　above　the　rattle　of　the　wheels。　〃Bousovkin's　manacles
have　been　removed；　and　he　is　carrying　his　little　girl　himself。
Katusha　and　Simonson　are　with　him；　and　Vera；　too。　She　has　taken
my　place。〃

Kryltzoff　said　something　that　could　not　be　heard　because　of　the
noise；　and　frowning　in　the　effort　to　repress　his　cough　shook　his
head。　Then　Nekhludoff　stooped　towards　him；　so　as　to　hear；　and
Kryltzoff；　freeing　his　mouth　of　the　handkerchief；　whispered：

〃Much　better　now。　Only　not　to　catch　cold。〃

Nekhludoff　nodded　in　acquiescence；　and　again　exchanged　a　glance
with