rezanov-第36部分

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n　Rezanov　de…　clined　their　hospitality　they　dispatched　a　courier　at　once　to　the　Governor…General　of　Irkutsk　acquaint…　ing　him　with　the　condition　of　the　Chamberlain　and　of　his　imminent　arrival。　　In　consequence；　when　Rezanov　drew　rein　two　days　later　and　looked　down　upon　the　city　of　Irkutsk　with　its　pleasant　squares　and　great　stone　buildings　beside　the　shining　river；　the　gilded　domes　and　crosses　of　its　thirty　churches　and　convents　glittering　in　the　sun；　the　whole　pic…　ture　beckoning　to　the　delirious　brain　of　the　traveler　like　some　mirage　of　the　desert；　his　appearance　was　the　signal　for　a　salute　from　the　fort；　and　the　Gov…　ernor…General；　privy　counselor　and　senator　de　Pestel；　accompanied　by　the　civil　governor；　the　com…　mandant；　the　archbishop；　and　a　military　escort；　sal…　lied　forth　and　led　the　guest；　with　the　formality　of　officials　and　the　compassionate　tenderness　of　men；　into　the　capital。

For　three　weeks　longer　Rezanov　lay　in　the　pal…　ace　of　the　Governor。　　Between　fever　and　lassitude；　his　iron　will　seemed　alternately　to　melt　in　the　fiery　furnace　of　his　body；　then；　a　cooling　but　still　viscous　and　formless　mass；　sink　to　the　utmost　depths　of　his　being。　　But　here　he　had　the　best　of　nursing　and　attendance；　rallied　finally　and　insisted　upon　continu…　ing　his　journey。　　His　doctor　made　the　less　demur　as　the　traveling　was　far　smoother　now；　in　the　early　days　of　March；　than　it　would　be　a　month　hence；　when　the　snow　was　thinner　and　the　sledges　were　no　longer　possible。　　Nevertheless；　he　announced　his　intention　to　accompany　him　as　far　as　Krasnoiarsk；　where　the　Chamberlain　could　lodge　in　the　house　of　the　principal　magistrate　of　the　place；　Counselor　Kel…　ler；　and；　if　necessary；　be　able　to　command　fair　nurs…　ing　and　medical　attendance；　and　to　this　Rezanov　indifferently　assented。

The　prospect　of　continuing　his　journey　and　the　bustle　of　preparation　raised　the　spirits　of　the　in…　valid　and　gave　him　a　fictitious　energy。　　He　had　fought　depression　and　despair　in　all　his　conscious　moments；　never　admitted　that　the　devastation　in　his　body　was　mortal。　　With　but　a　remnant　of　his　for…　mer　superb　strength；　and　emaciated　beyond　recog…　nition；　he　attended　a　banquet　on　the　night　preced…　ing　his　departure；　and　on　the　following　morning　stood　up　in　his　sledge　and　acknowledged　the　God…　speed　of　the　population　of　Irkutsk　assembled　in　the　square　before　the　palace　of　the　Governor。　　All　his　life　he　had　excited　interest　wherever　he　went；　but　never　to　such　a　degree　as　on　that　last　journey　when　he　made　his　desperate　fight　for　life　and　happiness。



XXVII

The　snow　rarely　falls　in　Krasnoiarsk。　　It　is　a　little　oasis　in　the　great　winter　desert　of　Siberia。　　Reza…　nov；　his　face　turned　to　the　window；　could　see　the　red　banks　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　river。　　The　sun　transformed　the　gilded　cupolas　and　crosses　into　dazzling　points　of　light；　and　the　sky　above　the　spires　and　towers；　the　stately　square　and　narrow　dirty　streets　of　the　bustling　little　capital；　was　as　blue　and　unflecked　as　that　which　arched　so　high　above　a　land　where　Castilian　roses　grew；　and　one　woman　among　a　gay　and　thoughtless　people　dreamed；　with　all　the　passion　of　her　splendid　youth；　of　the　man　to　whom　she　had　pledged　an　eternal　troth。　　Rezanov's　mind　was　clear　in　those　last　moments；　but　something　of　the　serenity　and　the　selfishness　of　death　had　already　descended　upon　him。　　He　heard　with　indifference　the　sobs　of　Jon；　crouched　at　the　foot　of　his　bed。　Tears　and　regrets　were　a　part　of　the　general　futility　of　life；　insignificant　enough　at　the　grand　threshold　of　death。

No　doubt　that　his　great　schemes　would　die　with　him；　and　were　he　remembered　at　all　it　would　be　as　a　dreamer；　or　as　a　failure　because　he　had　died　be…　fore　accomplishing　what　his　brain　and　energy　and　enthusiasm　alone　could　force　to　fruition。　　None　realized　better　than　he　the　paucity　of　initiative　and　executive　among　the　characteristics　of　the　Slav。　What　mattered　it？　　He　had　had　glimpses　more　than　once　of　the　apparently　illogical　sequence　of　life；　the　vanity　of　human　effort；　the　wanton　cruelty　of　Na…　ture。　　He　had　known　men　struck　down　before　in　the　maturity　of　their　usefulness；　cities　destroyed　by　earthquake　or　hurricane　in　the　fairest　and　most　promising　of　their　days：　public　men；　priests；　par…　ents；　children；　wantons；　criminals；　blotted　out　with　equal　impartiality　by　a　brutal　force　that　would　seem　to　have　but　a　casual　use　for　the　life　she　flung　broadcast　on　her　planets。　　Man　was　the　helpless　victim　of　Nature；　a　calf　in　a　tiger's　paws。　　If　she　overlooked　him；　or　swept　him　contemptuously　into　the　class　of　her　favorites；　well　and　good；　otherwise　he　was　her　sport；　the　plaything　of　her　idler　mo…　ments。　　Those　that　cried　〃But　why？〃　　〃What　rea…　son？〃　　〃What　use？〃　were　those　that　had　never　looked　over　the　walls　of　their　ego　at　the　great　dra…　matic　moments　in　the　career　of　Nature；　when　she　made　immortal　fame　for　herself　at　the　expense　of　millions　of　pigmies。

And　if　his　energies；　his　talents；　his　usefulness；　were　held　of　no　account；　at　least　he　could　look　back　upon　a　past　when　he　would　have　seemed　to　be　one　of　the　few　supreme　favorites　of　the　forces　that　shaped　man's　life　and　destiny。　　Until　he　had　started　from　Kronstadt　four　years　before　on　a　voyage　that　had　humiliated　his　proud　spirit　more　than　once；　and　undermined　as　splendid　a　physique　as　ever　was　granted　to　even　a　Russian；　he　had　rolled　the　world　under　his　foot。　　With　an　appearance　and　a　personal　magnetism；　gifts　of　mind　and　manner　and　charac…　ter　that　would　have　commanded　attention　amid　the　general　flaccidity　of　his　race　and　conquered　life　without　the　great　social　advantages　he　inherited；　he　had　enjoyed　power　and　pleasure　to　a　degree　that　would　have　spoiled　a　coarser　nature　long　since。　True；　the　time　had　come　when　he　had　cared　little　for　any　of　his　endowments　save　as　a　means　to　great　ends；　when　all　his　energies　had　concentrated　in　the　determination　to　live　a　life　of　the　highest　possible　usefulnesswithout　which　man's　span　was　but　exist…　encehis　ambitions　had　cohered　and　been　driven　steadily　toward　a　permanent　niche　in　history；　then　paled　and　dissolved　for　an　hour　in　the　glorious　vision　of　human　happiness。

And　wholly　as　he　might　realize　man's　insignifi…　cance　among　the　blind　forces　of　nature；　he　could　accept　it　philosophically　and　die　with　his　soul　uncor…　roded　by　misanthropy；　that　final　and　uncompromis…　ing　admission　of　failure。　　The　misanthrope　was　the　supreme　failure　of　life　because　he　had　not　the　in…　telligence　to　realize；　or　could　not　reconcile　himself　to；　the　incomplete　condition　of　human　nature。　　Man　was　made　up　of　little　qualities；　and　aspirations　for　great　ones。　　Many　yielded　in　the　struggle　and　sank　into　impotent　discontent　among　the　small　material　things　of　life；　instead　of　uplifting　themselves　with　the　picture　of　the　inevitable　future　when　develop…　ment　had　run　its　course；　and　indulgently　pitying　the　children　of　their　own　period　who　so　often　made　life　hateful　with　their　greed；　selfishness；　snobbery　most　potent　obstacle　to　human　endeavorand　in…　justice。　　The　bad　judgment　of　the　mass！　　How　many　careers　it　had　balked；　if　not　ruined；　with　its　poor　ideals；　its　mean　heroes；　its　instinctive　avoid…　ance　of　superior　qualities　foreign　to　itself；　its　con…　temptible　desire　to　be　identified　with　a　fashion。　　It　was　this　low　standard　of　the　crowd　that　induced　misanthropy　in　many　otherwise　brave　spirits　who　lacked　the　insight　to　discern　the　divine　spark　un…　derneath；　the　persistence；　sure　of　reward；　to　fight　their　way　to　this　spark　and　reveal　it　to　the　gaze　of　astonished　and　flattered　humanity。　　Rezanov's　very　arrogance　had　led　him　to　regard　the　mass　of　man…　kind　as　but　one　degree　removed　from　the　nursery；　his　good　nature　and　philosophical　spirit　to　treat　them　with　an　indulgence　that　kept　sourness　out　of　his　cynicism　and　inevitably　recurring　weariness　and　disgust；　his　ardent　imagination　had　consoled　itself　with　the　vision　of　a　future　when　man　should　live　in　a　world　made　reasonable　by　the　triumph　of　ideals　that　now　lurked　half　ashamed　in　the　high　spaces　of　the　human　mind。

He　looked　back　in　wonder　at　the　moment　of　wild　regret　and　protestthe　bitterer　in　its　silence　when　they　had　told　him　he　must　die；　when　in　the　last　rally　of　the　vital　forces　he　had　believed　his　will　was　still　strong　enough　to　command　his　ravaged　body；　to　propel　his　brain；　still　teeming　with　a　vast　and　complicated　future；　his　heart；　still　warm　and　insistent　with　the　image　it　cherished；　on　to　the　ulti…　mates　of　ambition　and　love。　　How　brief　it　had　been；　that　last　cry　of　mortality；　with　its　accompaniment　of　furious　wonder　at　his　unseemly　and　senseless　cutting　off。　　In　the　adjustment　and　readjustment　of　political　and　natural　forces　the　world　ambled　on　philosophically；　fulfilling　its　inevitable　destiny。

If　he　had　not　been　beyond　humor；　he　would　have　smiled　at　the　idea　that　in　the　face　of　all　eternity　it　mattered　what　nation　on　one　little　planet　eventually　possessed　a　fragment　called　California。　　To　him　that　fair　land　was　empty　and　purposeless　save　for　one　figure；　and　even　of　her　he　thought　with　the　terrible　calm　of　dissolution。　　During　these　last　months　of　illness　and　isolation　he　had　been　less　lonely　than　at　any　time　of　his　life　save　during　those　few　weeks　in　California；　for　he　had　lived　with　her　incessantly　in　spirit；　and　in　that　subtle　imaginative　communion　had　pressed　close　to　a　profound　and　complex　soul；　revealed　before　only　in　flashes　to　a　vision　astray　in　the　confusion　of　the　senses。　　He　had　felt　that　her　response　to　his　passion　was　far　more　vital　and　enduring　than　dwelt　in　the　capacity　of　most　women；　he　had　appreciated　her　gifts　of　mind；　her　piquant　variousness　that　scotched　monot…　ony；　the　admirable　characteristics　that　would　give　a　man　repose　and　content　in　his　leisure；　and　subtly　advance　his　career。　　But　in　those　long　reveries；　at　the　head　of　his　forlorn　caravan　or　in　the　desolate　months　of　convalescence；　he　had　arrived　at　an　abso…　lute　understanding　of　what　she　herself　had　divined　while　half　comprehending。

Theirs　was　one　of　the　few　immortal　loves　that　reveal　the　rarely　sounded　deeps　of　the　soul　while　in　its　frail　tenement　on　earth；　and　he　harbored　not　a　doubt　that　their　love　was　stronger　than　mortality　and　that　their　ultimate　union　was　decreed。　　Mean…　while；　she　would　suffer；　no　one　but　he　could　dream　how　completely；　but　her　strong　s