登陆注册
15492500000015

第15章 II(7)

The General stared all the time, then addressing the Prince--"We were not without some indications," he said in French. "A good woman who was in the street described to us somebody wearing a dress of the sort as the thrower of the second bomb. We have detained her at the Secretariat, and every one in a Tcherkess coat we could lay our hands on has been brought to her to look at. She kept on crossing herself and shaking her head at them.

It was exasperating. . . ." He turned to Razumov, and in Russian, with friendly reproach--"Take a chair, Mr. Razumov--do. Why are you standing?"

Razumov sat down carelessly and looked at the General.

"This goggle-eyed imbecile understands nothing," he thought.

The Prince began to speak loftily.

"Mr. Razumov is a young man of conspicuous abilities. I have it at heart that his future should not. . . ."

"Certainly," interrupted the General, with a movement of the hand. "Has he any weapons on him, do you think, Mr. Razumov?"

The General employed a gentle musical voice. Razumov answered with suppressed irritation--"No. But my razors are lying about--you understand."

The General lowered his head approvingly.

"Precisely."

Then to the Prince, explaining courteously--"We want that bird alive. It will be the devil if we can't make him sing a little before we are done with him."

The grave-like silence of the room with its mute clock fell upon the polite modulations of this terrible phrase. The Prince, hidden in the chair, made no sound.

The General unexpectedly developed a thought.

"Fidelity to menaced institutions on which depend the safety of a throne and of a people is no child's play. We know that, _mon Prince,_ and--_tenez_--"he went on with a sort of flattering harshness, "Mr. Razumov here begins to understand that too."

His eyes which he turned upon Razumov seemed to be starting out of his head. This grotesqueness of aspect no longer shocked Razumov. He said with gloomy conviction--"Haldin will never speak."

"That remains to be seen," muttered the General.

"I am certain," insisted Razumov. "A man like this never speaks. . . . Do you imagine that I am here from fear?" he added violently. He felt ready to stand by his opinion of Haldin to the last extremity.

"Certainly not," protested the General, with great simplicity of tone. "And I don't mind telling you, Mr. Razumov, that if he had not come with his tale to such a staunch and loyal Russian as you, he would have disappeared like a stone in the water . . . which would have had a detestable effect," he added, with a bright, cruel smile under his stony stare. "So you see, there can be no suspicion of any fear here."

The Prince intervened, looking at Razumov round the back of the armchair.

"Nobody doubts the moral soundness of your action. Be at ease in that respect, pray."

He turned to the General uneasily.

"That's why I am here. You may be surprised why I should . . ."

The General hastened to interrupt.

"Not at all. Extremely natural. You saw the importance. . .

"Yes," broke in the Prince. "And I venture to ask insistently that mine and Mr. Razumov's intervention should not become public. He is a young man of promise--of remarkable aptitudes."

"I haven't a doubt of it," murmured the General. "He inspires confidence."

"All sorts of pernicious views are so widespread nowadays--they taint such unexpected quarters--that, monstrous as it seems, he might suffer. . . . His studies. . . . His. . ."

The General, with his elbows on the desk, took his head between his hands.

"Yes. Yes. I am thinking it out. . . . How long is it since you left him at your rooms, Mr. Razumov?"

Razumov mentioned the hour which nearly corresponded with the time of his distracted flight from the big slum house. He had made up his mind to keep Ziemianitch out of the affair completely. To mention him at all would mean imprisonment for the "bright soul," perhaps cruel floggings, and in the end a journey to Siberia in chains. Razumov, who had beaten Ziemianitch, felt for him now a vague, remorseful tenderness.

The General,giving way for the first time to his secret sentiments, exclaimed contemptuously--"And you say he came in to make you this confidence like this--for nothing--_a propos des bottes_."

Razumov felt danger in the air. The merciless suspicion of despotism had spoken openly at last. Sudden fear sealed Razumov's lips. The silence of the room resembled now the silence of a deep dungeon, where time does not count, and a suspect person is sometimes forgotten for ever. But the Prince came to the rescue.

"Providence itself has led the wretch in a moment of mental aberration to seek Mr. Razumov on the strength of some old, utterly misinterpreted exchange of ideas--some sort of idle speculative conversation--months ago--I am told--and completely forgotten till now by Mr. Razumov."

"Mr. Razumov," queried the General meditatively, after a short silence, "do you often indulge in speculative conversation?"

"No, Excellency," answered Razumov, coolly, in a sudden access of self-confidence. "I am a man of deep convictions. Crude opinions are in the air. They are not always worth combating.

But even the silent contempt of a serious mind may be misinterpreted by headlong utopists."

The General stared from between his hands. Prince K---murmured--"A serious young man. _Un esprit superieur_."

"I see that, _mon cher Prince_," said the General. "Mr. Razumov is quite safe with me. I am interested in him. He has, it seems, the great and useful quality of inspiring confidence.

What I was wondering at is why the other should mention anything at all--I mean even the bare fact alone--if his object was only to obtain temporary shelter for a few hours. For, after all, nothing was easier than to say nothing about it unless, indeed, he were trying, under a crazy misapprehension of your true sentiments, to enlist your assistance--eh, Mr. Razumov?"

It seemed to Razumov that the floor was moving slightly.

This grotesque man in a tight uniform was terrible. It was right that he should be terrible.

同类推荐
  • 全宋文

    全宋文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • GULLIVER'  S TRAVELS

    GULLIVER' S TRAVELS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 杂曲歌辞 盖罗缝

    杂曲歌辞 盖罗缝

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 罂粟花

    罂粟花

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 艺舟双楫

    艺舟双楫

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 莫离深弃

    莫离深弃

    “其实当初你和我结婚就是为了现在,对吗?”“我说过,我对你们家只有恨”那么大的雨连我的眼泪都显得那么脆弱无助
  • 破碎虚空之天道

    破碎虚空之天道

    诸神为执行自己的天道,就创造了天道,前往人间执行天道。天道的任务除了代天执道,还有就是为诸神收集丰富的灵魂力,人间是众界中灵力最丰富的阶层。然而第一百三十一代天道突然叛变,背叛诸神,于是诸神就将天道抹杀。天道传承被断,诸神为了继续自己的统治,便创造天眼族,妄想代替天道再次开启通天塔,恢复对人界灵魂力的剥夺。然而诸神的私欲、天道的背叛都是为了一个古老的阴谋,直到一个少年的出现,改变了这一切。命运的齿轮在一次转动······为了保护心爱之人,为了再次与玄帝一战,三世重生的他这一世他要逆天改命,守护一切。
  • 奇迹学生

    奇迹学生

    来自21世纪的大学生穿越自令狐冲与东方不败的时代,人心险恶的江湖,你争我夺的武林秘籍,大学生投入华山门下,如何修的一身绝世武功,如何识奸辩善,为何成为武林公敌,满世界招追杀,.....一切尽在此书中
  • 快穿女配系统:反派我来了

    快穿女配系统:反派我来了

    作者已死在床上。对于这所发生的一切,苏然扶额,被从天而降的花盆砸死这种掉智商的事她才不会承认,不过这个系统是怎么回事?嗯,好,完成你妹的任务(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻苏然:矮油,我是被逼迫勾搭你的(????),不要那么介意嘛墨易寒:这麽说,小东西,你不喜欢我喽,嗯,必须惩罚......【无女配,无小三,无虐】
  • 痴男独宠:小小教师要反天

    痴男独宠:小小教师要反天

    她仙姿貌美,任性狂妄,偶遇高人,文武双全。上一世她欠了谁的情债,今生到底还要不要还?
  • 穿梭时空的系统

    穿梭时空的系统

    你想过穿越时空回到从前吗?你想过回到从前,改变自己的人生吗?时空穿越系统满足你,回到过去,改变未来,打造一个流弊的自己吧!!!!!
  • 封圣演义

    封圣演义

    混沌初开,金乌现世,妖族有二帝,一为天帝帝俊,一为东皇太一,不料大荒变幻,太一身死。继承金乌血脉少年宁歌授予重任,却未曾想到卷入大荒一场大阴谋之中。
  • 守护甜心之紫殇幻梦

    守护甜心之紫殇幻梦

    一个大雨纷飞的夜晚,日奈森亚梦的美丽的梦也在此夜终结,从此化身为复仇女王,却不想竟和璃茉是首富女儿!阴差阳错,她又变身成为蓝羽家的大小姐,一举夺得首富之位,她放下仇恨,恋上凌家大少爷。可上天注定了不会让她的一生如意,她曾经喜欢上的他,根本到最后还是负了她怀上了凌家的小少爷却意外流产,从此,她的报仇对象变为她。“不好意思啊,夏小姐,有没有听过一句话,杀人偿命,欠债还钱!”“原来我的一生,终究还是还给了天地……”她为了六界,放弃了自己的生命,原来,她的使命早晚都归于这个世界,她烟消云散、香消玉损,化作灵光散播世界命运的安排,时间的轮回,一切都妙不可言……
  • 邪灵剑帝

    邪灵剑帝

    修炼一途,乃逆天之路,非大毅力者,绝无可能成就大业。凌笑穿越到异界,附身在一个地位还不如家中奴仆的少爷身上,在这个以武为尊的世界,既然来了,就要留下一段神话。醉卧美人膝,醒掌天下权,这才是自己想要的。看凌笑如何斩杀一路强敌,成就一番大业
  • TFBOYS之平凡

    TFBOYS之平凡

    为什么tfboys爱的人只能是千金,我就偏要写他们爱的是平凡的家的人。前一两天有可能不好看,但是后面的会好看一些。如果他们不是一见钟情,如果那些女生不是千金,他们又会发生什么呢?赶快来看一下吧!