resurrection(复活)-第34章

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〃Really！　Dear　me！〃　said　the　Procureur。　〃This　is　certainly　a　very
exceptional　case。　I　believe　you　are　a　member　of　the　Krasnoporsk
rural　administration？〃　he　asked；　as　if　he　remembered　having　heard
before　of　this　Nekhludoff；　who　was　now　making　so　strange　a
declaration。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　but　I　do　not　think　that　has　anything　to　do
with　my　request；〃　answered　Nekhludoff；　flushing　angrily。

〃Certainly　not；〃　said　the　Procureur；　with　a　scarcely　perceptible
smile　and　not　in　the　least　abashed；　〃only　your　wish　is　so
extraordinary　and　so　out　of　the　common。〃

〃Well；　but　can　I　get　the　permission？〃

〃The　permission？　Yes；　I　will　give　you　an　order　of　admittance
directly。　Take　a　seat。〃

He　went　up　to　the　table；　sat　down；　and　began　to　write。　〃Please
sit　down。〃

Nekhludoff　continued　to　stand。

Having　written　an　order　of　admittance；　and　handed　it　to
Nekhludoff；　the　Procureur　looked　curiously　at　him。

〃I　must　also　state　that　I　can　no　longer　take　part　in　the
sessions。〃

〃Then　you　will　have　to　lay　valid　reasons　before　the　Court；　as
you；　of　course；　know。〃

〃My　reasons　are　that　I　consider　all　judging　not　only　useless；　but
immoral。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　Procureur；　with　the　same　scarcely　perceptible
smile；　as　if　to　show　that　this　kind　of　declaration　was　well　known
to　him　and　belonged　to　the　amusing　sort。　〃Yes；　but　you　will
certainly　understand　that　I　as　Procureur；　can　not　agree　with　you
on　this　point。　Therefore；　I　should　advise　you　to　apply　to　the
Court；　which　will　consider　your　declaration；　and　find　it　valid　or
not　valid；　and　in　the　latter　case　will　impose　a　fine。　Apply；
then；　to　the　Court。〃

〃I　have　made　my　declaration；　and　shall　apply　nowhere　else；〃
Nekhludoff　said；　angrily。

〃Well；　then；　good…afternoon；〃　said　the　Procureur；　bowing　his
head；　evidently　anxious　to　be　rid　of　this　strange　visitor。

〃Who　was　that　you　had　here？〃　asked　one　of　the　members　of　the
Court；　as　he　entered；　just　after　Nekhludoff　left　the　room。

〃Nekhludoff；　you　know；　the　same　that　used　to　make　all　sorts　of
strange　statements　at　the　Krasnoporsk　rural　meetings。　Just　fancy！
He　is　on　the　jury；　and　among　the　prisoners　there　is　a　woman　or
girl　sentenced　to　penal　servitude；　whom　he　says　he　betrayed；　and
now　he　wants　to　marry　her。〃

〃You　don't　mean　to　say　so。〃

〃That's　what　he　told　me。　And　in　such　a　strange　state　of
excitement！〃

〃There　is　something　abnormal　in　the　young　men　of　to…day。〃

〃Oh；　but　he　is　not　so　very　young。〃

〃Yes。　But　how　tiresome　your　famous　Ivoshenka　was。　He　carries　the
day　by　wearying　one　out。　He　talked　and　talked　without　end。〃

〃Oh；　that　kind　of　people　should　be　simply　stopped；　or　they　will
become　real　obstructionists。〃


CHAPTER　XXXVI。

NEKHLUDOFF　ENDEAVOURS　TO　VISIT　MASLOVA。

From　the　Procureur　Nekhludoff　went　straight　to　the　preliminary
detention　prison。　However；　no　Maslova　was　to　be　found　there；　and
the　inspector　explained　to　Nekhludoff　that　she　would　probably　be
in　the　old　temporary　prison。　Nekhludoff　went　there。

Yes；　Katerina　Maslova　was　there。

The　distance　between　the　two　prisons　was　enormous；　and　Nekhludoff
only　reached　the　old　prison　towards　evening。　He　was　going　up　to
the　door　of　the　large；　gloomy　building；　but　the　sentinel　stopped
him　and　rang。　A　warder　came　in　answer　to　the　bell。　Nekhludoff
showed　him　his　order　of　admittance；　but　the　warder　said　he　could
not　let　him　in　without　the　inspector's　permission。　Nekhludoff
went　to　see　the　inspector。　As　he　was　going　up　the　stairs　he　heard
distant　sounds　of　some　complicated　bravura；　played　on　the　piano。
When　a　cross　servant　girl；　with　a　bandaged　eye；　opened　the　door
to　him；　those　sounds　seemed　to　escape　from　the　room　and　to　strike
his　car。　It　was　a　rhapsody　of　Liszt's；　that　everybody　was　tired
of；　splendidly　played　but　only　to　one　point。　When　that　point　was
reached　the　same　thing　was　repeated。　Nekhludoff　asked　the
bandaged　maid　whether　the　inspector　was　in。　She　answered　that　he
was　not　in。

〃Will　he　return　soon？〃

The　rhapsody　again　stopped　and　recommenced　loudly　and　brilliantly
again　up　to　the　same　charmed　point。

〃I　will　go　and　ask；〃　and　the　servant　went　away。

〃Tell　him　he　is　not　in　and　won't　be　to…day；　he　is　out　visiting。
What　do　they　come　bothering　for？〃　came　the　sound　of　a　woman's
voice　from　behind　the　door；　and　again　the　rhapsody　rattled　on　and
stopped；　and　the　sound　of　a　chair　pushed　back　was　heard。　It　was
plain　the　irritated　pianist　meant　to　rebuke　the　tiresome　visitor；
who　had　come　at　an　untimely　hour。　〃Papa　is　not　in；〃　a　pale　girl
with　crimped　hair　said；　crossly；　coming　out　into　the　ante…room；
but；　seeing　a　young　man　in　a　good　coat；　she　softened。

〃Come　in；　please。　。　。　。　What　is　it　you　want？〃

〃I　want　to　see　a　prisoner　in　this　prison。〃

〃A　political　one；　I　suppose？〃

〃No；　not　a　political　one。　I　have　a　permission　from　the
Procureur。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　know；　and　papa　is　out；　but　come　in；　please；〃　she
said；　again；　〃or　else　speak　to　the　assistant。　He　is　in　the　office
at　present；　apply　there。　What　is　your　name？〃

〃I　thank　you；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　without　answering　her　question；
and　went　out。

The　door　was　not　yet　closed　after　him　when　the　same　lively　tones
recommenced。　In　the　courtyard　Nekhludoff　met　an　officer　with
bristly　moustaches；　and　asked　for　the　assistant…inspector。　It　was
the　assistant　himself。　He　looked　at　the　order　of　admittance；　but
said　that　he　could　not　decide　to　let　him　in　with　a　pass　for　the
preliminary　prison。　Besides；　it　was　too　late。　〃Please　to　come
again　to…morrow。　To　morrow；　at　10；　everybody　is　allowed　to　go　in。
Come　then；　and　the　inspector　himself　will　be　at　home。　Then　you
can　have　the　interview　either　in　the　common　room　or；　if　the
inspector　allows　it；　in　the　office。〃

And　so　Nekhludoff　did　not　succeed　in　getting　an　interview　that
day；　and　returned　home。　As　he　went　along　the　streets；　excited　at
the　idea　of　meeting　her；　he　no　longer　thought　about　the　Law
Courts；　but　recalled　his　conversations　with　the　Procureur　and　the
inspector's　assistant。　The　fact　that　he　had　been　seeking　an
interview　with　her；　and　had　told　the　Procureur；　and　had　been　in
two　prisons；　so　excited　him　that　it　was　long　before　he　could　calm
down。　When　he　got　home　he　at　once　fetched　out　his　diary；　that　had
long　remained　untouched；　read　a　few　sentences　out　of　it；　and　then
wrote　as　follows：

〃For　two　years　I　have　not　written　anything　in　my　diary；　and
thought　I　never　should　return　to　this　childishness。　Yet　it　is　not
childishness；　but　converse　with　my　own　self；　with　this　real
divine　self　which　lives　in　every　man。　All　this　time　that　I　slept
there　was　no　one　for　me　to　converse　with。　I　was　awakened　by　an
extraordinary　event　on　the　28th　of　April；　in　the　Law　Court；　when
I　was　on　the　jury。　I　saw　her　in　the　prisoners'　dock；　the　Katusha
betrayed　by　me；　in　a　prisoner's　cloak；　condemned　to　penal
servitude　through　a　strange　mistake；　and　my　own　fault。　I　have
just　been　to　the　Procureur's　and　to　the　prison；　but　I　was　not
admitted。　I　have　resolved　to　do　all　I　can　to　see　her；　to　confess
to　her；　and　to　atone　for　my　sin；　even　by　a　marriage。　God　help　me。
My　soul　is　at　peace　and　I　am　full　of　joy。〃


CHAPTER　XXXVII。

MASLOVA　RECALLS　THE　PAST。

That　night　Maslova　lay　awake　a　long　time　with　her　eyes　open
looking　at　the　door；　in　front　of　which　the　deacon's　daughter　kept
passing。　She　was　thinking　that　nothing　would　induce　her　to　go　to
the　island　of　Sakhalin　and　marry　a　convict；　but　would　arrange
matters　somehow　with　one　of　the　prison　officials；　the　secretary；
a　warder；　or　even　a　warder's　assistant。　〃Aren't　they　all　given
that　way？　Only　I　must　not　get　thin；　or　else　I　am　lost。〃

She　thought　of　how　the　advocate　had　looked　at　her；　and　also　the
president；　and　of　the　men　she　met；　and　those　who　came　in　on
purpose　at　the　court。　She　recollected　how　her　companion；　Bertha；
who　came　to　see　her　in　prison；　had　told　her　about　the　student
whom　she　had　〃loved〃　while　she　was　with　Kitaeva；　and　who　had
inquired　about　her；　and　pitied　her　very　much。　She　recalled　many
to　mind；　only　not　Nekhludoff。　She　never　brought　back　to　mind　the
days　of　her　childhood　and　youth；　and　her　love　to　Nekhludoff。
That　would　have　been　too　painful。　These　memories　lay　untouched
somewhere　deep　in　her　soul；　she　had　forgotten　him；