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。