Chapter 126 Part Three - Twenty Two

The carriage went up the slope, and the coachman turned around and asked: "Which hotel will I take you to?" "Which one is better?" "The best is the Siberia Hotel. Or the Jukov Hotel is also good." "Then whatever you want." The coachman sat sideways on the driver's seat again and accelerated to drive.This city, like all Russian cities, has houses with garrets and green roofs, a cathedral, small shops, great shops in the streets, and even a policeman.It's just that the houses are almost all made of wood, and the streets are not paved with stones.On reaching the busiest street, the coachman parked his car in front of a hotel.But there was no vacant room in this hotel, and I got another one.There is one vacant room in this other hotel.Thus for the first time in two months Nekhludoff found himself in the clean and comfortable surroundings to which he was accustomed.Although Nekhludoff's rented room was not luxurious, it was still very comfortable after life in stagecoaches, inns, and inns.He had to get rid of the lice first, since he had never been completely rid of the lice since he had been in and out of the station.After unpacking, he went to the bathhouse at once to take a bath, then changed into city clothes, starched shirt, crumpled trousers, frock coat, and overcoat, and went out to call on the local magistrate.The hotel porter called for a street carriage.It was a creaking four-wheeled carriage, and a tall, fat and strong Kyrgyz horse was harnessed.The coachman drove Nekhludoff to the gate of a splendid mansion, where guards and policemen stood.There are gardens in front of and behind the house. The leaves of poplars and birches in the garden have all fallen, exposing bare branches, but the fir trees, pine trees and firs mixed with them are dense and green and lovely.

The general is not feeling well and sees no visitors.Nekhludoff still asked the footman to send in his card.The page came back with a satisfactory reply: "The general is welcome." The antechamber, the footmen, the orderly, the staircase, and the polished parquet-floored drawing-room were all like Petersburg, only dirtier and staid.Nekhludoff was led into the study. The general had a swollen face, a potato-like nose, several pimples on his forehead, a bald head, and bags under his eyes. He was a sanguine man.He was dressed in a Tatar silk robe, and sat drinking tea from a silver cup with a cigarette in his hand.

"Hello, sir! Please don't take offense at my meeting in a nightgown, but it's better than never at all," he said, pulling up his robe over his thick neck, which was knotted with fat at the nape. "I'm not in good health, so I didn't go out. What brought you to this remote town of ours?" "I have come with a party of prisoners, among whom there is a man close to me," said Nekhludoff. "It is partly because of this man that I am now begging your Excellency, and there is another matter." The general took a deep draw on his cigarette, sipped his tea, put out his cigarette on the malachite ashtray, fixed Nekhludoff with his small, puffy, bright eyes, and listened gravely. .He interrupted Nekhludoff only once to ask him if he wanted a cigarette.

Some learned soldiers tend to think that liberal and humanitarian ideas can be reconciled with their profession.This general is that kind of guy.But he was naturally clever and kind, and soon found that this was impossible to reconcile.In order to relieve his recurring inner troubles, he indulged more and more in the alcoholic habit prevailing in the military, and now, after thirty-five years of military service, he was what doctors call an alcoholic.Alcohol was soaked in every cell of his body.He'll drink anything as long as he feels intoxicated.Drinking had become an absolute necessity in his life, and he couldn't get by without it.Every evening he was always very drunk, but he was used to this state, so he would not walk shakyly, and his speech would not be too inappropriate.Even if he said something stupid, because of his prominent position, people would take it as a warning motto.Only on the mornings when Nekhludoff came to see him did he appear to be a sober man, able to understand what was said, and to confirm his beloved proverb: "It is rare and precious to drink without being foolish." The authorities knew he was a drunkard, but he was a little more educated than the others (although his knowledge was still at the pre-drinking level), and he was bold, flexible, and dignified, and he would not lose his status even when drunk, So let him remain in this eminent position.

Nekhludoff told him that the person he was concerned about was a woman who had been wrongly convicted and that a court order had been filed in her case. "Oh! so what?" said the general. "The Petersburg side promised me that the news about the fate of this woman will be notified to me within this month at the latest, and the notice will be sent here..." Still staring at Nekhludoff, the general rang the bell on the table with his short-fingered hand, then, puffing smoke, cleared his throat very loudly, and continued listening in silence. "So I have a request, if possible, to keep her here temporarily until the approval of the pleading is received."

At this moment, a footman in uniform, an orderly, entered. "Go and ask if Anna Vasilyevna is up," said the general to the orderly, "and bring me some tea. So, what else do you want?" the general asked Nekhludoff. "I have one more request," said Nekhludoff, "that concerns one of the prisoners who is a political prisoner." "Oh, that's right!" said the general, nodding meaningfully. "He's very sick, he's dying. He's got to stay in the hospital here. There is a female political prisoner who is willing to stay and take care of him. "

"Is she not his relation?" "No, but as long as she can stay and take care of him, she is ready to marry him." The general listened to Nekhludoff with his piercing eyes fixed on him, evidently intending to make him squirm.He kept smoking. When Nekhludoff had finished speaking, he took a book from the table, quickly wet his fingers, turned the pages, found the articles on marriage, and read them. "What sentence did she get?" he asked, raising his eyes. "She was sentenced to hard labor." "Oh, if you are sentenced to this kind of sentence, even if you get married, you can't improve your treatment."

"But you should know..." "Pray let me finish. Even if a free man were to marry her, she would still have to serve her sentence. Here is the question: who is to be sentenced more severely, he or she?" "They were both sentenced to hard labor." "Well, that's the right match," said the general, laughing. "She will be treated as he is. He can stay if he is sick," he went on, "and of course try to alleviate his suffering as much as possible. But even if she marries him, she cannot stay here..." "The general's wife is having coffee," reported the orderly.

The general nodded and continued: "But let me think about it again. What are their names? Write it here, please." Nekhludoff wrote down their names. "I can't do anything about it," said the general when Nekhludoff asked to see the sick man. "Of course I have no doubts about you," he said. "You care about him, you care about other people, and you have money. Money is indeed a magic trick here. The higher-ups want me to eliminate bribery completely. But everyone accepts it now." How can we get rid of bribes? The smaller the official position, the more bribes he receives. Well, how can he find out that he took bribes five thousand versts away? He is a local emperor over there, just like I am here," he said. Here comes a laugh. "But you probably meet with political prisoners a lot, and they let you in after you give money, don't you?" he said with a smile. "Is that the case?"

"Yes, indeed." "I understand that you must. You want to see the political prisoner. You pity him. So the warden or the guard accepts the bribe, because his salary is only a few dollars, and he has to support his family, so he must accept the bribe." If I had been in his position, or yours, I would have done the same. But in my position, I cannot allow myself to violate the strictest letter of the law, or else I am a human being and would be sympathetic. My heart. But I am a law enforcement officer, and I can only be trusted by certain conditions. I can't live up to this trust. Well, this matter will stop here. Then, tell me now, what news is there in your capital?"

So the general began to ask questions, and at the same time expressed his own opinions, clearly wanting to listen to the news and also want to show his knowledge and humanitarian spirit.