resurrection(复活)-第117章

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tell　if　there　was　such　a　prisoner；　and　so　Nekhludoff；　having
accomplished　next　to　nothing；　got　into　his　trap　and　drove　back　to
his　hotel。

The　strictness　of　the　inspector　was　chiefly　due　to　the　fact　that
an　epidemic　of　typhus　had　broken　out　in　the　prison；　owing　to
twice　the　number　of　persons　that　it　was　intended　for　being
crowded　in　it。　The　isvostchik　who　drove　Nekhludoff　said；　〃Quite　a
lot　of　people　are　dying　in　the　prison　every　day；　some　kind　of
disease　having　sprung　up　among　them；　so　that　as　many　as　twenty
were　buried　in　one　day。〃


CHAPTER　XXIV。

THE　GENERAL'S　HOUSEHOLD。

In　spite　of　his　ineffectual　attempt　at　the　prison；　Nekhludoff；
still　in　the　same　vigorous；　energetic　frame　of　mind；　went　to　the
Governor's　office　to　see　if　the　original　of　the　document　had
arrived　for　Maslova。　It　had　not　arrived；　so　Nekhludoff　went　back
to　the　hotel　and　wrote　without　delay　to　Selenin　and　the　advocate
about　it。　When　he　had　finished　writing　he　looked　at　his　watch　and
saw　it　was　time　to　go　to　the　General's　dinner　party。

On　the　way　he　again　began　wondering　how　Katusha　would　receive　the
news　of　the　mitigation　of　her　sentence。　Where　she　would　be
settled？　How　he　should　live　with　her？　What　about　Simonson？　What
would　his　relations　to　her　be？　He　remembered　the　change　that　had
taken　place　in　her；　and　this　reminded　him　of　her　past。　〃I　must
forget　it　for　the　present；〃　he　thought；　and　again　hastened　to
drive　her　out　of　his　mind。　〃When　the　time　comes　I　shall　see；〃　he
said　to　himself；　and　began　to　think　of　what　he　ought　to　say　to
the　General。

The　dinner　at　the　General's；　with　the　luxury　habitual　to　the
lives　of　the　wealthy　and　those　of　high　rank；　to　which　Nekhludoff
had　been　accustomed；　was　extremely　enjoyable　after　he　had　been　so
long　deprived　not　only　of　luxury　but　even　of　the　most　ordinary
comforts。　The　mistress　of　the　house　was　a　Petersburg　grande　dame
of　the　old　school；　a　maid　of　honour　at　the　court　of　Nicholas　I。；
who　spoke　French　quite　naturally　and　Russian　very　unnaturally。
She　held　herself　very　erect　and；　moving　her　hands；　she　kept　her
elbows　close　to　her　waist。　She　was　quietly　and；　somewhat　sadly
considerate　for　her　husband；　and　extremely　kind　to　all　her
visitors；　though　with　a　tinge　of　difference　in　her　behaviour
according　to　their　position。　She　received　Nekhludoff　as　if　he
were　one　of　them；　and　her　fine；　almost　imperceptible　flattery
made　him　once　again　aware　of　his　virtues　and　gave　him　a　feeling
of　satisfaction。　She　made　him　feel　that　she　knew　of　that　honest
though　rather　singular　step　of　his　which　had　brought　him　to
Siberia；　and　held　him　to　be　an　exceptional　man。　This　refined
flattery　and　the　elegance　and　luxury　of　the　General's　house　had
the　effect　of　making　Nekhludoff　succumb　to　the　enjoyment　of　the
handsome　surroundings；　the　delicate　dishes　and　the　case　and
pleasure　of　intercourse　with　educated　people　of　his　own　class；　so
that　the　surroundings　in　the　midst　of　which　he　had　lived　for　the
last　months　seemed　a　dream　from　which　he　had　awakened　to　reality。
Besides　those　of　the　household；　the　General's　daughter　and　her
husband　and　an　aide…de…camp；　there　were　an　Englishman；　a　merchant
interested　in　gold　mines；　and　the　governor　of　a　distant　Siberian
town。　All　these　people　seemed　pleasant　to　Nekhludoff。　The
Englishman；　a　healthy　man　with　a　rosy　complexion；　who　spoke　very
bad　French；　but　whose　command　of　his　own　language　was　very　good
and　oratorically　impressive；　who　had　seen　a　great　deal；　was　very
interesting　to　listen　to　when　he　spoke　about　America；　India；
Japan　and　Siberia。

The　young　merchant　interested　in　the　gold　mines；　the　son　of　a
peasant；　whose　evening　dress　was　made　in　London；　who　had　diamond
studs　to　his　shirt；　possessed　a　fine　library；　contributed　freely
to　philanthropic　work；　and　held　liberal　European　views；　seemed
pleasant　to　Nekhludoff　as　a　sample　of　a　quite　new　and　good　type
of　civilised　European　culture；　grafted　on　a　healthy；　uncultivated
peasant　stem。

The　governor　of　the　distant　Siberian　town　was　that　same　man　who
had　been　so　much　talked　about　in　Petersburg　at　the　time
Nekhludoff　was　there。　He　was　plump；　with　thin；　curly　hair；　soft
blue　eyes；　carefully…tended　white　hands；　with　rings　on　the
fingers；　a　pleasant　smile；　and　very　big　in　the　lower　part　of　his
body。　The　master　of　the　house　valued　this　governor　because　of　all
the　officials　he　was　the　only　one　who　would　not　be　bribed。　The
mistress　of　the　house；　who　was　very　fond　of　music　and　a　very　good
pianist　herself；　valued　him　because　he　was　a　good　musician　and
played　duets　with　her。

Nekhludoff　was　in　such　good　humour　that　even　this　man　was　not
unpleasant　to　him；　in　spite　of　what　he　knew　of　his　vices。　The
bright；　energetic　aide…de…camp；　with　his　bluey　grey　chin；　who　was
continually　offering　his　services；　pleased　Nekhludoff　by　his　good
nature。　But　it　was　the　charming　young　couple；　the　General's
daughter　and　her　husband；　who　pleased　Nekhludoff　best。　The
daughter　was　a　plain…looking；　simple…minded　young　woman；　wholly
absorbed　in　her　two　children。　Her　husband；　whom　she　had　fallen　in
love　with　and　married　after　a　long　struggle　with　her　parents；　was
a　Liberal；　who　had　taken　honours　at　the　Moscow　University；　a
modest　and　intellectual　young　man　in　Government　service；　who　made
up　statistics　and　studied　chiefly　the　foreign　tribes；　which　he
liked　and　tried　to　save　from　dying　out。

All　of　them　were　not　only　kind　and　attentive　to　Nekhludoff；　but
evidently　pleased　to　see　him；　as　a　new　and　interesting
acquaintance。　The　General；　who　came　in　to　dinner　in　uniform　and
with　a　white　cross　round　his　neck；　greeted　Nekhludoff　as　a
friend；　and　asked　the　visitors　to　the　side　table　to　take　a　glass
of　vodka　and　something　to　whet　their　appetites。　The　General　asked
Nekhludoff　what　he　had　been　doing　since　he　left　that　morning；　and
Nekhludoff　told　him　he　had　been　to　the　post…office　and　received
the　news　of　the　mitigation　of　that　person's　sentence　that　he　had
spoken　of　in　the　morning；　and　again　asked　for　a　permission　to
visit　the　prison。

The　General；　apparently　displeased　that　business　should　be
mentioned　at　dinner；　frowned　and　said　nothing。

〃Have　a　glass　of　vodka〃　he　said；　addressing　the　Englishman；　who
had　just　come　up　to　the　table。　The　Englishman　drank　a　glass；　and
said　he　had　been　to　see　the　cathedral　and　the　factory；　but　would
like　to　visit　the　great　transportation　prison。

〃Oh；　that　will　just　fit　in；〃　said　the　General　to　Nekhludoff。
〃You　will　he　able　to　go　together。　Give　them　a　pass；〃　he　added；
turning　to　his　aide…de…camp。

〃When　would　you　like　to　go？〃　Nekhludoff　asked。

〃I　prefer　visiting　the　prisons　in　the　evening；〃　the　Englishman
answered。　〃All　are　indoors　and　there　is　no　preparation；　you　find
them　all　as　they　are。〃

〃Ah；　he　would　like　to　see　it　in　all　its　glory！　Let　him　do　so。　I
have　written　about　it　and　no　attention　has　been　paid　to　it。　Let
him　find　out　from　foreign　publications；〃　the　General　said；　and
went　up　to　the　dinner　table；　where　the　mistress　of　the　house　was
showing　the　visitors　their　places。　Nekhludoff　sat　between　his
hostess　and　the　Englishman。　In　front　of　him　sat　the　General's
daughter　and　the　ex…director　of　the　Government　department　in
Petersburg。　The　conversation　at　dinner　was　carried　on　by　fits　and
starts；　now　it　was　India　that　the　Englishman　talked　about；　now
the　Tonkin　expedition　that　the　General　strongly　disapproved　of；
now　the　universal　bribery　and　corruption　in　Siberia。　All　these
topics　did　not　interest　Nekhludoff　much。

But　after　dinner；　over　their　coffee；　Nekhludoff　and　the
Englishman　began　a　very　interesting　conversation　about　Gladstone；
and　Nekhludoff　thought　he　had　said　many　clever　things　which　were
noticed　by　his　interlocutor。　And　Nekhludoff　felt　it　more　and　more
pleasant　to　be　sipping　his　coffee　seated　in　an　easy…chair　among
amiable；　well…bred　people。　And　when　at　the　Englishman's　request
the　hostess　went　up　to　the　piano　with　the　ex…director　of　the
Government　department；　and　they　began　to　play　in　well…practised
style　Beethoven's　fifth　symphony；　Nekhludoff　fell　into　a　mental
state　of　perfect　self…satisfaction　to　which　he　had　long　been　a
stranger；　as　though　he　had　only　just　found　out　what　a　good　fellow
he　was。

The　grand　piano　was　a