01-the forged coupon-第9节

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seat；　the　bishop　told　him　what　had　happened　in
his　diocese。

〃It　all　comes　from　weakness　of　spirit　and　from
ignorance。　　You　are　a　learned　man；　and　I　rely　on
you。　　Go　to　the　village；　call　the　parishioners　to…
gether；　and　convince　them　of　their　error。〃

〃If　your　Grace　bids　me　go；　and　you　give　me
your　blessing；　I　will　do　my　best；〃　said　Father
Missael。　　He　was　very　pleased　with　the　task　en…
trusted　to　him。　　Every　opportunity　he　could　find
to　demonstrate　the　firmness　of　his　faith　was　a
boon　to　him。　　In　trying　to　convince　others　he　was
chiefly　intent　on　persuading　himself　that　he　was
really　a　firm　believer。

〃Do　your　best。　　I　am　greatly　distressed　about
my　flock；〃　said　the　bishop；　leisurely　taking　a　cup
with　his　white　plump　hands　from　the　servant　who
brought　in　the　tea。

〃Why　is　there　only　one　kind　of　jam？　　Bring
another；〃　he　said　to　the　servant。　　〃I　am　greatly
distressed；〃　he　went　on；　turning　to　Father　Mis…
sael。

Missael　earnestly　desired　to　prove　his　zeal；
but；　being　a　man　of　small　means；　he　asked　to　be
paid　for　the　expenses　of　his　journey；　and　being
afraid　of　the　rough　people　who　might　be　ill…dis…
posed　towards　him；　he　also　asked　the　bishop　to　get
him　an　order　from　the　governor　of　the　province；
so　that　the　local　police　might　help　him　in　case　of
need。　　The　bishop　complied　with　his　wishes；　and
Missael　got　his　things　ready　with　the　help　of　his
servant　and　his　cook。　　They　furnished　him　with
a　case　full　of　wine；　and　a　basket　with　the　victuals
he　might　need　in　going　to　such　a　lonely　place。　
Fully　provided　with　all　he　wanted；　he　started　for
the　village　to　which　he　was　commissioned。　　He
was　pleasantly　conscious　of　the　importance　of　his
mission。　　All　his　doubts　as　to　his　own　faith　passed
away；　and　he　was　now　fully　convinced　of　its　real…
ity。

His　thoughts；　far　from　being　concerned　with
the　real　foundation　of　his　creedthis　was　ac…
cepted　as　an　axiomwere　occupied　with　the　argu…
ments　used　against　the　forms　of　worship。



XX

THE　village　priest　and　his　wife　received　Father
Missael　with　great　honours；　and　the　next　day　after
he　had　arrived　the　parishioners　were　invited　to
assemble　in　the　church。　　Missael　in　a　new　silk
cassock；　with　a　large　cross　on　his　chest；　and　his
long　hair　carefully　combed；　ascended　the　pulpit；
the　priest　stood　at　his　side；　the　deacons　and　the
choir　at　a　little　distance　behind　him；　and　the　side
entrances　were　guarded　by　the　police。　　The　dis…
senters　also　came　in　their　dirty　sheepskin　coats。

After　the　service　Missael　delivered　a　sermon；
admonishing　the　dissenters　to　return　to　the　bosom
of　their　mother；　the　Church；　threatening　them
with　the　torments　of　hell；　and　promising　full　for…
giveness　to　those　who　would　repent。

The　dissenters　kept　silent　at　first。　　Then；　be…
ing　asked　questions；　they　gave　answers。　　To　the
question　why　they　dissented；　they　said　that　their
chief　reason　was　the　fact　that　the　Church　wor…
shipped　gods　made　of　wood；　which；　far　from　be…
ing　ordained；　were　condemned　by　the　Scriptures。

When　asked　by　Missael　whether　they　actually
considered　the　holy　ikons　to　be　mere　planks　of
wood；　Chouev　answered；

〃Just　look　at　the　back　of　any　ikon　you　choose
and　you　will　see　what　they　are　made　of。〃

When　asked　why　they　turned　against　the　priests；
their　answer　was　that　the　Scripture　says：　　〃As　you
have　received　it　without　fee；　so　you　must　give　it
to　the　others；　whereas　the　priests　require　pay…
ment　for　the　grace　they　bestow　by　the　sacraments。〃
To　all　attempts　which　Missael　made　to　oppose
them　by　arguments　founded　on　Holy　Writ；　the
tailor　and　Ivan　Chouev　gave　calm　but　very　firm
answers；　contradicting　his　assertions　by　appeal　to
the　Scriptures；　which　they　knew　uncommonly　well。

Missael　got　angry　and　threatened　them　with
persecution　by　the　authorities。　　Their　answer
was：　　It　is　said；　I　have　been　persecuted　and　so　will
you　be。

The　discussion　came　to　nothing；　and　all　would
have　ended　well　if　Missael　had　not　preached　the
next　day　at　mass；　denouncing　the　wicked　seducers
of　the　faithful　and　saying　that　they　deserved　the
worst　punishment。　　Coming　out　of　the　church；　the
crowd　of　peasants　began　to　consult　whether　it
would　not　be　well　to　give　the　infidels　a　good　lesson
for　disturbing　the　minds　of　the　community。　　The
same　day；　just　when　Missael　was　enjoying　some
salmon　and　gangfish；　dining　at　the　village　priest's
in　company　with　the　inspector；　a　violent　brawl
arose　in　the　village。　　The　peasants　came　in　a
crowd　to　Chouev's　cottage；　and　waited　for　the
dissenters　to　come　out　in　order　to　give　them　a
thrashing。

The　dissenters　assembled　in　the　cottage　num…
bered　about　twenty　men　and　women。　　Missael's
sermon　and　the　attitude　of　the　orthodox　peasants；
together　with　their　threats；　aroused　in　the　mind
of　the　dissenters　angry　feelings；　to　which　they　had
before　been　strangers。　　It　was　near　evening；　the
women　had　to　go　and　milk　the　cows；　and　the
peasants　were　still　standing　and　waiting　at　the
door。

A　boy　who　stepped　out　of　the　door　was　beaten
and　driven　back　into　the　house。　　The　people
within　began　consulting　what　was　to　be　done；　and
could　come　to　no　agreement。　　The　tailor　said；
〃We　must　bear　whatever　is　done　to　us；　and　not
resist。〃　　Chouev　replied　that　if　they　decided　on
that　course　they　would；　all　of　them；　be　beaten　to
death。　　In　consequence；　he　seized　a　poker　and
went　out　of　the　house。　　〃Come！〃　he　shouted；
let　us　follow　the　law　of　Moses！〃　And；　falling
upon　the　peasants；　he　knocked　out　one　man's　eye；
and　in　the　meanwhile　all　those　who　had　been　in
his　house　contrived　to　get　out　and　make　their　way
home。

Chouev　was　thrown　into　prison　and　charged
with　sedition　and　blasphemy。



XXI

Two　years　previous　to　those　events　a　strong　and
handsome　young　girl　of　an　eastern　type；　Katia
Turchaninova；　came　from　the　Don　military　settle…
ments　to　St。　Petersburg　to　study　in　the　university
college　for　women。　　In　that　town　she　met　a　stu…
dent；　Turin；　the　son　of　a　district　governor　in　the
Simbirsk　province；　and　fell　in　love　with　him。　　But
her　love　was　not　of　the　ordinary　type；　and　she
had　no　desire　to　become　his　wife　and　the　mother
of　his　children。　　He　was　a　dear　comrade　to　her；
and　their　chief　bond　of　union　was　a　feeling　of　re…
volt　they　had　in　common；　as　well　as　the　hatred
they　bore；　not　only　to　the　existing　forms　of　gov…
ernment；　but　to　all　those　who　represented　that
government。　　They　had　also　in　common　the　sense
that　they　both　excelled　their　enemies　in　culture；
in　brains；　as　well　as　in　morals。　　Katia　Turchan…
inova　was　a　gifted　girl；　possessed　of　a　good　mem…
ory；　by　means　of　which　she　easily　mastered　the　lec…
tures　she　attended。　　She　was　successful　in　her　ex…
aminations；　and；　apart　from　that；　read　all　the　new…
est　books。　　She　was　certain　that　her　vocation　was
not　to　bear　and　rear　children；　and　even　looked　on
such　a　task　with　disgust　and　contempt。　　She
thought　herself　chosen　by　destiny　to　destroy　the
present　government；　which　was　fettering　the　best
abilities　of　the　nation；　and　to　reveal　to　the　people
a　higher　standard　of　life；　inculcated　by　the　latest
writers　of　other　countries。　　She　was　handsome；　a
little　inclined　to　stoutness：　　she　had　a　good　com…
plexion；　shining　black　eyes；　abundant　black　hair。　
She　inspired　the　men　she　knew　with　feelings　she
neither　wished　nor　had　time　to　share；　busy　as　she
was　with　propaganda　work；　which　consisted　chiefly
in　mere　talking。　　She　was　not　displeased；　how…
ever；　to　inspire　these　feelings；　and；　without　dress…
ing　too　smartly；　did　not　neglect　her　appearance。　
She　liked　to　be　admired；　as　it　gave　her　opportuni…
ties　of　showing　how　little　she　prized　what　was
valued　so　highly　by　other　women。

In　her　views　concerning　the　method　of　fighting
the　government　she　went　further　than　the　majority
of　her　comrades；　and　than　her　friend　Turin；　all
means；　she　taught；　were　justified　in　such　a　struggle；
not　excluding　murder。　　And　yet；　with　all　her　revo…
lutionary　ideas；　Katia　Turchaninova　was　in　her
soul　a　very　kind　girl；　ready　to　sacrifice　herself　for
the　welfare　and　the　happiness　of　other　people；
and　sincerely　pleased　when　she　could　do　a　kind…
ness　to　anybody；　a　child；　an　old　person；　or　an　ani…
mal。

She　went　in　the　summer　to　stay　with　a　friend；　a
schoolmistress　in　a　small　town　on　the　river　Volga。　
Turin　lived　near　that　town；　on　his　father's　estate。　
He　often　came　to　see　the　two　girls；　they　gave　each
other　books　to　read；　and　had　long　discussions；
expressing　their　common　indignation　with　the　state
of　affairs　in　the　country。　　The　district　doctor；　a
friend　of　theirs；　used　also　to　join　them　on　many　oc…
casions。

The　estate　of　the　Turins　was　situated　in　the
neighbourhood　of　the　Liventsov　estate；　the　one
that　was　entrusted　to　the　management　of　Peter
Nikolaevich　Sventizky。　　Soon　after　Peter　Niko…
laevich　had　settled　there；　and　begun　to　en…
force　order；　young　Turin；　having　observed　an　in…
dependent　tendency　in　the　peasants　on　the　Livent…
sov　estate；　as　well　as　their　determination　to　up…
hold　their　rights；　became　interested　in　them。　　He
came　often　to　the　village　to　talk　with　the　men；
and　developed　his　socialistic　theories；　insisting　par…
ticularly　on　the　nationalisation　of　the　land。

After　Peter　Nikolaevich　had　been　murdered；
and　the　murderers　s