resurrection(复活)-第84章

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position；　every　man；　the　blotchy　assistant　among　them；　considered
he　had　a　right　to　offend　her；　and　was　surprised　at　her　refusal；
hurt　her　deeply；　and　made　her　pity　herself　and　brought　tears　to
her　eyes。

When　she　went　out　to　Nekhludoff　this　time　she　wished　to　clear
herself　of　the　false　charge　which　she　knew　he　would　certainly
have　heard　about。　But　when　she　began　to　justify　herself　she　felt
he　did　not　believe　her；　and　that　her　excuses　would　only
strengthen　his　suspicions；　tears　choked　her；　and　she　was　silent。

Maslova　still　thought　and　continued　to　persuade　herself　that　she
had　never　forgiven　him；　and　hated　him；　as　she　told　him　at　their
second　interview；　but　in　reality　she　loved　him　again；　and　loved
him　so　that　she　did　all　he　wished　her　to　do；　left　off　drinking；
smoking；　coquetting；　and　entered　the　hospital　because　she　knew　he
wished　it。　And　if　every　time　he　reminded　her　of　it；　she　refused
so　decidedly　to　accept　his　sacrifice　and　marry　him；　it　was
because　she　liked　repeating　the　proud　words　she　had　once　uttered；
and　because　she　knew　that　a　marriage　with　her　would　be　a
misfortune　for　him。

She　had　resolutely　made　up　her　mind　that　she　would　not　accept　his
sacrifice；　and　yet　the　thought　that　he　despised　her　and　believed
that　she　still　was　what　she　had　been；　and　did　not　notice　the
change　that　had　taken　place　in　her；　was　very　painful。　That　he
could　still　think　she　had　done　wrong　while　in　the　hospital
tormented　her　more　than　the　news　that　her　sentence　was　confirmed。


CHAPTER　XXX。

THE　ASTONISHING　INSTITUTION　CALLED　CRIMINAL　LAW。

Maslova　might　be　sent　off　with　the　first　gang　of　prisoners；
therefore　Nekhludoff　got　ready　for　his　departure。　But　there　was
so　much　to　be　done　that　he　felt　that　he　could　not　finish　it；
however　much　time　he　might　have。　It　was　quite　different　now　from
what　it　had　been。　Formerly　he　used　to　be　obliged　to　look　for　an
occupation；　the　interest　of　which　always　centred　in　one　person；
i。e。；　Dmitri　Ivanovitch　Nekhludoff；　and　yet；　though　every
interest　of　his　life　was　thus　centred；　all　these　occupations　were
very　wearisome。　Now　all　his　occupations　related　to　other　people
and　not　to　Dmitri　Ivanovitch；　and　they　were　all　interesting　and
attractive；　and　there　was　no　end　to　them。　Nor　was　this　all。
Formerly　Dmitri　Ivanovitch　Nekhludoff's　occupations　always　made
him　feel　vexed　and　irritable；　now　they　produced　a　joyful　state　of
mind。　The　business　at　present　occupying　Nekhludoff　could　be
divided　under　three　headings。　He　himself；　with　his　usual
pedantry；　divided　it　in　that　way；　and　accordingly　kept　the　papers
referring　to　it　in　three　different　portfolios。　The　first　referred
to　Maslova；　and　was　chiefly　that　of　taking　steps　to　get　her
petition　to　the　Emperor　attended　to；　and　preparing　for　her
probable　journey　to　Siberia。

The　second　was　about　his　estates。　In　Panovo　he　had　given　the　land
to　the　peasants　on　condition　of　their　paying　rent　to　be　put　to
their　own　communal　use。　But　he　had　to　confirm　this　transaction　by
a　legal　deed；　and　to　make　his　will；　in　accordance　with　it。　In
Kousminski　the　state　of　things　was　still　as　he　had　first　arranged
it；　i。e。；　he　was　to　receive　the　rent；　but　the　terms　had　to　be
fixed；　and　also　how　much　of　the　money　he　would　use　to　live　on；
and　how　much　he　would　leave　for　the　peasants'　use。　As　he　did　not
know　what　his　journey　to　Siberia　would　cost　him；　he　could　not
decide　to　lose　this　revenue　altogether；　though　he　reduced　the
income　from　it　by　half。

The　third　part　of　his　business　was　to　help　the　convicts；　who
applied　more　and　more　often　to　him。　At　first　when　he　came　in
contact　with　the　prisoners；　and　they　appealed　to　him　for　help；　he
at　once　began　interceding　for　them；　hoping　to　lighten　their　fate；
but　he　soon　had　so　many　applications　that　he　felt　the
impossibility　of　attending　to　all　of　them；　and　that　naturally　led
him　to　take　up　another　piece　of　work；　which　at　last　roused　his
interest　even　more　than　the　three　first。　This　new　part　of　his
business　was　finding　an　answer　to　the　following　questions：　What
was　this　astonishing　institution　called　criminal　law；　of　which
the　results　were　that　in　the　prison；　with　some　of　the　inmates　of
which　he　had　lately　become　acquainted；　and　in　all　those　other
places　of　confinement；　from　the　Peter　and　Paul　Fortress　in
Petersburg　to　the　island　of　Sakhalin；　hundreds　and　thousands　of
victims　were　pining？　What　did　this　strange　criminal　law　exist
for？　How　had　it　originated？

From　his　personal　relations　with　the　prisoners；　from　notes　by
some　of　those　in　confinement；　and　by　questioning　the　advocate　and
the　prison　priest；　Nekhludoff　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the
convicts；　the　so…called　criminals；　could　be　divided　into　five
classes。　The　first　were　quite　innocent　people；　condemned　by
judicial　blunder。　Such　were　the　Menshoffs；　supposed　to　be
incendiaries；　Maslova；　and　others。　There　were　not　many　of　these；
according　to　the　priest's　words；　only　seven　per　cent。；　but　their
condition　excited　particular　interest。

To　the　second　class　belong　persons　condemned　for　actions　done
under　peculiar　circumstances；　i。e。；　in　a　fit　of　passion；　jealousy；
or　drunkenness；　circumstances　under　which　those　who　judged　them
would　surely　have　committed　the　same　actions。

The　third　class　consisted　of　people　punished　for　having　committed
actions　which；　according　to　their　understanding；　were　quite
natural；　and　even　good；　but　which　those　other　people；　the　men　who
made　the　laws；　considered　to　be　crimes。　Such　were　the　persons　who
sold　spirits　without　a　license；　smugglers；　those　who　gathered
grass　and　wood　on　large　estates　and　in　the　forests　belonging　to
the　Crown；　the　thieving　miners；　and　those　unbelieving　people　who
robbed　churches。

To　the　fourth　class　belonged　those　who　were　imprisoned　only
because　they　stood　morally　higher　than　the　average　level　of
society。　Such　were　the　Sectarians；　the　Poles；　the　Circassians
rebelling　in　order　to　regain　their　independence；　the　political
prisoners；　the　Socialists；　the　strikers　condemned　for
withstanding　the　authorities。　There　was；　according　to
Nekhludoff's　observations；　a　very　large　percentage　belonging　to
this　class；　among　them　some　of　the　best　of　men。

The　fifth　class　consisted　of　persons　who　had　been　far　more　sinned
against　by　society　than　they　had　sinned　against　it。　These　were
castaways；　stupefied　by　continual　oppression　and　temptation；　such
as　the　boy　who　had　stolen　the　rugs；　and　hundreds　of　others　whom
Nekhludoff　had　seen　in　the　prison　and　out　of　it。　The　conditions
under　which　they　lived　seemed　to　lead　on　systematically　to　those
actions　which　are　termed　crimes。　A　great　many　thieves　and
murderers　with　whom　he　had　lately　come　in　contact；　according　to
Nekhludoff's　estimate；　belonged　to　this　class。　To　this　class
Nekhludoff　also　reckoned　those　depraved；　demoralised　creatures
whom　the　new　school　of　criminology　classify　as　the　criminal　type；
and　the　existence　of　which　is　considered　to　be　the　chief　proof　of
the　necessity　of　criminal　law　and　punishment。　This　demoralised；
depraved；　abnormal　type　was；　according　to　Nekhludoff；　exactly　the
same　as　that　against　whom　society　had　sinned；　only　here　society
had　sinned　not　directly　against　them；　but　against　their　parents
and　forefathers。

Among　this　latter　class　Nekhludoff　was　specially　struck　by　one
Okhotin；　an　inveterate　thief；　the　illegitimate　son　of　a
prostitute；　brought　up　in　a　doss…house；　who；　up　to　the　age　of　30；
had　apparently　never　met　with　any　one　whose　morality　was　above
that　of　a　policeman；　and　who　had　got　into　a　band　of　thieves　when
quite　young。　He　was　gifted　with　an　extraordinary　sense　of　humour；
by　means　of　which　he　made　himself　very　attractive。　He　asked
Nekhludoff　for　protection；　at　the　same　time　making　fun　of
himself；　the　lawyers；　the　prison；　and　laws　human　and　divine。

Another　was　the　handsome　Fedoroff；　who；　with　a　band　of　robbers；
of　whom　he　was　the　chief；　had　robbed　and　murdered　an　old　man；　an
official。　Fedoroff　was　a　peasant；　whose　father　had　been
unlawfully　deprived　of　his　house；　and　who；　later　on；　when　serving
as　a　soldier；　had　suffered　much　because　he　had　fallen　in　love
with　an　officer's　mistress。　He　had　a　fascinating；　passionate
nature；　that　longed　for　enjoyment　at　any　cost。　He　had　n