her。〃
〃But what is this I have heard about your intention of marrying
her？〃
〃Yes； it was my intention； but she does not wish it。〃
Katerina Ivanovna looked at her nephew with raised brows and
drooping eyeballs； in silent amazement。 Suddenly her face
changed； and with a look of pleasure she said： 〃Well； she is
wiser than you。 Dear me； you are a fool。 And you would have
married her？
〃Most certainly。〃
〃After her having been what she was？〃
〃All the more； since I was the cause of it。〃
〃Well； you are a simpleton；〃 said his aunt； repressing a smile；
〃a terrible simpleton； but it is just because you are such a
terrible simpleton that I love you。〃 She repeated the word；
evidently liking it； as it seemed to correctly convey to her mind
the idea of her nephew's moral state。 〃Do you knowWhat a lucky
chance。 Aline has a wonderful homethe Magdalene Home。 I went
there once。 They are terribly disgusting。 After that I had to
pray continually。 But Aline is devoted to it； body and soul； so
we shall place her thereyours； I mean。〃
〃But she is condemned to Siberia。 I have come on purpose to
appeal about it。 This is one of my requests to you。〃
〃Dear me； and where do you appeal to in this case？〃
〃To the Senate。〃
〃Ah； the Senate！ Yes； my dear Cousin Leo is in the Senate； but he
is in the heraldry department； and I don't know any of the real
ones。 They are all some kind of GermansGay； Fay； Daytout
l'alphabet； or else all sorts of Ivanoffs； Simenoffs； Nikitines；
or else Ivanenkos； Simonenkos； Nikitenkos； pour varier。 Des gens
de l'autre monde。 Well； it is all the same。 I'll tell my husband；
he knows them。 He knows all sorts of people。 I'll tell him； but
you will have to explain； he never understands me。 Whatever I may
say； he always maintains he does not understand it。 C'est un
parti pris； every one understands but only not he。〃
At this moment a footman with stockinged legs came in with a note
on a silver platter。
〃There now； from Aline herself。 You'll have a chance of hearing
Kiesewetter。〃
〃Who is Kiesewetter？〃
〃Kiesewetter？ Come this evening； and you will find out who he is。
He speaks in such a way that the most hardened criminals sink on
their knees and weep and repent。〃
The Countess Katerina Ivanovna； however strange it may seem； and
however little it seemed in keeping with the rest of her
character； was a staunch adherent to that teaching which holds
that the essence of Christianity lies in the belief in
redemption。 She went to meetings where this teaching； then in
fashion； was being preached； and assembled the 〃faithful〃 in her
own house。 Though this teaching repudiated all ceremonies； icons；
and sacraments； Katerina Ivanovna had icons in every room； and
one on the wall above her bed； and she kept all that the Church
prescribed without noticing any contradiction in that。
〃There now； if your Magdalene could hear him she would be
converted；〃 said the Countess。 〃Do stay at home to…night； you
will hear him。 He is a wonderful man。〃
〃It does not interest me； ma tante。〃
〃But I tell you that it is interesting； and you must come home。
Now you may go。 What else do you want of me？ Videz votre sac。〃
〃The next is in the fortress。〃
〃In the fortress？ I can give you a note for that to the Baron
Kriegsmuth。 Cest un tres brave homme。 Oh； but you know him； he
was a comrade of your father's。 Il donne dans le spiritisme。 But
that does not matter； he is a good fellow。 What do you want
there？〃
〃I want to get leave for a mother to visit her son who is
imprisoned there。 But I was told that this did not depend on
Kriegsmuth but on Tcherviansky。〃
〃I do not like Tcherviansky； but he is Mariette's husband； we
might ask her。 She will do it for me。 Elle est tres gentille。〃
〃I have also to petition for a woman who is imprisoned there
without knowing what for。〃
〃No fear； she knows well enough。 They all know it very well； and
it serves them right； those short…haired ＇many advanced women wear
their hair short； like men＇ ones。〃
〃We do not know whether it serves them right or not。 But they
suffer。 You are a Christian and believe in the Gospel teaching
and yet you are so pitiless。〃
〃That has nothing to do with it。 The Gospels are the Gospels； but
what is disgusting remains disgusting。 It would be worse if I
pretended to love Nihilists； especially short…haired women
Nihilists； when I cannot bear them。〃
〃Why can you not bear them？〃
〃You ask why； after the 1st of March？〃 ＇The Emperor Alexander II
was killed on the first of March； old style。＇
〃They did not all take part in it on the 1st of March。〃
〃Never mind； they should not meddle with what is no business of
theirs。 It's not women's business。〃
〃Yet you consider that Mariette may take part in business。〃
〃Mariette？ Mariette is Mariette； and these are goodness knows
what。 Want to teach everybody。〃
〃Not to teach but simply to help the people。〃
〃One knows whom to help and whom not to help without them。〃
〃But the peasants are in great need。 I have just returned from
the country。 Is it necessary； that the peasants should work to
the very limits of their strength and never have sufficient to
eat while we are living in the greatest luxury？〃 said Nekhludoff；
involuntarily led on by his aunt's good nature into telling her
what he was in his thoughts。
〃What do you want； then？ That I should work and not eat
anything？〃
〃No； I do not wish you not to eat。 I only wish that we should all
work and all eat。〃 He could not help smiling as he said it。
Again raising her brow and drooping her eyeballs his aunt look at
him curiously。 〃Mon cher vous finirez mal；〃 she said。
Just then the general； and former minister； Countess Tcharsky's
husband； a tall； broad…shouldered man； came into the room。
〃Ah； Dmitri； how d'you do？〃 he said； turning his freshly…shaved
cheek to Nekhludoff to be kissed。 〃When did you get here？〃 And he
silently kissed his wife on the forehead。
〃Non il est impayable；〃 the Countess said； turning to her
husband。 〃He wants me to go and wash clothes and live on
potatoes。 He is an awful fool； but all the same do what he is
going to ask of you。 A terrible simpleton；〃 she added。 〃Have you
heard？ Kamenskaya is in such despair that they fear for her
life；〃 she said to her husband。 〃You should go and call there。〃
〃Yes； it is dreadful；〃 said her husband。
〃Go along； then； and talk to him。 I must write some letters。〃
Hardly had Nekhludoff stepped into the room next the drawing…room
than she called him back。
〃Shall I write to Mariette； then？〃
〃Please； ma tante。〃
〃I shall leave a blank for what you want to say about the
short…haired one； and she will give her husband his orders； and
he'll do it。 Do not think me wicked； they are all so disgusting；
your prologues； but je ne leur veux pas de mal； bother them。
Well； go； but be sure to stay at home this evening to hear
Kiesewetter； and we shall have some prayers。 And if only you do
not resist cela vous fera beaucoup de bien。 I know your poor
mother and all of you were always very backward in these things。〃
CHAPTER XV。
AN AVERAGE STATESMAN。
Count Ivan Michaelovitch had been a minister； and was a man of
strong convictions。 The convictions of Count Ivan Michaelovitch
consisted in the belief that； just as it was natural for a bird
to feed on worms； to be clothed in feathers and down； and to fly
in the air； so it was natural for him to feed on the choicest and
most expensive food； prepared by highly…paid cooks； to wear the
most comfortable and most expensive clothing； to drive with the
best and fastest horses； and that； therefore； all these things
should be ready found for him。 Besides this； Count Ivan
Michaelovitch considered that the more money he could get out of
the treasury by all sorts of means； the more orders he had；
including different diamond insignia of something or other； and
the oftener he spoke to highly…placed individuals of both sexes；
so much the better it was。
All the rest Count Ivan Michaelovitch considered insignificant
and uninteresting beside these dogmas。 All the rest might be as
it was； or just the reverse。 Count Ivan Michaelovitch lived and
acted according to these lights for 40 years； and at the end of
40 years reached the position of a Minister of State。 The chief
qualities that enabled Count Ivan Michaelovitch to reach this
position were his capacity of understanding the meaning of
documents and laws and of drawing up； though clumsily；
intelligible State papers； and of spelling them correctly；
secondly； his very stately appearance； which enabled him； when
necessary； to seem not only extremely proud； but unapproachable
and majestic； while at other times he could be abjectly and
almost passionately servile； thirdly； the absence of any general
principles or rules； either of personal or administrative
morality； which made it possible for him either to agree or
disagree with anybody according to what was wanted at the time。
When acting thus his only endeavour was to sustain the appearance
of good breeding and not to seem too plainly inconsistent。 As for
his actions being moral or not； in themselves； or whether they
were going to result in the highest welfare or greatest evil for
the whole of the Russian Empire； or even the entire world； that
was quite indifferent to him。 When he became minister； not only
those dependent on him （and there were great many of them） and
people connected with him； but many strangers and even he himself
were convinced that he was a very clever statesman。 But after
some time had elapsed and he had done nothing and had nothing to
show； and when in accordance with the law of the struggle for
existence others； like himself； who had learnt to write and
understand documents； stately and unprincipled officials； had
displaced him； he turned out to be not only far from clever but
very limited and badly educated。 Though self…assured； his views
hardly reaching the level of those in the leading articles of the
Conservative papers； it became apparent that there was nothing in
him to distinguish him from those other badly…educated and
self…assured officials who had pushed him out； and he himself saw
it。 But this did no