resurrection(复活)-第69章

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sides　following　with　his　eyes　a　little；　slight　lady；　who　was
coming　down　the　stairs　with　rapid　steps　not　in　keeping　with　all
the　grandeur。

Mariette　had　a　large　hat　on；　with　feathers；　a　black　dress　and
cape；　and　new　black　gloves。　Her　face　was　covered　by　a　veil。

When　she　saw　Nekhludoff　she　lifted　the　veil　off　a　very　pretty
face　with　bright　eyes　that　looked　inquiringly　at　him。

〃Ah；　Prince　Dmitri　Ivanovitch　Nekhludoff；〃　she　said；　with　a　soft；
pleasant　voice。　〃I　should　have　known〃

〃What！　you　even　remember　my　name？〃

〃I　should　think　so。　Why；　I　and　my　sisters　have　even　been　in　love
with　you；〃　she　said；　in　French。　〃But；　dear　me；　how　you　have
altered。　Oh；　what　a　pity　I　have　to　go　out。　But　let　us　go　up
again；〃　she　said　and　stopped　hesitatingly。　Then　she　looked　at　the
clock。　〃No；　I　can't。　I　am　going　to　Kamenskaya's　to　attend　a　mass
for　the　dead。　She　is　terribly　afflicted。〃

〃Who　is　this　Kamenskaya？〃

〃Have　you　not　heard？　Her　son　was　killed　in　a　duel。　He　fought
Posen。　He　was　the　only　son。　Terrible　I　The　mother　is　very　much
afflicted。〃

〃Yes。　I　have　heard　of　it。〃

〃No；　I　had　better　go；　and　you　must　come　again；　to…night　or
to…morrow；〃　she　said；　and　went　to　the　door　with　quick；　light
steps。

〃I　cannot　come　to…night；〃　he　said；　going　out　after　her；　〃but　I
have　a　request　to　make　you；〃　and　he　looked　at　the　pair　of　bays
that　were　drawing　up　to　the　front　door。

〃What　is　this？〃

〃This　is　a　letter　from　aunt　to　you；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　handing　her
a　narrow　envelope；　with　a　large　crest。　〃You'll　find　all　about　it
in　there。〃

〃I　know　Countess　Katerina　Ivanovna　thinks　I　have　some　influence
with　my　husband　in　business　matters。　She　is　mistaken。　I　can　do
nothing　and　do　not　like　to　interfere。　But；　of　course；　for　you　I
am　willing　to　be　false　to　my　principle。　What　is　this　business
about？〃　she　said；　searching　in　vain　for　her　pocket　with　her
little　black　gloved　hand。

〃There　is　a　girl　imprisoned　in　the　fortress；　and　she　is　ill　and
innocent。〃

〃What　is　her　name？〃

〃Lydia　Shoustova。　It's　in　the　note。〃

〃All　right；　I'll　see　what　I　can　do；〃　she　said；　and　lightly　jumped
into　her　little；　softly　upholstered；　open　carriage；　its
brightly…varnished　splash…guards　glistening　in　the　sunshine；　and
opened　her　parasol。　The　footman　got　on　the　box　and　gave　the
coachman　a　sign。　The　carriage　moved；　but　at　that　moment　she
touched　the　coachman　with　her　parasol　and　the　slim…legged
beauties；　the　bay　mares；　stopped；　bending　their　beautiful　necks
and　stepping　from　foot　to　foot。

〃But　you　must　come；　only；　please；　without　interested　motives；〃
and　she　looked　at　him　with　a　smile；　the　force　of　which　she　well
knew；　and；　as　if　the　performance　over　and　she　were　drawing　the
curtain；　she　dropped　the　veil　over　her　face　again。　〃All　right；〃
and　she　again　touched　the　coachman。

Nekhludoff　raised　his　hat；　and　the　well…bred　bays；　slightly
snorting；　set　off；　their　shoes　clattering　on　the　pavement；　and
the　carriage　rolled　quickly　and　smoothly　on　its　new　rubber　tyres；
giving　a　jump　only　now　and　then　over　some　unevenness　of　the　road。


CHAPTER　XVI。

AN　UP…TO…DATE　SENATOR。

When　Nekhludoff　remembered　the　smiles　that　had　passed　between　him
and　Mariette；　he　shook　his　head。

〃You　have　hardly　time　to　turn　round　before　you　are　again　drawn
into　this　life；〃　he　thought；　feeling　that　discord　and　those
doubts　which　the　necessity　to　curry　favour　from　people　he　did　not
esteem　caused。

After　considering　where　to　go　first；　so　as　not　to　have　to　retrace
his　steps；　Nekhludoff　set　off　for　the　Senate。　There　he　was　shown
into　the　office　where　he　found　a　great　many　very　polite　and　very
clean　officials　in　the　midst　of　a　magnificent　apartment。
Maslova's　petition　was　received　and　handed　on　to　that　Wolf；　to
whom　Nekhludoff　had　a　letter　from　his　uncle；　to　be　examined　and
reported　on。

〃There　will　be　a　meeting　of　the　Senate　this　week；〃　the　official
said　to　Nekhludoff；　〃but　Maslova's　case　will　hardly　come　before
that　meeting。〃

〃It　might　come　before　the　meeting　on　Wednesday；　by　special
request；〃　one　of　the　officials　remarked。

During　the　time　Nekhludoff　waited　in　the　office；　while　some
information　was　being　taken；　he　heard　that　the　conversation　in
the　Senate　was　all　about　the　duel；　and　he　heard　a　detailed
account　of　how　a　young　man；　Kaminski；　had　been　killed。　It　was
here　he　first　heard　all　the　facts　of　the　case　which　was　exciting
the　interest　of　all　Petersburg。　The　story　was　this：　Some　officers
were　eating　oysters　and；　as　usual；　drinking　very　much；　when　one
of　them　said　something　ill…natured　about　the　regiment　to　which
Kaminski　belonged；　and　Kaminski　called　him　a　liar。　The　other　hit
Kaminski。　The　next　day　they　fought。　Kaminski　was　wounded　in　the
stomach　and　died　two　hours　later。　The　murderer　and　the　seconds
were　arrested；　but　it　was　said　that　though　they　were　arrested　and
in　the　guardhouse　they　would　be　set　free　in　a　fortnight。

From　the　Senate　Nekhludoff　drove　to　see　an　influential　member　of
the　petition　Committee；　Baron　Vorobioff；　who　lived　in　a　splendid
house　belonging　to　the　Crown。　The　doorkeeper　told　Nekhludoff　in　a
severe　tone　that　the　Baron　could　not　be　seen　except　on　his
reception　days；　that　he　was　with　His　Majesty　the　Emperor　to…day；
and　the　next　day　he　would　again　have　to　deliver　a　report。
Nekhludoff　left　his　uncle's　letter　with　the　doorkeeper　and　went
on　to　see　the　Senator　Wolf。　Wolf　had　just　had　his　lunch；　and　was
as　usual　helping　digestion　by　smoking　a　cigar　and　pacing　up　and
down　the　room；　when　Nekhludoff　came　in。　Vladimir　Vasilievitch
Wolf　was　certainly　un　homme　tres　comme　il　faut；　and　prized　this
quality　very　highly；　and　from　that　elevation　he　looked　down　at
everybody　else。　He　could　not　but　esteem　this　quality　of　his　very
highly；　because　it　was　thanks　to　it　alone　that　he　had　made　a
brilliant　career；　the　very　career　he　desired；　i。e。；　by　marriage
he　obtained　a　fortune　which　brought　him　in　18；000　roubles　a　year；
and　by　his　own　exertions　the　post　of　a　senator。　He　considered
himself　not　only　un　homme　tres　comme　il　faut；　but　also　a　man　of
knightly　honour。　By　honour　he　understood　not　accepting　secret
bribes　from　private　persons。　But　he　did　not　consider　it　dishonest
to　beg　money　for　payment　of　fares　and　all　sorts　of　travelling
expenses　from　the　Crown；　and　to　do　anything　the　Government　might
require　of　him　in　return。　To　ruin　hundreds　of　innocent　people；　to
cause　them　to　be　imprisoned；　to　be　exiled　because　of　their　love
for　their　people　and　the　religion　of　their　fathers；　as　he　had
done　in　one　of　the　governments　of　Poland　when　he　was　governor
there。　He　did　not　consider　it　dishonourable；　but　even　thought　it
a　noble；　manly　and　patriotic　action。　Nor　did　he　consider　it
dishonest　to　rob　his　wife　and　sister…in…law；　as　he　had　done；　but
thought　it　a　wise　way　of　arranging　his　family　life。　His　family
consisted　of　his　commonplace　wife；　his　sister…in…law；　whose
fortune　he　had　appropriated　by　selling　her　estate　and　putting　the
money　to　his　account；　and　his　meek；　frightened；　plain　daughter；
who　lived　a　lonely；　weary　life；　from　which　she　had　lately　begun
to　look　for　relaxation　in　evangelicism；　attending　meetings　at
Aline's；　and　the　Countess　Katerina　Ivanovna。　Wolf's　son；　who　had
grown　a　beard　at　the　age　of　15；　and　had　at　that　age　begun　to
drink　and　lead　a　depraved　life；　which　he　continued　to　do　till　the
age　of　20；　when　he　was　turned　out　by　his　father　because　he　never
finished　his　studies；　moved　in　a　low　set　and　made　debts　which
committed　the　father。　The　father　had　once　paid　a　debt　of　250
roubles　for　his　son；　then　another　of　600　roubles；　but　warned　the
son　that　he　did　it　for　the　last　time；　and　that　if　the　son　did　not
reform　he　would　be　turned　out　of　the　house　and　all　further
intercourse　between　him　and　his　family　would　he　put　a　stop　to。
The　son　did　not　reform；　but　made　a　debt　of　a　thousand　roubles；
and　took　the　liberty　of　telling　his　father　that　life　at　home　was
a　torment　anyhow。　Then　Wolf　declared　to　his　son　that　he　might　go
where　he　pleasedthat　he　was　no　son　of　his　any　longer。　Since
then　Wolf　pretended　he　had　no　son；　and　no　one　at　home　dared　speak
to　him　about　his　son；　and　Vladimir　Vasilievitch　Wolf　was　firmly
convinced　that　he　had　arranged　his　family　life　in　the　best　way。
Wolf　sto