some reminiscences-第13章

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began　to　smile　at　each　other。







The　Cossacks　rode　away；　passing　through　the　yards　of　the　home



farm　straight　into　the　fields。　　The　priest；　still　arguing　with



the　peasants；　moved　gradually　down　the　drive　and　his　earnest



eloquence　was　drawing　the　silent　mob　after　him；　away　from　the



house。　　This　justice　must　be　rendered　to　the　parish　priests　of



the　Greek　Church　that；　strangers　to　the　country　as　they　were



（being　all　drawn　from　the　interior　of　Russia）；　the　majority　of



them　used　such　influence　as　they　had　over　their　flocks　in　the



cause　of　peace　and　humanity。　　True　to　the　spirit　of　their



calling；　they　tried　to　soothe　the　passions　of　the　excited



peasantry　and　opposed　rapine　and　violence　whenever　they　could；



with　all　their　might。　　And　this　conduct　they　pursued　against　the



express　wishes　of　the　authorities。　　Later　on　some　of　them　were



made　to　suffer　for　this　disobedience　by　being　removed　abruptly　to



the　far　north　or　sent　away　to　Siberian　parishes。







The　servant　was　anxious　to　get　rid　of　the　few　peasants　who　had



got　into　the　house。　　What　sort　of　conduct　was　that；　he　asked



them；　towards　a　man　who　was　only　a　tenant；　had　been　invariably



good　and　considerate　to　the　villagers　for　years；　and　only　the



other　day　had　agreed　to　give　up　two　meadows　for　the　use　of　the



village　herd？　　He　reminded　them；　too；　of　Mr。　Nicholas　B。's



devotion　to　the　sick　in　the　time　of　cholera。　　Every　word　of　this



was　true　and　so　far　effective　that　the　fellows　began　to　scratch



their　heads　and　look　irresolute。　　The　speaker　then　pointed　at　the



window；　exclaiming：　　〃Look！　there's　all　your　crowd　going　away



quietly　and　you　silly　chaps　had　better　go　after　them　and　pray　God



to　forgive　you　your　evil　thoughts。〃







This　appeal　was　an　unlucky　inspiration。　　In　crowding　clumsily　to



the　window　to　see　whether　he　was　speaking　the　truth；　the　fellows



overturned　the　little　writing…table。　　As　it　fell　over　a　chink　of



loose　coin　was　heard。　　〃There's　money　in　that　thing；〃　cried　the



blacksmith。　　In　a　moment　the　top　of　the　delicate　piece　of



furniture　was　smashed　and　there　lay　exposed　in　a　drawer　eighty



half…imperials。　　Gold　coin　was　a　rare　sight　in　Russia　even　at



that　time；　it　put　the　peasants　beside　themselves。　　〃There　must　be



more　of　that　in　the　house　and　we　shall　have　it；〃　yelled　the　ex…



soldier　blacksmith。　　〃This　is　war　time。〃　　The　others　were　already



shouting　out　of　the　window　urging　the　crowd　to　come　back　and



help。　　The　priest；　abandoned　suddenly　at　the　gate；　flung　his　arms



up　and　hurried　away　so　as　not　to　see　what　was　going　to　happen。







In　their　search　for　money　that　bucolic　mob　smashed　everything　in



the　house；　ripping　with　knives；　splitting　with　hatchets；　so　that；



as　the　servant　said；　there　were　no　two　pieces　of　wood　holding



together　left　in　the　whole　house。　　They　broke　some　very　fine



mirrors；　all　the　windows　and　every　piece　of　glass　and　china。



They　threw　the　books　and　papers　out　on　the　lawn　and　set　fire　to



the　heap　for　the　mere　fun　of　the　thing　apparently。　　Absolutely



the　only　one　solitary　thing　which　they　left　whole　was　a　small



ivory　crucifix；　which　remained　hanging　on　the　wall　in　the　wrecked



bedroom　above　a　wild　heap　of　rags；　broken　mahogany　and　splintered



boards　which　had　been　Mr。　Nicholas　B。's　bedstead。　　Detecting　the



servant　in　the　act　of　stealing　away　with　a　japanned　tin　box；　they



tore　it　from　him；　and　because　he　resisted　they　threw　him　out　of



the　dining…room　window。　　The　house　was　on　one　floor　but　raised



well　above　the　ground；　and　the　fall　was　so　serious　that　the　man



remained　lying　stunned　till　the　cook　and　a　stable…boy　ventured



forth　at　dusk　from　their　hiding…places　and　picked　him　up。　　By



that　time　the　mob　had　departed　carrying　off　the　tin　box；　which



they　supposed　to　be　full　of　paper　money。　　Some　distance　from　the



house　in　the　middle　of　a　field　they　broke　it　open。　　They　found



inside　documents　engrossed　on　parchment　and　the　two　crosses　of



the　Legion　of　Honour　and　For　Valour。　　At　the　sight　of　these



objects；　which；　the　blacksmith　explained；　were　marks　of　honour



given　only　by　the　Tsar；　they　became　extremely　frightened　at　what



they　had　done。　　They　threw　the　whole　lot　away　into　a　ditch　and



dispersed　hastily。







On　learning　of　this　particular　loss　Mr。　Nicholas　B。　broke　down



completely。　The　mere　sacking　of　his　house　did　not　seem　to　affect



him　much。　　While　he　was　still　in　bed　from　the　shock　the　two



crosses　were　found　and　returned　to　him。　　It　helped　somewhat　his



slow　convalescence；　but　the　tin　box　and　the　parchments；　though



searched　for　in　all　the　ditches　around；　never　turned　up　again。



He　could　not　get　over　the　loss　of　his　Legion　of　Honour　Patent；



whose　preamble；　setting　forth　his　services；　he　knew　by　heart　to



the　very　letter；　and　after　this　blow　volunteered　sometimes　to



recite；　tears　standing　in　his　eyes　the　while。　　Its　terms　haunted



him　apparently　during　the　last　two　years　of　his　life　to　such　an



extent　that　he　used　to　repeat　them　to　himself。　　This　is　confirmed



by　the　remark　made　more　than　once　by　his　old　servant　to　the　more



intimate　friends。　　〃What　makes　my　heart　heavy　is　to　hear　our



master　in　his　room　at　night　walking　up　and　down　and　praying　aloud



in　the　French　language。〃







It　must　have　been　somewhat　over　a　year　afterwards　that　I　saw　Mr。



Nicholas　B。；　or；　more　correctly；　that　he　saw　me；　for　the　last



time。　　It　was；　as　I　have　already　said；　at　the　time　when　my　mother



had　a　three　months'　leave　from　exile；　which　she　was　spending　in



the　house　of　her　brother；　and　friends　and　relations　were　coming



from　far　and　near　to　do　her　honour。　　It　is　inconceivable　that　Mr。



Nicholas　B。　should　not　have　been　of　the　number。　　The　little　child



a　few　months　old　he　had　taken　up　in　his　arms　on　the　day　of　his



home…coming　after　years　of　war　and　exile　was　confessing　her　faith



in　national　salvation　by　suffering　exile　in　her　turn。　　I　do　not



know　whether　he　was　present　on　the　very　day　of　our　departure。　　I



have　already　admitted　that　for　me　he　is　more　especially　the　man



who　in　his　youth　had　eaten　roast　dog　in　the　depths　of　a　gloomy



forest　of　snow…loaded　pines。　　My　memory　cannot　place　him　in　any



remembered　scene。　　A　hooked　nose；　some　sleek　white　hair；　an



unrelated　evanescent　impression　of　a　meagre；　slight；　rigid　figure



militarily　buttoned　up　to　the　throat；　is　all　that　now　exists　on



earth　of　Mr。　Nicholas　B。；　only　this　vague　shadow　pursued　by　the



memory　of　his　grand…nephew；　the　last　surviving　human　being；　I



suppose；　of　all　those　he　had　seen　in　the　course　of　his　taciturn



life。







But　I　remember　well　the　day　of　our　departure　back　to　exile。　　The



elongated；　bizarre；　shabby　travelling…carriage　with　four　post…



horses；　standing　before　the　long　front　of　the　house　with　its



eight　columns；　four　on　each　side　of　the　broad　flight　of　stairs。



On　the　steps；　groups　of　servants；　a　few　relations；　one　or　two



friends　from　the　nearest　neighbourhood；　a　perfect　silence；　on　all



the　faces　an　air　of　sober　concentration；　my　grandmother　all　in



black　gazing　stoically；　my　uncle　giving　his　arm　to　my　mother　down



to　the　carriage　in　which　I　had　been　placed　already；　at　the　top　of



the　flight　my　little　cousin　in　a　short　skirt　of　a　tartan　pattern



with　a　deal　of　red　in　it；　and　like　a　small　princess　attended　by



the　women　of　her　own　household：　　the　head　gourvernante；　our　dear；



corpulent　Francesca　（who　had　been　for　thirty　years　in　the　service



of　the　B。　family）；　the　former　nurse；　now　outdoor　attendant；　a



handsome　peasant　face　wearing　a　compassionate　expression；　and　the



good；　ugly　Mlle。　Durand；　the　governess；　with　her　black　eyebrows



meeting　over　a　short　thick　nose　and　a　complexion　like　pale　brown



paper。　　Of　all　the　eyes　turned　towards　the　carriage；　her　good…



natured　eyes　only　were　dropping　tears；　and　it　was　her　sobbing



voice　alone　that　broke　the　silence　with　an　appeal　to　me：



〃N'oublie　pas　ton　francais；　mon　cheri。〃　　In　three　months；　simply



by　playing　with　us；　she　had　taught　me　not　only　to　speak　French



but　to　read　it　as　well。　　She　was　indeed　an　excellent　playmate。



In　the　distance；　half　way　down　to　the　great　gates；　a　light；　open



trap；　harnessed　with　three　horses　in　Russian　fashion；　stood　drawn



up　on　one　side　with　the　police…captain　of　the　district　sitting　in



it；　the　vizor　of　his　flat　cap　with　a　red　band　pulled　down　over



his　eyes。







It　seems　strange　that　he　should　have　been　there　to　watch　our



going　so　carefully。　　Without　wishing　to　treat　with　levity　the



just　timidities　of　Imperialists　all　the　world　over；　I　may　allow



myself　the　reflection　that　a　woman；　practically　condemned　by　the



doctors；　and　a　small　boy　not　quite　six　years　old　could　not　be



regarded　as　seriously　dangerous　even　for　the　largest　of



conceivable　empires　saddled　with　the　most　sacred　of



responsibilities。　　And　this　good　man；　I　believe；　did　not　think　so



either。







I　learned　afterwards　why　he　was　present　on　that　day。　　I　don't



remember　any　outward　signs；　but　it　seems　that；　about　a　month



before；　my　mother　became　so　unwell　that　there　was　a　doubt　whether



she　could　be　made　fit　to　travel　in　the　time。　　In　this　uncertainty



the　Governor…General　in　Kiev　was　petitioned　to　grant　her　a



fortnight's　extension　of　stay　in　her　brother's　house。　　No　answer



whatever　was　returned　to　this　prayer；　but　one　day　at　dusk　the



police…captain　of　the　district　drove　up　to　the　house　and　told　my



uncle's　valet；　who　ran　out　to　meet　him；　that　he　wanted　to　speak



with　the　master　in　private；　at　once。　　Very　much　impressed　（he



thought　it　was　going　to　be　an　arrest）　the　servant；　〃more　dead



than　alive　with　fright；〃　as　he　related　afterwards；　smuggled　him



through　the　big　drawing…room；　which　was　dark　（that　room　was　not



lighted　every　evening）；　on　tiptoe；　so　as　not　to　attract　the



attention　of　the　ladies　in　the　house；　and　led　him　by　way　of　the



orangery　to　my　uncle's　private　apartments。







The　policeman；　without　any　preliminaries；　thrust　a　paper　into　my



uncle's　hands。







〃There。　　Pray　read　this。　　I　have　no　business　to　show　this　paper



to　you。　　It　is　wrong　of　me。　　But　I　can't　either　eat　or　sleep　with



such　a　job　hanging　over　me。〃







That　police…captain；　a　native　of　Great　Russia；　had　been　for　many



years　serving　in　the　district。







My　uncle　unfolded　and　read　the　document。　　It　was　a　service　order



issued　from　the　Governor…General's　secretariat；　dealing　with　the



matter　of　the　petition　a