father sergius-第1部分

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Father　Sergius



by　Leo　Tolstoy



Translated　by　Louise　and　Aylmer　Maude







I



In　Petersburg　in　the　eighteen…forties　a　surprising　event

occurred。　　An　officer　of　the　Cuirassier　Life　Guards；　a　handsome

prince　who　everyone　predicted　would　become　aide…de…camp　to　the

Emperor　Nicholas　I　and　have　a　brilliant　career；　left　the　service；

broke　off　his　engagement　to　a　beautiful　maid　of　honour；　a

favourite　of　the　Empress's；　gave　his　small　estate　to　his　sister；

and　retired　to　a　monastery　to　become　a　monk。



This　event　appeared　extraordinary　and　inexplicable　to　those　who

did　not　know　his　inner　motives；　but　for　Prince　Stepan　Kasatsky

himself　it　all　occurred　so　naturally　that　he　could　not　imagine

how　he　could　have　acted　otherwise。



His　father；　a　retired　colonel　of　the　Guards；　had　died　when　Stepan

was　twelve；　and　sorry　as　his　mother　was　to　part　from　her　son；　she

entered　him　at　the　Military　College　as　her　deceased　husband　had

intended。



The　widow　herself；　with　her　daughter；　Varvara；　moved　to

Petersburg　to　be　near　her　son　and　have　him　with　her　for　the

holidays。



The　boy　was　distinguished　both　by　his　brilliant　ability　and　by

his　immense　self…esteem。　　He　was　first　both　in　his

studiesespecially　in　mathematics；　of　which　he　was　particularly

fondand　also　in　drill　and　in　riding。　　Though　of　more　than

average　height；　he　was　handsome　and　agile；　and　he　would　have　been

an　altogether　exemplary　cadet　had　it　not　been　for　his　quick

temper。　　He　was　remarkably　truthful；　and　was　neither　dissipated

nor　addicted　to　drink。　The　only　faults　that　marred　his　conduct

were　fits　of　fury　to　which　he　was　subject　and　during　which　he

lost　control　of　himself　and　became　like　a　wild　animal。　　He　once

nearly　threw　out　of　the　window　another　cadet　who　had　begun　to

tease　him　about　his　collection　of　minerals。　　On　another　occasion

he　came　almost　completely　to　grief　by　flinging　a　whole　dish　of

cutlets　at　an　officer　who　was　acting　as　steward；　attacking　him

and；　it　was　said；　striking　him　for　having　broken　his　word　and

told　a　barefaced　lie。　　He　would　certainly　have　been　reduced　to

the　ranks　had　not　the　Director　of　the　College　hushed　up　the　whole

matter　and　dismissed　the　steward。



By　the　time　he　was　eighteen　he　had　finished　his　College　course

and　received　a　commission　as　lieutenant　in　an　aristocratic

regiment　of　the　Guards。



The　Emperor　Nicholas　Pavlovich　（Nicholas　I）　had　noticed　him　while

he　was　still　at　the　College；　and　continued　to　take　notice　of　him

in　the　regiment；　and　it　was　on　this　account　that　people　predicted

for　him　an　appointment　as　aide…de…camp　to　the　Emperor。　　Kasatsky

himself　strongly　desired　it；　not　from　ambition　only　but　chiefly

because　since　his　cadet　days　he　had　been　passionately　devoted　to

Nicholas　Pavlovich。　　The　Emperor　had　often　visited　the　Military

College　and　every　time　Kasatsky　saw　that　tall　erect　figure；　with

breast　expanded　in　its　military　overcoat；　entering　with　brisk

step；　saw　the　cropped　side…whiskers；　the　moustache；　the　aquiline

nose；　and　heard　the　sonorous　voice　exchanging　greetings　with　the

cadets；　he　was　seized　by　the　same　rapture　that　he　experienced

later　on　when　he　met　the　woman　he　loved。　　Indeed；　his　passionate

adoration　of　the　Emperor　was　even　stronger：　he　wished　to

sacrifice　somethingeverything；　even　himselfto　prove　his

complete　devotion。　　And　the　Emperor　Nicholas　was　conscious　of

evoking　this　rapture　and　deliberately　aroused　it。　　He　played　with

the　cadets；　surrounded　himself　with　them；　treating　them　sometimes

with　childish　simplicity；　sometimes　as　a　friend；　and　then　again

with　majestic　solemnity。　　After　that　affair　with　the　officer；

Nicholas　Pavlovich　said　nothing　to　Kasatsky；　but　when　the　latter

approached　he　waved　him　away　theatrically；　frowned；　shook　his

finger　at　him；　and　afterwards　when　leaving；　said：　'Remember　that

I　know　everything。　　There　are　some　things　I　would　rather　not

know；　but　they　remain　here；'　and　he　pointed　to　his　heart。



When　on　leaving　College　the　cadets　were　received　by　the　Emperor；

he　did　not　again　refer　to　Kasatsky's　offence；　but　told　them　all；

as　was　his　custom；　that　they　should　serve　him　and　the　fatherland

loyally；　that　he　would　always　be　their　best　friend；　and　that　when

necessary　they　might　approach　him　direct。　　All　the　cadets　were　as

usual　greatly　moved；　and　Kasatsky　even　shed　tears；　remembering

the　past；　and　vowed　that　he　would　serve　his　beloved　Tsar　with　all

his　soul。



When　Kasatsky　took　up　his　commission　his　mother　moved　with　her

daughter　first　to　Moscow　and　then　to　their　country　estate。　

Kasatsky　gave　half　his　property　to　his　sister　and　kept　only

enough　to　maintain　himself　in　the　expensive　regiment　he　had

joined。



To　all　appearance　he　was　just　an　ordinary；　brilliant　young

officer　of　the　Guards　making　a　career　for　himself；　but　intense

and　complex　strivings　went　on　within　him。　From　early　childhood

his　efforts　had　seemed　to　be　very　varied；　but　essentially　they

were　all　one　and　the　same。　　He　tried　in　everything　he　took　up　to

attain　such　success　and　perfection　as　would　evoke　praise　and

surprise。　　Whether　it　was　his　studies　or　his　military　exercises；

he　took　them　up　and　worked　at　them　till　he　was　praised　and　held

up　as　an　example　to　others。　　Mastering　one　subject　he　took　up

another；　and　obtained　first　place　in　his　studies。　　For　example；

while　still　at　College　he　noticed　in　himself　an　awkwardness　in

French　conversation；　and　contrived　to　master　French　till　he　spoke

it　as　well　as　Russian；　and　then　he　took　up　chess　and　became　an

excellent　player。



Apart　from　his　main　vocation；　which　was　the　service　of　his　Tsar

and　the　fatherland；　he　always　set　himself　some　particular　aim；

and　however　unimportant　it　was；　devoted　himself　completely　to　it

and　lived　for　it　until　it　was　accomplished。　　And　as　soon　as　it

was　attained　another　aim　would　immediately　present　itself；

replacing　its　predecessor。　This　passion　for　distinguishing

himself；　or　for　accomplishing　something　in　order　to　distinguish

himself；　filled　his　life。　　On　taking　up　his　commission　he　set

himself　to　acquire　the　utmost　perfection　in　knowledge　of　the

service；　and　very　soon　became　a　model　officer；　though　still　with

the　same　fault　of　ungovernable　irascibility；　which　here　in　the

service　again　led　him　to　commit　actions　inimical　to　his　success。　

Then　he　took　to　reading；　having　once　in　conversation　in　society

felt　himself　deficient　in　general　educationand　again　achieved

his　purpose。　　Then；　wishing　to　secure　a　brilliant　position　in

high　society；　he　learnt　to　dance　excellently　and　very　soon　was

invited　to　all　the　balls　in　the　best　circles；　and　to　some　of

their　evening　gatherings。　　But　this　did　not　satisfy　him：　he　was

accustomed　to　being　first；　and　in　this　society　was　far　from　being

so。



The　highest　society　then　consisted；　and　I　think　always　consist；

of　four　sorts　of　people：　rich　people　who　are　received　at　Court；

people　not　wealthy　but　born　and　brought　up　in　Court　circles；　rich

people　who　ingratiate　themselves　into　the　Court　set；　and　people

neither　rich　nor　belonging　to　the　Court　but　who　ingratiate

themselves　into　the　first　and　second　sets。



Kasatsky　did　not　belong　to　the　first　two　sets；　but　was　readily

welcomed　in　the　others。　　On　entering　society　he　determined　to

have　relations　with　some　society　lady；　and　to　his　own　surprise

quickly　accomplished　this　purpose。　He　soon　realized；　however；

that　the　circles　in　which　he　moved　were　not　the　highest；　and　that

though　he　was　received　in　the　highest　spheres　he　did　not　belong

to　them。　They　were　polite　to　him；　but　showed　by　their　whole

manner　that　they　had　their　own　set　and　that　he　was　not　of　it。　

And　Kasatsky　wished　to　belong　to　that　inner　circle。　　To　attain

that　end　it　would　be　necessary　to　be　an　aide…de…camp　to　the

Emperorwhich　he　expected　to　becomeor　to　marry　into　that

exclusive　set；　which　he　resolved　to　do。　　And　his　choice　fell　on　a

beauty　belonging　to　the　Court；　who　not　merely　belonged　to　the

circle　into　which　he　wished　to　be　accepted；　but　whose　friendship

was　coveted　by　the　very　highest　people　and　those　most　firmly

established　in　that　highest　circle。　　This　was　Countess　Korotkova。　

Kasatsky　began　to　pay　court　to　her；　and　not　merely　for　the　sake

of　his　career。　　She　was　extremely　attractive　and　he　soon　fell　in

love　with　her。　　At　first　she　was　noticeably　cool　towards　him；　but

then　suddenly　changed　and　became　gracious；　and　her　mother　gave

him　pressing　invitations　to　visit　them。　　Kasatsky　proposed　and

was　accepted。　　He　was　surprised　at　the　facility　with　which　he

attained　such　happiness。　　But　though　he　noticed　something　strange

and　unusual　in　the　behaviour　towards　him　of　both　mother　and

daughter；　he　was　blinded　by　being　so　deeply　in　love；　and　did　not

realize　what　almost　the　whole　town　knewnamely；　that　his　fiancee

had　been　the　Emperor　Nicholas's　mistress　the　previous　year。



Two　weeks　before　the　day　arranged　for　the　wedding；　Kasatsky　was

at　Tsarskoe　Selo　at　his　fiancee's　country　place。　　It　was　a　hot

day　in　May。　　He　and　his　betrothed　had　walked　about　the　garden　and

were　sitting　on　a　bench　in　a　shady　linden　alley。　　Mary's　white

muslin　dress　suited　her　particularly　well；　and　she　seemed　the

personification　of　innocence　and　love　as　she　sat；　now　bending　her

head；　now　gazing　up　at　the　very　tall　and　handsome　man　who　was

speaking　to　her　with　particular　tenderness　and　self…restraint；　as

if　he　feared　by　word　or　gesture　to　offend　or　sully　her　angelic

purity。



Kasatsky　belonged　to　those　men　of　the　eighteen…forties　（they　are

now　no　longer　to　be　found）　who　while　deliberately　and　without　any

conscientious　scruples　condoning　impurity　in　themselves；　required

ideal　and　angelic　purity　in　their　women；　regarded　all　unmarried

women　of　their　circle　as　possessed　of　such　purity；　and　treated

them　accordingly。　　There　was　much　that　was　false　and　harmful　in

this　outlook；　as　concerning　the　laxity　the　men　permitted

themselves；　but　in　regard　to　the　women　that　ol