a hero of our time- 第33部分

〃Nay；　I　am　sure　of　it；〃　she　continued；　〃al…　though　your　behaviour　is　somewhat　equivocal；　but　you　may　have　reasons　which　I　do　not　know；　and　you　must　now　confide　them　to　me。　　You　have　protected　my　daughter　from　slander；　you　have　fought　a　duel　on　her　behalf　　consequently　you　have　risked　your　life。　。　。　　Do　not　answer。　　I　know　that　you　will　not　acknowledge　it　because　Grushnitski　has　been　killed〃　　she　crossed　herself。　〃God　forgive　him　　and　you　too；　I　hope。　。　。　That　does　not　concern　me。　。　。　　I　dare　not　con…　demn　you　because　my　daughter；　although　inno…　cently；　has　been　the　cause。　　She　has　told　me　everything　。　。　。　everything；　I　think。　　You　have　declared　your　love　for　her。　。　。　　She　has　admitted　hers　to　you。〃　　Here　Princess　Ligovski　sighed　heavily。　　〃But　she　is　ill；　and　I　am　certain　that　it　is　no　simple　illness！　　Secret　grief　is　killing　her；　she　will　not　confess；　but　I　am　convinced　that　you　are　the　cause　of　it。　。　。　　Listen：　you　think；　per…　haps；　that　I　am　looking　for　rank　or　immense　wealth　　be　undeceived；　my　daughter's　happiness　is　my　sole　desire。　　Your　present　position　is　un…　enviable；　but　it　may　be　bettered：　you　have　means；　my　daughter　loves　you；　she　has　been　brought　up　in　such　a　way　that　she　will　make　her　husband　a　happy　man。　　I　am　wealthy；　she　is　my　only　child。　。　。　　Tell　me；　what　is　keeping　you　back？　。　。　。　　You　see；　I　ought　not　to　be　saying　all　this　to　you；　but　I　rely　upon　your　heart；　upon　your　honour　　remember　she　is　my　only　daughter　。　。　。　my　only　one〃　。　。　。

She　burst　into　tears。

〃Princess；〃　I　said；　〃it　is　impossible　for　me　to　answer　you；　allow　me　to　speak　to　your　daughter；　alone〃　。　。　。

〃Never！〃　she　exclaimed；　rising　from　her　chair　in　violent　agitation。

〃As　you　wish；〃　I　answered；　preparing　to　go　away。

She　fell　into　thought；　made　a　sign　to　me　with　her　hand　that　I　should　wait　a　little；　and　left　the　room。

Five　minutes　passed。　　My　heart　was　beating　violently；　but　my　thoughts　were　tranquil；　my　head　cool。　　However　assiduously　I　sought　in　my　breast　for　even　a　spark　of　love　for　the　charming　Mary；　my　efforts　were　of　no　avail！

Then　the　door　opened；　and　she　entered。　Heavens！　　How　she　had　changed　since　I　had　last　seen　her　　and　that　but　a　short　time　ago！

When　she　reached　the　middle　of　the　room；　she　staggered。　　I　jumped　up；　gave　her　my　arm；　and　led　her　to　a　chair。

I　stood　facing　her。　　We　remained　silent　for　a　long　time；　her　large　eyes；　full　of　unutterable　grief；　seemed　to　be　searching　in　mine　for　some…　thing　resembling　hope；　her　wan　lips　vainly　en…　deavoured　to　smile；　her　tender　hands；　which　were　folded　upon　her　knees；　were　so　thin　and　transparent　that　I　pitied　her。

〃Princess；〃　I　said；　〃you　know　that　I　have　been　making　fun　of　you？　。　。　。　　You　must　despise　me。〃

A　sickly　flush　suffused　her　cheeks。

〃Consequently；〃　I　continued；　〃you　cannot　love　me〃　。　。　。

She　turned　her　head　away；　leaned　her　elbows　on　the　table；　covered　her　eyes　with　her　hand；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　she　was　on　the　point　of　tears。

〃Oh；　God！〃　she　said；　almost　inaudibly。

The　situation　was　growing　intolerable。　　Another　minute　　and　I　should　have　fallen　at　her　feet。

〃So　you　see；　yourself；〃　I　said　in　as　firm　a　voice　as　I　could　command；　and　with　a　forced　smile；　〃you　see；　yourself；　that　I　cannot　marry　you。　Even　if　you　wished　it　now；　you　would　soon　repent。　My　conversation　with　your　mother　has　compelled　me　to　explain　myself　to　you　so　frankly　and　so　brutally。　　I　hope　that　she　is　under　a　delusion：　it　will　be　easy　for　you　to　undeceive　her。　　You　see；　I　am　playing　a　most　pitiful　and　ugly　role　in　your　eyes；　and　I　even　admit　it　　that　is　the　utmost　I　can　do　for　your　sake。　　However　bad　an　opinion　you　may　entertain　of　me；　I　submit　to　it。　。　。　　You　see　that　I　am　base　in　your　sight；　am　I　not？　。　。　。　Is　it　not　true　that；　even　if　you　have　loved　me；　you　would　despise　me　from　this　moment？〃　。　。　。

She　turned　round　to　me。　　She　was　pale　as　marble；　but　her　eyes　were　sparkling　wondrously。

〃I　hate　you〃　。　。　。　she　said。

I　thanked　her；　bowed　respectfully；　and　left　the　room。

An　hour　afterwards　a　postal　express　was　bearing　me　rapidly　from　Kislovodsk。　　A　few　versts　from　Essentuki　I　recognized　near　the　roadway　the　body　of　my　spirited　horse。　　The　saddle　had　been　taken　off；　no　doubt　by　a　passing　Cossack；　and；　in　its　place；　two　ravens　were　sitting　on　the　horse's　back。　I　sighed　and　turned　away。　。　。

And　now；　here　in　this　wearisome　fortress；　I　often　ask　myself；　as　my　thoughts　wander　back　to　the　past：　why　did　I　not　wish　to　tread　that　way；　thrown　open　by　destiny；　where　soft　joys　and　ease　of　soul　were　awaiting　me？　。　。　。　　No；　I　could　never　have　become　habituated　to　such　a　fate！　I　am　like　a　sailor　born　and　bred　on　the　deck　of　a　pirate　brig：　his　soul　has　grown　accustomed　to　storms　and　battles；　but；　once　let　him　be　case　upon　the　shore；　and　he　chafes；　he　pines　away；　however　invitingly　the　shady　groves　allure；　how…　ever　brightly　shines　the　peaceful　sun。　　The　live…　long　day　he　paces　the　sandy　shore；　hearkens　to　the　monotonous　murmur　of　the　onrushing　waves；　and　gazes　into　the　misty　distance：　lo！　yonder；　upon　the　pale　line　dividing　the　blue　deep　from　the　grey　clouds；　is　there　not　glancing　the　longed…for　sail；　at　first　like　the　wing　of　a　seagull；　but　little　by　little　severing　itself　from　the　foam　of　the　billows　and；　with　even　course；　drawing　nigh　to　the　desert　harbour？


APPENDIX

PREFACE　TO　THE　SECOND　EDITION

（By　the　Author）

THE　preface　to　a　book　serves　the　double　purpose　of　prologue　and　epilogue。　　It　affords　the　author　an　opportunity　of　explaining　the　object　of　the　work；　or　of　vindicating　himself　and　replying　to　his　critics。　　As　a　rule；　however；　the　reader　is　concerned　neither　with　the　moral　purpose　of　the　book　nor　with　the　attacks　of　the　Reviewers；　and　so　the　preface　remains　unread。　Nevertheless；　this　is　a　pity；　especially　with　us　Russians！　　The　public　of　this　country　is　so　youth…　ful；　not　to　say　simple…minded；　that　it　cannot　understand　the　meaning　of　a　fable　unless　the　moral　is　set　forth　at　the　end。　　Unable　to　see　a　joke；　insensible　to　irony；　it　has；　in　a　word；　been　badly　brought　up。　　It　has　not　yet　learned　that　in　a　decent　book；　as　in　decent　society；　open　invective　can　have　no　place；　that　our　present…day　civilisa…　tion　has　invented　a　keener　weapon；　none　the　less　deadly　for　being　almost　invisible；　which；　under　the　cloak　of　flattery；　strikes　with　sure　and　irre…　sistible　effect。　　The　Russian　public　is　like　a　simple…minded　person　from　the　country　who；　chancing　to　overhear　a　conversation　between　two　diplomatists　belonging　to　hostile　courts；　comes　away　with　the　conviction　that　each　of　them　has　been　deceiving　his　Government　in　the　interest　of　a　most　affectionate　private　friendship。

The　unfortunate　effects　of　an　over…literal　accep…　tation　of　words　by　certain　readers　and　even　Re…　viewers　have　recently　been　manifested　in　regard　to　the　present　book。　　Many　of　its　readers　have　been　dreadfully；　and　in　all　seriousness；　shocked　to　find　such　an　immoral　man　as　Pechorin　set　before　them　as　an　example。　　Others　have　observed；　with　much　acumen；　that　the　author　has　painted　his　own　portrait　and　those　of　his　acquaint…　ances！　。　。　。　　What　a　stale　and　wretched　jest！　But　Russia；　it　appears；　has　been　constituted　in　such　a　way　that　absurdities　of　this　kind　will　never　be　eradicated。　　It　is　doubtful　whether；　in　this　country；　the　most　ethereal　of　fairy…tales　would　escape　the　reproach　of　attempting　offen…　sive　personalities。

Pechorin；　gentlemen；　is　in　fact　a　portrait；　but　not　of　one　man　only：　he　is　a　composite　portrait；　made　up　of　all　the　vices　which　flourish；　full…　grown；　amongst　the　present　generation。　　You　will　tell　me；　as　you　have　told　me　before；　that　no　man　can　be　so　bad　as　this；　and　my　reply　will　be：　〃If　you　believe　that　such　persons　as　the　villains　of　tragedy　and　romance　could　exist　in　real　life；　why　can　you　not　believe　in　the　reality　of　Pechorin？　　If　you　admire　fic…　tions　much　more　terrible　and　monstrous；　why　is　it　that　this　character；　even　if　regarded　merely　as　a　creature　of　the　imagination；　cannot　obtain　quarter　at　your　hands？　　Is　it　not　because　there　is　more　truth　in　it　than　may　be　altogether　palat…　able　to　you？〃

You　will　say　that　the　cause　of　morality　gains　nothing　by　this　book。　　I　beg　your　pardon。　　People　have　been　surfeited　with　sweetmeats　and　their　digestion　has　been　ruined：　bitter　medicines；　sharp　truths；　are　therefore　necessary。　　This　must　not；　however；　be　taken　to　mean　that　the　author　has　ever　proudly　dreamed　of　becoming　a　reformer　of　human　vices。　　Heaven　keep　him　from　such　im…　pertinence！　　He　has　simply　found　it　entertaining　to　depict　a　man；　such　as　he　considers　to　be　typical　of　the　present　day　and　such　as　he　has　often　met　in　real　life　　too　often；　indeed；　unfortunately　both　for　the　author　himself　and　for　you。　　Suffice　it　that　the　disease　has　been　pointed　out：　how　it　is　to　be　cured　　God　alone　knows！





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