Part 8 (1/2)

As he said these words he looked urbanely at Litvinov and smiled condescendingly. 'A man of honour ought never under any circ.u.mstances to disown his convictions. Don't you think so?'

'Of course,' rejoined the irritable general, darting a look at Litvinov, and as it were indirectly attacking him, 'but I don't see the necessity....'

'No, no,' the condescending general interposed with the same mildness, 'your friend, Valerian Vladimirovitch, just referred to the sale of gentlemen's estates. Well? Is not that a fact?'

'But it's impossible to sell them nowadays; n.o.body wants them!' cried the irritable general.

'Perhaps ... perhaps. For that very reason we ought to proclaim that fact ... that sad fact at every step. We are ruined ... very good; we are beggared ... there's no disputing about that; but we, the great owners, we still represent a principle ... _un principe_. To preserve that principle is our duty. _Pardon, madame_, I think you dropped your handkerchief. When some, so to say, darkness has come over even the highest minds, we ought submissively to point out (the general held out his finger) with the finger of a citizen the abyss to which everything is tending. We ought to warn, we ought to say with respectful firmness, 'turn back, turn back.... That is what we ought to say.'

'There's no turning back altogether, though,' observed Ratmirov moodily.

The condescending general only grinned.

'Yes, altogether, altogether, _mon tres cher_. The further back the better.'

The general again looked courteously at Litvinov. The latter could not stand it.

'Are we to return as far as the Seven Boyars, your excellency?'

'Why not? I express my opinion without hesitation; we must undo ... yes ... undo all that has been done.'

'And the emanc.i.p.ation of the serfs.'

'And the emanc.i.p.ation ... as far as that is possible. _On est patriote ou on ne l'est pas._ ”And freedom?” they say to me. Do you suppose that freedom is prized by the people? Ask them----'

'Just try,' broke in Litvinov, 'taking that freedom away again.'

'_Comment nommez-vous ce monsieur?_' whispered the general to Ratmirov.

'What are you discussing here?' began the stout general suddenly. He obviously played the part of the spoilt child of the party. 'Is it all about the newspapers? About penny-a-liners? Let me tell you a little anecdote of what happened to me with a scribbling fellow--such a lovely thing. I was told he had written a libel on me. Well, of course, I at once had him brought before me. They brought me the penny-a-liner.

'”How was it,” said I, ”my dear chap, you came to write this libel? Was your patriotism too much for you?” ”Yes, it was too much,” says he.

”Well,” says I, ”and do you like money?” ”Yes,” says he. Then, gentlemen, I gave him the k.n.o.b of my cane to sniff at. ”And do you like that, my angel?” ”No,” says he, ”I don't like that.” ”But sniff it as you ought,” says I, ”my hands are clean.” ”I don't like it,” says he, ”and that's all.” ”But I like it very much, my angel,” says I, ”though not for myself. Do you understand that allegory, my treasure?” ”Yes,”

says he. ”Then mind and be a good boy for the future, and now here's a rouble sterling for you; go away and be grateful to me night and day,”

and so the scribbling chap went off.'

The general burst out laughing and again every one followed his example--every one except Irina, who did not even smile and looked darkly at the speaker.

The condescending general slapped Boris on the shoulder.

'That's all your invention, O friend of my bosom.... You threatening any one with a stick.... You haven't got a stick. _C'est pour faire rire ces dames._ For the sake of a good story. But that's not the point. I said just now that we must turn back completely. Understand me. I am not hostile to so-called progress, but all these universities and seminaries, and popular schools, these students, priests' sons, and commoners, all these small fry, _tout ce fond du sac, la pet.i.te propriete, pire que le proletariat_ (the general uttered this in a languis.h.i.+ng, almost faint voice) _voila ce qui m'effraie_ ... that's where one ought to draw the line, and make other people draw it too.'

(Again he gave Litvinov a genial glance.) 'Yes, one must draw the line.

Don't forget that among us no one makes any demand, no one is asking for anything. Local government, for instance--who asks for that? Do you ask for it? or you, or you? or you, _mesdames_? You rule not only yourselves but all of us, you know.' (The general's handsome face was lighted up by a smile of amus.e.m.e.nt.) 'My dear friends, why should we curry favour with the mult.i.tude. You like democracy, it flatters you, and serves your ends ... but you know it's a double weapon. It is better in the old way, as before ... far more secure. Don't deign to reason with the herd, trust in the aristocracy, in that alone is power.... Indeed it will be better.

And progress ... I certainly have nothing against progress. Only don't give us lawyers and sworn juries and elective officials ... only don't touch discipline, discipline before all things--you may build bridges, and quays, and hospitals, and why not light the streets with gas?'

'Petersburg has been set on fire from one end to the other, so there you have your progress!' hissed the irritable general.

'Yes, you're a mischievous fellow, I can see,' said the stout general, shaking his head lazily; 'you would do for a chief-prosecutor, but in my opinion _avec Orphee aux enfers le progres a dit son dernier mot_.'