Chapter 129 Part Three - Twenty Five

The gloomy prison, with guards standing in front of the gate and wind lanterns at the gate, although it is covered with a layer of white snow, the gate, roof and walls are all white, and although the rows of windows on the front of the prison are brightly lit, Nekhludoff's impression was even darker than in the morning. The majestic warden went up to the gate, approached the lamp, looked at the passes of Nekhludoff and the Englishman, shrugged his strong shoulders in bewilderment, but obeyed the order to invite the two visitors. follow him in.He led them first into the courtyard, then through the door on the right and up the stairs to the office.He sat them down and asked them what they could do for him.When he heard that Nekhludoff wanted to see Maslova, he sent the guards to fetch her, while he himself was going to answer the questions the Englishman put to him through Nekhludoff's interpreter.

"How many people can be accommodated in this prison?" asked the Englishman. "How many people are imprisoned now? How many men, how many women, how many children? How many convicts, how many exiles, how many volunteers? How many sick people?" Nekhludoff was interpreting for the Englishman and the warden, without thinking about what they said.He could not help feeling a little nervous at the thought of his impending meeting with Katyusha.He was halfway through translating for the British when he heard approaching footsteps, and the door of his office opened.See "Ethics", "Beauty, as in previous prison visits, first a guard came in, followed by Katyusha wearing a prison uniform and a turban. When he saw Katyusha, he immediately felt heavy.

"I want to live, I want a family, I want children, I want to live a human life," the thought passed through Nekhludoff's mind when Katusha walked quickly into the room without raising her eyes. He stood up and took a few steps towards her.He thought her face was serious and pained, just like the last time she had scolded him.Her face turned red and white, and her fingers curled convulsively at the hem of her dress.She looked at him for a while, and lowered her eyes for a while. "The commutation of the sentence has been granted, did you know?" said Nekhludoff. "Got it, the guard told me."

"In this way, as soon as the official papers arrive, you can live wherever you like. Let us consider..." She quickly interrupted him: "What can I think about? Wherever Simonson goes, I will go with him." In spite of her agitation, she raised her eyes to Nekhludoff, and said these two words quickly and clearly, as if she had prepared them in advance. "Oh, yes!" said Nekhludoff. "Well, Dmitri Ivanitch, if he wants to live with me," she stopped, realizing she had slipped, and then corrected herself, "if he wants me to stay with him, I'll What better hope could there be? I should consider it my good fortune. What else could I expect?  …”

"Maybe she is really in love with Simonsson, and doesn't want me to make any sacrifices for her; maybe she still loves me, rejects me for my own good, is willing to break the boat and combine her fate with Simonsson. The two must go together." One," thought Nekhludoff, feeling ashamed.He felt himself blushing. "If you love him..." he said. "I don't like it! I've lost that idea a long time ago. But Simonsson is really different from other people." "Yes, of course," Nekhludoff continued. "He's a very good guy, I think..."

She interrupted him again, as if afraid that he might say something inappropriate, or that she might not have time to say all she had to say. "Well, Dmitri Ivanitch, forgive me if I don't do what you like," she said, looking mysteriously into his eyes with her squinting eyes. "Well, that seems to be the way to go. You have to live yourself." She said exactly what he had thought just now, but now he thought otherwise, his thoughts and feelings were completely changed.He was not only ashamed but sorry that he had lost her ever since. "I really didn't expect this to happen," he said.

"Why do you stay here and suffer? You've had enough," she said, with a strange smile. "I have not suffered. I am doing well. If possible, I would like to help you." "We," she said, "we," she glanced at Nekhludoff, "we don't need anything. You've done enough for me. If it weren't for you..." she wanted to say something, but the voice trembled. "You don't have to thank me, no," said Nekhludoff. "Why settle accounts? God will settle our accounts," she said, her dark eyes glistening with tears. "What a woman you are!" he said.

"Hello?" she said through tears, her face radiant with a wretched smile. "How are you?" asked the Englishman at this moment. "Soon," Nekhludoff replied.Then he asked Katyusha about Kryltzoff. -------- ①②The original text is English. She forced herself to compose herself, and calmly told him what she knew: Kryltzov was very weak on the road and had been taken to the hospital on arrival.Shekinina was very worried and asked to go to the hospital to take care of him, but she was not allowed. "Shall I go then?" she said, noticing that the Englishman was waiting for Nekhludoff.

"I won't say goodbye to you now, I will see you again," said Nekhludoff. "I beg your pardon," she said, almost inaudibly.Their eyes met.From the strange sidelong look in her eyes, from the sad smile she said "Excuse me" instead of "Then we parted," Nekhludoff understood that the latter was the reason for her decision.She loved him and thought that by marrying him she would ruin his life, and that by walking away with Simonsson she would set him free.Now she was happy that her wish had been fulfilled, and at the same time sad that she was going to part with him.

She shook his hand, hurriedly turned and walked out of the office. Nekhludoff glanced back at the Englishman, and was about to go with him, but the Englishman was writing something down in his notebook.Nekhludoff did not interrupt him, and sat down on the wooden couch against the wall, suddenly feeling extremely tired.His fatigue was not from sleepless nights, from the toil of the journey, from the excitement of his spirits, but from his weariness with the whole of life.He leaned against the back of the wooden couch, closed his eyes, and immediately fell into a deep sleep, like a dead person.

"Well, how about going to see the cell now?" asked the warden. Nekhludoff woke up and was surprised to find that he had fallen asleep here.The Englishman had finished his notes and was eager to visit the cells.Nekhludoff followed him wearily and bewilderedly.