AN UP-TO-DATE SENATOR.
When Nekhludoff remembered the smiles that had passed between him and Mariette, he shook his head.
"You have hardly time to turn round before you are again drawn into this life," he thought, feeling that discord and those doubts which the necessity to curry favour from people he did not esteem caused.
After considering where to go first, so as not to have to retrace his steps, Nekhludoff set off for the Senate. There he was shown into the office where he found a great many very polite and very clean officials in the midst of a magnificent apartment. Maslova's petition was received and handed on to that Wolf, to whom Nekhludoff had a letter from his uncle, to be examined and reported on.
"There will be a meeting of the Senate this week," the official said to Nekhludoff, "but Maslova's case will hardly come before that meeting."
"It might come before the meeting on Wednesday, by special request," one of the officials remarked.
During the time Nekhludoff waited in the office, while some information was being taken, he heard that the conversation in the Senate was all about the duel, and he heard a detailed account of how a young man, Kaminski, had been killed. It was here he first heard all the facts of the case which was exciting the interest of all Petersburg. The story was this: Some officers were eating oysters and, as usual, drinking very much, when one of them said something ill-natured about the regiment to which Kaminski belonged, and Kaminski called him a liar. The other hit Kaminski. The next day they fought. Kaminski was wounded in the stomach and died two hours later. The murderer and the seconds were arrested, but it was said that though they were arrested and in the guardhouse they would be set free in a fortnight.
From the Senate Nekhludoff drove to see an influential member of the petition Committee, Baron Vorobioff, who lived in a splendid house belonging to the Crown. The doorkeeper told Nekhludoff in a severe tone that the Baron could not be seen except on his reception days; that he was with His Majesty the Emperor to-day, and the next day he would again have to deliver a report. Nekhludoff left his uncle's letter with the doorkeeper and went on to see the Senator Wolf. Wolf had just had his lunch, and was as usual helping digestion by smoking a cigar and pacing up and down the room, when Nekhludoff came in. Vladimir Vasilievitch Wolf was certainly _un homme tres comme il faut_, and prized this quality very highly, and from that elevation he looked down at everybody else. He could not but esteem this quality of his very highly, because it was thanks to it alone that he had made a brilliant career, the very career he desired, i.e., by marriage he obtained a fortune which brought him in 18,000 roubles a year, and by his own exertions the post of a senator. He considered himself not only _un homme tres comme il faut_, but also a man of knightly honour. By honour he understood not accepting secret bribes from private persons. But he did not consider it dishonest to beg money for payment of fares and all sorts of travelling expenses from the Crown, and to do anything the Government might require of him in return. To ruin hundreds of innocent people, to cause them to be imprisoned, to be exiled because of their love for their people and the religion of their fathers, as he had done in one of the governments of Poland when he was governor there. He did not consider it dishonourable, but even thought it a noble, manly and patriotic action. Nor did he consider it dishonest to rob his wife and sister-in-law, as he had done, but thought it a wise way of arranging his family life. His family consisted of his commonplace wife, his sister-in-law, whose fortune he had appropriated by selling her estate and putting the money to his account, and his meek, frightened, plain daughter, who lived a lonely, weary life, from which she had lately begun to look for relaxation in evangelicism, attending meetings at Aline's, and the Countess Katerina Ivanovna. Wolf's son, who had grown a beard at the age of 15, and had at that age begun to drink and lead a depraved life, which he continued to do till the age of 20, when he was turned out by his father because he never finished his studies, moved in a low set and made debts which committed the father. The father had once paid a debt of 250 roubles for his son, then another of 600 roubles, but warned the son that he did it for the last time, and that if the son did not reform he would be turned out of the house and all further intercourse between him and his family would he put a stop to. The son did not reform, but made a debt of a thousand roubles, and took the liberty of telling his father that life at home was a torment anyhow. Then Wolf declared to his son that he might go where he pleased--that he was no son of his any longer. Since then Wolf pretended he had no son, and no one at home dared speak to him about his son, and Vladimir Vasilievitch Wolf was firmly convinced that he had arranged his family life in the best way. Wolf stopped pacing up and down his study, and greeted Nekhludoff with a friendly though slightly ironical smile. This was his way of showing how comme il faut he was, and how superior to the majority of men. He read the note which Nekhludoff handed to him.
"Please take a seat, and excuse me if I continue to walk up and down, with your permission," he said, putting his hands into his coat pockets, and began again to walk with light, soft steps across his large, quietly and stylishly furnished study. "Very pleased to make your acquaintance and of course very glad to do anything that Count Ivan Michaelovitch wishes," he said, blowing the fragrant blue smoke out of his mouth and removing his cigar carefully so as not to drop the ash.
"I should only like to ask that the case might come on soon, so that if the prisoner has to go to Siberia she might set off early," said Nekhludoff.
"Yes, yes, with one of the first steamers from Nijni. I know," said Wolf, with his patronising smile, always knowing in advance whatever one wanted to tell him.
"What is the prisoner's name?"
"Maslova."
Wolf went up to the table and looked at a paper that lay on a piece of cardboard among other business papers.
"Yes, yes. Maslova. All right, I will ask the others. We shall hear the case on Wednesday."
"Then may I telegraph to the advocate?"
"The advocate! What's that for? But if you like, why not?"
"The causes for appeal may be insufficient," said Nekhludoff, "but I think the case will show that the sentence was passed owing to a misunderstanding."
"Yes, yes; it may be so, but the Senate cannot decide the case on its merits," said Wolf, looking seriously at the ash of his cigar. "The Senate only considers the exactness of the application of the laws and their right interpretation."
"But this seems to me to be an exceptional case."
"I know, I know! All cases are exceptional. We shall do our duty. That's all." The ash was still holding on, but had began breaking, and was in danger of falling.
"Do you often come to Petersburg?" said Wolf, holding his cigar so that the ash should not fall. But the ash began to shake, and Wolf carefully carried it to the ashpan, into which it fell.
"What a terrible thing this is with regard to Kaminski," he said. "A splendid young man. The only son. Especially the mother's position," he went on, repeating almost word for word what every one in Petersburg was at that time saying about Kaminski. Wolf spoke a little about the Countess Katerina Ivanovna and her enthusiasm for the new religious teaching, which he neither approved nor disapproved of, but which was evidently needless to him who was so comme il faut, and then rang the bell.
Nekhludoff bowed.
"If it is convenient, come and dine on Wednesday, and I will give you a decisive answer," said Wolf, extending his hand.
It was late, and Nekhludoff returned to his aunt's.
聂赫留朵夫想到他竟同玛丽一爱一特相对微笑,不禁摇摇头,对自己感到很不满意.
"还没来得及反省一番,就又跌进那种生活里去了,"他想,内心感到矛盾和疑虑.每逢他不得已去讨好他所不尊敬的人时,总有这样的感觉.聂赫留朵夫考虑了一下先到哪里,然后再到哪里,免得走冤枉路,就动身去枢密院.他被领到办公室,在那富丽堂皇的大房间里,他看见许多衣冠楚楚,彬彬有礼的文官.
那些文官告诉聂赫留朵夫,玛丝洛娃的上诉书已收到,并一交一给枢密官沃尔夫审查和呈报.聂赫留朵夫姨父的信正好就是写给他的.
"枢密院本星期要开庭审案,玛丝洛娃一案未必能在这次审理.但要是托一下人,本星期三开庭时也可能审理,"一个文官说.
聂赫留朵夫在枢密院办公室等他们查明案情,又听见他们在谈论那场决斗.他们详细谈到小卡敏斯基被人打死的经过.他在这里才知道这个轰动整个彼得堡的事件的详情.事情是这样的:几个军官在饭店里吃牡蛎,照例喝了许多酒.有个军官对卡敏斯基所属的那个军一团一说了几句难听的话,卡敏斯基当面斥责他造谣污蔑.那个军官就动手打卡敏斯基.第二天两人进行决斗,卡敏斯基腹部中了弹,两小时后就死了.凶手和两个副手都被捕,但据说关了两星期禁闭又都获得释放了.
聂赫留朵夫从枢密院办公室出来,乘车到上诉委员会去拜访权力很大的沃罗比约夫男爵.这位男爵住在一所豪华的官邸里.门房和听差都毫不客气地对聂赫留朵夫说,除了会客日之外见不到男爵,今天他在皇上那里,明天还要去禀报.
聂赫留朵夫把信留下,又坐上车,到枢密官沃尔夫家去.
沃尔夫刚吃过早饭,照例吸着雪茄在房间里来回踱步,以帮助消化.他接见了聂赫留朵夫.沃尔夫的确为人十分正派.他把这个品德看得高于一切,并根据这个标准看待一切人.他不能不重视这种品德,因为全凭它,他才如愿以偿,获得高官厚禄,也就是说通过结婚而获得一笔财产,使他每年有一万八千卢布收入,又靠自己的勤奋而当上了枢密官.他认为自己不仅为人十分正派,而且象骑士一般廉洁奉公.他所谓廉洁奉公,就是不在暗中接受贿赂.至于他向公家报销各种出差费,车旅费,房租,并且象一奴一隶般忠实执行政一府指令,他都认为这是天经地义的.当年他在波兰王国①某省任省长,残酷迫害当地几百名无辜百姓,使他们因眷恋同胞和世代相传的宗教而破产,流放和坐牢.他这样做,非但不以为耻,反而认为是出于高尚,胆略和一爱一国而建立的功勋.他霸占热一爱一他的妻子的财产和他姨妹的财产,同样不以为耻.相反,他还认为这是为一家人生活而作的合理安排.
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①按照一八一四--一八一五年维也纳会议决定,波兰一部分国土归并俄罗斯帝国.
沃尔夫的家庭包括他那没有个一性一的妻子,财产也被他侵占的姨妹--他卖掉她的田产,把钱存在自己名下--和那一温一柔胆怯,外貌不扬的女儿.这个女儿过着孤独痛苦的生活,为了排遣愁闷,近来信奉了福音教派,常常参加阿林和察尔斯基伯爵夫人家的聚会.
沃尔夫的儿子天一性一善良,十五岁就长了一胡一子,从此开始喝酒,放一荡,到二十岁那年从家里被撵了出去,因为他没有念完过一个学校,而且一交一了坏朋友,欠下债务,败坏父亲的名声.做父亲的有一次替儿子偿还了二百三十卢布的债,另一次偿还了六百卢布的债,但同时向儿子声明这是最后一次,他要是不洗心革面,就要被撵出家门,并要同他断绝父子关系.儿子不仅没有悔改,而且又欠下一千卢布的债,甚至肆无忌惮地对父亲说,他在家里本来就觉得憋气.于是沃尔夫就向儿子宣布,他要到哪里去都请便,但他不再是他的儿子.从那时起,沃尔夫就装做自己没有儿子,家里谁也不敢向他提到儿子的事,而沃尔夫却自以为妥善安排了家庭生活.
沃尔夫在书房里站住,同聂赫留朵夫打了招呼,情不自禁地露出亲切而又带几分嘲弄的微笑.这种笑容表示他自觉比大多数人高尚正直.然后他读了聂赫留朵夫带来的信.
"您请坐!对不起,我不能陪您坐,我要走走,"他双手插在上衣口袋里说,同时在这个格调庄重的大书房里沿着对角线轻快地来回踱步."同您认识我很高兴,当然我也愿意为察尔斯基伯爵效劳,"他说,吐出一口芳一香的淡蓝色烟雾,小心翼翼地从嘴里取下雪茄,免得烟灰落下来.
"我只要求早一点审理这个案子,因为如果被告非去西伯利亚不可,那还是早一点去好,"聂赫留朵夫说.
"对,对,那就可以从下城搭第一批轮船动身,我知道,"沃尔夫露出宽容的微笑说,不论什么事只要人家一开口,他总是立刻就懂得人家的意思."被告姓什么?"
"玛丝洛娃......"
沃尔夫走到写字台旁,看了看公文夹上的一张纸.
"哦,哦,玛丝洛娃.好的,我去跟同事们商量一下.我们札拜三就办这个案子."
"我能打电报先通知律师吗?"
"您还请了律师?那又何必?不过,也随您的便."
"上诉理由也许不够充足,"聂赫留朵夫说,"不过我想从案卷上也可以看出,这个判决是由于误会."
"是的,是的,这也可能,但枢密院不可能审查案件的是非曲直,"沃尔夫眼睛瞧着烟灰,严厉地说."枢密院只审查引用法律和解释法律是否正确."
"我觉得,这个案子是特殊的."
"我知道,我知道.个个案子都是特殊的.我们将照章办事.就是这样."烟灰还留在雪茄上,但已有裂缝,有掉下来的危险."那么,您难得到彼得堡来,是吗?"沃尔夫说,把雪茄竖一起来,免得烟灰落下.但烟灰还是摇摇欲坠,沃尔夫小心翼翼地把它拿到烟灰碟旁,烟灰果然落下了."卡敏斯基的事真是太惨了!"他说."一个很好的青年.又是独生子.做母亲的可不好受哇,"他说,几乎是逐字逐句重复着彼得堡流行着的有关卡敏斯基的话.
沃尔夫还谈到察尔斯基伯爵夫人,谈到她对新的教义信得入迷.他对这种新教义既不责难,也不袒护,不过从他高尚正直的观点来看,这种东西显然是多余的.然后他拉了拉铃.
聂赫留朵夫起身告辞.
"您要是方便,就来吃饭,"沃尔夫一面说,一面伸出手去,"礼拜三来最好.到那时我可以给您一个确切的答复."
天色晚了,聂赫留朵夫就乘车回家,也就是回到姨一妈一家里.
