resurrection(复活)-第116章

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She's　got　what　he　has；　only　as　he　is　sick　he　may　be　left　behind；
and　of　course　what　can　be　done　to　lighten　his　fate　shall　be　done。
But　as　for　her；　even　if　she　did　marry　him；　she　could　not　remain
behind。〃

〃The　Generaless　is　having　her　coffee；〃　the　footman　announced。

The　General　nodded　and　continued：

〃However；　I　shall　think　about　it。　What　are　their　names？　Put　them
down　here。〃

Nekhludoff　wrote　down　the　names。

Nekhludoff's　request　to　be　allowed　to　see　the　dying　man　the
General　answered　by　saying；　〃Neither　can　I　do　that。　Of　course　I
do　not　suspect　you；　but　you　take　an　interest　in　him　and　in　the
others；　and　you　have　money；　and　here　with　us　anything　can　be　done
with　money。　I　have　been　told　to　put　down　bribery。　But　how　can　I
put　down　bribery　when　everybody　takes　bribes？　And　the　lower　their
rank　the　more　ready　they　are　to　be　bribed。　How　can　one　find　it
out　across　more　than　three　thousand　miles？　There　any　official　is
a　little　Tsar；　just　as　I　am　here；〃　and　he　laughed。　〃You　have　in
all　likelihood　been　to　see　the　political　prisoners；　you　gave
money　and　got　permission　to　see　them；〃　he　said；　with　a　smile。
〃Is　it　not　so？

〃Yes；　it　is。〃

〃I　quite　understand　that　you　had　to　do　it。　You　pity　a　political
prisoner　and　wish　to　see　him。　And　the　inspector　or　the　convoy
soldier　accepts；　because　he　has　a　salary　of　twice　twenty　copecks
and　a　family；　and　he　can't　help　accepting　it。　In　his　place　and
yours　I　should　have　acted　in　the　same　way　as　you　and　he　did。　But
in　my　position　I　do　not　permit　myself　to　swerve　an　inch　from　the
letter　of　the　law；　just　because　I　am　a　man；　and　might　be
influenced　by　pity。　But　I　am　a　member　of　the　executive；　and　I
have　been　placed　in　a　position　of　trust　on　certain　conditions；
and　these　conditions　I　must　carry　out。　Well；　so　this　business　is
finished。　And　now　let　us　hear　what　is　going　on　in　the
metropolis。〃　And　the　General　began　questioning　with　the　evident
desire　to　hear　the　news　and　to　show　how　very　human　he　was。


CHAPTER　XXIII。

THE　SENTENCE　COMMUTED。

〃By…the…way；　where　are　you　staying？〃　asked　the　General　as　he　was
taking　leave　of　Nekhludoff。　〃At　Duke's？　Well；　it's　horrid　enough
there。　Come　and　dine　with　us　at　five　o'clock。　You　speak　English？

〃Yes；　I　do。〃

〃That's　good。　You　see；　an　English　traveller　has　just　arrived
here。　He　is　studying　the　question　of　transportation　and　examining
the　prisons　of　Siberia。　Well；　he　is　dining　with　us　to…night；　and
you　come　and　meet　him。　We　dine　at　five；　and　my　wife　expects
punctuality。　Then　I　shall　also　give　you　an　answer　what　to　do
about　that　woman；　and　perhaps　it　may　be　possible　to　leave　some
one　behind　with　the　sick　prisoner。〃

Having　made　his　bow　to　the　General；　Nekhludoff　drove　to　the
post…office；　feeling　himself　in　an　extremely　animated　and
energetic　frame　of　mind。

The　post…office　was　a　low…vaulted　room。　Several　officials　sat
behind　a　counter　serving　the　people；　of　whom　there　was　quite　a
crowd。　One　official　sat　with　his　head　bent　to　one　side　and　kept
stamping　the　envelopes；　which　he　slipped　dexterously　under　the
stamp。　Nekhludoff　had　not　long　to　wait。　As　soon　as　he　had　given
his　name；　everything　that　had　come　for　him　by　post　was　at　once
handed　to　him。　There　was　a　good　deal：　letters；　and　money；　and
books；　and　the　last　number　of　Fatherland　Notes。　Nekhludoff　took
all　these　things　to　a　wooden　bench；　on　which　a　soldier　with　a
book　in　his　hand　sat　waiting　for　something；　took　the　seat　by　his
side；　and　began　sorting　the　letters。　Among　them　was　one
registered　letter　in　a　fine　envelope；　with　a　distinctly　stamped
bright　red　seal。　He　broke　the　seal；　and　seeing　a　letter　from
Selenin　and　some　official　paper　inside　the　envelope；　he　felt　the
blood　rush　to　his　face；　and　his　heart　stood　still。　It　was　the
answer　to　Katusha's　petition。　What　would　that　answer　be？
Nekhludoff　glanced　hurriedly　through　the　letter；　written　in　an
illegibly　small；　hard；　and　cramped　hand；　and　breathed　a　sigh　of
relief。　The　answer　was　a　favourable　one。

〃Dear　friend；〃　wrote　Selenin；　〃our　last　talk　has　made　a　profound
impression　on　me。　You　were　right　concerning　Maslova。　I　looked
carefully　through　the　case；　and　see　that　shocking　injustice　has
been　done　her。　It　could　he　remedied　only　by　the　Committee　of
Petitions　before　which　you　laid　it。　I　managed　to　assist　at　the
examination　of　the　case；　and　I　enclose　herewith　the　copy　of　the
mitigation　of　the　sentence。　Your　aunt；　the　Countess　Katerina
Ivanovna；　gave　me　the　address　which　I　am　sending　this　to。　The
original　document　has　been　sent　to　the　place　where　she　was
imprisoned　before　her　trial；　and　will　from　there　he　probably　sent
at　once　to　the　principal　Government　office　in　Siberia。　I　hasten
to　communicate　this　glad　news　to　you　and　warmly　press　your　hand。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Yours；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃SELENIN。〃

The　document　ran　thus：　〃His　Majesty's　office　for　the　reception　of
petitions；　addressed　to　his　Imperial　name〃here　followed　the
date〃by　order　of　the　chief　of　his　Majesty's　office　for　the
reception　of　petitions　addressed　to　his　Imperial　name。　The
meschanka　Katerina　Maslova　is　hereby　informed　that　his　Imperial
Majesty；　with　reference　to　her　most　loyal　petition；　condescending
to　her　request；　deigns　to　order　that　her　sentence　to　hard　labour
should　be　commuted　to　one　of　exile　to　the　less　distant　districts
of　Siberia…〃

This　was　joyful　and　important　news；　all　that　Nekhludoff　could
have　hoped　for　Katusha；　and　for　himself　also；　had　happened。　It
was　true　that　the　new　position　she　was　in　brought　new
complications　with　it。　While　she　was　a　convict；　marriage　with　her
could　only　be　fictitious；　and　would　have　had　no　meaning　except
that　he　would　have　been　in　a　position　to　alleviate　her　condition。
And　now　there　was　nothing　to　prevent　their　living　together；　and
Nekhludoff　had　not　prepared　himself　for　that。　And；　besides；　what
of　her　relations　to　Simonson？　What　was　the　meaning　of　her　words
yesterday？　If　she　consented　to　a　union　with　Simonson；　would　it　be
well？　He　could　not　unravel　all　these　questions；　and　gave　up
thinking　about　it。　〃It　will　all　clear　itself　up　later　on；〃　he
thought；　〃I　must　not　think　about　it　now；　but　convey　the　glad　news
to　her　as　soon　as　possible；　and　set　her　free。　He　thought　that　the
copy　of　the　document　he　had　received　would　suffice；　so　when　he
left　the　post…office　he　told　the　isvostchik　to　drive　him　to　the
prison。

Though　he　had　received　no　order　from　the　governor　to　visit　the
prison　that　morning；　he　knew　by　experience　that　it　was　easy　to
get　from　the　subordinates　what　the　higher　officials　would　not
grant；　so　now　he　meant　to　try　and　get　into　the　prison　to　bring
Katusha　the　joyful　news；　and　perhaps　to　get　her　set　free；　and　at
the　same　time　to　inquire　about　Kryltzoff's　state　of　health；　and
tell　him　and　Mary　Pavlovna　what　the　general　had　said。　The　prison
inspector　was　a　tall；　imposing…looking　man；　with　moustaches　and
whiskers　that　twisted　towards　the　corners　of　his　mouth。　He
received　Nekhludoff　very　gravely；　and　told　him　plainly　that　he
could　not　grant　an　outsider　the　permission　to　interview　the
prisoners　without　a　special　order　from　his　chief。　To　Nekhludoff's
remark　that　he　had　been　allowed　to　visit　the　prisoners　even　in
the　cities　he　answered：

〃That　may　be　so；　but　I　do　not　allow　it；〃　and　his　tone　implied；
〃You　city　gentlemen　may　think　to　surprise　and　perplex　us；　but　we
in　Eastern　Siberia　also　know　what　the　law　is；　and　may　even　teach
it　you。〃　The　copy　of　a　document　straight　from　the　Emperor's　own
office　did　not　have　any　effect　on　the　prison　inspector　either。　He
decidedly　refused　to　let　Nekhludoff　come　inside　the　prison　walls。
He　only　smiled　contemptuously　at　Nekhludoff's　naive　conclusion；
that　the　copy　he　had　received　would　suffice　to　set　Maslova　free；
and　declared　that　a　direct　order　from　his　own　superiors　would　be
needed　before　any　one　could　be　set　at　liberty。　The　only　things　he
agreed　to　do　were　to　communicate　to　Maslova　that　a　mitigation　had
arrived　for　her；　and　to　promise　that　he　would　not　detain　her　an
hour　after　the　order　from　his　chief　to　liberate　her　would　arrive。
He　would　also　give　no　news　of　Kryltzoff；　saying　he　could　not　even
tell　if　there　was　such　a　prisoner；　and　so　Nekhludoff；　having
accomplished　next　to　not