resurrection(复活)-第68章

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potatoes。　He　is　an　awful　fool；　but　all　the　same　do　what　he　is
going　to　ask　of　you。　A　terrible　simpleton；〃　she　added。　〃Have　you
heard？　Kamenskaya　is　in　such　despair　that　they　fear　for　her
life；〃　she　said　to　her　husband。　〃You　should　go　and　call　there。〃

〃Yes；　it　is　dreadful；〃　said　her　husband。

〃Go　along；　then；　and　talk　to　him。　I　must　write　some　letters。〃

Hardly　had　Nekhludoff　stepped　into　the　room　next　the　drawing…room
than　she　called　him　back。

〃Shall　I　write　to　Mariette；　then？〃

〃Please；　ma　tante。〃

〃I　shall　leave　a　blank　for　what　you　want　to　say　about　the
short…haired　one；　and　she　will　give　her　husband　his　orders；　and
he'll　do　it。　Do　not　think　me　wicked；　they　are　all　so　disgusting；
your　prologues；　but　je　ne　leur　veux　pas　de　mal；　bother　them。
Well；　go；　but　be　sure　to　stay　at　home　this　evening　to　hear
Kiesewetter；　and　we　shall　have　some　prayers。　And　if　only　you　do
not　resist　cela　vous　fera　beaucoup　de　bien。　I　know　your　poor
mother　and　all　of　you　were　always　very　backward　in　these　things。〃


CHAPTER　XV。

AN　AVERAGE　STATESMAN。

Count　Ivan　Michaelovitch　had　been　a　minister；　and　was　a　man　of
strong　convictions。　The　convictions　of　Count　Ivan　Michaelovitch
consisted　in　the　belief　that；　just　as　it　was　natural　for　a　bird
to　feed　on　worms；　to　be　clothed　in　feathers　and　down；　and　to　fly
in　the　air；　so　it　was　natural　for　him　to　feed　on　the　choicest　and
most　expensive　food；　prepared　by　highly…paid　cooks；　to　wear　the
most　comfortable　and　most　expensive　clothing；　to　drive　with　the
best　and　fastest　horses；　and　that；　therefore；　all　these　things
should　be　ready　found　for　him。　Besides　this；　Count　Ivan
Michaelovitch　considered　that　the　more　money　he　could　get　out　of
the　treasury　by　all　sorts　of　means；　the　more　orders　he　had；
including　different　diamond　insignia　of　something　or　other；　and
the　oftener　he　spoke　to　highly…placed　individuals　of　both　sexes；
so　much　the　better　it　was。

All　the　rest　Count　Ivan　Michaelovitch　considered　insignificant
and　uninteresting　beside　these　dogmas。　All　the　rest　might　be　as
it　was；　or　just　the　reverse。　Count　Ivan　Michaelovitch　lived　and
acted　according　to　these　lights　for　40　years；　and　at　the　end　of
40　years　reached　the　position　of　a　Minister　of　State。　The　chief
qualities　that　enabled　Count　Ivan　Michaelovitch　to　reach　this
position　were　his　capacity　of　understanding　the　meaning　of
documents　and　laws　and　of　drawing　up；　though　clumsily；
intelligible　State　papers；　and　of　spelling　them　correctly；
secondly；　his　very　stately　appearance；　which　enabled　him；　when
necessary；　to　seem　not　only　extremely　proud；　but　unapproachable
and　majestic；　while　at　other　times　he　could　be　abjectly　and
almost　passionately　servile；　thirdly；　the　absence　of　any　general
principles　or　rules；　either　of　personal　or　administrative
morality；　which　made　it　possible　for　him　either　to　agree　or
disagree　with　anybody　according　to　what　was　wanted　at　the　time。
When　acting　thus　his　only　endeavour　was　to　sustain　the　appearance
of　good　breeding　and　not　to　seem　too　plainly　inconsistent。　As　for
his　actions　being　moral　or　not；　in　themselves；　or　whether　they
were　going　to　result　in　the　highest　welfare　or　greatest　evil　for
the　whole　of　the　Russian　Empire；　or　even　the　entire　world；　that
was　quite　indifferent　to　him。　When　he　became　minister；　not　only
those　dependent　on　him　（and　there　were　great　many　of　them）　and
people　connected　with　him；　but　many　strangers　and　even　he　himself
were　convinced　that　he　was　a　very　clever　statesman。　But　after
some　time　had　elapsed　and　he　had　done　nothing　and　had　nothing　to
show；　and　when　in　accordance　with　the　law　of　the　struggle　for
existence　others；　like　himself；　who　had　learnt　to　write　and
understand　documents；　stately　and　unprincipled　officials；　had
displaced　him；　he　turned　out　to　be　not　only　far　from　clever　but
very　limited　and　badly　educated。　Though　self…assured；　his　views
hardly　reaching　the　level　of　those　in　the　leading　articles　of　the
Conservative　papers；　it　became　apparent　that　there　was　nothing　in
him　to　distinguish　him　from　those　other　badly…educated　and
self…assured　officials　who　had　pushed　him　out；　and　he　himself　saw
it。　But　this　did　not　shake　his　conviction　that　he　had　to　receive
a　great　deal　of　money　out　of　the　Treasury　every　year；　and　new
decorations　for　his　dress　clothes。　This　conviction　was　so　firm
that　no　one　had　the　pluck　to　refuse　these　things　to　him；　and　he
received　yearly；　partly　in　form　of　a　pension；　partly　as　a　salary
for　being　a　member　in　a　Government　institution　and　chairman　of
all　sorts　of　committees　and　councils；　several　tens　of　thousands
of　roubles；　besides　the　righthighly　prized　by　himof　sewing
all　sorts　of　new　cords　to　his　shoulders　and　trousers；　and　ribbons
to　wear　under　and　enamel　stars　to　fix　on　to　his　dress　coat。　In
consequence　of　this　Count　Ivan　Michaelovitch　had　very　high
connections。

Count　Ivan　Michaelovitch　listened　to　Nekhludoff　as　he　was　wont　to
listen　to　the　reports　of　the　permanent　secretary　of　his
department；　and；　having　heard　him；　said　he　would　give　him　two
notes；　one　to　the　Senator　Wolff；　of　the　Appeal　Department。　〃All
sorts　of　things　are　reported　of　him；　but　dans　tous　les　cas　c'est
un　homme　tres　comme　ii　faut；〃　he　said。　〃He　is　indebted　to　me；　and
will　do　all　that　is　possible。〃　The　other　note　Count　Ivan
Michaelovitch　gave　Nekhludoff　was　to　an　influential　member　of　the
Petition　Committee。　The　story　of　Theodosia　Birukoff　as　told　by
Nekhludoff　interested　him　very　much。　When　Nekhludoff　said　that　he
thought　of　writing　to　the　Empress；　the　Count　replied　that　it
certainly　was　a　very　touching　story；　and　might；　if　occasion
presented　itself；　be　told　her；　but　he　could　not　promise。　Let　the
petition　be　handed　in　in　due　form。

Should　there　be　an　opportunity；　and　if　a　petit　comite　were　called
on　Thursday；　he　thought　he　would　tell　her　the　story。　As　soon　as
Nekhludoff　had　received　these　two　notes；　and　a　note　to　Mariette
from　his　aunt；　he　at　once　set　off　to　these　different　places。

First　he　went　to　Mariette's。　He　had　known　her　as　a　half…grown
girl；　the　daughter　of　an　aristocratic　but　not　wealthy　family；　and
had　heard　how　she　had　married　a　man　who　was　making　a　career；　whom
Nekhludoff　had　heard　badly　spoken　of；　and；　as　usual；　he　felt　it
hard　to　ask　a　favour　of　a　man　he　did　not　esteem。　In　these　cases
he　always　felt　an　inner　dissension　and　dissatisfaction；　and
wavered　whether　to　ask　the　favour　or　not；　and　always　resolved　to
ask。　Besides　feeling　himself　in　a　false　position　among　those　to
whose　set　he　no　longer　regarded　himself　as　belonging；　who　yet
regarded　him　as　belonging　to　them；　he　felt　himself　getting　into
the　old　accustomed　rut；　and　in　spite　of　himself　fell　into　the
thoughtless　and　immoral　tone　that　reigned　in　that　circle。　He　felt
that　from　the　first；　with　his　aunt；　he　involuntarily　fell　into　a
bantering　tone　while　talking　about　serious　matters。

Petersburg　in　general　affected　him　with　its　usual　physically
invigorating　and　mentally　dulling　effect。

Everything　so　clean；　so　comfortably　well…arranged　and　the　people
so　lenient　in　moral　matters；　that　life　seemed　very　easy。

A　fine；　clean；　and　polite　isvostchik　drove　him　past　fine；　clean；
polite　policemen；　along　the　fine；　clean；　watered　streets；　past
fine；　clean　houses　to　the　house　in　which　Mariette　lived。　At　the
front　door　stood　a　pair　of　English　horses；　with　English　harness；
and　an　English…looking　coachman　on　the　box；　with　the　lower　part
of　his　face　shaved；　proudly　holding　a　whip。　The　doorkeeper；
dressed　in　a　wonderfully　clean　livery；　opened　the　door　into　the
hall；　where　in　still　cleaner　livery　with　gold　cords　stood　the
footman　with　his　splendid　whiskers　well　combed　out；　and　the
orderly　on　duty　in　a　brand…new　uniform。　〃The　general　does　not
receive；　and　the　generaless　does　not　receive　either。　She　is　just
going　to　drive　out。〃

Nekhludoff　took　out　Katerina　Ivanovna's　letter；　and　going　up　to　a
table　on　which　lay　a　visitors'　book；　began　to　write　that　he　was
sorry　not　to　have　been　able　to　see　any　one；　when　the　footman　went
up　the　staircase　the　doorkeeper　went　out　and　shouted　to　the
coachman；　and　the　orderly　stood　up　rigid　with　his　arms　at　his
sides　following　with　his　eyes　a　little；　slight　lady；　who　was
coming　down　the　stairs