01-the forged coupon-第12节

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〃Will　you　forgive　me？〃　　And　so　he　asked　her
three　times。　　But　she　did　not　say　a　word；　and　he
awoke。　　From　that　time　onwards　he　suffered　less；
and　seemed　to　come　to　his　senses；　looked　around
him；　and　began　for　the　first　time　to　talk　to　the
other　men　in　the　cell。



III

STEPAN'S　cell　was　shared　among　others　by　the
former　yard…porter；　Vassily；　who　had　been　sen…
tenced　to　deportation　for　robbery；　and　by　Chouev；
sentenced　also　to　deportation。　　Vassily　sang　songs
the　whole　day　long　with　his　fine　voice；　or　told　his
adventures　to　the　other　men　in　the　cell。　　Chouev
was　working　at　something　all　day；　mending　his
clothes；　or　reading　the　Gospel　and　the　Psalter。

Stepan　asked　him　why　he　was　put　into　prison；
and　Chouev　answered　that　he　was　being　perse…
cuted　because　of　his　true　Christian　faith　by　the
priests；　who　were　all　of　them　hypocrites　and　hated
those　who　followed　the　law　of　Christ。　　Stepan
asked　what　that　true　law　was；　and　Chouev　made
clear　to　him　that　the　true　law　consists　in　not　wor…
shipping　gods　made　with　hands；　but　worshipping
the　spirit　and　the　truth。　　He　told　him　how　he　had
learnt　the　truth　from　the　lame　tailor　at　the　time
when　they　were　dividing　the　land。

〃And　what　will　become　of　those　who　have
done　evil？〃　asked　Stepan。

〃　The　Scriptures　give　an　answer　to　that；〃　said
Chouev；　and　read　aloud　to　him　Matthew　xxv。
31：


〃When　the　Son　of　Man　shall　come　in　His
glory；　and　all　the　holy　angels　with　Him；　then　shall
He　sit　upon　the　throne　of　His　glory：　　and　before
Him　shall　be　gathered　all　nations：　　and　He　shall
separate　them　one　from　another；　as　a　shepherd
divideth　His　sheep　from　the　goats：　　and　He　shall
set　the　sheep　on　His　right　hand；　but　the　goats　on
the　left。　　Then　shall　the　King　say　unto　them　on
His　right　hand；　Come；　ye　blessed　of　My　Father；
inherit　the　kingdom　prepared　for　you　from　the
foundation　of　the　world：　　for　I　was　an　hungred；
and　ye　gave　Me　meat：　　I　was　thirsty；　and　ye　gave
Me　drink：　　I　was　a　stranger；　and　ye　took　Me　in：
naked；　and　ye　clothed　Me：　　I　was　sick；　and　ye
visited　Me：　　I　was　in　prison；　and　ye　came　unto　Me。　
Then　shall　the　righteous　answer　Him；　saying；
Lord；　when　saw　we　Thee　an　hungred；　and　fed
Thee？　or　thirsty；　and　gave　Thee　drink？　When
saw　we　Thee　a　stranger；　and　took　Thee　in？　or
naked；　and　clothed　Thee？　Or　when　saw　we　Thee
sick；　or　in　prison；　and　came　unto　Thee？　And　the
King　shall　answer　and　say　unto　them；　Verily　I　say
unto　you；　inasmuch　as　ye　have　done　it　unto　one　of
the　least　of　these　My　brethren；　ye　have　done　it
unto　Me。　　Then　shall　He　say　also　unto　them　on
the　left　hand；　Depart　from　Me；　ye　cursed；　into
everlasting　fire；　prepared　for　the　devil　and　his　an…
gels：　　for　I　was　an　hungred；　and　ye　gave　Me　no
meat：　　I　was　thirsty；　and　ye　gave　Me　no　drink：　　I
was　a　stranger　and　ye　took　Me　not　in：　　naked；　and
ye　clothed　Me　not；　sick；　and　in　prison；　and　ye
visited　Me　not。　　Then　shall　they　also　answer
Him；　saying；　Lord；　when　saw　we　Thee　an　hun…
gred；　or　athirst；　or　a　stranger；　or　naked；　or　sick；
or　in　prison；　and　did　not　minister　unto　Thee？
Then　shall　He　answer　them；　saying；　Verily　I　say
unto　you；　Inasmuch　as　ye　did　it　not　to　one　of　the
least　of　these；　ye　did　it　not　to　Me。　　And　these
shall　go　away　into　everlasting　punishment：　　but　the
righteous　into　life　eternal。〃


Vassily；　who　was　sitting　on　the　floor　at　Chouev's
side；　and　was　listening　to　his　reading　the　Gospel；
nodded　his　handsome　head　　in　approval。　　〃True；〃
he　said　in　a　resolute　tone。　　〃Go；　you　cursed　vil…
lains；　into　everlasting　punishment；　since　you　did
not　give　food　to　the　hungry；　but　swallowed　it　all
yourself。　　Serves　them　right！　I　have　read　the
holy　Nikodim's　writings；〃　he　added；　showing　off
his　erudition。

〃And　will　they　never　be　pardoned？〃　asked
Stepan；　who　had　listened　silently；　with　his　hairy
head　bent　low　down。

〃Wait　a　moment；　and　be　silent；〃　said　Chouev
to　Vassily；　who　went　on　talking　about　the　rich
who　had　not　given　meat　to　the　stranger；　nor　vis…
ited　him　in　the　prison。

〃Wait；　I　say！〃　said　Chouev；　again　turning
over　the　leaves　of　the　Gospel。　　Having　found
what　he　was　looking　for；　Chouev　smoothed　the
page　with　his　large　and　strong　hand；　which　had
become　exceedingly　white　in　prison：


〃And　there　　were　also　two　other　malefactors；
led　with　Him〃it　means　with　Christ〃to　be
put　to　death。　　And　when　they　were　come　to　the
place；　which　is　called　Calvary；　there　they　crucified
Him；　and　the　malefactors；　one　on　the　right　hand；
and　the　other　on　the　left。　　Then　said　Jesus；
'Father；　forgive　them；　for　they　know　not　what
they　do。'　And　the　people　stood　beholding。　　And
the　rulers　also　with　them　derided　Him；　saying；
'He　saved　others；　let　Him　save　Himself　if　He
be　Christ；　the　chosen　of　God。'　And　the　soldiers
also　mocked　Him；　coming　to　Him；　and　offering
Him　vinegar；　and　saying；　'If　Thou　be　the　King　of
the　Jews　save　Thyself。'　And　a　superscription
also　was　written　over　Him　in　letters　of　Greek；
and　Latin；　and　Hebrew；　'This　is　the　King　of　the
Jews。'　And　one　of　the　malefactors　which　were
hanged　railed　on　Him；　saying；　'If　thou　be　Christ；
save　Thyself　and　us。'　But　the　other　answering
rebuked　Him；　saying；　'Dost　not　thou　fear　God；
seeing　thou　art　in　the　same　condemnation？　And
we　indeed　justly；　for　we　receive　the　due　reward　of
our　deeds：　　but　this　man　hath　done　nothing　amiss。'
And　he　said　unto　Jesus；　'Lord；　remember　me
when　Thou　comest　into　Thy　kingdom。'　And　Je…
sus　said　unto　him；　'Verily　I　say　unto　thee；　to…day
shalt　thou　be　with　Me　in　paradise。'〃


Stepan　did　not　say　anything；　and　was　sitting
in　thought；　as　if　he　were　listening。

Now　he　knew　what　the　true　faith　was。　　Those
only　will　be　saved　who　have　given　food　and　drink
to　the　poor　and　visited　the　prisoners；　those　who
have　not　done　it；　go　to　hell。　　And　yet　the　male…
factor　had　repented　on　the　cross；　and　went　never…
theless　to　paradise。　　This　did　not　strike　him　as
being　inconsistent。　　Quite　the　contrary。　　The　one
confirmed　the　other：　　the　fact　that　the　merciful
will　go　to　Heaven；　and　the　unmerciful　to　hell；
meant　that　everybody　ought　to　be　merciful；　and
the　malefactor　having　been　forgiven　by　Christ
meant　that　Christ　was　merciful。　　This　was　all
new　to　Stepan；　and　he　wondered　why　it　had　been
hidden　from　him　so　long。

From　that　day　onward　he　spent　all　his　free　time
with　Chouev；　asking　him　questions　and　listening
to　him。　　He　saw　but　a　single　truth　at　the　bottom
of　the　teaching　of　Christ　as　revealed　to　him　by
Chouev：　　that　all　men　are　brethren；　and　that　they
ought　to　love　and　pity　one　another　in　order　that
all　might　be　happy。　　And　when　he　listened　to
Chouev；　everything　that　was　consistent　with　this
fundamental　truth　came　to　him　like　a　thing　he
had　known　before　and　only　forgotten　since；　while
whatever　he　heard　that　seemed　to　contradict　it；
he　would　take　no　notice　of；　as　he　thought　that　he
simply　had　not　understood　the　real　meaning。　
And　from　that　time　Stepan　was　a　different
man。



IV

STEPAN　had　been　very　submissive　and　meek　ever
since　he　came　to　the　prison；　but　now　he　made　the
prison　authorities　and　all　his　fellow…prisoners
wonder　at　the　change　in　him。　　Without　being　or…
dered；　and　out　of　his　proper　turn　he　would　do　all
the　very　hardest　work　in　prison；　and　the　dirtiest
too。　　But　in　spite　of　his　humility；　the　other　pris…
oners　stood　in　awe　of　him；　and　were　afraid　of　him；
as　they　knew　he　was　a　resolute　man；　possessed　of
great　physical　strength。　　Their　respect　for　him
increased　after　the　incident　of　the　two　tramps
who　fell　upon　him；　he　wrenched　himself　loose
from　them　and　broke　the　arm　of　one　of　them　in
the　fight。　　These　tramps　had　gambled　with　a
young　prisoner　of　some　means　and　deprived　him
of　all　his　money。　　Stepan　took　his　part；　and　de…
prived　the　tramps　of　their　winnings。　　The　tramps
poured　their　abuse　on　him；　but　when　they　attacked
him；　he　got　the　better　of　them。　　When　the　Gov…
ernor　asked　how　the　fight　had　come　about；　the
tramps　declared　that　it　was　Stepan　who　had　begun
it。　Stepan　did　not　try　to　exculpate　himself；　and
bore　patiently　his　sentence　which　was　three　days
in　the　punishment…cell；　and　after　that　solitary　con…
finement。

In　his　solitary　cell　he　suffered　because　he　could
no　longer　listen　to　Chouev　and　his　Gospel。　　He
was　also　afraid　that　the　former　visions　of　HER　and
of　the　black　devils　would　reappear　to　torment
him。　　But　the　visions　were　gone　for　good。　　His
soul　was　full　of　new　and　happy　ideas。　　He　felt
glad　to　be　alone　if　only　he　could　read；　and　if　he
had　the　Gospel。　　He　knew　that　he　might　have
got　hold　of　the　Gospel；　but　he　could　not　read。

He　had　started　to　learn　the　alphabet　in　his
boyhood；　but　could　not　grasp　the　joining　of　the
syllables；　and　remained　illiterate。　　He　made　up
his　mind　to　start　reading　anew；　and　asked　the
guard　to　bring　him　the　Gospels。　　They　were
brought　to　him；　and　he　sat　down　to　work。　　He
contrived　to　recollect　the　letters；　but　could　not　join
them　into　syllables。　　He　tried　as　hard　as　he　could
to　understand　how　the　letters　ought　to　be　put　to…
gether　to　form　words；　but　with　no　result　whatever。　
He　lost　his　sleep；　had　no　desire　to　eat；　and　a　deep
sadness　came　over　him；　which　he　was　unable　to
shake　off。

〃Well；　have　you　not　yet　mastered　it？〃　asked
the　guard　one　day。

〃No。〃

〃Do　you　know　'Our　Fath