under western eyes-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



behaving　humanely　to　God's　creatures　that　are　a　jolly　sight　more

estimable　than　yourself；'　　I　said。　　I　can't　bear　to　see　any

tyranny；　Kirylo　Sidorovitch。　　Upon　my　word　I　can't。　　He　didn't

take　it　in　good　part　at　all。　　'Who's　that　impudent　puppy？'

he　begins　to　shout。　　I　was　in　excellent　form　as　it　happened；

and　he　went　through　the　closed　window　very　suddenly。　　He　flew

quite　a　long　way　into　the　yard。　　I　raged　likelike　aminotaur。

The　women　clung　to　me　and　screamed；　the　fiddlers　got　under　the　table。

。　。　。Such　fun！　　My　dad　had　to　put　his　hand　pretty　deep　into　his　pocket；

I　can　tell　you。〃　　He　chuckled。



〃My　dad　is　a　very　useful　man。　　Jolly　good　thing　it　is　for　me；　too。

I　do　get　into　unholy　scrapes。〃



His　elation　fell。　　That　was　just　it。　　What　was　his　life？

Insignificant；　no　good　to　anyone；　a　mere　festivity。　　It

would　end　some　fine　day　in　his　getting　his　skull　split　with　a

champagne　bottle　in　a　drunken　brawl。　　At　such　times；　too；　when

men　were　sacrificing　themselves　to　ideas。　　But　he　could　never　get

any　ideas　into　his　head。　　His　head　wasn't　worth　anything　better

than　to　be　split　by　a　champagne　bottle。



Razumov；　protesting　that　he　had　no　time；　made　an　attempt　to　get

away。　　The　other's　tone　changed　to　confidential　earnestness。



〃For　God's　sake；　Kirylo；　my　dear　soul；　let　me　make　some　sort　of

sacrifice。　　It　would　not　be　a　sacrifice　really。　　I　have　my　rich

dad　behind　me。　　There's　positively　no　getting　to　the　bottom　of

his　pocket。〃



And　rejecting　indignantly　Razumov's　suggestion　that　this　was

drunken　raving；　he　offered　to　lend　him　some　money　to　escape

abroad　with。　　He　could　always　get　money　from　his　dad。　　He　had

only　to　say　that　he　had　lost　it　at　cards　or　something　of　that

sort；　and　at　the　same　time　promise　solemnly　not　to　miss　a　single

lecture　for　three　months　on　end。　　That　would　fetch　the　old　man；

and　he；　Kostia；　was　quite　equal　to　the　sacrifice。　　Though　he

really　did　not　see　what　was　the　good　for　him　to　attend　the

lectures。　　It　was　perfectly　hopeless。



〃Won't　you　let　me　be　of　some　use？〃　he　pleaded　to　the　silent

Razumov；　who　with　his　eyes　on　the　ground　and　utterly　unable　to

penetrate　the　real　drift　of　the　other's　intention；　felt　a　strange

reluctance　to　clear　up　the　point。



〃What　makes　you　think　I　want　to　go　abroad？〃　he　asked　at　last

very　quietly。



Kostia　lowered　his　voice。



〃You　had　the　police　in　your　rooms　yesterday。　There　are　three　or

four　of　us　who　have　heard　of　that。　Never　mind　how　we　know。　　It　is

sufficient　that　we　do。　　So　we　have　been　consulting　together。〃



〃Ah！　　You　got　to　know　that　so　soon；〃　　muttered　Razumov　negligently。



〃Yes。　　We　did。　　And　it　struck　us　that　a　man　like　you。　。　。〃



〃What　sort　of　a　man　do　you　take　me　to　be？〃　Razumov　interrupted　him。



〃A　man　of　ideasand　a　man　of　action　too。　　But　you　are　very　deep；

Kirylo。　　There's　no　getting　to　the　bottom　of　your　mind。　　Not　for

fellows　like　me。　　But　we　all　agreed　that　you　must　be　preserved

for　our　country。　　Of　that　we　have　no　doubt　whateverI　mean　all

of　us　who　have　heard　Haldin　speak　of　you　on　certain　occasions。

A　man　doesn't　get　the　police　ransacking　his　rooms　without　there

being　some　devilry　hanging　over　his　head。　。　。　。　　And　so　if　you

think　that　it　would　be　better　for　you　to　bolt　at　once。　。　。〃



Razumov　tore　himself　away　and　walked　down　the　corridor；　leaving

the　other　motionless　with　his　mouth　open。　　But　almost　at　once　he

returned　and　stood　before　the　amazed　Kostia；　who　shut　his　mouth

slowly。　　Razumov　looked　him　straight　in　the　eyes；　before　saying

with　marked　deliberation　and　separating　his　words

〃I　thankyouverymuch。〃



He　went　away　again　rapidly。　Kostia；　recovering　from　his　surprise

at　these　manoeuvres；　ran　up　behind　him　pressingly。

〃No！　Wait！　　Listen。　　I　really　mean　it。　　It　would　be　like　giving

your　compassion　to　a　starving　fellow。　　Do　you　hear；　Kirylo？　　And

any　disguise　you　may　think　of；　that　too　I　could　procure　from　a

costumier；　a　Jew　I　know。　　Let　a　fool　be　made　serviceable

according　to　his　folly。　　Perhaps　also　a　false　beard　or　something

of　that　kind　may　be　needed。



Razumov　turned　at　bay。



〃There　are　no　false　beards　needed　in　this　business；

Kostiayou　good…hearted　lunatic；　you。　　What　do　you　know　of

my　ideas？　　My　ideas　may　be　poison　to　you。〃　　The　other　began　to

shake　his　head　in　energetic　protest。



〃What　have　you　got　to　do　with　ideas？　　Some　of　them　would　make　an

end　of　your　dad's　money…bags。　　Leave　off　meddling　with　what　you

don't　understand。　　Go　back　to　your　trotting　horses　and　your

girls；　and　then　you'll　be　sure　at　least　of　doing　no　harm　to

anybody；　and　hardly　any　to　yourself。〃



The　enthusiastic　youth　was　overcome　by　this　disdain。



〃You're　sending　me　back　to　my　pig's　trough；　Kirylo。　　That　settles

it。　　I　am　an　unlucky　beastand　I　shall　die　like　a　beast　too。

But　mindit's　your　contempt　that　has　done　for　me。〃



Razumov　went　off　with　long　strides。　That　this　simple　and　grossly

festive　soul　should　have　fallen　too　under　the　revolutionary　curse

affected　him　as　an　ominous　symptom　of　the　time。　　He　reproached

himself　for　feeling　troubled。　　Personally　he　ought　to　have　felt

reassured。　　There　was　an　obvious　advantage　in　this　conspiracy　of

mistaken　judgment　taking　him　for　what　he　was　not。　　But　was　it　not

strange？



Again　he　experienced　that　sensation　of　his　conduct　being　taken

out　of　his　hands　by　Haldin's　revolutionary　tyranny。　　His　solitary

and　laborious　existence　had　been　destroyedthe　only　thing　he

could　call　his　own　on　this　earth。　　By　what　right？　　he　asked

himself　furiously。　　In　what　name？



What　infuriated　him　most　was　to　feel　that　the　〃thinkers〃　of　the

University　were　evidently　connecting　him　with　Haldinas　a　sort

of　confidant　in　the　background　apparently。　　A　　mysterious　connexion！

Ha　ha！。　。　。He　had　been　made　a　personage　without　knowing　anything

about　it。　　How　that　wretch　Haldin　must　have　talked　about　him！

Yet　it　was　likely　that　Haldin　had　said　very　little。　　The　fellow's

casual　utterances　were　caught　up　and　treasured　and　pondered　over

by　all　these　imbeciles。　　And　was　not　all　secret　revolutionary　action

based　upon　folly；　self…deception；　and　lies？



〃Impossible　to　think　of　anything　else；〃　muttered　Razumov　to

himself。　　〃I'll　become　an　idiot　if　this　goes　on。　　The　scoundrels

and　the　fools　are　murdering　my　intelligence。〃



He　lost　all　hope　of　saving　his　future；　which　depended　on　the　free

use　of　his　intelligence。



He　reached　the　doorway　of　his　house　in　a　state　of　mental

discouragement　which　enabled　him　to　receive　with　apparent

indifference　an　official…looking　envelope　from　the　dirty　hand　of

the　dvornik。



〃A　gendarme　brought　it；〃　said　the　man。　　〃He　asked　if　you　were

at　home。　　I　told　him　　'No；　he's　not　at　home。'　　So　he　left　it。

'Give　it　into　his　own　hands；'　says　he。　Now　you've　got　iteh？〃



He　went　back　to　his　sweeping；　and　Razumov　climbed　his　stairs；

envelope　in　hand。　　Once　in　his　room　he　did　not　hasten　to　open　it。

Of　course　this　official　missive　was　from　the　superior　direction

of　the　police。　　A　suspect！　　Asuspect！



He　stared　in　dreary　astonishment　at　the　absurdity　of　his

position。　　He　thought　with　a　sort　of　dry；　unemotional　melancholy；

three　years　of　good　work　gone；　the　course　of　forty　more　perhaps

jeopardizedturned　from　hope　to　terror；　because　events　started

by　human　folly　link　themselves　into　a　sequence　which　no　sagacity

can　foresee　and　no　courage　can　break　through。　Fatality　enters

your　rooms　while　your　landlady's　back　is　turned；　you　come　home

and　find　it　in　possession　bearing　a　man's　name；　clothed　in

fleshwearing　a　brown　cloth　coat　and　long　bootslounging

against　the　stove。　　It　asks　you；　〃Is　the　outer　door　closed？〃and

you　don't　know　enough　to　take　it　by　the　throat　and　fling　it

downstairs。　　You　don't　know。　　You　welcome　the　crazy　fate。　　〃Sit

down；〃　you　say。　　And　it　is　all　over。　　You　cannot　shake　it　off　any

more。　　It　will　cling　to　you　for　ever。　　Neither　halter　nor　bullet

can　give　you　back　the　freedom　of　your　life　and　the　sanity　of

your　thought。　。　。　。　　It　was　enough　to　dash　one's　head

against　a　wall。



Razumov　looked　slowly　all　round　the　walls　as　if　to　select　a　spot

to　dash　his　head　against。　　Then　he　opened　the　letter。　　It

directed　the　student　Kirylo　Sidorovitch　Razumov　to　present

himself　without　delay　at　the　General　Secretariat。



Razumov　had　a　vision　of　General　T…'s　goggle　eyes　waiting　for

himthe　embodied　power　of　autocracy；　grotesque　and　terrible。　　He

embodied　the　whole　power　of　autocracy　because　he　was　its

guardian。　　He　was　the　incarnate　suspicion；　the　incarnate　anger；

the　incarnate　ruthlessness　of　a　political　and　social　regime　on

its　defence。　　He　loathed　rebellion　by　instinct。　And　Razumov

reflected　that　the　man　was　simply　unable　to　understand　a

reasonable　adherence　to　the　doctrine　of　absolutism。



〃What　can　he　want　with　me　preciselyI　wonder？〃　he　asked　himself。



As　if　that　mental　question　had　evoked　the　familiar　phantom；

Haldin　stood　suddenly　before　him　in　the　room　with　an