resurrection(复活)-第81章

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tried　by　law；　but　were　acquitted。　Then　the　Archdeacon　and　the
Governor　arranged；　on　the　plea　that　their　marriages　were　illegal；
to　exile　these　sectarians；　separating　the　husbands；　wives；　and
children。　These　fathers　and　wives　were　now　petitioning　that　they
should　not　he　parted。　Toporoff　recollected　the　first　time　the
case　came　to　his　notice：　he　had　at　that　time　hesitated　whether　he
had　not　better　put　a　stop　to　it。　But　then　he　thought　no　harm
could　result　from　his　confirming　the　decision　to　separate　and
exile　the　different　members　of　the　sectarian　families；　whereas
allowing　the　peasant　sect　to　remain　where　it　was　might　have　a　bad
effect　on　the　rest　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　place　and　cause　them
to　fall　away　from　Orthodoxy。　And　then　the　affair　also　proved　the
zeal　of　the　Archdeacon；　and　so　he　let　the　case　proceed　along　the
lines　it　had　taken。　But　now　that　they　had　a　defender　such　as
Nekhludoff；　who　had　some　influence　in　Petersburg；　the　case　might
be　specially　pointed　out　to　the　Emperor　as　something　cruel；　or　it
might　get　into　the　foreign　papers。　Therefore　he　at　once　took　an
unexpected　decision。

〃How　do　you　do？〃　he　said；　with　the　air　of　a　very　busy　man；
receiving　Nekhludoff　standing；　and　at　once　starting　on　the
business。　〃I　know　this　case。　As　soon　as　I　saw　the　names　I
recollected　this　unfortunate　business；〃　he　said；　taking　up　the
petition　and　showing　it　to　Nekhludoff。　〃And　I　am　much　indebted　to
you　for　reminding　me　of　it。　It　is　the　over…zealousness　of　the
provincial　authorities。〃

Nekhludoff　stood　silent；　looking　with　no　kindly　feelings　at　the
immovable；　pale　mask　of　a　face　before　him。

〃And　I　shall　give　orders　that　these　measures　should　he　revoked
and　the　people　reinstated　in　their　homes。〃

〃So　that　I　need　not　make　use　of　this　petition？〃

〃I　promise　you　most　assuredly；〃　answered　Toporoff；　laying　a
stress　on　the　word　I；　as　if　quite　convinced　that　his　honesty；　his
word　was　the　best　guarantee。　〃It　will　be　best　if　I　write　at　once。
Take　a　seat；　please。〃

He　went　up　to　the　table　and　began　to　write。　As　Nekhludoff　sat
down　he　looked　at　the　narrow；　bald　skull；　at　the　fat；　blue…veined
hand　that　was　swiftly　guiding　the　pen；　and　wondered　why　this
evidently　indifferent　man　was　doing　what　he　did　and　why　he　was
doing　it　with　such　care。

〃Well；　here　you　are；〃　said　Toporoff；　sealing　the　envelope；　〃you
may　let　your　clients　know；〃　and　he　stretched　his　lips　to　imitate
a　smile。

〃Then　what　did　these　people　suffer　for？〃　Nekhludoff　asked；　as　he
took　the　envelope。

Toporoff　raised　his　head　and　smiled；　as　if　Nekhludoff's　question
gave　him　pleasure。　〃That　I　cannot　tell。　All　I　can　say　is　that　the
interests　of　the　people　guarded　by　us　are　so　important　that　too
great　a　zeal　in　matters　of　religion　is　not　so　dangerous　or　so
harmful　as　the　indifference　which　is　now　spreading〃

〃But　how　is　it　that　in　the　name　of　religion　the　very　first
demands　of　righteousness　are　violatedfamilies　are　separated？〃

Toporoff　continued　to　smile　patronisingly；　evidently　thinking
what　Nekhludoff　said　very　pretty。　Anything　that　Nekhludoff　could
say　he　would　have　considered　very　pretty　and　very　one…sided；　from
the　height　of　what　he　considered　his　far…reaching　office　in　the
State。

〃It　may　seem　so　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　private　individual；〃
he　said；　〃but　from　an　administrative　point　of　view　it　appears　in
a　rather　different　light。　However；　I　must　bid　you　good…bye；　now；〃
said　Toporoff；　bowing　his　head　and　holding　out　his　hand；　which
Nekhludoff　pressed。

〃The　interests　of　the　people！　Your　interests　is　what　you　mean！〃
thought　Nekhludoff　as　he　went　out。　And　he　ran　over　in　his　mind
the　people　in　whom　is　manifested　the　activity　of　the　institutions
that　uphold　religion　and　educate　the　people。　He　began　with　the
woman　punished　for　the　illicit　sale　of　spirits；　the　boy　for
theft；　the　tramp　for　tramping；　the　incendiary　for　setting　a　house
on　fire；　the　banker　for　fraud；　and　that　unfortunate　Lydia
Shoustova　imprisoned　only　because　they　hoped　to　get　such
information　as　they　required　from　her。　Then　he　thought　of　the
sectarians　punished　for　violating　Orthodoxy；　and　Gourkevitch　for
wanting　constitutional　government；　and　Nekhludoff　clearly　saw
that　all　these　people　were　arrested；　locked　up；　exiled；　not
really　because　they　transgressed　against　justice　or　behaved
unlawfully；　but　only　because　they　were　an　obstacle　hindering　the
officials　and　the　rich　from　enjoying　the　property　they　had　taken
away　from　the　people。　And　the　woman　who　sold　wine　without　having
a　license；　and　the　thief　knocking　about　the　town；　and　Lydia
Shoustova　hiding　proclamations；　and　the　sectarians　upsetting
superstitions；　and　Gourkevitch　desiring　a　constitution；　were　a
real　hindrance。　It　seemed　perfectly　clear　to　Nekhludoff　that　all
these　officials；　beginning　with　his　aunt's　husband；　the　Senators；
and　Toporoff；　down　to　those　clean　and　correct　gentlemen　who　sat
at　the　tables　in　the　Ministry　Office；　were　not　at　all　troubled　by
the　fact　that　that　in　such　a　state　of　things　the　innocent　had　to
suffer；　but　were　only　concerned　how　to　get　rid　of　the　really
dangerous；　so　that　the　rule　that　ten　guilty　should　escape　rather
than　that　one　innocent　should　be　condemned　was　not　observed；　but；
on　the　contrary；　for　the　sake　of　getting　rid　of　one　really
dangerous　person；　ten　who　seemed　dangerous　were　punished；　as；
when　cutting　a　rotten　piece　out　of　anything；　one　has　to　cut　away
some　that　is　good。

This　explanation　seemed　very　simple　and　clear　to　Nekhludoff；　but
its　very　simplicity　and　clearness　made　him　hesitate　to　accept　it。
Was　it　possible　that　so　complicated　a　phenomenon　could　have　so
simple　and　terrible　an　explanation？　Was　it　possible　that　all
these　words　about　justice；　law；　religion；　and　God；　and　so　on；
were　mere　words；　hiding　the　coarsest　cupidity　and　cruelty？


CHAPTER　XXVIII。

THE　MEANING　OF　MARIETTE'S　ATTRACTION。

Nekhludoff　would　have　left　Petersburg　on　the　evening　of　the　same
day；　but　he　had　promised　Mariette　to　meet　her　at　the　theatre；　and
though　he　knew　that　he　ought　not　to　keep　that　promise；　he
deceived　himself　into　the　belief　that　it　would　not　be　right　to
break　his　word。

〃Am　I　capable　of　withstanding　these　temptations？〃　he　asked
himself　not　quite　honestly。　〃I　shall　try　for　the　last　time。〃

He　dressed　in　his　evening　clothes；　and　arrived　at　the　theatre
during　the　second　act　of　the　eternal　Dame　aux　Camelias；　in　which
a　foreign　actress　once　again；　and　in　a　novel　manner；　showed　how
women　die　of　consumption。

The　theatre　was　quite　full。　Mariette's　box　was　at　once；　and　with
great　deference；　shown　to　Nekhludoff　at　his　request。　A　liveried
servant　stood　in　the　corridor　outside；　he　bowed　to　Nekhludoff　as
to　one　whom　he　knew；　and　opened　the　door　of　the　box。

All　the　people　who　sat　and　stood　in　the　boxes　on　the　opposite
side；　those　who　sat　near　and　those　who　were　in　the　parterre；　with
their　grey；　grizzly；　bald；　or　curly　headsall　were　absorbed　in
watching　the　thin；　bony　actress　who；　dressed　in　silks　and　laces；
was　wriggling　before　them；　and　speaking　in　an　unnatural　voice。

Some　one　called　〃Hush！〃　when　the　door　opened；　and　two　streams；
one　of　cool；　the　other　of　hot；　air　touched　Nekhludoff's　face。

Mariette　and　a　lady　whom　he　did　not　know；　with　a　red　cape　and　a
big；　heavy　head…dress；　were　in　the　box；　and　two　men　also；
Mariette's　husband；　the　General；　a　tall；　handsome　man　with　a
severe；　inscrutable　countenance；　a　Roman　nose；　and　a　uniform
padded　round　the　chest；　and　a　fair　man；　with　a　bit　of　shaved　chin
between　pompous　whiskers。

Mariette；　graceful；　slight；　elegant；　her　low…necked　dress　showing
her　firm；　shapely；　slanting　shoulders；　with　a　little　black　mole
where　they　joined　her　neck；　immediately　turned；　and　pointed　with
her　face　to　a　chair　behind　her　in　an　engaging　manner；　and　smiled
a　smile　that　seemed　full　of　meaning　to　Nekhludoff。

The　husband　looked　at　him　in　the　quiet　way　in　which　he　did
everything；　and　bowed。　In　the　look　he　exchanged　with　his　wife；
the　master；　the　owner　of　a　beautiful　woman；　was　to　be　seen　at
once。

When　the　monologue　was　over　the　theatre　resounded　with　the
clapping　of　hands。　Mariette　rose；　and　holding　up　her　rustling
silk　skirt；　went　into　the　back　of　the　box　and　introduced
Ne