resurrection(复活)-第87章

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Nekhludoff　continued。　〃He　knows　that　the　Government　is　robbing
him；　knows　that　we　landed　proprietors　have　robbed　him　long　since；
robbed　him　of　the　land　which　should　be　the　common　property　of
all；　and　then；　if　he　picks　up　dry　wood　to　light　his　fire　on　that
land　stolen　from　him；　we　put　him　in　jail；　and　try　to　persuade　him
that　he　is　a　thief。　Of　course　he　knows　that　not　he　but　those　who
robbed　him　of　the　land　are　thieves；　and　that　to　get　any
restitution　of　what　has　been　robbed　is　his　duty　towards　his
family。〃

〃I　don't　understand；　or　if　I　do　I　cannot　agree　with　it。　The　land
must　be　somebody's　property；〃　began　Rogozhinsky　quietly；　and；
convinced　that　Nekhludoff　was　a　Socialist；　and　that　Socialism
demands　that　all　the　land　should　be　divided　equally；　that　such　a
division　would　be　very　foolish；　and　that　he　could　easily　prove　it
to　be　so；　he　said。　〃If　you　divided　it　equally　to…day；　it　would
to…morrow　be　again　in　the　hands　of　the　most　industrious　and
clever。〃

〃Nobody　is　thinking　of　dividing　the　land　equally。　The　land　must
not　be　anybody's　property；　must　not　be　a　thing　to　be　bought　and
sold　or　rented。〃

〃The　rights　of　property　are　inborn　in　man；　without　them　the
cultivation　of　land　would　present　no　interest。　Destroy　the　rights
of　property　and　we　lapse　into　barbarism。〃　Rogozhinsky　uttered
this　authoritatively；　repeating　the　usual　argument　in　favour　of
private　ownership　of　land　which　is　supposed　to　be　irrefutable；
based　on　the　assumption　that　people's　desire　to　possess　land
proves　that　they　need　it。

〃On　the　contrary；　only　when　the　land　is　nobody's　property　will　it
cease　to　lie　idle；　as　it　does　now；　while　the　landlords；　like　dogs
in　the　manger；　unable　themselves　to　put　it　to　use；　will　not　let
those　use　it　who　are　able。〃

〃But；　Dmitri　Ivanovitch；　what　you　are　saying　is　sheer　madness。　Is
it　possible　to　abolish　property　in　land　in　our　age？　I　know　it　is
your　old　hobby。　But　allow　me　to　tell　you　straight；〃　and
Rogozhinsky　grew　pale；　and　his　voice　trembled。　It　was　evident
that　this　question　touched　him　very　nearly。　〃I　should　advise　you
to　consider　this　question　well　before　attempting　to　solve　it
practically。〃

〃Are　you　speaking　of　my　personal　affairs？〃

〃Yes；　I　hold　that　we　who　are　placed　in　special　circumstances
should　bear　the　responsibilities　which　spring　from　those
circumstances；　should　uphold　the　conditions　in　which　we　were
born；　and　which　we　have　inherited　from　our　predecessors；　and
which　we　ought　to　pass　on　to　our　descendants。〃

〃I　consider　it　my　duty〃

〃Wait　a　bit；〃　said　Rogozhinsky；　not　permitting　the　interruption。
〃I　am　not　speaking　for　myself　or　my　children。　The　position　of　my
children　is　assured；　and　I　earn　enough　for　us　to　live
comfortably；　and　I　expect　my　children　will　live　so　too；　so　that
my　interest　in　your　actionwhich；　if　you　will　allow　me　to　say
so；　is　not　well　consideredis　not　based　on　personal　motives；　it
is　on　principle　that　I　cannot　agree　with　you。　I　should　advise　you
to　think　it　well　over；　to　read…？〃

〃Please　allow　me　to　settle　my　affairs；　and　to　choose　what　to　read
and　what　not　to　read；　myself；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　turning　pale。
Feeling　his　hands　grow　cold；　and　that　he　was　no　longer　master　of
himself；　he　stopped；　and　began　drinking　his　tea。


CHAPTER　XXXIII。

THE　AIM　OF　THE　LAW。

〃Well；　and　how　are　the　children？〃　Nekhludoff　asked　his　sister
when　he　was　calmer。　The　sister　told　him　about　the　children。　She
said　they　were　staying　with　their　grandmother　（their　father's
mother）；　and；　pleased　that　his　dispute　with　her　husband　had　come
to　an　end；　she　began　telling　him　how　her　children　played　that
they　were　travelling；　just　as　he　used　to　do　with　his　three　dolls；
one　of　them　a　negro　and　another　which　he　called　the　French　lady。

〃Can　you　really　remember　it　all？〃　said　Nekhludoff；　smiling。

〃Yes；　and　just　fancy；　they　play　in　the　very　same　way。〃

The　unpleasant　conversation　had　been　brought　to　an　end；　and
Nathalie　was　quieter；　but　she　did　not　care　to　talk　in　her
husband's　presence　of　what　could　be　comprehensible　only　to　her
brother；　so；　wishing　to　start　a　general　conversation；　she　began
talking　about　the　sorrow　of　Kamenski's　mother　at　losing　her　only
son；　who　had　fallen　in　a　duel；　for　this　Petersburg　topic　of　the
day　had　now　reached　Moscow。　Rogozhinsky　expressed　disapproval　at
the　state　of　things　that　excluded　murder　in　a　duel　from　the
ordinary　criminal　offences。　This　remark　evoked　a　rejoinder　from
Nekhludoff；　and　a　new　dispute　arose　on　the　subject。　Nothing　was
fully　explained；　neither　of　the　antagonists　expressed　all　he　had
in　his　mind；　each　keeping　to　his　conviction；　which　condemned　the
other。　Rogozhinsky　felt　that　Nekhludoff　condemned　him　and
despised　his　activity；　and　he　wished　to　show　him　the　injustice　of
his　opinions。

Nekhludoff；　on　the　other　hand；　felt　provoked　by　his
brother…in…law's　interference　in　his　affairs　concerning　the　land。
And　knowing　in　his　heart　of　hearts　that　his　sister；　her　husband；
and　their　children；　as　his　heirs；　had　a　right　to　do　so；　was
indignant　that　this　narrow…minded　man　persisted　with　calm
assurance　to　regard　as　just　and　lawful　what　Nekhludoff　no　longer
doubted　was　folly　and　crime。

This　man's　arrogance　annoyed　Nekhludoff。

〃What　could　the　law　do？〃　he　asked。

〃It　could　sentence　one　of　the　two　duellists　to　the　mines　like　an
ordinary　murderer。〃

Nekhludoff's　hands　grew　cold。

〃Well；　and　what　good　would　that　be？〃　he　asked；　hotly。

〃It　would　be　just。〃

〃As　if　justice　were　the　aim　of　the　law；〃　said　Nekhludoff。

〃What　else？〃

〃The　upholding　of　class　interests！　I　think　the　law　is　only　an
instrument　for　upholding　the　existing　order　of　things　beneficial
to　our　class。〃

〃This　is　a　perfectly　new　view；〃　said　Rogozhinsky　with　a　quiet
smile；　〃the　law　is　generally　supposed　to　have　a　totally　different
aim。〃

〃Yes；　so　it　has　in　theory　but　not　in　practice；　as　I　have　found
out。　The　law　aims　only　at　preserving　the　present　state　of　things；
and　therefore　it　persecutes　and　executes　those　who　stand　above
the　ordinary　level　and　wish　to　raise　itthe　so…called　political
prisoners；　as　well　as　those　who　are　below　the　averagethe
so…called　criminal　types。〃

〃I　do　not　agree　with　you。　In　the　first　place；　I　cannot　admit　that
the　criminals　classed　as　political　are　punished　because　they　are
above　the　average。　In　most　cases　they　are　the　refuse　of　society；
just　as　much　perverted；　though　in　a　different　way；　as　the
criminal　types　whom　you　consider　below　the　average。〃

〃But　I　happen　to　know　men　who　are　morally　far　above　their　judges；
all　the　sectarians　are　moral；　from〃

But　Rogozhinsky；　a　man　not　accustomed　to　be　interrupted　when　he
spoke；　did　not　listen　to　Nekhludoff；　but　went　on　talking　at　the
same　time；　thereby　irritating　him　still　more。

〃Nor　can　I　admit　that　the　object　of　the　law　is　the　upholding　of
the　present　state　of　things。　The　law　aims　at　reforming〃

〃A　nice　kind　of　reform；　in　a　prison！〃　Nekhludoff　put　in。

〃Or　removing；〃　Rogozhinsky　went　on；　persistently；　〃the　perverted
and　brutalised　persons　that　threaten　society。〃

〃That's　just　what　it　doesn't　do。　Society　has　not　the　means　of
doing　either　the　one　thing　or　the　other。〃

〃How　is　that？　I　don't　understand；〃　said　Rogozhinsky　with　a　forced
smile。

〃I　mean　that　only　two　reasonable　kinds　of　punishment　exist。　Those
used　in　the　old　days：　corporal　and　capital　punishment；　which；　as
human　nature　gradually　softens；　come　more　and　more　into　disuse；〃
said　Nekhludoff。

〃There；　now；　this　is　quite　new　and　very　strange　to　hear　from　your
lips。〃

〃Yes；　it　is　reasonable　to　hurt　a　man　so　that　he　should　not　do　in
future　what　he　is　hurt　for　doing；　and　it　is　also　quite　reasonable
to　cut　a　man's　head　off　when　he　is　injurious　or　dangerous　to
society。　These　punishments　have　a　reasonable　meaning。　But　what
sense　is　there　in　locking　up　in　a　prison　a　man　perverted　by　want
of　occupation　and　bad　example；　to　place　him　in　a　position　where
he　is　provided　for；　where　laziness　is　imposed　on　him；　and　where
he　is　in　company　with　the　most　perverted　of　men？　What　reason　is
there　to　take　a　man　at　public　cost　（it　comes　to　more　than　500
roubles　per　head）　from　the　Toula　to　the　Irkoatsk　government；　or
from　Koursk〃

〃Yes；　but　all　the　same；　people　are　afraid　of　th