按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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； toward 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 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。 But 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 in side 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 afterward that I saw Mr。
Nicholas B。or； more correctly； that he saw mefor 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 grandnephew； 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 o