01-the forged coupon-第13节

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shake　off。

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

〃No。〃

〃Do　you　know　'Our　Father'？〃

〃I　do。〃

〃Since　you　do；　read　it　in　the　Gospels。　　Here
it　is；〃　said　the　guard；　showing　him　the　prayer　in
the　Gospels。　　Stepan　began　to　read　it；　comparing
the　letters　he　knew　with　the　familiar　sounds。

And　all　of　a　sudden　the　mystery　of　the　sylla…
bles　was　revealed　to　him；　and　he　began　to　read。　
This　was　a　great　joy。　　From　that　moment　he
could　read；　and　the　meaning　of　the　words；　spelt
out　with　such　great　pains；　became　more　significant。

Stepan　did　not　mind　any　more　being　alone。　
He　was　so　full　of　his　work　that　he　did　not　feel
glad　when　he　was　transferred　back　to　the　common
cell；　his　private　cell　being　needed　for　a　political
prisoner　who　had　been　just　sent　to　prison。



V

IN　the　meantime　Mahin；　the　schoolboy　who　had
taught　his　friend　Smokovnikov　to　forge　the　cou…
pon；　had　finished　his　career　at　school　and　then　at
the　university；　where　he　had　studied　law。　　He
had　the　advantage　of　being　liked　by　women；　and
as　he　had　won　favour　with　a　vice…minister's　former
mistress；　he　was　appointed　when　still　young　as
examining　magistrate。　　He　was　dishonest；　had
debts；　had　gambled；　and　had　seduced　many
women；　but　he　was　clever；　sagacious；　and　a　good
magistrate。　　He　was　appointed　to　the　court　of
the　district　where　Stepan　Pelageushkine　had　been
tried。　　When　Stepan　was　brought　to　him　the　first
time　to　give　evidence；　his　sincere　and　quiet　answers
puzzled　the　magistrate。　　He　somehow　uncon…
sciously　felt　that　this　man；　brought　to　him　in　fet…
ters　and　with　a　shorn　head；　guarded　by　two
soldiers　who　were　waiting　to　take　him　back　to
prison；　had　a　free　soul　and　was　immeasurably　su…
perior　to　himself。　　He　was　in　consequence　some…
what　troubled；　and　had　to　summon　up　all　his
courage　in　order　to　go　on　with　the　inquiry　and
not　blunder　in　his　questions。　　He　was　amazed
that　Stepan　should　narrate　the　story　of　his　crimes
as　if　they　had　been　things　of　long　ago；　and　com…
mitted　not　by　him　but　by　some　different　man。

〃Had　you　no　pity　for　them？〃　asked　Mahin。　

〃No。　　I　did　not　know　then。〃

〃Well；　and　now？〃

Stepan　smiled　with　a　sad　smile。　　〃Now；〃　he
said；　〃I　would　not　do　it　even　if　I　were　to　be
burned　alive。〃

〃But　why？

〃Because　I　have　come　to　know　that　all　men
are　brethren。〃

〃What　about　me？　Am　I　your　brother　also？〃

〃Of　course　you　are。〃

〃And　how　is　it　that　I；　your　brother；　am　send…
ing　you　to　hard　labour？〃

〃It　is　because　you　don't　know。〃

〃What　do　I　not　know？〃

〃Since　you　judge；　it　means　obviously　that　you
don't　know。〃

〃Go　on。　　。　　。　　。What　next？〃



VI

Now　it　was　not　Chouev；　　but　Stepan　who　used　to
read　the　gospel　in　the　common　cell。　　Some　of　the
prisoners　were　singing　coarse　songs；　while　others
listened　to　Stepan　reading　the　gospel　and　talking
about　what　he　had　read。　　The　most　attentive
among　those　who　listened　were　two　of　the　pris…
oners；　Vassily；　and　a　convict　called　Mahorkin；　a
murderer　who　had　become　a　hangman。　　Twice
during　his　stay　in　this　prison　he　was　called　upon
to　do　duty　as　hangman；　and　both　times　in　far…
away　places　where　nobody　could　be　found　to　ex…
ecute　the　sentences。

Two　of　the　peasants　who　had　killed　Peter
Nikolaevich　Sventizky；　had　been　sentenced　to
the　gallows；　and　Mahorkin　was　ordered　to　go　to
Pensa　to　hang　them。　　On　all　previous　occasions
he　used　to　write　a　petition　to　the　governor　of　the
provincehe　knew　well　how　to　read　and　to　write
stating　that　he　had　been　ordered　to　fulfil　his
duty；　and　asking　for　money　for　his　expenses。　　But
now；　to　the　greatest　astonishment　of　the　prison
authorities；　he　said　he　did　not　intend　to　go；　and
added　that　he　would　not　be　a　hangman　any　more。

〃And　what　about　being　flogged？〃　cried　the
governor　of　the　prison。

〃I　will　have　to　bear　it；　as　the　law　commands
us　not　to　kill。〃

〃Did　you　get　that　from　Pelageushkine？　A
nice　sort　of　a　prison　prophet！　You　just　wait　and
see　what　this　will　cost　you！〃

When　Mahin　was　told　of　that　incident；　he　was
greatly　impressed　by　the　fact　of　Stepan's　influence
on　the　hangman；　who　refused　to　do　his　duty；　run…
ning　the　risk　of　being　hanged　himself　for　insub…
ordination。



VII

AT　an　evening　party　at　the　Eropkins；　Mahin；　who
was　paying　attentions　to　the　two　young　daughters
of　the　housethey　were　rich　matches；　both　of
themhaving　earned　great　applause　for　his　fine
singing　and　playing　the　piano；　began　telling　the
company　about　the　strange　convict　who　had　con…
verted　the　hangman。　　Mahin　told　his　story　very
accurately；　as　he　had　a　very　good　memory；　which
was　all　the　more　retentive　because　of　his　total　in…
difference　to　those　with　whom　he　had　to　deal。　
He　never　paid　the　slightest　attention　to　other　peo…
ple's　feelings；　and　was　therefore　better　able　to
keep　all　they　did　or　said　in　his　memory。　　He　got
interested　in　Stepan　Pelageushkine；　and；　although
he　did　not　thoroughly　understand　him；　yet　asked
himself　involuntarily　what　was　the　matter　with
the　man？　He　could　not　find　an　answer；　but　feel…
ing　that　there　was　certainly　something　remarkable
going　on　in　Stepan's　soul；　he　told　the　company　at
the　Eropkins　all　about　Stepan's　conversion　of　the
hangman；　and　also　about　his　strange　behaviour
in　prison；　his　reading　the　Gospels　and　his　great
influence　on　the　rest　of　the　prisoners。　　All　this
made　a　special　impression　on　the　younger　daugh…
ter　of　the　family；　Lisa；　a　girl　of　eighteen；　who
was　just　recovering　from　the　artificial　life　she　had
been　living　in　a　boarding…school；　she　felt　as　if
she　had　emerged　out　of　water；　and　was　taking　in
the　fresh　air　of　true　life　with　ecstasy。　　She　asked
Mahin　to　tell　her　more　about　the　man　Pelageush…
kine；　and　to　explain　to　her　how　such　a　great　change
had　come　over　him。　　Mahin　told　her　what　he
knew　from　the　police　official　about　Stepan's　last
murder；　and　also　what　he　had　heard　from　Pela…
geushkine　himselfhow　he　had　been　conquered
by　the　humility；　mildness；　and　fearlessness　of　a
kind　woman；　who　had　been　his　last　victim；　and
how　his　eyes　had　been　opened；　while　the　reading
of　the　Gospels　had　completed　the　change　in　him。

Lisa　Eropkin　was　not　able　to　sleep　that　night。　
For　a　couple　of　months　a　struggle　had　gone　on　in
her　heart　between　society　life；　into　which　her　sis…
ter　was　dragging　her；　and　her　infatuation　for
Mahin；　combined　with　a　desire　to　reform　him。　
This　second　desire　now　became　the　stronger。　
She　had　already　heard　about　poor　Maria　Seme…
novna。　　But；　after　that　kind　woman　had　been
murdered　in　such　a　ghastly　way；　and　after　Mahin；
who　learnt　it　from　Stepan；　had　communicated　to
her　all　the　facts　concerning　Maria　Semenovna's
life；　Lisa　herself　passionately　desired　to　become
like　her。　　She　was　a　rich　girl；　and　was　afraid
that　Mahin　had　been　courting　her　because　of　her
money。　　So　she　resolved　to　give　all　she　possessed
to　the　poor；　and　told　Mahin　about　it。

Mahin　was　very　glad　to　prove　his　disinterest…
edness；　and　told　Lisa　that　he　loved　her　and　not
her　money。　　Such　proof　of　his　innate　nobility
made　him　admire　himself　greatly。　　Mahin
helped　Lisa　to　carry　out　her　decision。　　And　the
more　he　did　so；　the　more　he　came　to　realise　the
new　world　of　Lisa's　spiritual　ambitions；　quite　un…
known　to　him　heretofore。



VIII

ALL　were　silent　in　the　common　cell。　　Stepan　was
lying　in　his　bed；　but　was　not　yet　asleep。　　Vassily
approached　him；　and；　pulling　him　by　his　leg；
asked　him　in　a　whisper　to　get　up　and　to　come　to
him。　　Stepan　stepped　out　of　his　bed；　and　came
up　to　Vassily。

〃Do　me　a　kindness；　brother；〃　said　Vassily。
〃Help　me！〃

〃In　what？〃

〃I　am　going　to　fly　from　the　prison。〃

Vassily　told　Stepan　that　he　had　everything　ready
for　his　flight。

〃To…morrow　I　shall　stir　them　up〃　He
pointed　to　the　prisoners　asleep　in　their　beds。　
〃They　will　give　me　away；　and　I　shall　be　trans…
ferred　to　the　cell　in　the　upper　floor。　　I　know　my
way　from　there。　　What　I　want　you　for　is　to　un…
screw　the　prop　in　the　door　of　the　mortuary。〃
〃I　can　do　that。　　But　where　will　you　go？〃

〃I　don't　care　where。　　Are　not　there　plenty　of
wicked　people　in　every　place？〃

〃Quite　so；　brother。　　But　it　is　not　our　business
to　judge　them。〃

〃I　am　not　a　murderer；　to　be　sure。　　I　have　not
destroyed　a　living　soul　in　my　life。　　As　for　steal…
ing；　I　don't　see　any　harm　in　that。　　As　if　they　have
not　robbed　us！〃

〃Let　them　answer　for　it　themselves；　if　they
do。〃

〃Bother　them　all！〃　　Suppose　I　rob　a　church；
who　will　be　hurt？　This　time　I　will　take　care
not　to　break　into　a　small　shop；　but　will　get
hold　of　a　lot　of　money；　and　then　I　will　help　people
with　it。　　I　will　give　it　to　all　good　people。〃

One　of　the　prisoners　rose　in　his　bed　and　lis…
tened。　　Stepan　and　Vassily　broke　off　their　con…
versation。　　The　next　day　Vassily　carried　out　his
idea。　　He　began　complaining　of　the　bread　in
prison；　saying　it　was　moist；　and　induced　the　pris…
oners　to　call　the　governor　and　to　tell　him　of　their
discontent。　　The　governor　came；　abused　them　all；
and　when　he　heard　it　was　Vassily　who　had　stirred
up　the　men；　he　ordered　him　to　be　transferred
into　solitary　confinement　in　the　cell　on　the　upper
floor。　　This　was　all　Vassily　wanted。



IX

VASSILY　knew　well　that　cell　on　the　upper　floor。　
He　knew　its　floor；　and　began　at　once