dead souls(死魂灵)-第86部分

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course　available；　seeing　that　the　affair　is　one　of　the　most　disgraceful　nature；　and　calls　aloud　for　justice。　Therefore；　although　I　know　that　to　some　my　action　will　fail　to　serve　as　a　lesson；　since　it　will　lead　to　their　succeeding　to　the　posts　of　dismissed　officials；　as　well　as　that　others　hitherto　considered　honourable　will　lose　their　reputation；　and　others　entrusted　with　new　responsibilities　will　continue　to　cheat　and　betray　their　trust；although　all　this　is　known　to　me；　I　still　have　no　choice　but　to　satisfy　the　claims　of　justice　by　proceeding　to　take　stern　measures。　I　am　also　aware　that　I　shall　be　accused　of　undue　severity；　but；　lastly；　I　am　aware　that　it　is　my　duty　to　put　aside　all　personal　feeling；　and　to　act　as　the　unconscious　instrument　of　that　retribution　which　justice　demands。〃

Over　ever　face　there　passed　a　shudder。　Yet　the　Prince　had　spoken　calmly；　and　not　a　trace　of　anger　or　any　other　kind　of　emotion　had　been　visible　on　his　features。

〃Nevertheless；〃　he　went　on；　〃the　very　man　in　whose　hands　the　fate　of　so　many　now　lies；　the　very　man　whom　no　prayer　for　mercy　could　ever　have　influenced；　himself　desires　to　make　a　request　of　you。　Should　you　grant　that　request；　all　will　be　forgotten　and　blotted　out　and　pardoned；　for　I　myself　will　intercede　with　the　Throne　on　your　behalf。　That　request　is　this。　I　know　that　by　no　manner　of　means；　by　no　preventive　measures；　and　by　no　penalties　will　dishonesty　ever　be　completely　extirpated　from　our　midst；　for　the　reason　that　its　roots　have　struck　too　deep；　and　that　the　dishonourable　traffic　in　bribes　has　become　a　necessity　to；　even　the　mainstay　of；　some　whose　nature　is　not　innately　venal。　Also；　I　know　that；　to　many　men；　it　is　an　impossibility　to　swim　against　the　stream。　Yet　now；　at　this　solemn　and　critical　juncture；　when　the　country　is　calling　aloud　for　saviours；　and　it　is　the　duty　of　every　citizen　to　contribute　and　to　sacrifice　his　all；　I　feel　that　I　cannot　but　issue　an　appeal　to　every　man　in　whom　a　Russian　heart　and　a　spark　of　what　we　understand　by　the　word　'nobility'　exist。　For；　after　all；　which　of　us　is　more　guilty　than　his　fellow？　It　may　be　to　ME　the　greatest　culpability　should　be　assigned；　in　that　at　first　I　may　have　adopted　towards　you　too　reserved　an　attitude；　that　I　may　have　been　over…hasty　in　repelling　those　who　desired　but　to　serve　me；　even　though　of　their　services　I　did　not　actually　stand　in　need。　Yet；　had　they　really　loved　justice　and　the　good　of　their　country；　I　think　that　they　would　have　been　less　prone　to　take　offence　at　the　coldness　of　my　attitude；　but　would　have　sacrificed　their　feelings　and　their　personality　to　their　superior　convictions。　For　hardly　can　it　be　that　I　failed　to　note　their　overtures　and　the　loftiness　of　their　motives；　or　that　I　would　not　have　accepted　any　wise　and　useful　advice　proffered。　At　the　same　time；　it　is　for　a　subordinate　to　adapt　himself　to　the　tone　of　his　superior；　rather　than　for　a　superior　to　adapt　himself　to　the　tone　of　his　subordinate。　Such　a　course　is　at　once　more　regular　and　more　smooth　of　working；　since　a　corps　of　subordinates　has　but　one　director；　whereas　a　director　may　have　a　hundred　subordinates。　But　let　us　put　aside　the　question　of　comparative　culpability。　The　important　point　is；　that　before　us　all　lies　the　duty　of　rescuing　our　fatherland。　Our　fatherland　is　suffering；　not　from　the　incursion　of　a　score　of　alien　tongues；　but　from　our　own　acts；　in　that；　in　addition　to　the　lawful　administration；　there　has　grown　up　a　second　administration　possessed　of　infinitely　greater　powers　than　the　system　established　by　law。　And　that　second　administration　has　established　its　conditions；　fixed　its　tariff　of　prices；　and　published　that　tariff　abroad；　nor　could　any　ruler；　even　though　the　wisest　of　legislators　and　administrators；　do　more　to　correct　the　evil　than　limit　it　in　the　conduct　of　his　more　venal　tchinovniks　by　setting　over　them；　as　their　supervisors；　men　of　superior　rectitude。　No；　until　each　of　us　shall　come　to　feel　that；　just　as　arms　were　taken　up　during　the　period　of　the　upheaval　of　nations；　so　now　each　of　us　must　make　a　stand　against　dishonesty；　all　remedies　will　end　in　failure。　As　a　Russian；　thereforeas　one　bound　to　you　by　consanguinity　and　identity　of　bloodI　make　to　you　my　appeal。　I　make　it　to　those　of　you　who　understand　wherein　lies　nobility　of　thought。　I　invite　those　men　to　remember　the　duty　which　confronts　us；　whatsoever　our　respective　stations；　I　invite　them　to　observe　more　closely　their　duty；　and　to　keep　more　constantly　in　mind　their　obligations　of　holding　true　to　their　country；　in　that　before　us　the　future　looms　dark；　and　that　we　can　scarcely。　。　。　。〃

　　　＇Here　the　manuscript　of　the　original　comes　abruptly　to　an　end。＇





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