THE PRISONERS START FOR SIBERIA.
The gang of prisoners, among whom was Maslova, was to leave Moscow by rail at 3 p.m.; therefore, in order to see the gang start, and walk to the station with the prisoners Nekhludoff meant to reach the prison before 12 o'clock.
The night before, as he was packing up and sorting his papers, he came upon his diary, and read some bits here and there. The last bit written before he left for Petersburg ran thus: "Katusha does not wish to accept my sacrifice; she wishes to make a sacrifice herself. She has conquered, and so have I. She makes me happy by the inner change, which seems to me, though I fear to believe it, to be going on in her. I fear to believe it, yet she seems to be coming back to life." Then further on he read. "I have lived through something very hard and very joyful. I learnt that she has behaved very badly in the hospital, and I suddenly felt great pain. I never expected that it could be so painful. I spoke to her with loathing and hatred, then all of a sudden I called to mind how many times I have been, and even still am, though but in thought, guilty of the thing that I hated her for, and immediately I became disgusting to myself, and pitied her and felt happy again. If only we could manage to see the beam in our own eye in time, how kind we should be." Then he wrote: "I have been to see Nathalie, and again self-satisfaction made me unkind and spiteful, and a heavy feeling remains. Well, what is to be done? Tomorrow a new life will begin. A final good-bye to the old! Many new impressions have accumulated, but I cannot yet bring them to unity."
When he awoke the next morning Nekhludoff's first feeling was regret about the affair between him and his brother-in-law.
"I cannot go away like this," he thought. "I must go and make it up with them." But when he looked at his watch he saw that he had not time to go, but must hurry so as not to be too late for the departure of the gang. He hastily got everything ready, and sent the things to the station with a servant and Taras, Theodosia's husband, who was going with them. Then he took the first isvostchik he could find and drove off to the prison.
The prisoners' train started two hours before the train by which he was going, so Nekhludoff paid his bill in the lodgings and left for good.
It was July, and the weather was unbearably hot. From the stones, the walls, the iron of the roofs, which the sultry night had not cooled, the beat streamed into the motionless air. When at rare intervals a slight breeze did arise, it brought but a whiff of hot air filled with dust and smelling of oil paint.
There were few people in the streets, and those who were out tried to keep on the shady side. Only the sunburnt peasants, with their bronzed faces and bark shoes on their feet, who were mending the road, sat hammering the stones into the burning sand in the sun; while the policemen, in their holland blouses, with revolvers fastened with orange cords, stood melancholy and depressed in the middle of the road, changing from foot to foot; and the tramcars, the horses of which wore holland hoods on their heads, with slits for the ears, kept passing up and down the sunny road with ringing bells.
When Nekhludoff drove up to the prison the gang had not left the yard. The work of delivering and receiving the prisoners that had commenced at 4 A.M. was still going on. The gang was to consist of 623 men and 64 women; they had all to be received according to the registry lists. The sick and the weak to be sorted out, and all to be delivered to the convoy. The new inspector, with two assistants, the doctor and medical assistant, the officer of the convoy, and the clerk, were sitting in the prison yard at a table covered with writing materials and papers, which was placed in the shade of a wall. They called the prisoners one by one, examined and questioned them, and took notes. The rays of the sun had gradually reached the table, and it was growing very hot and oppressive for want of air and because of the breathing crowd of prisoners that stood close by.
"Good gracious, will this never come to an end!" the convoy officer, a tall, fat, red-faced man with high shoulders, who kept puffing the smoke, of his cigarette into his thick moustache, asked, as he drew in a long puff. "You are killing me. From where have you got them all? Are there many more?" the clerk inquired.
"Twenty-four men and the women."
"What are you standing there for? Come on," shouted the convoy officer to the prisoners who had not yet passed the revision, and who stood crowded one behind the other. The prisoners had been standing there more than three hours, packed in rows in the full sunlight, waiting their turns.
While this was going on in the prison yard, outside the gate, besides the sentinel who stood there as usual with a gun, were drawn up about 20 carts, to carry the luggage of the prisoners and such prisoners as were too weak to walk, and a group of relatives and friends waiting to see the prisoners as they came out and to exchange a few words if a chance presented itself and to give them a few things. Nekhludoff took his place among the group. He had stood there about an hour when the clanking of chains, the noise of footsteps, authoritative voices, the sound of coughing, and the low murmur of a large crowd became audible.
This continued for about five minutes, during which several jailers went in and out of the gateway. At last the word of command was given. The gate opened with a thundering noise, the clattering of the chains became louder, and the convoy soldiers, dressed in white blouses and carrying guns, came out into the street and took their places in a large, exact circle in front of the gate; this was evidently a usual, often-practised manoeuvre. Then another command was given, and the prisoners began coming out in couples, with flat, pancake-shaped caps on their shaved heads and sacks over their shoulders, dragging their chained legs and swinging one arm, while the other held up a sack.
First came the men condemned to hard labour, all dressed alike in grey trousers and cloaks with marks on the back. All of them--young and old, thin and fat, pale and red, dark and bearded and beardless, Russians, Tartars, and Jews--came out, clattering with their chains and briskly swinging their arms as if prepared to go a long distance, but stopped after having taken ten steps, and obediently took their places behind each other, four abreast. Then without interval streamed out more shaved men, dressed in the same manner but with chains only on their legs. These were condemned to exile. They came out as briskly and stopped as suddenly, taking their places four in a row. Then came those exiled by their Communes. Then the women in the same order, first those condemned to hard labour, with grey cloaks and kerchiefs; then the exiled women, and those following their husbands of their own free will, dressed in their own town or village clothing. Some of the women were carrying babies wrapped in the fronts of their grey cloaks.
With the women came the children, boys and girls, who, like colts in a herd of horses, pressed in among the prisoners.
The men took their places silently, only coughing now and then, or making short remarks.
The women talked without intermission. Nekhludoff thought he saw Maslova as they were coming out, but she was at once lost in the large crowd, and he could only see grey creatures, seemingly devoid of all that was human, or at any rate of all that was womanly, with sacks on their backs and children round them, taking their places behind the men.
Though all the prisoners had been counted inside the prison walls, the convoy counted them again, comparing the numbers with the list. This took very long, especially as some of the prisoners moved and changed places, which confused the convoy.
The convoy soldiers shouted and pushed the prisoners (who complied obediently, but angrily) and counted them over again. When all had been counted, the convoy officer gave a command, and the crowd became agitated. The weak men and women and children rushed, racing each other, towards the carts, and began placing their bags on the carts and climbing up themselves. Women with crying babies, merry children quarrelling for places, and dull, careworn prisoners got into the carts.
Several of the prisoners took off their caps and came up to the convoy officer with some request. Nekhludoff found out later that they were asking for places on the carts. Nekhludoff saw how the officer, without looking at the prisoners, drew in a whiff from his cigarette, and then suddenly waved his short arm in front of one of the prisoners, who quickly drew his shaved head back between his shoulders as if afraid of a blow, and sprang back.
"I will give you a lift such that you'll remember. You'll get there on foot right enough," shouted the officer. Only one of the men was granted his request--an old man with chains on his legs; and Nekhludoff saw the old man take off his pancake-shaped cap, and go up to the cart crossing himself. He could not manage to get up on the cart because of the chains that prevented his lifting his old legs, and a woman who was sitting in the cart at last pulled him in by the arm.
When all the sacks were in the carts, and those who were allowed to get in were seated, the officer took off his cap, wiped his forehead, his bald head and fat, red neck, and crossed himself.
"March," commanded the officer. The soldiers' guns gave a click; the prisoners took off their caps and crossed themselves, those who were seeing them off shouted something, the prisoners shouted in answer, a row arose among the women, and the gang, surrounded by the soldiers in their white blouses, moved forward, raising the dust with their chained feet. The soldiers went in front; then came the convicts condemned to hard labour, clattering with their chains; then the exiled and those exiled by the Communes, chained in couples by their wrists; then the women. After them, on the carts loaded with sacks, came the weak. High up on one of the carts sat a woman closely wrapped up, and she kept shrieking and sobbing.
包括玛丝洛娃在内的那批犯人定于三点钟从火车站出发.聂赫留朵夫要等他们从监狱里出来,跟他们一起到车站,就准备在十二点以前赶到监狱.
聂赫留朵夫收拾行李和文件时,看到日记,就停下来重新阅读最近写的几段话,"卡秋莎不肯接受我的牺牲,情愿自己牺牲.她胜利了,我也胜利了.我觉得她的心灵在发生变化,我不敢相信,但很高兴.我不敢相信,但我觉得她在复一活."接下去还有这样一段话:"遇到一件很痛苦又很快乐的事.听说她在医院里不规矩.我顿时感到十分痛苦.没想到我会这么痛苦.我跟她说话又嫌恶又憎恨,但我立刻想到自己,我痛恨她的那种事我自己做过多少次,直到现在还有做这种事的念头.我顿时讨厌我自己,同时又可怜她.这样一来,我心里就舒畅了.只要我们能经常及时看到自己眼中的梁木①,我们就会变得善良些."他在今天的日记里写道:"去娜塔丽雅家.由于自满而变得不善,凶恶,至今心里沉重.可是有什么办法?明天起开始过新生活.别了,旧生活,永别了.百感一交一集,但理不出一个头绪."
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①见<新约全书·马太福音>第七章第三节:"为什么看见你弟兄眼中有刺,却不想自己眼中有梁木呢?"
聂赫留朵夫第二天早晨醒来,头一个感觉就是悔不该跟姐夫吵架.
"就这样走掉可不行,"他想,"应该去向他们赔个不是才对."
但他看了看表,发觉已经来不及了.他得赶紧动身,才不会错过那批犯人离开监狱的时间.聂赫留朵夫匆匆收拾好行李,打发看门人和费多霞的丈夫塔拉斯--他随聂赫留朵夫一起出门,--把行李直接送到车站,自己雇了一辆首先遇到的出租马车,直奔监狱.流放犯的那列火车比聂赫留朵夫搭乘的邮车早开两小时,因此他把公寓房钱付清,打算不再回来.
正是炎热的七月天气.街上的石头,房屋和铁皮屋顶经过闷热的夜晚还没有凉下来,又把余热发散到闷热的空气里.空中没有风,即使偶尔起一阵风,也只会带来充满灰尘和油漆味的又臭又热的空气.街上行人稀少,那少数行人也都竭力在房屋的一�一影里行走.只有皮肤晒得黧黑的修路农民坐在街道中央,脚上穿着树皮鞋,用铁锤把石子砸到热砂里.还有一些脸色一�一沉的警察,身穿本色布制一服,挂着橘黄色武装带,没一精一打采地换动两脚站在街心.还有一些公共马车丁丁����地在街上川流不息,车厢向一�一的一面挂着窗帘,拉车的马头上戴着白布头罩,两只耳朵从布罩孔里露出来.
聂赫留朵夫坐车来到监狱,那批犯人还没有出来.在监狱里,从四点钟起就开始移一交一和验收犯人.这工作很紧张,到现在还没有结束.这批流放的有六百二十三名男犯和六十四名女犯,都得按名册一个个核对,把有病的和体弱的挑出来,统统移一交一给押解队.新来的典狱长,两名副典狱长,一个医师,一个医士,一个押解官和一个文书,都坐在院子里靠墙一�一凉处的一张桌子周围,桌上放着公文簿册和办公用具.他们逐一报出犯人名字,一个个进行审查,问话,登记.
现在桌子已有一半晒到一�一光了.这里很热,没有风,站在周围的犯人又不断吐出热气,弄得更加闷热难受.
"怎么搞的,简直没有个完了!"押解官又高又胖,脸色红一润,肩膀耸一起,胳膊很短,一面不住地吸烟,从小一胡一子里吐出一一团一团一烟雾,一面说."可把人累死了.你们这是从哪儿弄来这么多人?还有好多吗?"
文书查了查名册.
"还有二十四个男的和几个女的."
"喂,怎么不动了,过来!"押解官对那些挤在一起还没有验过身分的犯人吆喝道.
犯人们已站了三个多小时队,头上太一�一直射,又没有地方遮蔽.
这项工作是在监狱里进行的,大门口照例站着一个持��的哨兵,还有二十辆光景的大车停在那儿,准备装载流放犯的行李和体弱的犯人.街道转角处站着一批犯人的亲友,等待犯人出来再见一面,要是可能的话,再说几句话,递给他们一点东西.聂赫留朵夫就挤在这批人中间.
他在这儿站了将近一小时.门里终于响起了铁镣的哐啷声,脚步声,长官的吆喝声,咳嗽声和人群低低的谈话声.这样持续了五分钟光景.在这段时间里,几个看守在小门里进进出出.最后传出了口令声.
大门隆隆地打开来,铁镣的哐啷声更响了.一大批穿白军服掮��的押解兵走到街上,在大门外整齐地排成一个圆圈,显然这是他们干惯的事情.等他们站好队,又传出了一声口令.男犯人头发剃光,头上戴着象薄饼一般的囚帽,背上背着袋子,两人一排,困难地一步步拖着脚镣走出来.他们一只手扶住背上的袋子,另一只手前后摆一动.先出来的是苦役犯,都穿着灰色的长裤和囚袍,囚袍背上缝着一块标志苦役犯的方布.他们当中有年轻的,有年老的,有瘦的,有胖的,有白脸的,有红脸的,有黑脸的,有留小一胡一子的,有留大一胡一子的,有不留一胡一子的,有俄罗斯人,有鞑靼人,有犹太人,个个都哐啷啷地拖着铁镣,拚命挥动一条胳膊,仿佛要走到远处去,但走了十步光景就停住了,听话地四人一排,依次站好.随后,大门里又涌一出一批剃光头的男犯.他们也穿着囚服,但没有戴脚镣,只是每两人用一副手铐锁在一起.这是流放犯......他们同样迅速地走出来,站住,四人一排站好队.然后是各村社判处的流放犯,再后面是女犯,也按同样的次序,先是穿灰色囚袍,系灰色头巾的女苦役犯,然后是女流放犯,以及穿城里服装或者乡下服装自愿跟随丈夫一起流放的女人.有几个女犯手里抱着娃娃,用囚袍的前襟包着.
跟女犯一起走的还有一些孩子,包括男孩和女孩.这些孩子象马群里的小马一样,夹在女犯中间.男犯们默默地站在那里,只偶尔咳嗽几声,简短地说一两句话.但女犯的队伍里却话声不断.聂赫留朵夫自己觉得看见玛丝洛娃出来,但后来在人群中又找不到她了.他只看见一群灰色的生物,丧失人类的特征,而那些排在男人后面,带着孩子和袋子的女犯,更是丧失了女一性一的特征.
尽管在监狱的围墙里已清点过全体人犯,押解兵又重新点了一遍人数,核对了一下.这次清点花的时间特别多,因为有些犯人走来走去,影响了清点工作.押解兵破口大骂,把犯人推来推去.犯人听凭摆一布,但怒形于色.押解兵重新点了一遍.等到重新清点完毕,押解官又发出一声口令,人群里顿时一�}一乱起来.那些身一体虚弱的男人,女人和孩子争先恐后地往大车那边跑去,先把袋子放到车里,然后爬上车去.接着爬上车去就座的有抱着啼哭的一奶一娃娃的女人,兴高采烈地抢着座位的孩子和脸色一�一郁,神情沮丧的男犯.
有几个男犯脱一下帽子,走到押解官跟前,请求他什么事.聂赫留朵夫后来才知道,他们是要求坐车.聂赫留朵夫只看见押解官一言不发,也不看要求的人,只顾自己吸烟,后来忽然对那犯人挥动他的短胳膊,那犯人怕挨打,慌忙缩起光头,拔脚跑开.
"我要叫你尝尝当贵族老爷的滋味,好让你一辈子记住!
走着去!"押解官嚷道.
只有一个戴脚镣的颤巍巍高个子老头得到押解官的准许.聂赫留朵夫看见他脱一下薄饼般囚帽,画了个十字,向大车走去,可是他那衰老的腿拖着锁链,爬了好久都爬不上车.
幸亏车上有个女人抓住他的一只手,总算把他拉上去了.
等那几辆大车都装满袋子,被允许乘车的人在袋子上坐好,押解官才摘下军帽,用手绢擦擦前额,秃头和又红又粗的脖子,然后画了个十字.
"全体,开步走!"他喊着口令.
士兵们肩上的��铿锵作响.犯人们脱一下帽子,有几个用左手画着十字.送行的人一大声叫嚷,犯人们也大声叫嚷着回答.女人中间有的号啕大哭.整个队伍就在穿白军服的士兵包围下走动起来,脚上的锁链扬起了尘土.带头的是士兵,后面是戴脚镣的犯人,四人一排,然后是流放犯,然后是村社农民,每两个人铐在一起,然后是女人.后面是装着行李和身一体衰弱的人的大车,其中一辆车上有一个女人,裹紧衣服,不住地尖一叫和号哭.
