01-the forged coupon-第10节

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ticularly　on　the　nationalisation　of　the　land。

After　Peter　Nikolaevich　had　been　murdered；
and　the　murderers　sent　to　trial；　the　revolutionary
group　of　the　small　town　boiled　over　with　indigna…
tion；　and　did　not　shrink　from　openly　expressing
it。　The　fact　of　Turin's　visits　to　the　village　and
his　propaganda　work　among　the　students；　became
known　to　the　authorities　during　the　trial。　　A
search　was　made　in　his　house；　and；　as　the　police
found　a　few　revolutionary　leaflets　among　his　ef…
fects；　he　was　arrested　and　transferred　to　prison
in　St。　Petersburg。

Katia　Turchaninova　followed　him　to　the　metrop…
olis；　and　went　to　visit　him　in　prison。　　She　was
not　admitted　on　the　day　she　came；　and　was　told
to　come　on　the　day　fixed　by　regulations　for　visits
to　the　prisoners。　　When　that　day　arrived；　and
she　was　finally　allowed　to　see　him；　she　had　to　talk
to　him　through　two　gratings　separating　the　pris…
oner　from　his　visitor。　　This　visit　increased　her　in…
dignation　against　the　authorities。　　And　her　feel…
ings　become　all　the　more　revolutionary　after　a
visit　she　paid　to　the　office　of　a　gendarme　officer
who　had　to　deal　with　the　Turin　case。　　The　offi…
cer；　a　handsome　man；　seemed　obviously　disposed
to　grant　her　exceptional　favours　in　visiting　the
prisoner；　if　she　would　allow　him　to　make　love　to
her。　　Disgusted　with　him；　she　appealed　to　the
chief　of　police。　　He　pretendedjust　as　the　officer
did　when　talking　officially　to　herto　be　power…
less　himself；　and　to　depend　entirely　on　orders
coming　from　the　minister　of　state。　　She　sent　a
petition　to　the　minister　asking　for　an　interview；
which　was　refused。

Then　she　resolved　to　do　a　desperate　thing　and
bought　a　revolver。



XXII

THE　minister　was　receiving　petitioners　at　the　usual
hour　appointed　for　the　reception。　　He　had　talked
successively　to　three　of　them；　and　now　a　pretty
young　woman　with　black　eyes；　who　was　holding
a　petition　in　her　left　hand；　approached。　　The
minister's　eyes　gleamed　when　he　saw　how　attract…
ive　the　petitioner　was；　but　recollecting　his　high　po…
sition　he　put　on　a　serious　face。

〃What　do　you　want？〃　he　asked；　coming　down
to　where　she　stood。　　Without　answering　his　ques…
tion　the　young　woman　quickly　drew　a　revolver
from　under　her　cloak　and　aiming　it　at　the　min…
ister's　chest　firedbut　missed　him。

The　minister　rushed　at　her；　trying　to　seize　her
hand；　but　she　escaped；　and　taking　a　step　back；　fired
a　second　time。　　The　minister　ran　out　of　the　room。　
The　woman　was　immediately　seized。　　She　was
trembling　violently；　and　could　not　utter　a　single
word；　after　a　while　she　suddenly　burst　into　a　hys…
terical　laugh。　　The　minister　was　not　even　wounded。

That　woman　was　Katia　Turchaninova。　　She
was　put　into　the　prison　of　preliminary　detention。　
The　minister　received　congratulations　and　marks
of　sympathy　from　the　highest　quarters；　and　even
from　the　emperor　himself；　who　appointed　a　com…
mission　to　investigate　the　plot　that　had　led　to　the
attempted　assassination。　　As　a　matter　of　fact
there　was　no　plot　whatever；　but　the　police　officials
and　the　detectives　set　to　work　with　the　utmost　zeal
to　discover　all　the　threads　of　the　non…existing　con…
spiracy。　　They　did　everything　to　deserve　the　fees
they　were　paid；　they　got　up　in　the　small　hours　of
the　morning；　searched　one　house　after　another；
took　copies　of　papers　and　of　books　they　found；
read　diaries；　personal　letters；　made　extracts　from
them　on　the　very　best　notepaper　and　in　beautiful
handwriting；　interrogated　Katia　Turchaninova
ever　so　many　times；　and　confronted　her　with　all
those　whom　they　suspected　of　conspiracy；　in　order
to　extort　from　her　the　names　of　her　accomplices。

The　minister；　a　good…natured　man　at　　heart；　was
sincerely　sorry　for　the　pretty　girl。　　But　he　said
to　himself　that　he　was　bound　to　consider　his　high
state　duties　imposed　upon　him；　even　though　they
did　not　imply　much　work　and　trouble。　　So；　when
his　former　colleague；　a　chamberlain　and　a　friend
of　the　Turins；　met　him　at　a　court　ball　and　tried　to
rouse　his　pity　for　Turin　and　the　girl　Turchani…
nova；　he　shrugged　his　shoulders；　stretching　the　red
ribbon　on　his　white　waistcoat；　and　said：　　〃Je　ne
demanderais　pas　mieux　que　de　relacher　cette　pau…
vre　fillette；　mais　vous　savez　le　devoir。〃　　And　in
the　meantime　Katia　Turchaninova　was　kept　in
prison。　　She　was　at　times　in　a　quiet　mood；　com…
municated　with　her　fellow…prisoners　by　knocking
on　the　walls；　and　read　the　books　that　were　sent
to　her。　　But　then　came　days　when　she　had　fits　of
desperate　fury；　knocking　with　her　fists　against
the　wall；　screaming　and　laughing　like　a　mad…
woman。



XXIII

ONE　day　Maria　Semenovna　came　home　from　the
treasurer's　office；　where　she　had　received　her　pen…
sion。　　On　her　way　she　met　a　schoolmaster；　a
friend　of　hers。

〃Good　day；　Maria　Semenovna！　Have　you　re…
ceived　your　money？〃　the　schoolmaster　asked；　in
a　loud　voice　from　the　other　side　of　the　street。

〃I　have；〃　answered　Maria　Semenovna。　　〃But
it　was　not　much；　just　enough　to　fill　the　holes。〃

〃Oh；　there　must　be　some　tidy　pickings　out
of　such　a　lot　of　money；〃　said　the　schoolmaster；
and　passed　on；　after　having　said　good…bye。

〃Good…bye；〃　said　Maria　Semenovna。　　While
she　was　looking　at　her　friend；　she　met　a　tall　man
face　to　face；　who　had　very　long　arms　and　a　stern
look　in　his　eyes。　　Coming　to　her　house；　she　was
very　startled　on　again　seeing　the　same　man　with
the　long　arms；　who　had　evidently　followed　her。　
He　remained　standing　another　moment　after　she
had　gone　in；　then　turned　and　walked　away。

Maria　Semenovna　felt　somewhat　frightened　at
first。　　But　when　she　had　entered　the　house；　and
had　given　her　father　and　her　nephew　Fedia　the
presents　she　had　brought　for　them；　and　she　had
patted　the　dog　Treasure；　who　whined　with　joy；
she　forgot　her　fears。　　She　gave　the　money　to　her
father　and　began　to　work；　as　there　was　always
plenty　for　her　to　do。

The　man　she　met　face　to　face　was　Stepan。

After　he　had　killed　the　innkeeper；　he　did　not
return　to　town。　　Strange　to　say；　he　was　not　sorry
to　have　committed　that　murder。　　His　mind　went
back　to　the　murdered　man　over　and　　over　again
during　the　following　day；　and　he　liked　the　recol…
lection　of　having　done　the　thing　so　skilfully；　so
cleverly；　that　nobody…would　ever　discover　it；　and
he　would　not　therefore　be　prevented　from　mur…
dering　other　people　in　the　same　way。　　Sitting　in
the　public…house　and　having　his　tea；　he　looked　at
the　people　around　him　with　the　same　thought　how
he　should　murder　them。　　In　the　evening　he　called
at　a　carter's；　a　man　from　his　village；　to　spend　the
night　at　his　house。　　The　carter　was　not　in。　　He
said　he　would　wait　for　him；　and　in　the　meanwhile
began　talking　to　the　carter's　wife。　　But　when　she
moved　to　the　stove；　with　her　back　turned　to　him；
the　idea　entered　his　mind　to　kill　her。　　He　mar…
velled　at　himself　at　first；　and　shook　his　head；　but
the　next　moment　he　seized　the　knife　he　had　hid…
den　in　his　boot；　knocked　the　woman　down　on　the
floor；　and　cut　her　throat。　　When　the　children　be…
gan　to　scream；　he　killed　them　also　and　went　away。　
He　did　not　look　out　for　another　place　to　spend
the　night；　but　at　once　left　the　town。　　In　a　village
some　distance　away　he　went　to　the　inn　　and　slept
there。　　The　next　day　he　returned　to　the　district
town；　and　there　he　overheard　in　the　street　Maria
Semenovna's　talk　with　the　schoolmaster。　　Her
look　frightened　him；　but　yet　he　made　up　his　mind
to　creep　into　her　house；　and　rob　her　of　the　money
she　had　received。　　When　the　night　came　he　broke
the　lock　and　entered　the　house。　　The　first　person
who　heard　his　steps　was　the　younger　daughter；
the　married　one。　　She　screamed。　　Stepan　stabbed
her　immediately　with　his　knife。　　Her　husband
woke　up　and　fell　upon　Stepan；　seized　him　by　his
throat；　and　struggled　with　him　desperately。　　But
Stepan　was　the　stronger　man　and　overpowered
him。　　After　murdering　him；　Stepan；　excited　by
the　long　fight；　stepped　into　the　next　room　be…
hind　a　partition。　　That　was　Maria　Semenovna's
bedroom。　　She　rose　in　her　bed；　looked　at
Stepan　with　her　mild　frightened　eyes；　and　crossed
herself。

Once　more　her　look　scared　Stepan。　　He
dropped　his　eyes。

〃Where　is　your　money？〃　he　asked；　without
raising　his　face。

She　did　not　answer。

〃Where　is　the　money？〃　asked　Stepan　again；
showing　her　his　knife。

〃How　can　you　。　。　。〃　she　said。

〃You　will　see　how。〃

Stepan　came　close　to　her；　in　order　to　seize　her
hands　and　prevent　her　struggling　with　him；　but
she　did　not　even　try　to　lift　her　arms　or　offer　any
resistance；　she　pressed　her　hands　to　her　chest；　and
sighed　heavily。

〃Oh；　what　a　great　sin！〃　she　cried。　　〃How
can　you！　Have　mercy　on　yourself。　　To　destroy
somebody's　soul　。　。　。　and　worse；　your
own！　。　。　。〃

Stepan　could　not　stand　her　voice　any　longer；　and
drew　his　knife　sharply　across　her　throat。　　〃Stop
that　talk！〃　he　said。　　She　fell　back　with　a　hoarse
cry；　and　the　pillow　was　stained　with　blood。　　He
turned　away；　and　went　round　the　rooms　in　order
to　collect　all　he　thought　worth　taking。　　Having
made　a　bundle　of　the　most　valuable　things；　he
lighted　a　cigarette；　sat　down　for　a　while；　brushed
his　clothes；　and　left　the　house。　　He　thought　this
murder　would　not　matter　to　him　more　than　those
he　had　committed　before；　but　before　he　got　a
night's