06-the young tsar-第4节

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endless　devotion　and　love　with　your　favour；　and
every　one；　save　scoundrels　who　deserve　no　happi…
ness；　will　be　happy。〃

〃What　do　you　think　about　that？〃　the　young
Tsar　asked　his　wife。

〃I　have　a　different　opinion；〃　said　the　clever
young　woman；　who　had　been　brought　up　in　a　free
country。　　〃I　am　glad　you　had　that　dream；　and　I
agree　with　you　that　there　are　grave　responsibili…
ties　resting　upon　you。　　I　have　often　thought　about
it　with　great　anxiety；　and　I　think　there　is　a　simple
means　of　casting　off　a　part　of　the　responsibility
you　are　unable　to　bear；　if　not　all　of　it。　　A　large
proportion　of　the　power　which　is　too　heavy　for
you；　you　should　delegate　to　the　people；　to　its
representatives；　reserving　for　yourself　only　the
supreme　control；　that　is；　the　general　direction　of
the　affairs　of　State。〃

The　Queen　had　hardly　ceased　to　expound　her
views；　when　the　old　courtier　began　eagerly　to
refute　her　arguments；　and　they　started　a　polite
but　very　heated　discussion。

For　a　time　the　young　Tsar　followed　their　argu…
ments；　but　presently　he　ceased　to　be　aware　of
what　they　said；　listening　only　to　the　voice　of　him
who　had　been　his　guide　in　the　dream；　and　who
was　now　speaking　audibly　in　his　heart。

〃You　are　not　only　the　Tsar；〃　said　the　voice；
〃but　more。　　You　are　a　human　being；　who　only
yesterday　came　into　this　world；　and　will　perchance
to…morrow　depart　out　of　it。　　Apart　from　your
duties　as　a　Tsar；　of　which　that　old　man　is　now
speaking；　you　have　more　immediate　duties　not　by
any　means　to　be　disregarded；　human　duties；　not
the　duties　of　a　Tsar　towards　his　subjects；　which
are　only　accidental；　but　an　eternal　duty；　the　duty
of　a　man　in　his　relation　to　God；　the　duty　toward
your　own　soul；　which　is　to　save　it；　and　also；　to
serve　God　in　establishing　his　kingdom　on　earth。
You　are　not　to　be　guarded　in　your　actions　either
by　what　has　been　or　what　will　be；　but　only　by
what　it　is　your　own　duty　to　do。

***

He　opened　his　eyeshis　wife　was　awakening　him。
Which　of　the　three　courses　the　young　Tsar　chose；
will　be　told　in　fifty　years。



End