resurrection(复活)-第62章

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had　sinned　not　directly　against　them；　but　against　their　parents
and　forefathers。

Among　this　latter　class　Nekhludoff　was　specially　struck　by　one
Okhotin；　an　inveterate　thief；　the　illegitimate　son　of　a
prostitute；　brought　up　in　a　doss…house；　who；　up　to　the　age　of　30；
had　apparently　never　met　with　any　one　whose　morality　was　above
that　of　a　policeman；　and　who　had　got　into　a　band　of　thieves　when
quite　young。　He　was　gifted　with　an　extraordinary　sense　of　humour；
by　means　of　which　he　made　himself　very　attractive。　He　asked
Nekhludoff　for　protection；　at　the　same　time　making　fun　of
himself；　the　lawyers；　the　prison；　and　laws　human　and　divine。

Another　was　the　handsome　Fedoroff；　who；　with　a　band　of　robbers；
of　whom　he　was　the　chief；　had　robbed　and　murdered　an　old　man；　an
official。　Fedoroff　was　a　peasant；　whose　father　had　been
unlawfully　deprived　of　his　house；　and　who；　later　on；　when　serving
as　a　soldier；　had　suffered　much　because　he　had　fallen　in　love
with　an　officer's　mistress。　He　had　a　fascinating；　passionate
nature；　that　longed　for　enjoyment　at　any　cost。　He　had　never　met
anybody　who　restrained　himself　for　any　cause　whatever；　and　had
never　heard　a　word　about　any　aim　in　life　other　than　enjoyment。

Nekhludoff　distinctly　saw　that　both　these　men　were　richly　endowed
by　nature；　but　had　been　neglected　and　crippled　like　uncared…for
plants。

He　had　also　met　a　tramp　and　a　woman　who　had　repelled　him　by　their
dulness　and　seeming　cruelty；　but　even　in　them　he　could　find　no
trace　of　the　criminal　type　written　about　by　the　Italian　school；
but　only　saw　in　them　people　who　were　repulsive　to　him　personally；
just　in　the　same　way　as　some　he　had　met　outside　the　prison；　in
swallow…tail　coats　wearing　epaulettes；　or　bedecked　with　lace。　And
so　the　investigation　of　the　reasons　why　all　these　very　different
persons　were　put　in　prison；　while　others　just　like　them　were
going　about　free　and　even　judging　them；　formed　a　fourth　task　for
Nekhludoff。

He　hoped　to　find　an　answer　to　this　question　in　books；　and　bought
all　that　referred　to　it。　He　got　the　works　of　Lombroso；　Garofalo；
Ferry；　List；　Maudsley；　Tard；　and　read　them　carefully。　But　as　he
read　he　became　more　and　more　disappointed。　It　happened　to　him　as
it　always　happens　to　those　who　turn　to　science　not　in　order　to
play　a　part　in　it；　nor　to　write；　nor　to　dispute；　nor　to　teach；
but　simply　for　an　answer　to　an　every…day　question　of　life。
Science　answered　thousands　of　different　very　subtle　and　ingenious
questions　touching　criminal　law；　but　not　the　one　he　was　trying　to
solve。　He　asked　a　very　simple　question：　〃Why；　and　with　what
right；　do　some　people　lock　up；　torment；　exile；　flog；　and　kill
others；　while　they　are　themselves　just　like　those　whom　they
torment；　flog；　and　kill？〃　And　in　answer　he　got　deliberations　as
to　whether　human　beings　had　free　will　or　not。　Whether　signs　of
criminality　could　be　detected　by　measuring　the　skulls　or　not。
What　part　heredity　played　in　crime。　Whether　immorality　could　be
inherited。　What　madness　is；　what　degeneration　is；　and　what
temperament　is。　How　climate；　food；　ignorance；　imitativeness；
hypnotism；　or　passion　act。　What　society　is。　What　are　its　duties；
etc。；　etc。

These　disquisitions　reminded　him　of　the　answer　he　once　got　from　a
little　boy　whom　he　met　coming　home　from　school。　Nekhludoff　asked
him　if　he　had　learned　his　spelling。

〃I　have；〃　answered　the　boy。

〃Well；　then；　tell　me；　how　do　you　spell　'leg'？

〃A　dog's　leg；　or　what　kind　of　leg？〃　the　boy　answered；　with　a　sly
look。

Answers　in　the　form　of　new　questions；　like　the　boy's；　was　all
Nekhludoff　got　in　reply　to　his　one　primary　question。　He　found
much　that　was　clever；　learned　much　that　was　interesting；　but　what
he　did　not　find　was　an　answer　to　the　principal　question：　By　what
right　some　people　punish　others？

Not　only　did　he　not　find　any　answer；　but　all　the　arguments　were
brought　forward　in　order　to　explain　and　vindicate　punishment；　the
necessity　of　which　was　taken　as　an　axiom。

Nekhludoff　read　much；　but　only　in　snatches；　and　putting　down　his
failure　to　this　superficial　way　of　reading；　hoped　to　find　the
answer　later　on。　He　would　not　allow　himself　to　believe　in　the
truth　of　the　answer　which　began；　more　and　more　often；　to　present
itself　to　him。


CHAPTER　XXXI。

NEKHLUDOFF'S　SISTER　AND　HER　HUSBAND。

The　gang　of　prisoners；　with　Maslova　among　them；　was　to　start　on
the　5th　July。　Nekhludoff　arranged　to　start　on　the　same　day。

The　day　before；　Nekhludoff's　sister　and　her　husband　came　to　town
to　see　him。

Nekhludoff's　sister；　Nathalie　Ivanovna　Rogozhinsky；　was　10　years
older　than　her　brother。　She　had　been　very　fond　of　him　when　he　was
a　boy；　and　later　on；　just　before　her　marriage；　they　grew　very
close　to　each　other；　as　if　they　were　equals；　she　being　a　young
woman　of　25；　he　a　lad　of　15。　At　that　time　she　was　in　love　with
his　friend；　Nikolenka　Irtenieff；　since　dead。　They　both　loved
Nikolenka；　and　loved　in　him　and　in　themselves　that　which　is　good；
and　which　unites　all　men。　Since　then　they　had　both　been　depraved；
he　by　military　service　and　a　vicious　life；　she　by　marriage　with　a
man　whom　she　loved　with　a　sensual　love；　who　did　not　care　for　the
things　that　had　once　been　so　dear　and　holy　to　her　and　to　her
brother；　nor　even　understand　the　meaning　of　those　aspirations
towards　moral　perfection　and　the　service　of　mankind；　which　once
constituted　her　life；　and　put　them　down　to　ambition　and　the　wish
to　show　off；　that　being　the　only　explanation　comprehensible　to
him。

Nathalie's　husband　had　been　a　man　without　a　name　and　without
means；　but　cleverly　steering　towards　Liberalism　or　Conservatism；
according　to　which　best　suited　his　purpose；　he　managed　to　make　a
comparatively　brilliant　judicial　career。　Some　peculiarity　which
made　him　attractive　to　women　assisted　him　when　he　was　no　longer
in　his　first　youth。　While　travelling　abroad　he　made　Nekhludoff's
acquaintance；　and　managed　to　make　Nathalie；　who　was　also　no
longer　a　girl；　fall　in　love　with　him；　rather　against　her　mother's
wishes　who　considered　a　marriage　with　him　to　be　a　misalliance　for
her　daughter。　Nekhludoff；　though　he　tried　to　hide　it　from
himself；　though　he　fought　against　it；　hated　his　brother…in…law。

Nekhludoff　had　a　strong　antipathy　towards　him　because　of　the
vulgarity　of　his　feelings；　his　assurance　and　narrowness；　but
chiefly　because　of　Nathalie；　who　managed　to　love　him　in　spite　of
the　narrowness　of　his　nature；　and　loved　him　so　selfishly；　so
sensually；　and　stifled　for　his　sake　all　the　good　that　had　been　in
her。

It　always　hurt　Nekhludoff　to　think　of　Nathalie　as　the　wife　of
that　hairy；　self…assured　man　with　the　shiny；　bald　patch　on　his
head。　He　could　not　even　master　a　feeling　of　revulsion　towards
their　children；　and　when　he　heard　that　she　was　again　going　to
have　a　baby；　he　felt　something　like　sorrow　that　she　had　once　more
been　infected　with　something　bad　by　this　man　who　was　so　foreign
to　him。　The　Rogozhinskys　had　come　to　Moscow　alone；　having　left
their　two　childrena　boy　and　a　girlat　home；　and　stopped　in　the
best　rooms　of　the　best　hotel。　Nathalie　at　once　went　to　her
mother's　old　house；　but　hearing　from　Agraphena　Petrovna　that　her
brother　had　left；　and　was　living　in　a　lodging…house；　she　drove
there。　The　dirty　servant　met　her　in　the　stuffy　passage；　dark　but
for　a　lamp　which　burnt　there　all　day。　He　told　her　that　the　Prince
was　not　in。

Nathalie　asked　to　be　shown　into　his　rooms；　as　she　wished　to　leave
a　note　for　him；　and　the　man　took　her　up。

Nathalie　carefully　examined　her　brother's　two　little　rooms。　She
noticed　in　everything　the　love　of　cleanliness　and　order　she　knew
so　well　in　him；　and　was　struck　by　the　novel　simplicity　of　the
surroundings。　On　his　writing…table　she　saw　the　paper…weight　with
the　bronze　dog　on　the　top　which　she　remembered；　the　tidy　way　in
which　his　different　portfolios　and　writing　utensils　were　placed
on　the　table　was　also　familiar；　and　so　was　the　large；　crooked
ivory　paper　knife　which　marked　the　place　in　a　French　book　by
Tard；　which　lay　with　other　volumes　on　punishment　and　a　book　in
English　by　Henry　George。　She　sat　down　at　the　table　and　wrote　a
note　asking　him　to　be　sure　to　come　that　same　day；　and　shaking　her
head　in　surprise　at　what　she　saw；　she　returned　to　her　hotel。

Two　questions　regarding　her　brother　now　interested　Nathalie：　his
marriage　with　Katusha；　which　she　had　heard　spoken　about　in　their
townfor　everybody　was　speaking　about　itand　his　giving　away
the　land　to　the　peasants；　which　was　also　known；　and　struck　many
as　something　of　a　political　nature；　and　dangerous。　The　Carriage
with　Katusha　pleased　her　in　a　way。　She　admired　that　resoluteness
which　was　so　like　him　and　herself　as　they　used　to　be　in　those
happy　times　before　her　marriage。　And　yet　she　was　horrified　when
she　thought　her　brother　was　going　to　marry　such　a　dreadful　woman。
The　latter　was　the　stronger　feeling　of　the　two；　and　she　decided
to　use　all　her　influence　to　prevent　him　from　doing　it；　though　she
knew　how　difficult　this　would　be。

The　other　matter；　the　giving　up　of　the　land　to　the　peasants；　did
not　touch　her　so　nearly；　but　her　husband　was　very　indignant　about
it；　and　expected　her　to　influence　her　brother　against　it。

Rogozhinsky　said　that　such　an　action　was　the　height　of
inconsistency；　flightiness；　and　pride；　the　only　possible
explanation　of　which　was　the　desire　to　appear　original；　to　brag；
to　make　one's　self　talked　about。

〃What　sense　could　there　be　in　letting　the　land　to　the　peasants；
on　condition　that　they　pay　the　rent　to　themselves？〃　he　said。　〃If
he　was　resolved　to　do　such　a　thing；　why　not　sell　the　land　to　them
through　the　Peasants'　Bank？　There　might　have　been　some　sense　in
that。　In　fact；　this　act　verges　on　insanity。〃

And　Rogozhinsky　began　seriously　thinking　about　putting　Nekhludoff
under　guardianship；　and　demanded　of　his　wife　that　she　should
speak　seriously　to　her　brother　about　his　curious　intention。


CHAPTER　XXXII。

NEKHLUDOFF'S　ANARCHISM。

As　soon　as　Nekhludoff　returned　that　evening　and　saw　his　sister's
note　on　the　table　he　started　to　go　and　see　her。　He　found　Nathalie
alone；　her　husband　having　gone　to　take　a　rest　in　the　next　room。
She　wore　a　tightly…fitting　black　silk　dress；　with　a　red　bow　in
front。　Her　black　hair　was　crimped　and　arranged　according　to　the
latest　fashion。

The　pains　she　took　to　appear　young；　for　the　sake　of　her　husband；
whose　equal　she　was　in　years；　were　very　obvious。

When　she　saw　her　brother　she　jumped　up　and　hurried　towards　him；
with　her　silk　dress　rustling。　They　kissed；　and　looked　smilingly
at　each　other。　There　passed　between　them　that　mysterious　exchange
of　looks；　full　of　meaning；　in　which　all　was　true；　and　which
cannot　be　expressed　in　words。　Then　came　words　which　were　not
true。　They　had　not　met　since　their　mother's　death。

〃You　have　grown　stouter　and　younger；〃　he　said；　and　her　lips
puckered　up　with　pleasure。

〃And　you　have　grown　thinner。〃

〃Well；　and　how　is　your　husband？〃　Nekhludoff　asked。

〃He　is　taking　a　rest；　he　did　not　sleep　all　night。〃　There　was　much
to　say；　but　it　was　not　said　in　words；　only　their　looks　expressed
what　their　words　failed　to　say。

〃I　went　to　see　you。〃

〃Yes；　I　know。　I　moved　because　the　house　is　too　big　for　me。　I　was
lonely　there；　and　dull。　I　want　nothing　of　all　that　is　there；　so
that　you　had