dead souls(死魂灵)-第84节

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　say；　famine　had　made　its　appearance　in　one　portion　of　the　province；　and　the　tchinovniks　sent　to　distribute　food　to　the　people　had　done　their　work　badly；　in　another　portion　of　the　province　certain　Raskolniki＇2＇　were　in　a　state　of　ferment；　owing　to　the　spreading　of　a　report　than　an　Antichrist　had　arisen　who　would　not　even　let　the　dead　rest；　but　was　purchasing　them　wholesalewherefore　the　said　Raskolniki　were　summoning　folk　to　prayer　and　repentance；　and；　under　cover　of　capturing　the　Antichrist　in　question；　were　bludgeoning　non…Antichrists　in　batches；　lastly；　the　peasants　of　a　third　portion　of　the　province　had　risen　against　the　local　landowners　and　superintendents　of　police；　for　the　reason　that　certain　rascals　had　started　a　rumour　that　the　time　was　come　when　the　peasants　themselves　were　to　become　landowners；　and　to　wear　frockcoats；　while　the　landowners　in　being　were　about　to　revert　to　the　peasant　state；　and　to　take　their　own　wares　to　market；　wherefore　one　of　the　local　volosts＇3＇；　oblivious　of　the　fact　that　an　order　of　things　of　that　kind　would　lead　to　a　superfluity　alike　of　landowners　and　of　superintendents　of　police；　had　refused　to　pay　its　taxes；　and　necessitated　recourse　to　forcible　measures。　Hence　it　was　in　a　mood　of　the　greatest　possible　despondency　that　the　poor　Prince　was　sitting　plunged　when　word　was　brought　to　him　that　the　old　man　who　had　gone　bail　for　Chichikov　was　waiting　to　see　him。

＇2＇　Dissenters　or　Old　Believers：　i。e。　members　of　the　sect　which　　　　　refused　to　accept　the　revised　version　of　the　Church　Service　Books　　　　　promulgated　by　the　Patriarch　Nikon　in　1665。

＇3＇　Fiscal　districts。

〃Show　him　in；〃　said　the　Prince；　and　the　old　man　entered。

〃A　fine　fellow　your　Chichikov！〃　began　the　Prince　angrily。　〃You　defended　him；　and　went　bail　for　him；　even　though　he　had　been　up　to　business　which　even　the　lowest　thief　would　not　have　touched！〃

〃Pardon　me；　your　Highness；　I　do　not　understand　to　what　you　are　referring。〃

〃I　am　referring　to　the　matter　of　the　fraudulent　will。　The　fellow　ought　to　have　been　given　a　public　flogging　for　it。〃

〃Although　to　exculpate　Chichikov　is　not　my　intention；　might　I　ask　you　whether　you　do　not　think　the　case　is　non…proven？　At　all　events；　sufficient　evidence　against　him　is　still　lacking。〃

〃What？　We　have　as　chief　witness　the　woman　who　personated　the　deceased；　and　I　will　have　her　interrogated　in　your　presence。〃

Touching　a　bell；　the　Prince　ordered　her　to　be　sent　for。

〃It　is　a　most　disgraceful　affair；〃　he　went　on；　〃and；　ashamed　though　I　am　to　have　to　say　it；　some　of　our　leading　tchinovniks；　including　the　local　Governor　himself；　have　become　implicated　in　the　matter。　Yet　you　tell　me　that　this　Chichikov　ought　not　to　be　confined　among　thieves　and　rascals！〃　Clearly　the　Governor…General's　wrath　was　very　great　indeed。

〃Your　Highness；〃　said　Murazov；　〃the　Governor　of　the　town　is　one　of　the　heirs　under　the　will：　wherefore　he　has　a　certain　right　to　intervene。　Also；　the　fact　that　extraneous　persons　have　meddled　in　the　matter　is　only　what　is　to　be　expected　from　human　nature。　A　rich　woman　dies；　and　no　exact；　regular　disposition　of　her　property　is　made。　Hence　there　comes　flocking　from　every　side　a　cloud　of　fortune　hunters。　What　else　could　one　expect？　Such　is　human　nature。〃

〃Yes；　but　why　should　such　persons　go　and　commit　fraud？〃　asked　the　Prince　irritably。　〃I　feel　as　though　not　a　single　honest　tchinovnik　were　availableas　though　every　one　of　them　were　a　rogue。〃

〃Your　Highness；　which　of　us　is　altogether　beyond　reproach？　The　tchinovniks　of　our　town　are　human　beings；　and　no　more。　Some　of　them　are　men　of　worth；　and　nearly　all　of　them　men　skilled　in　businessthough　also；　unfortunately；　largely　inter…related。〃

〃Now；　tell　me　this；　Athanasi　Vassilievitch；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃for　you　are　about　the　only　honest　man　of　my　acquaintance。　What　has　inspired　in　you　such　a　penchant　for　defending　rascals？〃

〃This；〃　replied　Murazov。　〃Take　any　man　you　like　of　the　persons　whom　you　thus　term　rascals。　That　man　none　the　less　remains　a　human　being。　That　being　so；　how　can　one　refuse　to　defend　him　when　all　the　time　one　knows　that　half　his　errors　have　been　committed　through　ignorance　and　stupidity？　Each　of　us　commits　faults　with　every　step　that　we　take；　each　of　us　entails　unhappiness　upon　others　with　every　breath　that　we　drawand　that　although　we　may　have　no　evil　intention　whatever　in　our　minds。　Your　Highness　himself　has；　before　now；　committed　an　injustice　of　the　gravest　nature。〃

〃_I_　have？〃　cried　the　Prince；　taken　aback　by　this　unexpected　turn　given　to　the　conversation。

Murazov　remained　silent　for　a　moment；　as　though　he　were　debating　something　in　his　thoughts。　Then　he　said：

〃Nevertheless　it　is　as　I　say。　You　committed　the　injustice　in　the　case　of　the　lad　Dierpiennikov。〃

〃What；　Athanasi　Vassilievitch？　The　fellow　had　infringed　one　of　the　Fundamental　Laws！　He　had　been　found　guilty　of　treason！〃

〃I　am　not　seeking　to　justify　him；　I　am　only　asking　you　whether　you　think　it　right　that　an　inexperienced　youth　who　had　been　tempted　and　led　away　by　others　should　have　received　the　same　sentence　as　the　man　who　had　taken　the　chief　part　in　the　affair。　That　is　to　say；　although　Dierpiennikov　and　the　man　Voron…Drianni　received　an　equal　measure　of　punishment；　their　CRIMINALITY　was　not　equal。〃

〃If；〃　exclaimed　the　Prince　excitedly；　〃you　know　anything　further　concerning　the　case；　for　God's　sake　tell　it　me　at　once。　Only　the　other　day　did　I　forward　a　recommendation　that　St。　Petersburg　should　remit　a　portion　of　the　sentence。〃

〃Your　Highness；〃　replied　Murazov；　〃I　do　not　mean　that　I　know　of　anything　which　does　not　lie　also　within　your　own　cognisance；　though　one　circumstance　there　was　which　might　have　told　in　the　lad's　favour　had　he　not　refused　to　admit　it；　lest　another　should　suffer　injury。　All　that　I　have　in　my　mind　is　this。　On　that　occasion　were　you　not　a　little　over…hasty　in　coming　to　a　conclusion？　You　will　understand；　of　course；　that　I　am　judging　only　according　to　my　own　poor　lights；　and　for　the　reason　that　on　more　than　one　occasion　you　have　urged　me　to　be　frank。　In　the　days　when　I　myself　acted　as　a　chief　of　gendarmery　I　came　in　contact　with　a　great　number　of　accusedsome　of　them　bad；　some　of　them　good；　and　in　each　case　I　found　it　well　also　to　consider　a　man's　past　career；　for　the　reason　that；　unless　one　views　things　calmly；　instead　of　at　once　decrying　a　man；　he　is　apt　to　take　alarm；　and　to　make　it　impossible　thereafter　to　get　any　real　confession　from　him。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　you　question　a　man　as　friend　might　question　friend；　the　result　will　be　that　straightway　he　will　tell　you　everything；　nor　ask　for　mitigation　of　his　penalty；　nor　bear　you　the　least　malice；　in　that　he　will　understand　that　it　is　not　you　who　have　punished　him；　but　the　law。〃

The　Prince　relapsed　into　thought；　until　presently　there　entered　a　young　tchinovnik。　Portfolio　in　hand；　this　official　stood　waiting　respectfully。　Care　and　hard　work　had　already　imprinted　their　insignia　upon　his　fresh　young　face；　for　evidently　he　had　not　been　in　the　Service　for　nothing。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　his　greatest　joy　was　to　labour　at　a　tangled　case；　and　successfully　to　unravel　it。





〃I　will　send　corn　to　the　localities　where　famine　is　worst；〃　said　Murazov；　〃for　I　understand　that　sort　of　work　better　than　do　the　tchinovniks；　and　will　personally　see　to　the　needs　of　each　person。　Also；　if　you　will　allow　me；　your　Highness；　I　will　go　and　have　a　talk　with　the　Raskolniki。　They　are　more　likely　to　listen　to　a　plain　man　than　to　an　official。　God　knows　whether　I　shall　succeed　in　calming　them；　but　at　least　no　tchinovnik　could　do　so；　for　officials　of　the　kind　merely　draw　up　reports　and　lose　their　way　among　their　own　documentswith　the　result　that　nothing　comes　of　it。　Nor　will　I　accept　from　you　any　money　for　these　purposes；　since　I　am　ashamed　to　devote　as　much　as　a　thought　to　my　own　pocket　at　a　time　when　men　are　dying　of　hunger。　I　have　a　large　stock　of　grain　lying　in　my　granaries；　in　addition　to　which；　I　have　sent　orders　to　Siberia　that　a　new　consignment　shall　be　forwarded　me　before　the　coming　summer。〃


〃Of　a　surety　will　God　reward　you　for　your　services；　Athanasi　Vassilievitch！　Not　another　word　will　I　say　to　you　on　the　subject；　for　you　yourself　feel　that　any　words　from　me　would　be　inadequate。　Yet　tell　me　one　thing：　I　refer　to　the　case　of　which　you　know。　Have　I　the　right　to　pass　over　the　case？　Also；　would　it　be　just　and　honourable　on　my　part　to　let　the　offending　tchinovniks　go　unpunished？〃

〃Your　Highness；　it　is　impossible　to　return　a　definite　answer　to　those　two　questions：　and　the　more　so　because　many　rascals　are　at　heart　men　of　rectitude。　Human　problems　are　difficult　things　to　solve。　Sometimes　a　man　may　be　drawn　into　a　vicious　circle；　so　that；　having　once　entered　it；　he　ceases　to　be　himself。〃

〃But　what　would　the　tchinovniks　say　if　I　allowed　the　case　to　be　passed　over？　Would　not　some　of　them　turn　up　their　noses　at　me；　and　declare　that　they　have　effected　my　intimidation？　Surely　they　would　be　the　last　persons　in　the　world　to　respect　me　for　my　action？〃

〃Your　Highness；　I　think　this：　that　your　best　course　would　be　to　call　them　together；　and　to　inform　them　that　you　know　everything；　and　to　explain　to　them　your　personal　attitude　（exactly　as　you　have　explained　it　to　me）；　and　to　end　by　at　once　reque