Razumovranforwardunsteadily，withparted，voicelesslips。Theouterdoorstoodopen。Staggeringoutonthelanding，heleanedfaroverthebanister。Gazingdownintothedeepblackshaftwithatinyglimmeringflameatthebottom，hetracedbyeartherapidspiraldescentofsomebodyrunningdownthestairsontiptoe。Itwasalight，swift，patteringsound，whichsankawayfromhimintothedepths：afleetingshadowpassedovertheglimmer——awinkofthetinyflame。Thenstillness。

Razumovhungover，breathingthecoldrawairtaintedbytheevilsmellsoftheuncleanstaircase。Allquiet。

Hewentbackintohisroomslowly，shuttingthedoorsafterhim。

Thepeacefulsteadylightofhisreading—lampshoneonthewatch。

Razumovstoodlookingdownatthelittlewhitedial。Itwantedyetthreeminutestomidnight。Hetookthewatchintohishandfumblingly。

"Slow，"hemuttered，andastrangefitofnervelessnesscameoverhim。Hiskneesshook，thewatchandchainslippedthroughhisfingersinaninstantandfellonthefloor。Hewassostartledthathenearlyfellhimself。Whenatlastheregainedenoughconfidenceinhislimbstostoopforitheheldittohisearatonce。Afterawhilehegrowled——

"Stopped，"andpausedforquitealongtimebeforehemutteredsourly——

"It’sdone……Andnowtowork。"

Hesatdown，reachedhaphazardforabook，openeditinmiddleandbegantoread；butaftergoingconscientiouslyovertwolineshelosthisholdontheprintcompletelyanddidnottrytoregainit。Hethought——

"Therewastoacertaintyapoliceagentofsomesortwatchingthehouseacrossthestreet。"

Heimaginedhimlurkinginadarkgateway，goggle—eyed，muffledupinacloaktothenoseandwithaGeneral’splumed，cockedhatonhishead。Thisabsurditymadehimstartinthechairconvulsively。

Heliterallyhadtoshakehisheadviolentlytogetridofit。

Themanwouldbedisguisedperhapsasapeasant……abeggar……

Perhapshewouldbejustbuttonedupinadarkovercoatandcarryingaloadedstick——ashifty—eyedrascal，smellingofrawonionsandspirits。

Thisevocationbroughtonpositivenausea。"WhydoIwanttobotheraboutthis？"thoughtRazumovwithdisgust。"AmIagendarme？

Moreover，itisdone。"

Hegotupingreatagitation。Itwasnotdone。Notyet。Nottillhalf—pasttwelve。Andthewatchhadstopped。Thisreducedhimtodespair。Impossibletoknowthetime!Theandladyandallthepeopleacrossthelandingwereasleep。Howcouldhegoand……Godknowswhattheywouldimagine，orhowmuchtheywouldguess。Hedarednotgointothestreetstofindout。

"Iamasuspectnow。There’snouseshirkingthatfact，"hesaidtohimselfbitterly。IfHaldinfromsomecauseoranothergavethemtheslipand。failedtoturnupintheKarabelnayathepolicewouldbeinvadinghislodging。Andifhewerenotinhecouldneverclearhimself。Never。Razumovlookedwildlyaboutasifforsomemeansofseizingupontimewhichseemedtohaveescapedhimaltogether。Hehadnever，asfarashecouldremember，heardthestrikingofthattownclockinhisroomsbeforethisnight。

Andhewasnotevensurenowwhetherhehadhearditreallyonthisnight。

Hewenttothewindowandstoodtherewithslightlybentheadonthewatchforthefaintsound。’IwillstayheretillIhearsomething，"hesaidtohimself。Hestoodstill，hisearturnedtothepanes。Anatrociousachingnumbnesswithshootingpainsinhisbackandlegstorturedhim。Hedidnotbudge。Hismindhoveredonthebordersofdelirium。Heheardhimselfsuddenlysaying，"Iconfess，"asapersonmightdoontherack。"Iamontherack，"hethought。Hefeltreadytoswoon。Thefaintdeepboomofthedistantclockseemedtoexplodeinhishead——hehearditsoclearly……One!

IfHaldinhadnotturnedupthepolicewouldhavebeenalreadyhereransackingthehouse。Nosoundreachedhim。Thistimeitwasdone。

Hedraggedhimselfpainfullytothetableanddroppedintothechair。Heflungthebookawayandtookasquaresheetofpaper。

Itwaslikethepileofsheetscoveredwithhisneatminutehandwriting，onlyblank。Hetookapenbrusquelyanddippeditwithavaguenotionofgoingonwiththewritingofhisessay——buthispenremainedpoisedoverthesheet。Ithungthereforsometimebeforeitcamedownandformedlongscrawlyletters。

Still—facedandhislipssethard，Razumovbegantowrite。Whenhewrotealargehandhisneatwritinglostitscharacteraltogether——becameunsteady，almostchildish。Hewrotefivelinesoneundertheother。

HistorynotTheory。

PatriotismnotInternationalism。

EvolutionnotRevolution。

DirectionnotDestruction。

UnitynotDisruption。

Hegazedatthemdully。ThenhiseyesstrayedtothebedandreInajnedfixedthereforagoodmanyminutes，whilehisrighthandgropedalloverthetableforthepenknife。

Heroseatlast，andwalkingupwithmeasuredstepsstabbedthepaperwiththepenknifetothelathandplasterwallattheheadofthebed。Thisdonehesteppedbackapaceandflourishedhishandwithaglanceroundtheroom。

Afterthatheneverlookedagainatthebed。Hetookhisbigcloakdownfromitspegand，wrappinghimselfupclosely，wenttoliedownonthehardhorse—hairsofaattheothersideofhisroom。Aleadensleepclosedhiseyelidsatonce。SeveraltimesthatnighthewokeupshiveringfromadreamofwalkingthroughdriftsofsnowinaRussiawherehewasascompletelyaloneasanybetrayedautocratcouldbe；animmense，wintryRussiawhich，somehow，hisviewcouldembraceinallitsenormousexpanseasifitwereamap。Butaftereachshudderingstarthisheavyeyelidsfelloverhisglazedeyesandhesleptagain。

III

ApproachingthispartofMr。Razumov’sstory，mymind，thedecentmindofanoldteacheroflanguages，feelsmoreandmorethedifficultyofthetask。

Thetaskisnotintruththewritinginthenarrativeforma_precis_ofastrangehumandocument，buttherendering——I

perceiveitnowclearly——ofthemoralconditionsrulingoveralargeportionofthisearth’ssurface；conditionsnoteasilytobeunderstood，muchlessdiscoveredinthelimitsofastory，tillsomekey—wordisfound；awordthatcouldstandatthebackofallthewordscoveringthepages；awordwhich，ifnottruthitself，mayperchanceholdtruthenoughtohelpthemoraldiscoverywhichshouldbetheobjectofeverytale。

IturnoverforthehundredthtimetheleavesofMr。Razumov’srecord，Ilayitaside，Itakeupthepen——andthepenbeingreadyforitsofficeofsettingdownblackonwhiteIhesitate。Forthewordthatpersistsincreepingunderitspointisnootherwordthan"cynicism。"

ForthatisthemarkofRussianautocracyandofRussianrevolt。

Initsprideofnumbers，initsstrangepretensionsofsanctity，andinthesecretreadinesstoabaseitselfinsuffering，thespiritofRussiaisthespiritofcynicism。Itinformsthedeclarationsofherstatesmen，thetheoriesofherrevolutionists，andthemysticvaticinationsofprophetstothepointofmakingfreedomlooklikeaformofdebauch，andtheChristianvirtuesthemselvesappearactuallyindecent……

ButImustapologizeforthedigression。ItproceedsfromtheconsiderationofthecoursetakenbythestoryofMr。Razumovafterhisconservativeconvictions，dilutedinavagueliberalismnaturaltotheardourofhisage，hadbecomecrystallizedbytheshockofhiscontactwithHaldin。

Razumovwokeupforthetenthtimeperhapswithaheavyshiver。

Seeingthelightofdayinhiswindow，heresistedtheinclinationtolayhimselfdownagain。Hedidnotrememberanything，buthedidnotthinkitstrangetofindhimselfonthesofainhiscloakandchilledtothebone。Thelightcomingthroughthewindowseemedstrangelycheerless，containingnopromiseasthelightofeachnewdayshouldforayoungman。Itwastheawakeningofamanmortallyill，orofamanninetyyearsold。Helookedatthelampwhichhadburntitselfout。Itstoodthere，theextinguishedbeaconofhislabours，acoldobjectofbrassandporcelain，amongstthescatteredpagesofhisnotesandsmallpilesofbooks——amerelitterofblackenedpaper——deadmatter——withoutsignificanceorinterest。

Hegotonhisfeet，anddivestinghimselfofhiscloakhungitonthepeg，goingthroughallthemotionsmechanically。Anincredibledullness，aditch—waterstagnationwassensibletohisperceptionsasthoughlifehadwithdrawnitselffromallthingsandevenfromhisownthoughts。Therewasnotasoundinthehouse。

Turningawayfromthepeg，hethoughtinthatsamelifelessmannerthatitmustbeveryearlyyet；butwhenhelookedatthewatchonhistablehesawbothhandsarrestedattwelveo’clock。

"Ah!yes，"hemumbledtohimself，andasifbeginningtogetrousedalittlehetookasurveyofhisroom。Thepaperstabbedtothewallarrestedhisattention。Heeyeditfromthedistancewithoutapprovalorperplexity；butwhenheheardtheservant—girlbeginningtobustleaboutintheouterroomwiththe_samovar_forhismorningtea，hewalkeduptoitandtookitdownwithanairofprofoundindifference。

Whiledoingthisheglanceddownatthebedonwhichhehadnotsleptthatnight。ThehollowinthepillowmadebytheweightofHaldin’sheadwasverynoticeable。

Evenhisangeratthissignoftheman’spassagewasdull。Hedidnottrytonurseitintolife。Hedidnothingallthatday；

heneglectedeventobrushhishair。Theideaofgoingoutneveroccurredtohim——andifhedidnotstartaconnectedtrainofthoughtitwasnotbecausehewasunabletothink。Itwasbecausehewasnotinterestedenough。

Heyawnedfrequently。Hedranklargequantitiesoftea，hewalkedaboutaimlessly，andwhenhesatdownhedidnotbudgeforalongtime。Hespentsometimedrummingonthewindowwithhisfinger—tipsquietly。Inhislistlesswanderingsroundaboutthetablehecaughtsightofhisownfaceinthelooking—glassandthatarrestedhim。Theeyeswhichreturnedhisstarewerethemostunhappyeyeshehadeverseen。Andthiswasthefirstthingwhichdisturbedthementalstagnationofthatday。

Hewasnotaffectedpersonally。Hemerelythoughtthatlifewithouthappinessisimpossible。Whatwashappiness？Heyawnedandwentonshufflingaboutandaboutbetweenthewallsofhisroom。Lookingforwardwashappiness——that’sall——nothingmore。

Tolookforwardtothegratificationofsomedesire，tothegratificationofsomepassion，love，ambition，hate——hatetooindubitably。Loveandhate。Andtoescapethedangersofexistence，tolivewithoutfear，wasalsohappiness。Therewasnothingelse。Absenceoffear——lookingforward。"Oh!themiserablelotofhumanity!"heexclaimedmentally；andaddedatonceinhisthought，"Ioughttobehappyenoughasfarasthatgoes。"Buthewasnotexcitedbythatassurance。Onthecontrary，heyawnedagainashehadbeenyawningallday。Hewasmildlysurprisedtodiscoverhimselfbeingovertakenbynight。

Theroomgrewdarkswiftlythoughtimehadseemedtostandstill。

Howwasitthathehadnotnoticedthepassingofthatday？Ofcourse，itwasthewatchbeingstopped……

Hedidnotlighthislamp，butwentovertothebedandthrewhimselfonitwithoutanyhesitation。Lyingonhisback，heputhishandsunderhisheadandstaredupward。Afteramomenthethought，"Iamlyingherelikethatman。IwonderifhesleptwhileIwasstrugglingwiththeblizzardinthestreets。No，hedidnotsleep。ButwhyshouldInotsleep？"andhefeltthesilenceofthenightpressuponallhislimbslikeaweight。

Inthecalmofthehardfrostoutside，theclear—cutstrokesofthetownclockcountingoffmidnightpenetratedthequietnessofhissuspendedanimation。

Againhebegantothink。Itwastwenty—fourhourssincethatmanlefthisroom。RazumovhadadistinctfeelingthatHaldininthefortresswassleepingthatnight。ItwasacertitudewhichmadehimangrybecausehedidnotwanttothinkofHaldin，buthejustifiedittohimselfbyphysiologicalandpsychologicalreasons。Thefellowhadhardlysleptforweeksonhisownconfession，andnoweveryincertitudewasatanendforhim。Nodoubthewaslookingforwardtotheconsummationofhismartyrdom。Amanwhoresignshimselftokillneednotgoveryfarforresignationtodie。HaldinsleptperhapsmoresoundlythanGeneralT———，whosetask——wearyworktoo——wasnotdone，andoverwhoseheadhungtheswordofrevolutionaryvengeance。

Razumov，rememberingthethick—setmanwithhisheavyjowlrestingonthecollarofhisuniform，thechampionofautocracy，whohadletnosignofsurprise，incredulity，orjoyescapehim，butwhosegoggleeyescouldexpressamortalhatredofallrebellion——Razumovmoveduneasilyonthebed。

"Hesuspectedme，"hethought。"Isupposehemustsuspecteverybody。Hewouldbecapableofsuspectinghisownwife，ifHaldinhadgonetoherboudoirwithhisconfession。"

Razumovsatupinanguish。Washetoremainapoliticalsuspectallhisdays？Washetogothroughlifeasamannotwhollytobetrusted——withabadsecretpolicenotetackedontohisrecord？Whatsortoffuturecouldhelookforwardto？

"Iamnowasuspect，"hethoughtagain；butthehabitofreflectionandthatdesireofsafety，ofanorderedlife，whichwassostronginhimcametohisassistanceasthenightworeon。Hisquiet，steady，andlaboriousexistencewouldvouchatlengthforhisloyalty。Thereweremanypermittedwaystoserveone’scountry。Therewasanactivitythatmadeforprogresswithoutbeingrevolutionary。Thefieldofinfluencewasgreatandinfinitelyvaried——onceonehadconqueredaname。

Histhoughtlikeacirclingbirdrevertedafterfourand—twentyhourstothesilvermedal，andasitwerepoiseditselfthere。

Whenthedaybrokehehadnotslept，notforamoment，buthegotupnotverytiredandquitesufficientlyself—possessedforallpracticalpurposes。

Hewentoutandattendedthreelecturesinthemorning。Buttheworkinthelibrarywasameredumbshowofresearch。Hesatwithmanyvolumesopenbeforehimtryingtomakenotesandextracts。

Hisnewtranquillitywaslikeaflimsygarment，andseemedtofloatatthemercyofacasualword。Betrayal!Why!thefellowhaddoneallthatwasnecessarytobetrayhimself。Preciouslittlehadbeenneededtodeceivehim。

"Ihavesaidnowordtohimthatwasnotstrictlytrue。

Notoneword，"Razumovarguedwithhimself。

Onceengagedonthislineofthoughttherecouldbenoquestionofdoingusefulwork。Thesameideaswentonpassingthroughhismind，andhepronouncedmentallythesamewordsoverandoveragain。Heshutupallthebooksandrammedallhispapersintohispocketwithconvulsivemovements，raginginwardlyagainstHaldin。

Ashewasleavingthelibraryalongbonystudentinathreadbareovercoatjoinedhim，steppingmoodilybyhisside。Razumovansweredhismumbledgreetingwithoutlookingathimatall。

"Whatdoeshewantwithme？"hethoughtwithastrangedreadoftheunexpectedwhichhetriedtoshakeofflestitshouldfastenitselfuponhislifeforgoodandall。Andtheother，mutteringcautiouslywithdowncasteyes，supposedthathiscomradehadseenthenewsofdeP———’sexecutioner——thatwastheexpressionheused——havingbeenarrestedthenightbeforelast……

"I’vebeenill——shutupinmyrooms，"Razumovmumbledthroughhisteeth。

Thetallstudent，raisinghisshoulders，shovedhishandsdeepintohispockets。Hehadahairless，square，tallowychinwhichtrembledslightlyashespoke，andhisnosenippedbrightredbythesharpairlookedlikeafalsenoseofpaintedcardboardbetweenthesallowcheeks。Hiswholeappearancewasstampedwiththemarkofcoldandhunger。HestalkeddeliberatelyatRazumov’selbowwithhiseyesontheground。

"It’sanofficialstatement，"hecontinuedinthesamecautiousmutter。"Itmaybealie。ButtherewassomebodyarrestedbetweenmidnightandoneinthemorningonTuesday。

Thisiscertain。"

Andtalkingrapidlyunderthecoverofhisdowncastair，hetoldRazumovthatthiswasknownthroughaninferiorGovernmentclerkemployedattheCentralSecretariat。Thatmanbelongedtooneoftherevolutionarycircles。"Thesame，infact，Iamaffiliatedto，"remarkedthestudent。

Theywerecrossingawidequadrangle。AninfinitedistresspossessedRazumov，annihilatedhisenergy，andbeforehiseyeseverythingappearedconfusedandasifevanescent。Hedarednotleavethefellowthere。"Hemaybeaffiliatedtothepolice，"

wasthethoughtthatpassedthroughhismind。"Whocouldtell？"

Buteyeingthemiserablefrost—nipped，famine—struckfigureofhiscompanionheperceivedtheabsurdityofhissuspicion。

"ButI——youknow——Idon’tbelongtoanycircle。I……"

Hedarednotsayanymore。Neitherdaredhemendhispace。Theother，raisingandsettingdownhislamentablyshodfeetwithexactdeliberation，protestedinalowtonethatitwasnotnecessaryforeverybodytobelongtoanorganization。Themostvaluablepersonalitiesremainedoutside。Someofthebestworkwasdoneoutsidetheorganization。Thenveryfast，withwhispering，feverishlips——

"ThemanarrestedinthestreetwasHaldin。"

AndacceptingRazumov’sdismayedsilenceasnaturalenough，heassuredhimthattherewasnomistake。ThatGovernmentclerkwasonnightdutyattheSecretariat。Hearingagreatnoiseoffootstepsinthehallandawarethatpoliticalprisonerswerebroughtoversometimesatnightfromthefortress，heopenedthedooroftheroominwhichhewasworking，suddenly。Beforethegendarmeondutycouldpushhimbackandslamthedoorinhisface，hehadseenaprisonerbeingpartlycarried，partlydraggedalongthehallbyalotofpolicemen。Hewasbeingusedverybrutally。AndtheclerkhadrecognizedHaldinperfectly。LessthanhalfanhourafterwardsGeneralT——arrivedattheSecretariattoexaminethatprisonerpersonally。

"Aren’tyouastonished？"concludedthegauntstudent。

"No，"saidRazumovroughly——andatonceregrettedhisanswer。

"EverybodysupposedHaldinwasintheprovinces——withhispeople。Didn’tyou？"

ThestudentturnedhisbigholloweyesuponRazumov，whosaidunguardedly——

"Hispeopleareabroad。"

Hecouldhavebittenhistongueoutwithvexation。

Thestudentpronouncedinatoneofprofoundmeaning——

"So!Youalonewereaware……"andstopped。

"Theyhaveswornmyruin，"thoughtRazumov。"HaveYouspokenofthistoanyoneelse？"heaskedwithbittercuriosity。

Theothershookhishead。

"No，onlytoyou。OurcirclethoughtthatasHaldinhadbeenoftenheardexpressingawarmappreciationofyourcharacter……"

Razumovcouldnotrestrainagestureofangrydespairwhichtheothermusthavemisunderstoodinsomeway，becauseheceasedspeakingandturnedawayhisblack，lack—lustreeyes。

Theymovedsidebysideinsilence。Thenthegauntstudentbegantowhisperagain，withavertedgaze——

"Aswehaveatpresentnooneaffiliatedinsidethefortresssoastomakeitpossibletofurnishhimwithapacketofpoison，wehaveconsideredalreadysomesortofretaliatoryaction——tofollowverysoon……"

Razumovtrudgingoninterrupted——

"WereyouacquaintedwithHaldin？Didheknowwhereyoulive？"

"Ihadthehappinesstohearhimspeaktwice，"hiscompanionansweredinthefeverishwhispercontrastingwiththegloomyapathyofhisfaceandbearing。"HedidnotknowwhereIlive……Iamlodgingpoorlywithanartisanfamily……

Ihavejustacornerinaroom。Itisnotverypracticabletoseemethere，butifyoushouldneedmeforanythingIamready……

Razumovtrembledwithrageandfear。Hewasbesidehimself，butkepthisvoicelow。

"Youarenottocomenearme。Youarenottospeaktome。Neveraddressasinglewordtome。Iforbidyou。"

"Verywell，"saidtheothersubmissively，showingnosurprisewhateveratthisabruptprohibition。"Youdon’twishforsecretreasons……perfectly……Iunderstand。"

Heedgedawayatonce，notlookingupeven；andRazumovsawhisgaunt，shabby，famine—strickenfigurecrossthestreetobliquelywithloweredheadandthatpeculiarexactmotionofthefeet。

Hewatchedhimasonewouldwatchavisionoutofanightmare，thenhecontinuedonhisway，tryingnottothink。Onhislandingthelandladyseemedtobewaitingforhim。Shewasashort，thick，shapelesswomanwithalargeyellowfacewrappedupeverlastinglyinablackwoollenshawl。Whenshesawhimcomeupthelastflightofstairssheflungbothherarmsupexcitedly，thenclaspedherhandsbeforeherface。

"KiryloSidorovitch——littlefather——whathaveyoubeendoing？

Andsuchaquietyoungman，too!Thepolicearejustgonethismomentaftersearchingyourrooms。"

Razumovgazeddownatherwithsilent，scrutinizingattention。

Herpuffyyellowcountenancewasworkingwithemotion。Shescreweduphereyesathimentreatingly。

"Suchasensibleyoungman!Anybodycanseeyouaresensible。

Andnow——likethis——allatonce……WhatisthegoodofmixingyourselfupwiththeseNihilists？Dogiveover，littlefather。

Theyareunluckypeople。"

Razumovmovedhisshouldersslightly。

"Orisitthatsomesecretenemyhasbeencalumniatingyou，KiryloSidorovitch？Theworldisfullofblackheartsandfalsedenunciationsnowadays。Thereismuchfearabout。"

"HaveyouheardthatIhavebeendenouncedbysomeone？"

askedRazumov，withouttakinghiseyesoffherquiveringface。

Butshehadnotheardanything。Shehadtriedtofindoutbyaskingthepolicecaptainwhilehismenwereturningtheroomupsidedown。Thepolicecaptainofthedistricthadknownherforthelastelevenyearsandwasahumaneperson。Buthesaidtoheronthelanding，lookingveryblackandvexed——

"Mygoodwoman，donotaskquestions。Idon’tknowanythingmyself。Theordercomesfromhigherquarters。"

Andindeedtherehadappeared，shortlyafterthearrivalofthepolicemenofthedistrict，averysuperiorgentlemaninafurcoatandashinyhat，whosatdownintheroomandlookedthroughallthepapershimself。Hecamealoneandwentawaybyhimself，takingnothingwithhim。Shehadbeentryingtoputthingsstraightalittlesincetheyleft。

Razumovturnedawaybrusquelyandenteredhisrooms。

Allhisbookshadbeenshakenandthrownonthefloor。Hislandladyfollowedhim，andstoopingpainfullybegantopickthemupintoherapron。Hispapersandnoteswhichwerekeptalwaysneatlysorted（theyallrelatedtohisstudies）hadbeenshuffledupandheapedtogetherintoaraggedpileinthemiddleofthetable。

ThisdisorderaffectecIhimprofoundly，unreasonably。Hesatdownandstared。Hehadadistinctsensationofhisveryexistencebeingunderminedinsomemysteriousmanner，ofhismoralsupportsfallingawayfromhimonebyone。Heevenexperiencedaslightphysicalgiddinessandmadeamovementasiftoreachforsomethingtosteadyhimselfwith。

Theoldwoman，risingtoherfeetwithalowgroan，shotallthebooksshehadcollectedinherapronontothesofaandlefttheroommutteringandsighing。

Itwasonlythenthathenoticedthatthesheetofpaperwhichforonenighthadremainedstabbedtothewallabovehisemptybedwaslyingontopofthepile。

Whenhehadtakenitdownthedaybeforehehadfoldeditinfour，absent—mindedly，beforedroppingitonthetable。Andnowhesawitlyinguppermost，spreadout，smoothedoutevenandcoveringalltheconfusedpileofpages，therecordofhisintellectuallifeforthelastthreeyears。Ithadnotbeenflungthere。Ithadbeenplacedthere——smoothedout，too!Heguessedinthatanintentionofprofoundmeaning——orperhapssomeinexplicablemockery。

Hesatstaringatthepieceofpapertillhiseyesbegantosmart。Hedidnotattempttoputhispapersinorder，eitherthateveningorthenextday——whichhespentathomeinastateofpeculiarirresolution。ThisirresoIutionboreuponthequestionwhetherheshouldcontinuetolive——neithermorenorless。Butitsnaturewasveryfarremovedfromthehesitationofamancontemplatingsuicide。TheideaoflayingviolenthandsuponhisbodydidnotoccurtoRazumov。Theunrelatedorganismbearingthatlabel，walking，breathing，wearingtheseclothes，wasofnoimportancetoanyone，unlessmaybetothelandlady。

ThetrueRazumovhadhisbeinginthewilled，inthedeterminedfuture——inthatfuturemenacedbythelawlessnessofautocracy——forautocracyknowsnolaw——andthelawlessnessofrevolution。Thefeelingthathismoralpersonalitywasatthemercyoftheselawlessforceswassostrongthatheaskedhimselfseriouslyifitwereworthwhiletogoonaccomplishingthementalfunctionsofthatexistencewhichseemednolongerhisown。

"Whatisthegoodofexertingmyintelligence，ofpursuingthesystematicdevelopmentofmyfacultiesandallmyplansofwork？"

heaskedhimself。"Iwanttoguidemyconductbyreasonableconvictions，butwhatsecurityhaveIagainstsomething——somedestructivehorror——

walkinginuponmeasIsithere？……

Razumovlookedapprehensivelytowardsthedooroftheouterroomasifexpectingsomeshapeofeviltoturnthehandleandappearbeforehimsilently。

"Acommonthief，"hesaidtohimself，"findsmoreguaranteesinthelawheisbreaking，andevenabrutelikeZiemianitchhashisconsolation。"Razumovenviedthematerialismofthethiefandthepassionoftheincorrigiblelover。Theconsequencesoftheiractionswerealwaysclearandtheirlivesremainedtheirown。

ButhesleptassoundlythatnightasthoughhehadbeenconsolinghimselfinthemannerofZiemianitch。Hedroppedoffsuddenly，laylikealog，rememberednodreamonwaking。Butitwasasifhissoulhadgoneoutinthenighttogathertheflowersofwrathfulwisdom。Hegotupinamoodofgrimdeterminationandasifwithanewknowledgeofhisownnature。

Helookedmockinglyontheheapofpapersonhistable；andlefthisroomtoattendthelectures，mutteringtohimself，"Weshallsee。"

Hewasinnohumourtotalktoanybodyorhearhimselfquestionedastohisabsencefromlecturesthedaybefore。Butitwasdifficulttorepulserudelyaverygoodcomradewithasmoothpinkfaceandfairhair，bearingthenicknameamongsthisfellow—studentsof"MadcapKostia。"HewastheidolizedonlysonofaverywealthyandilliterateGovernmentcontractor，andattendedthelecturesonlyduringtheperiodicalfitsofcontritionfollowingupontearfulpaternalremonstrances。

Noisilyblunderinglikearetrieverpuppy，hiselatedvoiceandgreatgesturesfilledthebareacademycorridorswiththejoyofthoughtlessanimallife，provokingindulgentsmilesatagreatdistance。Hisusualdiscoursestreatedoftrottinghorses，wine—partiesinexpensiverestaurants，andthemeritsofpersonsofeasyvirtue，withadisarmingartlessnessofoutlook。HepounceduponRazumovaboutmidday，somewhatlessuproariouslythanhishabitwas，andledhimaside。

"Justamoment，KiryloSidorovitch。Afewwordshereinthisquietcorner。"

HefeltRazumov’sreluctance，andinsinuatedhishandunderhisarmcaressingly。

"No——praydo。Idon’twanttotalktoyouaboutanyofmysillyscrapes。Whataremyscrapes？Absolutelynothing。Merechildishness。TheothernightIflungafellowoutofacertainplacewhereIwashavingafairlygoodtime。Atyrannicallittlebeastofaquill—driverfromtheTreasurydepartment。Hewasbullyingthepeopleofthehouse。Irebukedhim。’YouarenotbehavinghumanelytoGod’screaturesthatareajollysightmoreestimablethanyourself，’Isaid。Ican’tbeartoseeanytyranny，KiryloSidorovitch。UponmywordIcan’t。Hedidn’ttakeitingoodpartatall。’Who’sthatimpudentpuppy？’

hebeginstoshout。Iwasinexcellentformasithappened，andhewentthroughtheclosedwindowverysuddenly。Heflewquitealongwayintotheyard。Iragedlike——likea——minotaur。

Thewomenclungtomeandscreamed，thefiddlersgotunderthetable……Suchfun!Mydadhadtoputhishandprettydeepintohispocket，Icantellyou。"Hechuckled。

"Mydadisaveryusefulman。Jollygoodthingitisforme，too。

Idogetintounholyscrapes。"

Hiselationfell。Thatwasjustit。Whatwashislife？

Insignificant；nogoodtoanyone；amerefestivity。Itwouldendsomefinedayinhisgettinghisskullsplitwithachampagnebottleinadrunkenbrawl。Atsuchtimes，too，whenmenweresacrificingthemselvestoideas。Buthecouldnevergetanyideasintohishead。Hisheadwasn’tworthanythingbetterthantobesplitbyachampagnebottle。

Razumov，protestingthathehadnotime，madeanattempttogetaway。Theother’stonechangedtoconfidentialearnestness。

"ForGod’ssake，Kirylo，mydearsoul，letmemakesomesortofsacrifice。Itwouldnotbeasacrificereally。Ihavemyrichdadbehindme。There’spositivelynogettingtothebottomofhispocket。"

AndrejectingindignantlyRazumov’ssuggestionthatthiswasdrunkenraving，heofferedtolendhimsomemoneytoescapeabroadwith。Hecouldalwaysgetmoneyfromhisdad。Hehadonlytosaythathehadlostitatcardsorsomethingofthatsort，andatthesametimepromisesolemnlynottomissasinglelectureforthreemonthsonend。Thatwouldfetchtheoldman；

andhe，Kostia，wasquiteequaltothesacrifice。Thoughhereallydidnotseewhatwasthegoodforhimtoattendthelectures。Itwasperfectlyhopeless。

"Won’tyouletmebeofsomeuse？"hepleadedtothesilentRazumov，whowithhiseyesonthegroundandutterlyunabletopenetratetherealdriftoftheother’sintention，feltastrangereluctancetoclearupthepoint。

"WhatmakesyouthinkIwanttogoabroad？"heaskedatlastveryquietly。

Kostialoweredhisvoice。

"Youhadthepoliceinyourroomsyesterday。Therearethreeorfourofuswhohaveheardofthat。Nevermindhowweknow。Itissufficientthatwedo。Sowehavebeenconsultingtogether。"

"Ah!Yougottoknowthatsosoon，"mutteredRazumovnegligently。

"Yes。Wedid。Anditstruckusthatamanlikeyou……"

"Whatsortofamandoyoutakemetobe？"Razumovinterruptedhim。

"Amanofideas——andamanofactiontoo。Butyouareverydeep，Kirylo。There’snogettingtothebottomofyourmind。Notforfellowslikeme。Butweallagreedthatyoumustbepreservedforourcountry。Ofthatwehavenodoubtwhatever——ImeanallofuswhohaveheardHaldinspeakofyouoncertainoccasions。

Amandoesn’tgetthepoliceransackinghisroomswithouttherebeingsomedevilryhangingoverhishead……Andsoifyouthinkthatitwouldbebetterforyoutoboltatonce……"

Razumovtorehimselfawayandwalkeddownthecorridor，leavingtheothermotionlesswithhismouthopen。ButalmostatoncehereturnedandstoodbeforetheamazedKostia，whoshuthismouthslowly。Razumovlookedhimstraightintheeyes，beforesayingwithmarkeddeliberationandseparatinghiswords——

"Ithank——you——very——much。"

Hewentawayagainrapidly。Kostia，recoveringfromhissurpriseatthesemanoeuvres，ranupbehindhimpressingly。

"No!Wait!Listen。Ireallymeanit。Itwouldbelikegivingyourcompassiontoastarvingfellow。Doyouhear，Kirylo？Andanydisguiseyoumaythinkof，thattooIcouldprocurefromacostumier，aJewIknow。Letafoolbemadeserviceableaccordingtohisfolly。Perhapsalsoafalsebeardorsomethingofthatkindmaybeneeded。

Razumovturnedatbay。

"Therearenofalsebeardsneededinthisbusiness，Kostia——yougood—heartedlunatic，you。Whatdoyouknowofmyideas？Myideasmaybepoisontoyou。"Theotherbegantoshakehisheadinenergeticprotest。

"Whathaveyougottodowithideas？Someofthemwouldmakeanendofyourdad’smoney—bags。Leaveoffmeddlingwithwhatyoudon’tunderstand。Gobacktoyourtrottinghorsesandyourgirls，andthenyou’llbesureatleastofdoingnoharmtoanybody，andhardlyanytoyourself。"

Theenthusiasticyouthwasovercomebythisdisdain。

"You’resendingmebacktomypig’strough，Kirylo。Thatsettlesit。Iamanunluckybeast——andIshalldielikeabeasttoo。

Butmind——it’syourcontemptthathasdoneforme。"

Razumovwentoffwithlongstrides。Thatthissimpleandgrosslyfestivesoulshouldhavefallentooundertherevolutionarycurseaffectedhimasanominoussymptomofthetime。Hereproachedhimselfforfeelingtroubled。Personallyheoughttohavefeltreassured。Therewasanobviousadvantageinthisconspiracyofmistakenjudgmenttakinghimforwhathewasnot。Butwasitnotstrange？

AgainheexperiencedthatsensationofhisconductbeingtakenoutofhishandsbyHaldin’srevolutionarytyranny。Hissolitaryandlaboriousexistencehadbeendestroyed——theonlythinghecouldcallhisownonthisearth。Bywhatright？heaskedhimselffuriously。Inwhatname？

Whatinfuriatedhimmostwastofeelthatthe"thinkers"oftheUniversitywereevidentlyconnectinghimwithHaldin——asasortofconfidantinthebackgroundapparently。Amysteriousconnexion!

Haha!……Hehadbeenmadeapersonagewithoutknowinganythingaboutit。HowthatwretchHaldinmusthavetalkedabouthim!

YetitwaslikelythatHaldinhadsaidverylittle。Thefellow’scasualutteranceswerecaughtupandtreasuredandponderedoverbyalltheseimbeciles。Andwasnotallsecretrevolutionaryactionbaseduponfolly，self—deception，andlies？

"Impossibletothinkofanythingelse，"mutteredRazumovtohimself。"I’llbecomeanidiotifthisgoeson。Thescoundrelsandthefoolsaremurderingmyintelligence。"

Helostallhopeofsavinghisfuture，whichdependedonthefreeuseofhisintelligence。

Hereachedthedoorwayofhishouseinastateofmentaldiscouragementwhichenabledhimtoreceivewithapparentindifferenceanofficial—lookingenvelopefromthedirtyhandofthedvornik。

"Agendarmebroughtit，"saidtheman。"Heaskedifyouwereathome。Itoldhim’No，he’snotathome。’Soheleftit。

’Giveitintohisownhands，’sayshe。Nowyou’vegotit——eh？"

Hewentbacktohissweeping，andRazumovclimbedhisstairs，envelopeinhand。Onceinhisroomhedidnothastentoopenit。

Ofcoursethisofficialmissivewasfromthesuperiordirectionofthepolice。Asuspect!Asuspect!

Hestaredindrearyastonishmentattheabsurdityofhisposition。Hethoughtwithasortofdry，unemotionalmelancholy；

threeyearsofgoodworkgone，thecourseoffortymoreperhapsjeopardized——turnedfromhopetoterror，becauseeventsstartedbyhumanfollylinkthemselvesintoasequencewhichnosagacitycanforeseeandnocouragecanbreakthrough。Fatalityentersyourroomswhileyourlandlady’sbackisturned；youcomehomeandfinditinpossessionbearingaman’sname，clothedinflesh——wearingabrownclothcoatandlongboots——loungingagainstthestove。Itasksyou，"Istheouterdoorclosed？"——andyoudon’tknowenoughtotakeitbythethroatandflingitdownstairs。Youdon’tknow。Youwelcomethecrazyfate。"Sitdown，"yousay。Anditisallover。Youcannotshakeitoffanymore。Itwillclingtoyouforever。Neitherhalternorbulletcangiveyoubackthefreedomofyourlifeandthesanityofyourthought……Itwasenoughtodashone’sheadagainstawall。

Razumovlookedslowlyallroundthewallsasiftoselectaspottodashhisheadagainst。Thenheopenedtheletter。ItdirectedthestudentKiryloSidorovitchRazumovtopresenthimselfwithoutdelayattheGeneralSecretariat。

RazumovhadavisionofGeneralT———’sgoggleeyeswaitingforhim——theembodiedpowerofautocracy，grotesqueandterrible。Heembodiedthewholepowerofautocracybecausehewasitsguardian。Hewastheincarnatesuspicion，theincarnateanger，theincarnateruthlessnessofapoliticalandsocialregimeonitsdefence。Heloathedrebellionbyinstinct。AndRazumovreflectedthatthemanwassimplyunabletounderstandareasonableadherencetothedoctrineofabsolutism。

"Whatcanhewantwithmeprecisely——Iwonder？"heaskedhimself。

Asifthatmentalquestionhadevokedthefamiliarphantom，Haldinstoodsuddenlybeforehimintheroomwithanextraordinarycompletenessofdetail。Thoughtheshortwinterdayhadpassedalreadyintothesinistertwilightofalandburiedinsnow，RazumovsawplainlythenarrowleatherstraproundtheTcherkesscoat。Theillusionofthathatefulpresencewassoperfectthathehalfexpectedittoask，"Istheouterdoorclosed？"Helookedatitwithhatredandcontempt。Soulsdonottakeashapeofclothing。Moreover，Haldincouldnotbedeadyet。Razumovsteppedforwardmenacingly；thevisionvanished——andturningshortonhisheelhewalkedoutofhisroomwithinfinitedisdain。

ButaftergoingdownthefirstflightofstairsitoccurredtohimthatperhapsthesuperiorauthoritiesofpolicemeanttoconfronthimwithHaldinintheflesh。Thisthoughtstruckhimlikeabullet，andhadhenotclungwithbothhandstothebanisterhewouldhaverolleddowntothenextlandingmostlikely。Hislegswereofnouseforaconsiderabletime……

Butwhy？Forwhatconceivablereason？Towhatend？

Therecouldbenorationalanswertothesequestions；butRazumovrememberedthepromisemadebytheGeneraltoPrinceK———。Hisactionwastoremainunknown。

Hegotdowntothebottomofthestairs，loweringhimselfasitwerefromsteptostep，bythebanister。Underthegateheregainedmuchofhisfirmnessofthoughtandlimb。Hewentoutintothestreetwithoutstaggeringvisibly。Everymomenthefeltsteadiermentally。AndyethewassayingtohimselfthatGeneralT———wasperfectlycapableofshuttinghimupinthefortressforanindefinitetime。Histemperamentfittedhisremorselesstask，andhisomnipotencemadehiminaccessibletoreasonableargument。

ButwhenRazumovarrivedattheSecretariathediscoveredthathewouldhavenothingtodowithGeneralT———。ItisevidentfromMr。Razumov’sdiarythatthisdreadedpersonalitywastoremaininthebackground。Acivilianofsuperiorrankreceivedhiminaprivateroomafteraperiodofwaitinginouterofficeswherealotofscribblingwentonatmanytablesinaheatedandstuffyatmosphere。

Theclerkinuniformwhoconductedhimsaidinthecorridor——

"YouaregoingbeforeGregorMatvieitchMikulin。"

Therewasnothingformidableaboutthemanbearingthatname。

Hismild，expectantglancewasturnedonthedooralreadywhenRazumoventered。Atonce，withthepenholderhewasholdinginhishand，hepointedtoadeepsofabetweentwowindows。HefollowedRazumovwithhiseyeswhilethatlastcrossedtheroomandsatdown。Themildgazerestedonhim，notcurious，notinquisitive——certainlynotsuspicious——almostwithoutexpression。

Initspassionlesspersistencetherewassomethingresemblingsympathy。

Razumov，whohadpreparedhiswillandhisintelligencetoencounterGeneralT———himself，wasprofoundlytroubled。Allthemoralbracingupagainstthepossibleexcessesofpowerandpassionwentfornothingbeforethissallowman，whoworeafullunclippedbeard。Itwasfair，thin，andveryfine。Thelightfellincopperygleamsontheprotuberancesofahigh，ruggedforehead。Andtheaspectofthebroad，softphysiognomywassohomelyandrusticthatthecarefulmiddlepartingofthehairseemedapretentiousaffectation。

ThediaryofMr。Razumovtestifiestosomeirritationonhispart。ImayremarkherethatthediaryproperconsistingofthemoreorlessdailyentriesseemstohavebeenbegunonthatveryeveningafterMr。Razumovhadreturnedhome。

Mr。Razumov，then，wasirritated。Hisstrung—upindividualityhadgonetopieceswithinhimverysuddenly。

"Imustbeveryprudentwithhim，"hewarnedhimselfinthesilenceduringwhichtheysatgazingateachother。Itlastedsomelittletime，andwascharacterized（forsilenceshavetheircharacter）byasortofsadnessimpartedtoitperhapsbythemildandthoughtfulmannerofthebeardedofficial。RazumovlearnedlaterthathewasthechiefofadepartmentintheGeneralSecretariat，witharankinthecivilserviceequivalenttothatofacolonelinthearmy。

Razumov’smistrustbecameacute。Themainpointwas，nottobedrawnintosayingtoomuch。Hehadbeencalledthereforsomereason。Whatreason？Tobegiventounderstandthathewasasuspect——andalsonodoubttobepumped。Astowhatprecisely？

Therewasnothing。OrperhapsHaldinhadbeentellinglies……

EveryalarminguncertaintybesetRazumov。Hecouldbearthesilencenolonger，andcursinghimselfforhisweaknessspokefirst，thoughhehadpromisedhimselfnottodosoonanyaccount。

"Ihaven’tlostamoment’stime，"hebeganinahoarse，provokingtone；andthenthefacultyofspeechseemedtoleavehimandenterthebodyofCouncillorMikulin，whochimedinapprovingly——

"Veryproper。Veryproper。Thoughasamatteroffact……

Butthespellwasbroken，andRazumovinterruptedhimboldly，underasuddenconvictionthatthiswasthesafestattitudetotake。Withagreatflowofwordshecomplainedofbeingtotallymisunderstood。Evenashetalkedwithaperceptionofhisownaudacityhethoughtthattheword"misunderstood"wasbetterthantheword"mistrusted，"andherepeateditagainwithinsistence。

Suddenlyheceased，beingseizedwithfrightbeforetheattentiveimmobilityoftheofficial。"WhatamItalkingabout？"hethought，eyeinghimwithavaguegaze。Mistrusted——notmisunderstood——wastherightsymbolforthesepeople。

Misunderstoodwastheotherkindofcurse。BothhadbeenbroughtonhisheadbythatfellowHaldin。Andhisheadachedterribly。

Hepassedhishandoverhisbrow——aninvoluntarygestureofsuffering，whichhewastoocarelesstorestrain。

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