Part 1 Chapter 3.docx

Part 1 Chapter 3.docx

《Part 1 Chapter 3.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Part 1 Chapter 3.docx（3页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

Part1Chapter3

Part1Chapter3

Whenhewasdressed,StepanArkadyevitchsprinkledsomescentonhimself,pulleddownhisshirt-cuffs,distributedintohispocketshiscigarettes,pocketbook,matches,andwatchwithitsdoublechainandseals,andshakingouthishandkerchief,feelinghimselfclean,fragrant,healthy,andphysicallyatease,inspiteofhisunhappiness,hewalkedwithaslightswingoneachlegintothedining-room,wherecoffeewasalreadywaitingforhim,andbesidethecoffee,lettersandpapersfromtheoffice.

Hereadtheletters.Onewasveryunpleasant,fromamerchantwhowasbuyingaforestonhiswife'sproperty.Tosellthisforestwasabsolutelyessential;butatpresent,untilhewasreconciledwithhiswife,thesubjectcouldnotbediscussed.Themostunpleasantthingofallwasthathispecuniaryinterestsshouldinthiswayenterintothequestionofhisreconciliationwithhiswife.Andtheideathathemightbeletonbyhisinterests,thathemightseekareconciliationwithhiswifeonaccountofthesaleoftheforest--thatideahurthim.

Whenhehadfinishedhisletters,StepanArkadyevitchmovedtheoffice-papersclosetohim,rapidlylookedthroughtwopiecesofbusiness,madeafewnoteswithabigpencil,andpushingawaythepapers,turnedtohiscoffee.Ashesippedhiscoffee,heopenedastilldampmorningpaper,andbeganreadingit.

StepanArkadyevitchtookinandreadaliberalpaper,notanextremeone,butoneadvocatingtheviewsheldbythemajority.Andinspiteofthefactthatscience,art,andpoliticshadnospecialinterestforhim,hefirmlyheldthoseviewsonallthesesubjectswhichwereheldbythemajorityandbyhispaper,andheonlychangedthemwhenthemajoritychangedthem--or,morestrictlyspeaking,hedidnotchangethem,buttheyimperceptiblychangedofthemselveswithinhim.

StepanArkadyevitchhadnotchosenhispoliticalopinionsorhisviews;thesepoliticalopinionsandviewshadcometohimofthemselves,justashedidnotchoosetheshapesofhishatandcoat,butsimplytookthosethatwerebeingworn.Andforhim,livinginacertainsociety--owingtotheneed,ordinarilydevelopedatyearsofdiscretion,forsomedegreeofmentalactivity--tohaveviewswasjustasindispensableastohaveahat.Iftherewasareasonforhispreferringliberaltoconservativeviews,whichwereheldalsobymanyofhiscircle,itarosenotfromhisconsideringliberalismmorerational,butfromitsbeingincloseraccordancewithhismanneroflife.TheliberalpartysaidthatinRussiaeverythingiswrong,andcertainlyStepanArkadyevitchhadmanydebtsandwasdecidedlyshortofmoney.Theliberalpartysaidthatmarriageisaninstitutionquiteoutofdate,andthatitneedsreconstruction;andfamilylifecertainlyaffordedStepanArkadyevitchlittlegratification,andforcedhimintolyingandhypocrisy,whichwassorepulsivetohisnature.Theliberalpartysaid,orratherallowedittobeunderstood,thatreligionisonlyacurbtokeepincheckthebarbarousclassesofthepeople;andStepanArkadyevitchcouldnotgetthroughevenashortservicewithouthislegsachingfromstandingup,andcouldnevermakeoutwhatwastheobjectofalltheterribleandhigh-flownlanguageaboutanotherworldwhenlifemightbesoveryamusinginthisworld.Andwithallthis,StepanArkadyevitch,wholikedajoke,wasfondofpuzzlingaplainmanbysayingthatifhepridedhimselfonhisorigin,heoughtnottostopatRurikanddisownthefirstfounderofhisfamily--themonkey.AndsoLiberalismhadbecomeahabitofStepanArkadyevitch's,andhelikedhisnewspaper,ashedidhiscigarafterdinner,fortheslightfogitdiffusedinhisbrain.Hereadtheleadingarticle,inwhichitwasmaintainedthatitwasquitesenselessinourdaytoraiseanoutcrythatradicalismwasthreateningtoswallowupallconservativeelements,andthatthegovernmentoughttotakemeasurestocrushtherevolutionaryhydra;that,onthecontrary,"inouropinionthedangerliesnotinthatfantasticrevolutionaryhydra,butintheobstinacyoftraditionalismcloggingprogress,"etc.,etc.Hereadanotherarticle,too,afinancialone,whichalludedtoBenthamandMill,anddroppedsomeinnuendoesreflectingontheministry.Withhischaracteristicquickwittednesshecaughtthedriftofeachinnuendo,divinedwhenceitcame,atwhomandonwhatgrounditwasaimed,andthataffordedhim,asitalwaysdid,acertainsatisfaction.ButtodaythatsatisfactionwasembitteredbyMatronaPhilimonovna'sadviceandtheunsatisfactorystateofthehousehold.Heread,too,thatCountBeistwasrumoredtohaveleftforWiesbaden,andthatoneneedhavenomoregrayhair,andofthesaleofalightcarriage,andofayoungpersonseekingasituation;buttheseitemsofinformationdidnotgivehim,asusual,aquiet,ironicalgratification.Havingfinishedthepaper,asecondcupofcoffeeandarollandbutter,hegotup,shakingthecrumbsoftherolloffhiswaistcoat;and,squaringhisbroadchest,hesmiledjoyously:

notbecausetherewasanythingparticularlyagreeableinhismind--thejoyoussmilewasevokedbyagooddigestion.

Butthisjoyoussmileatoncerecalledeverythingtohim,andhegrewthoughtful.

Twochildishvoices（StepanArkadyevitchrecognizedthevoicesofGrisha,hisyoungestboy,andTanya,hiseldestgirl）wereheardoutsidethedoor.Theywerecarryingsomething,anddroppedit.

"Itoldyounottositpassengersontheroof,"saidthelittlegirlinEnglish;"there,pickthemup!

"

"Everything'sinconfusion,"thoughtStepanArkadyevitch;"therearethechildrenrunningaboutbythemselves."Andgoingtothedoor,hecalledthem.Theythrewdownthebox,thatrepresentedatrain,andcameintotheirfather.

Thelittlegirl,herfather'sfavorite,ranupboldly,embracedhim,andhunglaughinglyonhisneck,enjoyingasshealwaysdidthesmellofscentthatcamefromhiswhiskers.Atlastthelittlegirlkissedhisface,whichwasflushedfromhisstoopingpostureandbeamingwithtenderness,loosedherhands,andwasabouttorunawayagain;butherfatherheldherback.

"Howismamma?

"heasked,passinghishandoverhisdaughter'ssmooth,softlittleneck."Goodmorning,"hesaid,smilingtotheboy,whohadcomeuptogreethim.Hewasconsciousthathelovedtheboyless,andalwaystriedtobefair;buttheboyfeltit,anddidnotrespondwithasmiletohisfather'schillysmile.

"Mamma?

Sheisup,"answeredthegirl.

StepanArkadyevitchsighed."Thatmeansthatshe'snotsleptagainallnight,"hethought.

"Well,isshecheerful?

"

Thelittlegirlknewthattherewasaquarrelbetweenherfatherandmother,andthathermothercouldnotbecheerful,andthatherfathermustbeawareofthis,andthathewaspretendingwhenheaskedaboutitsolightly.Andsheblushedforherfather.Heatonceperceivedit,andblushedtoo.

"Idon'tknow,"shesaid."Shedidnotsaywemustdoourlessons,butshesaidweweretogoforawalkwithMissHooletograndmamma's."

"Well,go,Tanya,mydarling.Oh,waitaminute,though,"hesaid,stillholdingherandstrokinghersoftlittlehand.

Hetookoffthematelpiece,wherehehadputityesterday,alittleboxofsweets,andgavehertwo,pickingoutherfavorites,achocolateandafondant.

"ForGrisha?

"saidthelittlegirl,pointingtothechocolate.

"Yes,yes."Andstillstrokingherlittleshoulder,hekissedherontherootsofherehairandneck,andlethergo.

"Thecarriageisready,"saidMatvey;"butthere'ssomeonetoseeyouwithapetition."

"Beenherelong?

"askedStepanArkadyevitch.

"Halfanhour."

"HowmanytimeshaveItoldyoutotellmeatonce?

"

"Onemustletyoudrinkyourcoffeeinpeace,atleast,"saidMatvey,intheaffectionatelygrufftonewithwhichitwasimpossibletobeangry.

"Well,showthepersonupatonce,"saidOblonsky,frowningwithvexation.

Thepetitioner,thewidowofastaffcaptainKalinin,camewitharequestimpossibleandunreasonable;butStepanArkadyevitch,ashegenerallydid,madehersitdown,heardhertotheendattentivelywithoutinterruptingher,andgaveherdetailedadviceastohowandtowhomtoapply,andevenwroteher,inhislarge,sprawling,goodandlegiblehand,aconfidentandfluentlittlenotetoapersonagewhomightbeofusetoher.Havinggotridofthestaffcaptain'swidow,StepanArkadyevitchtookhishatandstoppedtorecollectwhetherhehadforgottenanything.Itappearedthathehadforgottennothingexceptwhathewantedtoforget--hiswife.

"Ah,yes!

"Hebowedhishead,andhishandsomefaceassumedaharassedexpression."Togo,ornottogo!

"hesaidtohimself;andaninnervoicetoldhimhemustnotgo,thatnothingcouldcomeofitbutfalsity;thattoamend,tosetrighttheirrelationswasimpossible,becauseitwasimpossibletomakeherattractiveagainandabletoinspirelove,ortomakehimanoldman,notsusceptibletolove.Exceptdeceitandlyingnothingcouldcomeofitnow;anddeceitandlyingwereopposedtohisnature.

"Itmustbesometime,though:

itcan'tgoonlikethis,"hesaid,tryingtogivehimselfcourage.Hesquaredhischest,tookoutacigarette,tooktwowhiffsatit,flungitintoamother-of-pearlashtray,andwithrapidstepswalkedthroughthedrawingroom,andopenedtheotherdoorintohiswife'sbedroom.