resurrection(复活)-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


child　was　three　years　old；　her　mother　fell　ill　and　died；　and　the
maiden　ladies　took　the　child　from　her　old　grandmother；　to　whom
she　was　nothing　but　a　burden。

The　little　black…eyed　maiden　grew　to　be　extremely　pretty；　and　so
full　of　spirits　that　the　ladies　found　her　very　entertaining。

The　younger　of　the　ladies；　Sophia　Ivanovna；　who　had　stood
godmother　to　the　girl；　had　the　kinder　heart　of　the　two　sisters；
Maria　Ivanovna；　the　elder；　was　rather　hard。　Sophia　Ivanovna
dressed　the　little　girl　in　nice　clothes；　and　taught　her　to　read
and　write；　meaning　to　educate　her　like　a　lady。　Maria　Ivanovna
thought　the　child　should　be　brought　up　to　work；　and　trained　her
to　be　a　good　servant。　She　was　exacting；　she　punished；　and；　when
in　a　bad　temper；　even　struck　the　little　girl。　Growing　up　under
these　two　different　influences；　the　girl　turned　out　half　servant；
half　young　lady。　They　called　her　Katusha；　which　sounds　less
refined　than　Katinka；　but　is　not　quite　so　common　as　Katka。　She
used　to　sew；　tidy　up　the　rooms；　polish　the　metal　cases　of　the
icons　and　do　other　light　work；　and　sometimes　she　sat　and　read　to
the　ladies。

Though　she　had　more　than　one　offer；　she　would　not　marry。　She　felt
that　life　as　the　wife　of　any　of　the　working　men　who　were　courting
her　would　be　too　hard；　spoilt　as　she　was　by　a　life　of　case。

She　lived　in　this　manner　till　she　was　sixteen；　when　the　nephew　of
the　old　ladies；　a　rich　young　prince；　and　a　university　student；
came　to　stay　with　his　aunts；　and　Katusha；　not　daring　to
acknowledge　it　even　to　herself；　fell　in　love　with　him。

Then　two　years　later　this　same　nephew　stayed　four　days　with　his
aunts　before　proceeding　to　join　his　regiment；　and　the　night
before　he　left　he　betrayed　Katusha；　and；　after　giving　her　a
100…rouble　note；　went　away。　Five　months　later　she　knew　for
certain　that　she　was　to　be　a　mother。　After　that　everything　seemed
repugnant　to　her；　her　only　thought　being　how　to　escape　from　the
shame　that　awaited　her。　She　began　not　only　to　serve　the　ladies　in
a　half…hearted　and　negligent　way；　but　once；　without　knowing　how
it　happened；　was　very　rude　to　them；　and　gave　them　notice；　a　thing
she　repented　of　later；　and　the　ladies　let　her　go；　noticing
something　wrong　and　very　dissatisfied　with　her。　Then　she　got　a
housemaid's　place　in　a　police…officer's　house；　but　stayed　there
only　three　months；　for　the　police　officer；　a　man　of　fifty；　began
to　torment　her；　and　once；　when　he　was　in　a　specially　enterprising
mood；　she　fired　up；　called　him　〃a　fool　and　old　devil；〃　and　gave
him　such　a　knock　in　the　chest　that　he　fell。　She　was　turned　out
for　her　rudeness。　It　was　useless　to　look　for　another　situation；
for　the　time　of　her　confinement　was　drawing　near；　so　she　went　to
the　house　of　a　village　midwife；　who　also　sold　wine。　The
confinement　was　easy；　but　the　midwife；　who　had　a　case　of　fever　in
the　village；　infected　Katusha；　and　her　baby　boy　had　to　be　sent　to
the　foundlings'　hospital；　where；　according　to　the　words　of　the
old　woman　who　took　him　there；　he　at　once　died。　When　Katusha　went
to　the　midwife　she　had　127　roubles　in　all；　27　which　she　had
earned　and　100　given　her　by　her　betrayer。　When　she　left　she　had
but　six　roubles；　she　did　not　know　how　to　keep　money；　but　spent　it
on　herself；　and　gave　to　all　who　asked。　The　midwife　took　40
roubles　for　two　months'　board　and　attendance；　25　went　to　get　the
baby　into　the　foundlings'　hospital；　and　40　the　midwife　borrowed
to　buy　a　cow　with。　Twenty　roubles　went　just　for　clothes　and
dainties。　Having　nothing　left　to　live　on；　Katusha　had　to　look　out
for　a　place　again；　and　found　one　in　the　house　of　a　forester。　The
forester　was　a　married　man；　but　he；　too；　began　to　annoy　her　from
the　first　day。　He　disgusted　her；　and　she　tried　to　avoid　him。　But
he；　more　experienced　and　cunning；　besides　being　her　master；　who
could　send　her　wherever　he　liked；　managed　to　accomplish　his
object。　His　wife　found　it　out；　and；　catching　Katusha　and　her
husband　in　a　room　all　by　themselves；　began　beating　her。　Katusha
defended　herself；　and　they　had　a　fight；　and　Katusha　got　turned
out　of　the　house　without　being　paid　her　wages。

Then　Katusha　went　to　live　with　her　aunt　in　town。　The　aunt's
husband；　a　bookbinder；　had　once　been　comfortably　off；　but　had
lost　all　his　customers；　and　had　taken　to　drink；　and　spent　all　he
could　lay　hands　on　at　the　public…house。　The　aunt　kept　a　little
laundry；　and　managed　to　support　herself；　her　children；　and　her
wretched　husband。　She　offered　Katusha　the　place　of　an　assistant
laundress；　but　seeing　what　a　life　of　misery　and　hardship　her
aunt's　assistants　led；　Katusha　hesitated；　and　applied　to　a
registry　office　for　a　place。　One　was　found　for　her　with　a　lady
who　lived　with　her　two　sons；　pupils　at　a　public　day　school。　A
week　after　Katusha　had　entered　the　house　the　elder；　a　big　fellow
with　moustaches；　threw　up　his　studies　and　made　love　to　her；
continually　following　her　about。　His　mother　laid　all　the　blame　on
Katusha；　and　gave　her　notice。

It　so　happened　that；　after　many　fruitless　attempts　to　find　a
situation；　Katusha　again　went　to　the　registry　office；　and　there
met　a　woman　with　bracelets　on　her　bare；　plump　arms　and　rings　on
most　of　her　fingers。　Hearing　that　Katusha　was　badly　in　want　of　a
place；　the　woman　gave　her　her　address；　and　invited　her　to　come　to
her　house。　Katusha　went。　The　woman　received　her　very　kindly；　set
cake　and　sweet　wine　before　her；　then　wrote　a　note　and　gave　it　to
a　servant　to　take　to　somebody。　In　the　evening　a　tall　man；　with
long；　grey　hair　and　a　white　beard；　entered　the　room；　and　sat　down
at　once　near　Katusha；　smiling　and　gazing　at　her　with　glistening
eyes。　He　began　joking　with　her。　The　hostess　called　him　away　into
the　next　room；　and　Katusha　heard　her　say；　〃A　fresh　one　from　the
country；〃　Then　the　hostess　called　Katusha　aside　and　told　her　that
the　man　was　an　author；　and　that　he　had　a　great　deal　of　money；　and
that　if　he　liked　her　he　would　not　grudge　her　anything。　He　did
like　her；　and　gave　her　25　roubles；　promising　to　see　her　often。
The　25　roubles　soon　went；　some　she　paid　to　her　aunt　for　board　and
lodging；　the　rest　was　spent　on　a　hat；　ribbons；　and　such　like。　A
few　days　later　the　author　sent　for　her；　and　she　went。　He　gave　her
another　25　roubles；　and　offered　her　a　separate　lodging。

Next　door　to　the　lodging　rented　for　her　by　the　author　there　lived
a　jolly　young　shopman；　with　whom　Katusha　soon　fell　in　love。　She
told　the　author；　and　moved　to　a　little　lodging　of　her　own。　The
shopman；　who　promised　to　marry　her；　went　to　Nijni　on　business
without　mentioning　it　to　her；　having　evidently　thrown　her　up；　and
Katusha　remained　alone。　She　meant　to　continue　living　in　the
lodging　by　herself；　but　was　informed　by　the　police　that　in　this
case　she　would　have　to　get　a　license。　She　returned　to　her　aunt。
Seeing　her　fine　dress；　her　hat；　and　mantle；　her　aunt　no　longer
offered　her　laundry　work。　As　she　understood　things；　her　niece　had
risen　above　that　sort　of　thing。　The　question　as　to　whether　she
was　to　become　a　laundress　or　not　did　not　occur　to　Katusha；
either。　She　looked　with　pity　at　the　thin；　hard…worked
laundresses；　some　already　in　consumption；　who　stood　washing　or
ironing　with　their　thin　arms　in　the　fearfully　hot　front　room；
which　was　always　full　of　soapy　steam　and　draughts　from　the
windows；　and　thought　with　horror　that　she　might　have　shared　the
same　fate。

Katusha　had　begun　to　smoke　some　time　before；　and　since　the　young
shopman　had　thrown　her　up　she　was　getting　more　and　more　into　the
habit　of　drinking。　It　was　not　so　much　the　flavour　of　wine　that
tempted　her　as　the　fact　that　it　gave　her　a　chance　of　forgetting
the　misery　she　suffered；　making　her　feel　more　unrestrained　and
more　confident　of　her　own　worth；　which　she　was　not　when　quite
sober；　without　wine　she　felt　sad　and　ashamed。　Just　at　this　time　a
woman　came　along　who　offered　to　place　her　in　one　of　the　largest
establishments　in　the　city；　explaining　all　the　advantages　and
benefits　of　the　situation。　Katusha　had　the　choice　before　her　of
either　going　into　service　or　accepting　this　offerand　she　chose
the　latter。　Besides；　it　seemed　to　her　as　though；　in　this　way；　she
could　revenge　herself　on　her　betrayer　and　the　shopman　and　all
those　who　had　injured　her。　One　of　the　things　that　tempted