resurrection(复活)-第51章

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slippered　feet。　Among　the　carriages　was　a　closed　landau；　which　he
knew　to　be　the　Korchagins'。

The　grey…haired；　red…checked　coachman　took　off　his　hat　and　bowed
in　a　respectful　yet　friendly　manner　to　Nekhludoff；　as　to　a
gentleman　he　knew　well。　Nekhludoff　had　not　had　time　to　inquire
for　Maslennikoff；　when　the　latter　appeared　on　the　carpeted
stairs；　accompanying　a　very　important　guest　not　only　to　the　first
landing　but　to　the　bottom　of　the　stairs。　This　very　important
visitor；　a　military　man；　was　speaking　in　French　about　a　lottery
for　the　benefit　of　children's　homes　that　were　to　be　founded　in
the　city；　and　expressed　the　opinion　that　this　was　a　good
occupation　for　the　ladies。　〃It　amuses　them；　and　the　money　comes。〃

〃Qu'elles　s'amusent　et　que　le　bon　dieu　les　benisse。　M。
Nekhludoff！　How　d'you　do？　How　is　it　one　never　sees　you？〃　he
greeted　Nekhludoff。　〃Allez　presenter　vos　devoirs　a　Madame。　And
the　Korchagins　are　here　et　Nadine　Bukshevden。　Toutes　les　jolies
femmes　de　la　ville；〃　said　the　important　guest；　slightly　raising
his　uniformed　shoulders　as　he　presented　them　to　his　own　richly
liveried　servant　to　have　his　military　overcoat　put　on。　〃Au
revoir；　mon　cher。〃　And　he　pressed　Maslennikoff's　hand。

〃Now；　come　up；　I　am　so　glad；〃　said　Maslennikoff；　grasping
Nekhludoff's　hand。　In　spite　of　his　corpulency　Maslennikoff
hurried　quickly　up　the　stairs。　He　was　in　particularly　good
spirits；　owing　to　the　attention　paid　him　by　the　important
personage。　Every　such　attention　gave　him　the　same　sense　of
delight　as　is　felt　by　an　affectionate　dog　when　its　master　pats
it；　strokes　it；　or　scratches　its　ears。　It　wags　its　tail；　cringes；
jumps　about；　presses　its　ears　down；　and　madly　rushes　about　in　a
circle。　Maslennikoff　was　ready　to　do　the　same。　He　did　not　notice
the　serious　expression　on　Nekhludoff's　face；　paid　no　heed　to　his
words；　but　pulled　him　irresistibly　towards　the　drawing…room；　so
that　it　was　impossible　for　Nekhludoff　not　to　follow。　〃Business
after　wards。　I　shall　do　whatever　you　want；〃　said　Meslennikoff；　as
he　drew　Nekhludoff　through　the　dancing　hall。　〃Announce　Prince
Nekhludoff；〃　he　said　to　a　footman；　without　stopping　on　his　way。
The　footman　started　off　at　a　trot　and　passed　them。

〃Vous　n'avez　qu'　a　ordonner。　But　you　must　see　my　wife。　As　it　is；
I　got　it　for　letting　you　go　without　seeing　her　last　time。〃

By　the　time　they　reached　the　drawing…room　the　footman　had　already
announced　Nekhludoff；　and　from　between　the　bonnets　and　heads　that
surrounded　it　the　smiling　face　of　Anna　Ignatievna；　the
Vice…Governor's　wife；　beamed　on　Nekhludoff。　At　the　other　end　of
the　drawing…room　several　ladies　were　seated　round　the　tea…table；
and　some　military　men　and　some　civilians　stood　near　them。　The
clatter　of　male　and　female　voices　went　on　unceasingly。

〃Enfin！　you　seem　to　have　quite　forgotten　us。　How　have　we
offended？〃　With　these　words；　intended　to　convey　an　idea　of
intimacy　which　had　never　existed　between　herself　and　Nekhludoff；
Anna　Ignatievna　greeted　the　newcomer。

〃You　are　acquainted？Madam　Tilyaevsky；　M。　Chernoff。　Sit　down　a
bit　nearer。　Missy　vene　donc　a　notre　table　on　vous　apportera　votre
the　。　。　。　And　you；〃　she　said；　having　evidently　forgotten　his
name；　to　an　officer　who　was　talking　to　Missy；　〃do　come　here。　A
cup　of　tea；　Prince？〃

〃I　shall　never；　never　agree　with　you。　It's　quite　simple；　she　did
not　love；〃　a　woman's　voice　was　heard　saying。

〃But　she　loved　tarts。〃

〃Oh；　your　eternal　silly　jokes！〃　put　in；　laughingly；　another　lady
resplendent　in　silks；　gold；　and　jewels。

〃C'est　excellent　these　little　biscuits；　and　so　light。　I　think
I'll　take　another。〃

〃Well；　are　you　moving　soon？〃

〃Yes；　this　is　our　last　day。　That's　why　we　have　come。　Yes；　it　must
be　lovely　in　the　country；　we　are　having　a　delightful　spring。〃

Missy；　with　her　hat　on；　in　a　dark…striped　dress　of　some　kind　that
fitted　her　like　a　skin；　was　looking　very　handsome。　She　blushed
when　she　saw　Nekhludoff。

〃And　I　thought　you　had　left；〃　she　said　to　him。

〃I　am　on　the　point　of　leaving。　Business　is　keeping　me　in　town；
and　it　is　on　business　I　have　come　here。〃

〃Won't　you　come　to　see　mamma？　She　would　like　to　see　you；〃　she
said；　and　knowing　that　she　was　saying　what　was　not　true；　and　that
he　knew　it　also；　she　blushed　still　more。

〃I　fear　I　shall　scarcely　have　time；〃　Nekhludoff　said　gloomily；
trying　to　appear　as　if　he　had　not　noticed　her　blush。　Missy
frowned　angrily；　shrugged　her　shoulders；　and　turned　towards　an
elegant　officer；　who　grasped　the　empty　cup　she　was　holding；　and
knocking　his　sword　against　the　chairs；　manfully　carried　the　cup
across　to　another　table。

〃You　must　contribute　towards　the　Home　fund。〃

〃I　am　not　refusing；　but　only　wish　to　keep　my　bounty　fresh　for　the
lottery。　There　I　shall　let　it　appear　in　all　its　glory。〃

〃Well；　look　out　for　yourself；〃　said　a　voice；　followed　by　an
evidently　feigned　laugh。

Anna　Ignatievna　was　in　raptures；　her　〃at…home〃　had　turned　out　a
brilliant　success。　〃Micky　tells　me　you　are　busying　yourself　with
prison　work。　I　can　understand　you　so　well；〃　she　said　to
Nekhludoff。　〃Micky　（she　meant　her　fat　husband；　Maslennikoff）　may
have　other　defects；　but　you　know　how　kind…hearted　he　is。　All
these　miserable　prisoners　are　his　children。　He　does　not　regard
them　in　any　other　light。　II　est　d'une　bonte…〃　and　she　stopped；
finding　no　words　to　do　justice　to　this　bonte　of　his；　and　quickly
turned　to　a　shrivelled　old　woman　with　bows　of　lilac　ribbon　all
over；　who　came　in　just　then。

Having　said　as　much　as　was　absolutely　necessary；　and　with　as
little　meaning　as　conventionality　required；　Nekhludoff　rose　and
went　up　to　Meslennikoff。　〃Can　you　give　me　a　few　minutes'　hearing；
please？〃

〃Oh；　yes。　Well；　what　is　it？〃

〃Let　us　come　in　here。〃

They　entered　a　small　Japanese　sitting…room；　and　sat　down　by　the
window。


CHAPTER　LVIII。

THE　VICE…GOVERNOR　SUSPICIOUS。

〃Well？　Je　suis　a　vous。　Will　you　smoke？　But　wait　a　bit；　we　must　be
careful　and　not　make　a　mess　here；〃　said　Maslennikoff；　and　brought
an　ashpan。　〃Well？〃

〃There　are　two　matters　I　wish　to　ask　you　about。〃

〃Dear　me！〃

An　expression　of　gloom　and　dejection　came　over　Maslennikoff's
countenance；　and　every　trace　of　the　excitement；　like　that　of　the
dog's　whom　its　master　has　scratched　behind　the　cars；　vanished
completely。　The　sound　of　voices　reached　them　from　the　drawing…
room。　A　woman's　voice　was　heard；　saying；　〃Jamais　je　ne　croirais；〃
and　a　man's　voice　from　the　other　side　relating　something　in　which
the　names　of　la　Comtesse　Voronzoff　and　Victor　Apraksine　kept
recurring。　A　hum　of　voices；　mixed　with　laughter；　came　from
another　side。　Maslennikoff　tried　to　listen　to　what　was　going　on
in　the　drawing…room　and　to　what　Nekhludoff　was　saying　at　the　same
time。

〃I　am　again　come　about　that　same　woman；〃　said　Nekhludoff。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　I　know。　The　one　innocently　condemned。〃

〃I　would　like　to　ask　that　she　should　be　appointed　to　serve　in　the
prison　hospital。　I　have　been　told　that　this　could　be　arranged。〃

Maslennikoff　compressed　his　lips　and　meditated。　〃That　will　be
scarcely　possible；〃　he　said。　〃However；　I　shall　see　what　can　be
done；　and　shall　wire　you　an　answer　tomorrow。〃

〃I　have　been　told　that　there　were　many　sick；　and　help　was
needed。〃

〃All　right；　all　right。　I　shall　let　you　know　in　any　case。〃

〃Please　do；〃　said　Nekhludoff。

The　sound　of　a　general　and　even　a　natural　laugh　came　from　the
drawing…room。

〃That's　all　that　Victor。　He　is　wonderfully　sharp　when　he　is　in
the　right　vein；〃　said　Maslennikoff。

〃The　next　thing　I　wanted　to　tell　you；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　〃is　that
130　persons　are　imprisoned　only　because　their　passports　are
overdue。　They　have　been　kept　here　a　month。〃

And　he　related　the　circumstances　of　the　case。

〃How　have　you　come　to　know　of　this？〃　said　Maslennikoff；　looking
uneasy　and　dissatisfied。

〃I　went　to　see　a　prisoner；　and　these　men　came　and　surrounded　me
in　the　corridor；　and　asked　。　。　。〃

〃What　prisoner　did　you　go　to　see？〃

〃A　peasant　who　is　kept　in　prison；　though　innocent。　I　have　put　his
case　into　the　hands　of　a　lawyer。　But　that　is　not　the　point。〃

〃Is　it　possible　that　people　who　have　done　no　wrong　are　imprisoned
only　because　their　passports　are　overdue？　And　。　。　。〃

〃That's　the　Procureur's　business