01-the forged coupon-第11节

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murder　would　not　matter　to　him　more　than　those
he　had　committed　before；　but　before　he　got　a
night's　lodging；　he　felt　suddenly　so　exhausted　that
he　could　not　walk　any　farther。　　He　stepped　down
into　the　gutter　and　remained　lying　there　the　rest
of　the　night；　and　the　next　day　and　the　next　night。




PART　SECOND



I

THE　whole　time　he　was　lying　in　the　gutter　Stepan
saw　continually　before　his　eyes　the　thin；　kindly；
and　frightened　face　of　Maria　Semenovna；　and
seemed　to　hear　her　voice。　　〃How　can　you？〃　she
went　on　saying　in　his　imagination；　with　her　pe…
culiar　lisping　voice。　　Stepan　saw　over　again　and
over　again　before　him　all　he　had　done　to　her。　　In
horror　he　shut　his　eyes；　and　shook　his　hairy　head；
to　drive　away　these　thoughts　and　recollections。　
For　a　moment　he　would　get　rid　of　them；　but　in
their　place　horrid　black　faces　with　red　eyes　ap…
peared　and　frightened　him　continuously。　　They
grinned　at　him；　and　kept　repeating；　〃Now　you
have　done　away　with　her　you　must　do　away　with
yourself；　or　we　will　not　leave　you　alone　〃　　He
opened　his　eyes；　and　again　he　saw　HER　and　heard
her　voice；　and　felt　an　immense　pity　for　her　and
a　deep　horror　and　disgust　with　himself。　　Once
more　he　shut　his　eyes；　and　the　black　faces　reap…
peared。　　Towards　the　evening　of　the　next　day
he　rose　and　went；　with　hardly　any　strength　left；
to　a　public…house。　　There　he　ordered　a　drink；　and
repeated　his　demands　over　and　over　again；　but
no　quantity　of　liquor　could　make　him　intoxicated。　
He　was　sitting　at　a　table；　and　swallowed　silently
one　glass　after　another。

A　police　officer　came　in。　　〃Who　are　you？〃　he
asked　Stepan。

〃I　am　the　man　who　murdered　all　the　Dobrot…
vorov　people　last　night；〃　he　answered。

He　was　arrested；　bound　with　ropes；　and　brought
to　the　nearest　police…station；　the　next　day　he　was
transferred　to　the　prison　in　the　town。　　The　in…
spector　of　the　prison　recognised　him　as　an　old　in…
mate；　and　a　very　turbulent　one；　and；　hearing　that
he　had　now　become　a　real　criminal；　accosted　him
very　harshly。

〃You　had　better　be　quiet　here；〃　he　said　in　a
hoarse　voice；　frowning；　and　protruding　his　lower
jaw。　　〃The　moment　you　don't　behave；　I'll　flog
you　to　death！　Don't　try　to　escapeI　will　see
to　that！〃

〃I　have　no　desire　to　escape；〃　said　Stepan；　drop…
ping　his　eyes。　　〃I　surrendered　of　my　own　free
will。〃

〃Shut　up！　You　must　look　straight　into　your
superior's　eyes　when　you　talk　to　him；〃　cried　the
inspector；　and　struck　Stepan　with　his　fist　under
the　jaw。

At　that　moment　Stepan　again　saw　the　murdered
woman　before　him；　and　heard　her　voice；　he　did
not　pay　attention；　therefore；　to　the　inspector's
words。

〃What？〃　he　asked；　coming　to　his　senses　when
he　felt　the　blow　on　his　face。

〃Be　off！　Don't　pretend　you　don't　hear。〃

The　inspector　expected　Stepan　to　be　violent；　to
talk　to　the　other　prisoners；　to　make　attempts　to
escape　from　prison。　　But　nothing　of　the　kind　ever
happened。　　Whenever　the　guard　or　the　inspector
himself　looked　into　his　cell　through　the　hole　in
the　door；　they　saw　Stepan　sitting　on　a　bag　filled
with　straw；　holding　his　head　with　his　hands　and
whispering　to　himself。　　On　being　brought　before
the　examining　magistrate　charged　with　the　inquiry
into　his　case；　he　did　not　behave　like　an　ordinary
convict。　　He　was　very　absent…minded；　hardly　list…
ening　to　the　questions；　but　when　he　heard　what
was　asked；　he　answered　truthfully；　causing　the
utmost　perplexity　to　the　magistrate；　who；　accus…
tomed　as　he　was　to　the　necessity　of　being　very
clever　and　very　cunning　with　convicts；　felt　a
strange　sensation　just　as　if　he　were　lifting　up　his
foot　to　ascend　a　step　and　found　none。　　Stepan
told　him　the　story　of　all　his　murders；　and　did　it
frowning；　with　a　set　look；　in　a　quiet；　businesslike
voice；　trying　to　recollect　all　the　circumstances　of
his　crimes。　　〃He　stepped　out　of　the　house；〃　said
Stepan；　telling　the　tale　of　his　first　murder；　〃and
stood　barefooted　at　the　door；　I　hit　him；　and　he
just　groaned；　I　went　to　his　wife；　。　。　。〃　　And
so　on。

One　day　the　magistrate；　visiting　the　prison　cells；
asked　Stepan　whether　there　was　anything　he　had
to　complain　of；　or　whether　he　had　any　wishes　that
might　be　granted　him。　　Stepan　said　he　had　no
wishes　whatever；　and　had　nothing　to　complain　of
the　way　he　was　treated　in　prison。　　The　magis…
trate；　on　leaving　him；　took　a　few　steps　in　the　foul
passage；　then　stopped　and　asked　the　governor　who
had　accompanied　him　in　his　visit　how　this　pris…
oner　was　behaving。

〃I　simply　wonder　at　him；〃　said　the　governor；
who　was　very　pleased　with　Stepan；　and　spoke
kindly　of　him。　　〃He　has　now　been　with　us　about
two　months；　and　could　be　held　up　as　a　model　of
good　behaviour。　　But　I　am　afraid　he　is　plotting
some　mischief。　　He　is　a　daring　man；　and　excep…
tionally　strong。〃



II

DURING　the　first　month　in　prison　Stepan　suffered
from　the　same　agonising　vision。　　He　saw　the
grey　wall　of　his　cell；　he　heard　the　sounds　of　the
prison；　the　noise　of　the　cell　below　him；　where　a
number　of　convicts　were　confined　together；　the
striking　of　the　prison　clock；　the　steps　of　the　sentry
in　the　passage；　but　at　the　same　time　he　saw　HER
with　that　kindly　face　which　conquered　his　heart
the　very　first　time　he　met　her　in　the　street；　with
that　thin；　strongly…marked　neck；　and　he　heard　her
soft；　lisping；　pathetic　voice：　　〃To　destroy　some…
body's　soul　。　。　。　and；　worst　of　all；　your　own。
。　　。　。　　How　can　you？　。　。　。〃

After　a　while　her　voice　would　die　away；　and
then　black　faces　would　appear。　　They　would　ap…
pear　whether　he　had　his　eyes　open　or　shut。　　With
his　closed　eyes　he　saw　them　more　distinctly。　　When
he　opened　his　eyes　they　vanished　for　a　moment；
melting　away　into　the　walls　and　the　door；　but
after　a　while　they　reappeared　and　surrounded　him
from　three　sides；　grinning　at　him　and　saying　over
and　over：　　〃Make　an　end！　Make　an　end！　Hang
yourself！　　Set　yourself　on　fire！〃　Stepan　shook
all　over　when　　he　heard　that；　and　tried　to　say　all
the　prayers　he　knew：　　〃Our　Lady〃　or　〃Our
Father　〃　　At　first　this　seemed　to　help。　　In　say…
ing　his　prayers　he　began　to　recollect　his　　whole
life；　his　father；　his　mother；　the　village；　the　dog
〃Wolf；〃　the　old　grandfather　lying　on　the　stove；
the　bench　on　which　the　children　used　to　play；　then
the　girls　in　the　village　with　their　songs；　his　horses
and　how　they　had　been　stolen；　and　how　the　thief
was　caught　and　how　he　killed　him　with　a　stone。　
He　recollected　also　the　first　prison　he　was　in　and
his　leaving　it；　and　the　fat　innkeeper；　the　carter's
wife　and　the　children。　　Then　again　SHE　came　to
his　mind　and　again　he　was　terrified。　　Throwing
his　prison　overcoat　off　his　shoulders；　he　jumped
out　of　bed；　and；　like　a　wild　animal　in　a　cage；　be…
gan　pacing　up　and　down　his　tiny　cell；　hastily　turn…
ing　round　when　he　had　reached　the　damp　walls。　
Once　more　he　tried　to　pray；　but　it　was　of　no　use
now。

The　autumn　came　with　its　long　nights。　　One
evening　when　the　wind　whistled　and　howled　in　the
pipes；　Stepan；　after　he　had　paced　up　and　down　his
cell　for　a　long　time；　sat　down　on　his　bed。　　He　felt
he　could　not　struggle　any　more；　the　black　demons
had　overpowered　him；　and　he　had　to　submit。　　For
some　time　he　had　been　looking　at　the　funnel　of　the
oven。　　If　he　could　fix　on　the　knob　of　its　lid　a　loop
made　of　thin　shreds　of　narrow　linen　straps　it
would　hold。　。　。　。　　But　he　would　have　to　man…
age　it　very　cleverly。　　He　　set　to　work；　and　spent
two　days　in　making　straps　out　of　the　linen　bag　on
which　he　slept。　　When　the　guard　came　into　the
cell　he　covered　the　bed　with　his　overcoat。　　He
tied　the　straps　with　big　knots　and　made　them
double；　in　order　that　they　might　be　strong　enough
to　hold　his　weight。　　During　these　preparations　he
was　free　from　tormenting　visions。　　When　the
straps　were　ready　he　made　a　slip…knot　out　of　them；
and　put　it　round　his　neck；　stood　up　in　his　bed；　and
hanged　himself。　　But　at　the　very　moment　that　his
tongue　began　to　protrude　the　straps　got　loose；　and
he　fell　down。　　The　guard　rushed　in　at　the　noise。　
The　doctor　was　called　in；　Stepan　was　brought　to
the　infirmary。　　The　next　day　he　recovered；　and
was　removed　from　the　infirmary；　no　more　to　soli…
tary　confinement；　but　to　share　the　common　cell
with　other　prisoners。

In　the　common　cell　he　lived　in　the　company　of
twenty　men；　but　felt　as　if　he　were　quite　alone。　
He　did　not　notice　the　presence　of　the　rest；　did　not
speak　to　anybody；　and　was　tormented　by　the　old
agony。　　He　felt　it　most　of　all　when　the　men　were
sleeping　and　he　alone　could　not　get　one　moment
of　sleep。　　Continually　he　saw　HER　before　his　eyes；
heard　her　voice；　and　then　again　the　black　devils
with　their　horrible　eyes　came　and　tortured　him　in
the　usual　way。

He　again　tried　to　say　his　prayers；　but；　just　as
before；　it　did　not　help　him。　　One　day　when；　after
his　prayers；　she　was　again　before　his　eyes；　he　be…
gan　to　implore　her　dear　soul　to　forgive　him　his　sin；
and　release　him。　　Towards　morning；　when　he　fell
down　quite　exhausted　on　his　crushed　linen　bag；　he
fell　asleep　at　once；　and　in　his　dream　she　came　to
him　with　her　thin；　wrinkled；　and　severed　neck。　
〃Will　you　forgive　me？〃　he　asked。　　She　looked
at　him　with　her　mild　eyes　and　did　not　answer。　
〃Will　you　forgive　me？〃　　And　so　he　asked　her
three　times。　　But　she　did　not　say　a　word；