Chapter 23 Four

They passed again through the rooms through which the prince had already passed, Rogozhin a little ahead, and the prince closely behind him.They walked into a hall.There are several oil paintings hanging on the walls here, all of which are portraits and landscapes of bishops, and because of the darkness of the pictures, nothing can be seen clearly.Above the door leading into the other room hung a painting of rather curious form, about two and a half yards wide, but not more than six yards high.It depicts the Savior just removed from the cross.The Duke glanced at the painting briefly, as if thinking of something, but without stopping to look at it, he wanted to go out the door.He felt bad and wanted to leave the house quickly.But Rogozhin stopped suddenly before the picture.

"Look, all the pictures here," said he, "were bought at the auction for a ruble or two by my late father, who liked to paint. A man of knowledge went over all the pictures here, and he Said: They are all rubbish, only this one (the one on the door, which was also bought for two rubles) is not rubbish, and someone bid three hundred and fifty rubles to buy this painting from my late father, and there is another Savelyev's merchant, named Ivan Dmitrich, liked to paint, and even offered four hundred rubles. And last week, someone offered five hundred rubles to his brother Semyon Semyonitch. One hundred. I just kept this painting."

"This... this is a copy of a painting by Hans Holbein." The Duke said after examining the painting, "I am not a great connoisseur, but I can see that this painting is copied very well." Very well. I have seen this painting in a foreign country, and I will never forget it. But... what's the matter with you..." Rogozhin suddenly put down the painting and walked forward by the same road he had taken.Of course, Rogozhin's absent-mindedness, together with the peculiar and strange agitation that suddenly appeared in him, may explain the reason for his intermittent hot and cold, but the prince was still a little surprised that the conversation should be interrupted so suddenly. He said: it was not he who started it, but Rogozhin ignored what he said.

"Lev Nikolayevich, I've wanted to ask you for a long time, do you believe in God?" Rogozhin asked suddenly after walking a few steps. "What a strange question you ask, and... your eyes are also strange!" the Duke said inadvertently. "I like to look at this painting." After a moment of silence, Rogozhin muttered again, as if he had forgotten the question he had just asked. "Like this picture!" exclaimed the prince, suddenly struck by an idea, "like looking at this picture! But someone will lose faith after seeing this picture!" "Exactly." Rogozhin suddenly and unexpectedly affirmed.By this time they had come close to the door.

"Why?" the prince stopped suddenly. "What are you talking about! I made a joke, and you took it seriously! Besides, why do you ask me if I believe in God?" "Nothing, just ask, I wanted to ask you a long time ago. Aren't there many people who don't believe in God now? Someone told me drunkenly that in Russia there are more people who don't believe in God than in the whole world There are more people combined, you have lived abroad, how about that, is that right? He said: 'It is easier for us to do this than them, because we have traveled farther than them.'…”

Rogozhin smiled wryly. After he had finished asking his own question, he grabbed the handle of the door lock, opened the door abruptly, and waited for the prince to go out.The Duke was surprised, but went out anyway.Rogozhin followed him to the landing and closed the door behind him.They stood facing each other, and both seemed to have forgotten where they were going and what they were doing. "Farewell," said the Duke, holding out his hand. "Farewell," said Rogozhin, firmly but mechanically grasping the hand the prince offered him. The Duke went down a flight of stairs and turned around again.

"About Faith," he began with a smile (he obviously did not want to leave Rogozhin in this way), besides, something suddenly occurred to him, and the thought of it made him excited again, "About Faith, last week, Four different things happened to me in two days. In the morning, I took a train on a newly built railway, and talked for about four hours with a Mr. S, with whom I immediately became friends. I He used to be said of him a lot, as an atheist. He was a very learned man, and I was glad to be able to talk to a man who was really learned. Besides, he was one of the rare very educated men, So he talked to me as if I were his exact equal in knowledge and understanding. He didn't believe in God. But one thing surprised me: he talked as if there was no I'm also amazed at the point, because I've met a lot of people who don't believe in God in the past, and I've read a lot of books about it, but I always feel, whether it's said or written, it seems Didn't get to the point at all, although on the surface, it seemed to be talking about that issue. I explained my idea to him at the time, but maybe I didn't make it clear, or I was not good at expressing it, because he didn't listen to anything I understand... I was staying at an inn in the county town at night. There was a murder in this inn. It happened just last night, so I heard everyone talking about it when I arrived. Two peasants, both They are not drunk, and they have known each other for a long time. They are friends. They drank tea and wanted to sleep together and live in the same hut. But in the last two days, a farmer accidentally discovered that another farmer had a piece of silver A watch, hung on a watch chain strung with yellow beads, which he probably did not know he had before. The man was not a thief, he was even innocent and honest, and not poor at all by the standards of a peasant. But he liked this watch very much, it was very tempting to him, and he finally couldn't stand the temptation: he picked up the knife, and when his friend turned around, he tiptoed behind him, aimed it, and then raised his head to look at the watch. God, crossed himself, prayed silently in agony: 'Lord, for Christ's sake, forgive me!'--then slashed his friend in the head, and plucked his friend like a sheep his watch."

Rogozhin laughed out loud.He laughed out loud, as if sick, having a fit.He was frowning just now, but now he is laughing. It's really puzzling to see him like this. "That's what I like! No, it's just wonderful!" he cried convulsively, almost out of breath. "One doesn't believe in God at all, and the other not only believes in God, but believes it even more when he kills." Pray... No, duke, you can't make it up! Hahaha! No, it's wonderful! . . . " "Early the next morning, I was walking through the streets," the prince went on, although Rogozhin was still laughing convulsively and writhingly, but when his laughter stopped, "I saw a shabby, drunk The soldier was swaying here and there on the plank sidewalk. He came up to me and said: 'Sir, buy this cross, silver, and it will only cost you twenty kopecks, silver!' I saw In his hand he held a crucifix, which had probably just been taken off his body, and which was still fastened by a light-blue, well-worn strap, but it was obvious at a glance that it was no more than a real tin crucifix, of considerable size. , octagonal, engraved with Byzantine patterns. I took out a twenty-copeck note, gave it to him, and immediately hung the cross on myself—you could see from his face that he was very proud of it. , because he has cheated the stupid old man, and no doubt he will immediately go and buy wine with the money he got from the crucifix. When I returned to Russia, my brother, I saw a lot of strange things, At that time, I was very impressed and full of emotions. In the past, I didn’t know anything about our Russia, and gradually grew up like a dumb animal. During the five years I lived abroad, I was full of fantasy when thinking of Russia. As I walked, I thought: No, just don’t gossip about this man who betrayed Christ. Only God knows what these drunken people are thinking. An hour later, on the way back to the inn, I met a country woman again. Holding the nursing child. This woman is very young, and the child is only six or seven weeks old. The child smiles at her. According to her observation, this is the first time he has smiled since he was born. I watched her draw very reverently. I made a sign of the cross. I asked her: "Sister, what are you doing?" (I asked everything at the time.) She said: "A mother finds her child laughing for the first time. The joy of being a mother is like this. Just Like God's joy in heaven whenever he sees a sinner kneeling before Him in all sincerity and prayer.' That's what the woman said to me, almost in her own words, and she uttered That very deep, very thorough, and truly religious thought, in which the essence of Christianity is revealed at once, that is, we should regard God as our own father and God's pleasure in man. The joy of a father in his own child—that was the chief thought of Christ! An ordinary woman! A mother, to be sure... But who knows, maybe this woman is the soldier's wife. Listen to me , Parfen, you asked me just now, and this is my answer: the essence of religious feeling can neither be reduced to any discourse, nor can it be reduced to any sense of fault and guilt, and it cannot be reduced to the contradictions of atheism against religion. Here Don't have an inexpressible meaning, never have a meaning. Atheistic gossip, always scratching the surface, specious, never getting the point. But the main thing is that you can see most clearly in the Russian mind, Seeing this most quickly, this is my conclusion! This is my main belief that I took with me when I left Russia. Much can be done, Parfen! Believe me!trust me.There is still much to be done on our Russian soil!Just think, when we were in Moscow, there was a time when we saw each other a lot, and talked a lot... I never thought I would come back here now!Also, I never thought of meeting you at all!Well, what can I do! ... Farewell, goodbye!May God not forsake you! "

He turned away and started down the stairs. "Lev Nikolaevich!" Parfen called from upstairs, when the prince reached the landing at the first turning, "do you have the crucifix you and the soldier bought with you? " "Yes, on me." So the Duke stopped again. "Bring it up and show me." Another strange thing happened!He thought about it!Going upstairs, he showed him his crucifix, but did not take it off his neck. "Give it to me," said Rogozhin. "What are you doing? Don't you..." The Duke didn't want to part with him, and he didn't want to give away the cross.

"I want to wear it, I'll take mine down and give it to you, you wear it." "Do you want to exchange crosses? Yes, Parffin. If so, I am willing to obey, and we will become brothers." The duke took off his tin crucifix, Parffin his gold crucifix, and they exchanged.Parffin remained silent.With a heavy heart the prince was surprised to see that the old distrust, the old bitter smile, which was almost mocking, still seemed to have remained, at least for a moment, on the face of his sworn brother.At last Rogozhin silently took the prince's hand and stood there for a moment, as if desiring to do something but undecided.At last he suddenly pulled the Duke away, saying in a very low voice, "Come with me." They crossed the second landing and rang the bell opposite the door from which they had just come.The door was quickly opened to them, and a stooped old woman in black with a turban bowed silently and lowly to Rogozhin.Rogozhin asked her something hastily, and without waiting for an answer, he led the prince through the hall and continued on.They walked through some dark rooms, which were unusually cold and clean. The rooms were furnished with ancient furniture and covered with clean white cloth covers, which looked very cold and solemn.Rogozhin led the prince without warning into a small room, which looked like a living room, separated by walls of polished mahogany, with doors on either side, and behind one of the doors was probably a bedroom.In a corner of the living room, near the fireplace, sat in an easy chair a thin old lady, not too old in appearance, and even had a rather healthy and cheerful face, with a round face, but already full of hair. White hair, it can be concluded at first glance that she has completely rejuvenated and turned into an old child.She was wearing a long black wool dress, a large black scarf around her neck, and a clean white hair cap with a black ribbon on her head.Her feet rested on a small bench.Sitting next to her was another cleanly dressed old woman, slightly older than her, also wearing a filial piety dress and a white cap. She seemed to be accompanying an old woman, and she was knitting socks silently.The two of them have probably been silent and silent relative to each other.The first old woman, seeing Rogozhin and the prince, smiled at them and greeted them with several friendly nods.

"Mother," said Rogozhin, kissing her hand, "this is my good friend, Prince Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin, with whom I exchanged crosses. In Moscow, There was a time when he treated me like a brother and helped me a lot. Mom, please bless him as you bless your own son. Wait, old man, it should be like this, let me take your hand Pinch well..." But before Rogozhin could make a move, the old lady raised her right hand, pinched three fingers together, and made the cross to the prince three times reverently.Then she nodded to him amiably. "Well, let's go, Lev Nikolaevich," said Parfin, "I brought you here for this..." When they were out the door again and onto the stairs, he added: "Actually, when I talked to her, she didn't understand anything, and she didn't understand a word I said, but she still blessed you, which shows that she is voluntary...Okay, goodbye, it's time for us to break up." He said and opened the door of his room. "You are a queer man, and I should give you a hug at parting!" exclaimed the prince, looking at him with tender reproach, and wanted to embrace him.But just as Parfin raised his hands, he immediately put them down again.He couldn't make up his mind.He didn't turn away from looking at the Duke, he didn't want to hug him. "Don't be afraid! Although I took your cross, I will never kill someone because of a watch!" He muttered vaguely, and suddenly laughed a little strangely.But all at once his face changed: he became terribly pale, his lips began to tremble, and sparks sparkled in his eyes.He threw up his hands, embraced the prince tightly, and said breathlessly: "You marry her, I accept my fate! She is yours! I will give it to you! ... Remember Rogozhin!" After saying that, he left the Duke without looking at him, and hurried into his room, slamming the door behind him.