resurrection(复活)-第75章

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of　others。　But　I　was　not　yet　a　revolutionary。　I　also　became
acquainted　with　my　neighbours　in　the　cells　next　to　mine。　They
were　both　caught　with　Polish　proclamations　and　arrested　in　the
same　cause；　and　were　tried　for　an　attempt　to　escape　from　the
convoy　when　they　were　being　taken　to　the　railway　station。　One　was
a　Pole；　Lozinsky；　the　other　a　Jew；　Rozovsky。　Yes。　Well；　this
Rozovsky　was　quite　a　boy。　He　said　he　was　seventeen；　but　he　looked
fifteenthin；　small；　active；　with　black；　sparkling　eyes；　and；
like　most　Jews；　very　musical。　His　voice　was　still　breaking；　and
yet　he　sang　beautifully。　Yes。　I　saw　them　both　taken　to　be　tried。
They　were　taken　in　the　morning。　They　returned　in　the　evening；
and　said　they　were　condemned　to　death。　No　one　had　expected　it。
Their　case　was　so　unimportant；　they　only　tried　to　get　away　from
the　convoy；　and　had　not　even　wounded　any　one。　And　then　it　was　so
unnatural　to　execute　such　a　child　as　Rozovsky。　And　we　in　prison
all　came　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　only　done　to　frighten
them；　and　would　not　be　confirmed。　At　first　we　were　excited；　and
then　we　comforted　ourselves；　and　life　went　on　as　before。　Yes。
Well；　one　evening；　a　watchman　comes　to　my　door　and　mysteriously
announces　to　me　that　carpenters　had　arrived；　and　were　putting　up
the　gallows。　At　first　I　did　not　understand。　What's　that？　What
gallows？　But　the　watchman　was　so　excited　that　I　saw　at　once　it
was　for　our　two。　I　wished　to　tap　and　communicate　with　my
comrades；　but　was　afraid　those　two　would　hear。　The　comrades　were
also　silent。　Evidently　everybody　knew。　In　the　corridors　and　in
the　cells　everything　was　as　still　as　death　all　that　evening。　They
did　not　tap　the　wall　nor　sing。　At　ten　the　watchman　came　again　and
announced　that　a　hangman　had　arrived　from　Moscow。　He　said　it　and
went　away。　I　began　calling　him　back。　Suddenly　I　hear　Rozovsky
shouting　to　me　across　the　corridor：　'What's　the　matter？　Why　do
you　call　him？'　I　answered　something　about　asking　him　to　get　me
some　tobacco；　but　he　seemed　to　guess；　and　asked　me：　'Why　did　we
not　sing　to…night；　why　did　we　not　tap　the　walls？'　I　do　not
remember　what　I　said；　but　I　went　away　so　as　not　to　speak　to　him。
Yes。　It　was　a　terrible　night。　I　listened　to　every　sound　all
night。　Suddenly；　towards　morning；　I　hear　doors　opening　and
somebody　walkingmany　persons。　I　went　up　to　my　window。　There
was　a　lamp　burning　in　the　corridor。　The　first　to　pass　was　the
inspector。　He　was　stout；　and　seemed　a　resolute；　self…satisfied
man；　but　he　looked　ghastly　pale；　downcast；　and　seemed　frightened；
then　his　assistant；　frowning　but　resolute；　behind　them　the
watchman。　They　passed　my　door　and　stopped　at　the　next；　and　I　hear
the　assistant　calling　out　in　a　strange　voice：　'Lozinsky；　get　up
and　put　on　clean　linen。'　Yes。　Then　I　hear　the　creaking　of　the
door；　they　entered　into　his　cell。　Then　I　hear　Lozinsky's　steps
going　to　the　opposite　side　of　the　corridor。　I　could　only　see　the
inspector。　He　stood　quite　pale；　and　buttoned　and　unbuttoned　his
coat；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　Yes。　Then；　as　if　frightened　of
something；　he　moved　out　of　the　way。　It　was　Lozinsky；　who　passed
him　and　came　up　to　my　door。　A　handsome　young　fellow　he　was；　you
know；　of　that　nice　Polish　type：　broad　shouldered；　his　head
covered　with　fine；　fair；　curly　hair　as　with　a　cap；　and　with
beautiful　blue　eyes。　So　blooming；　so　fresh；　so　healthy。　He
stopped　in　front　of　my　window；　so　that　I　could　see　the　whole　of
his　face。　A　dreadful；　gaunt；　livid　face。　'Kryltzoff；　have　you　any
cigarettes？'　I　wished　to　pass　him　some；　but　the　assistant
hurriedly　pulled　out　his　cigarette　case　and　passed　it　to　him。　He
took　out　one；　the　assistant　struck　a　match；　and　he　lit　the
cigarette　and　began　to　smoke　and　seemed　to　be　thinking。　Then；　as
if　he　had　remembered　something；　he　began　to　speak。　'It　is　cruel
and　unjust。　I　have　committed　no　crime。　I'　I　saw　something
quiver　in　his　white　young　throat；　from　which　I　could　not　take　my
eyes；　and　he　stopped。　Yes。　At　that　moment　I　hear　Rozovsky
shouting　in　his　fine；　Jewish　voice。　Lozinsky　threw　away　the
cigarette　and　stepped　from　the　door。　And　Rozovsky　appeared　at　the
window。　His　childish　face；　with　the　limpid　black　eyes；　was　red
and　moist。　He　also　had　clean　linen　on；　the　trousers　were　too
wide；　and　he　kept　pulling　them　up　and　trembled　all　over。　He
approached　his　pitiful　face　to　my　window。　'Kryltzoff；　it's　true
that　the　doctor　has　prescribed　cough　mixture　for　me；　is　it　not？　I
am　not　well。　I'll　take　some　more　of　the　mixture。'　No　one
answered；　and　he　looked　inquiringly；　now　at　me；　now　at　the
inspector。　What　he　meant　to　say　I　never　made　out。　Yes。　Suddenly
the　assistant　again　put　on　a　stern　expression；　and　called　out　in
a　kind　of　squeaking　tone：　'Now；　then；　no　nonsense。　Let　us　go。'
Rozovsky　seemed　incapable　of　understanding　what　awaited　him；　and
hurried；　almost　ran；　in　front　of　him　all　along　the　corridor。　But
then　he　drew　back；　and　I　could　hear　his　shrill　voice　and　his
cries；　then　the　trampling　of　feet；　and　general　hubbub。　He　was
shrieking　and　sobbing。　The　sounds　came　fainter　and　fainter；　and
at　last　the　door　rattled　and　all　was　quiet。　Yes。　And　so　they
hanged　them。　Throttled　them　both　with　a　rope。　A　watchman；　another
one；　saw　it　done；　and　told　me　that　Lozinsky　did　not　resist；　but
Rozovsky　struggled　for　a　long　time；　so　that　they　had　to　pull　him
up　on　to　the　scaffold　and　to　force　his　head　into　the　noose。　Yes。
This　watchman　was　a　stupid　fellow。　He　said：　'They　told　me；　sir；
that　it　would　be　frightful；　but　it　was　not　at　all　frightful。
After　they　were　hanged　they　only　shrugged　their　shoulders　twice；
like　this。'　He　showed　how　the　shoulders　convulsively　rose　and
fell。　'Then　the　hangman　pulled　a　bit　so　as　to　tighten　the　noose；
and　it　was　all　up；　and　they　never　budged。〃'　And　Kryltzoff
repeated　the　watchman's　words；　〃Not　at　all　frightful；〃　and　tried
to　smile；　but　burst　into　sobs　instead。

For　a　long　time　after　that　he　kept　silent；　breathing　heavily；　and
repressing　the　sobs　that　were　choking　him。

〃From　that　time　I　became　a　revolutionist。　Yes；〃　he　said；　when　he
was　quieter　and　finished　his　story　in　a　few　words。　He　belonged　to
the　Narodovoltzy　party；　and　was　even　at　the　head　of　the
disorganising　group；　whose　object　was　to　terrorise　the　government
so　that　it　should　give　up　its　power　of　its　own　accord。　With　this
object　he　travelled　to　Petersburg；　to　Kiev；　to　Odessa　and　abroad；
and　was　everywhere　successful。　A　man　in　whom　he　had　full
confidence　betrayed　him。　He　was　arrested；　tried；　kept　in　prison
for　two　years；　and　condemned　to　death；　but　the　sentence　was
mitigated　to　one　of　hard　labour　for　life。

He　went　into　consumption　while　in　prison；　and　in　the　conditions
he　was　now　placed　he　had　scarcely　more　than　a　few　months　longer
to　live。　This　he　knew；　but　did　not　repent　of　his　action；　but　said
that　if　he　had　another　life　he　would　use　it　in　the　same　way　to
destroy　the　conditions　in　which　such　things　as　he　had　seen　were
possible。

This　man's　story　and　his　intimacy　with　him　explained　to
Nekhludoff　much　that　he　had　not　previously　understood。


CHAPTER　VII。

NEKHLUDOFF　SEEKS　AN　INTERVIEW　WITH　MASLOVA。

On　the　day　when　the　convoy　officer　had　the　encounter　with　the
prisoners　at　the　halting　station　about　the　child；　Nekhludoff；　who
had　spent　the　night　at　the　village　inn；　woke　up　late；　and　was
some　time　writing　letters　to　post　at　the　next　Government　town；　so
that　he　left　the　inn　later　than　usual；　and　did　not　catch　up　with
the　gang　on　the　road　as　he　had　done　previously；　but　came　to　the
village　where　the　next　halting　station　was　as　it　was　growing
dusk。

Having　dried　himself　at　the　inn；　which　was　kept　by　an　elderly
woman　who　had　an　extraordinarily　fat；　white　neck；　he　had　his　tea
in　a　clean　room　decorated　with　a　great　number　of　icons　and
pictures　and　then　hurried　away　to　the　halting　station　to　ask　the
officer　for　an　interview　with　Katusha。　At　the　last　six　halting
stations　he　could　not　get　the　permission　for　an　interview　from
any　of　the　officers。　Though　they　had　been　changed　several　times；
not　one　of　them　would　allow　Nekhludoff　inside　the　halting
stations；　so　that　he　had　not　seen　Katusha　for　more　than　a　week。
This　strictness　was　occasioned　by　the　fact　that　an　important
prison　official　was　expected　to　pass　that　way。　Now　this　official
had　passed　without　looking　in　at　the　gang；　after　all；　and
Nekhludoff　hoped　that　the　officer　who　had　taken　charge　of　the
gang　in　the　morning　would　allow　him　an　interview　with　the
prisoners；　as　former　officers　had　done。

The　landlady　offered　Nekhludoff　a　trap　to　drive　him　to　the
halting　station；　situated　at　the　farther　end　of　the　village；　but
Nekhludoff　preferred　to　walk。　A　young　labourer；　a
broad…shouldered　young　fellow　of　herculean　dimensions；　with
enormous　top…boots　freshly　blackened　with　strongly　smelling　tar；
offered　himself　as　a　guide。

A　dense　mist　obscured　the　sky；　and　it　was　so　dark　that　when　the
young　fellow　was　three　steps　in　advance　of　him　Nekhludoff　could
not　see　him　unless　the　light　of　some　window　happened　to　fall　on
the　spot；　but　he　could　hear　the　heavy　boots　wading　through　the
deep；　sticky　slush。　After　passing　the　open　place　in　front　of　the
church　and　the　long　street；　with　its　rows　of　windows　shining
brightly　in　the　darkness；　Nekhludoff　followed　his　guide　to　the
outskirts　of　the　village；　where　it　was　pitch　dark。　But　soon　here；
too；　rays　of　light；　streaming　through　the　mist　from　the　lamps　in
the　front　of　the　halting　station；　became　discernible　through　the
darkness。　The　reddish　spots　of　light　grew　bigger　and　bigger；　at
last　the　stakes　of　the　palisade；　the　moving　figure　of　the
sentinel；　a　post　painted　with　white　and　black　stripes　and　the
sentinel's　box　became　visible。

The　sentinel　called　his　usual　〃Who　goes　there？〃　as　they
approached；　and　seeing　they　were　strangers　treated　them　with　such
severity　that　he　would　not　allow　them　to　wait　by　the　palisade；
but　Nekhludoff's　guide　was　not　abashed　by　this　severity。

〃Hallo；　lad！　why　so　fierce？　You　go　and　rouse　your　boss　while　we
wait　here？〃

The　sentinel　gave　no　answer；　but　shouted　something　in　at　the　gate
and　stood　looking　at　the　broad…shouldered　young　labourer　scraping
the　mud　off　Nekhludoff's　boots　with　a　chip　of　wood　by　the　light
of　the　lamp。　From　behind　the　palisade　came　the　hum　of　male　and
female　voices。　In　about　three　minutes　more　something　rattled；　the
gate　opened；　and　a　sergeant；　with　his　cloak　thrown　over　his
shoulders；　stepped　out　of　the　darkness　into　the　lamplight。

The　sergeant　was　not　as　strict　as　the　sentinel；　but　he　was
extremely　inquisitive。　He　insisted　on　knowing　what　Nekhludoff
wanted　the　officer　for；　and　who　he　was；　evidently　scenting　his
booty　and　anxious　not　to　let　it　escape。　Nekhludoff　said　he　had
come　on　special　business；　and　would　show　his　gratitude；　and　would
the　sergeant　take　a　note　for　him　to　the　officer。　The　sergeant
took　the　note；　nodded；　and　went　away。　Some　time　after　the　gate
rattled　again；　and　women　carrying　baskets；　boxes；　jugs　and　sacks
came　out；　loudly　chattering　in　their　peculiar　Siberian　dialect　as
they　stepped　over　the　threshold　of　the　gate。　None　of　them　wore
peasant　costumes；　but　were　dressed　town　fashion；　wearing　jackets
and　fur…lined　cloaks。　Their　skirts　were　tucked　up　high；　and　their
heads　wrapped　up　in　shawls。　They　examined　Nekhludoff　an