reminiscences of tolstoy-第8部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


but　never　in　goodness。　　You　are　too　penetrating　not　to　know　that　if　either　of　us　has　cause　to　envy　the　other；　it　is　certainly　not　you　that　has　cause　to　envy　me。


The　following　year　he　wrote　a　letter　to　my　father　which；　it　seems　to　me；　is　a　key　to　the　understanding　of　Turgenieff's　attitude　toward　him：


You　write　that　you　are　very　glad　you　did　not　follow　my　advice　and　become　a　pure　man　of　letters。　　I　don't　deny　it；　perhaps　you　are　right。　　Still；　batter　my　poor　brains　as　I　may；　I　cannot　imagine　what　else　you　are　if　you　are　not　a　man　of　letters。　　A　soldier？　　A　squire？　　A　philosopher？　　The　founder　of　a　new　religious　doctrine？　A　civil　servant？　　A　man　of　business？　。　。　。　　Please　resolve　my　difficulties；　and　tell　me　which　of　these　suppositions　is　correct。　I　am　joking；　but　I　really　do　wish　beyond　all　things　to　see　you　under　way　at　last；　with　all　sails　set。


It　seems　to　me　that　Turgenieff；　as　an　artist；　saw　nothing　in　my　father　beyond　his　great　literary　talent；　and　was　unwilling　to　allow　him　the　right　to　be　anything　besides　an　artist　and　a　writer。　　Any　other　line　of　activity　on　my　father's　part　offended　Turgenieff；　as　it　were；　and　he　was　angry　with　my　father　because　he　did　not　follow　his　advice。　　He　was　much　older　than　my　father；　＇18＇　he　did　not　hesitate　to　rank　his　own　talent　lower　than　my　father's；　and　demanded　only　one　thing　of　him；　that　he　should　devote　all　the　energies　of　his　life　to　his　literary　work。　And；　lo　and　behold！　my　father　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　his　magnanimity　and　humility；　would　not　listen　to　his　advice；　but　insisted　on　going　the　road　which　his　own　tastes　and　nature　pointed　out　to　him。　　Turgenieff's　tastes　and　character　were　diametrically　opposed　to　my　father's。　　While　opposition　always　inspired　my　father　and　lent　him　strength；　it　had　just　the　opposite　effect　on　Turgenieff。

＇18＇　Turgenieff　was　ten　years　older　than　Tolstoy。


Being　wholly　in　agreement　with　my　sister's　views；　I　will　merely　supplement　them　with　the　words　uttered　by　his　brother；　Nikolai　Nikolayevitch；　who　said　that　〃Turgenieff　cannot　reconcile　himself　to　the　idea　that　Lyovotchka　is　growing　up　and　freeing　himself　from　his　tutelage。〃

As　a　matter　of　fact；　when　Turgenieff　was　already　a　famous　writer；　no　one　had　ever　heard　of　Tolstoy；　and；　as　Fet　expressed　it；　there　was　only　〃something　said　about　his　stories　from　'Childhood。'〃

I　can　imagine　with　what　secret　veneration　a　young　writer；　just　beginning；　must　have　regarded　Turgenieff　at　that　time；　and　all　the　more　because　Ivan　Sergeyevitch　was　a　great　friend　of　my　father's　elder　and　beloved　brother　Nikolai。

I　do　not　like　to　assert　it　positively；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　just　as　Turgenieff　was　unwilling　to　confine　himself　to　〃merely　friendly　relations；〃　so　my　father　also　felt　too　warmly　toward　Ivan　Sergeyevitch；　and　that　was　the　very　reason　why　they　could　never　meet　without　disagreeing　and　quarreling。　　In　confirmation　of　what　I　say　here　is　a　passage　from　a　letter　written　by　V。　Botkin；　a　close　friend　of　my　father's　and　of　Ivan　Sergeyevitch's；　to　A。　A。　Fet；　written　immediately　after　their　quarrel：


I　think　that　Tolstoy　really　has　a　passionately　affectionate　nature　and　he　would　like　to　love　Turgenieff　in　the　warmest　way　possible；　but　unfortunately　his　impulsive　feeling　encounters　nothing　but　a　kindly；　good…natured　indifference；　and　he　can　by　no　means　reconcile　himself　to　that。


Turgenieff　himself　said　that　when　they　first　came　to　know　each　other　my　father　dogged　his　heels　〃like　a　woman　in　love；〃　and　at　one　time　he　used　to　avoid　him；　because　he　was　afraid　of　his　spirit　of　opposition。

My　father　was　perhaps　irritated　by　the　slightly　patronizing　tone　which　Turgenieff　adopted　from　the　very　outset　of　their　acquaintance；　and　Turgenieff　was　irritated　by　my　father's　〃crankiness；〃　which　distracted　him　from　〃his　proper　metier；　literature。〃

In　1870；　before　the　date　of　the　quarrel；　Turgenieff　wrote　to　Fet：

〃Lyoff　Tolstoy　continues　to　play　the　crank。　　It　was　evidently　written　in　his　stars。　　When　will　he　turn　his　last　somersault　and　stand　on　his　feet　at　last？〃

Turgenieff　was　just　the　same　about　my　father's　〃Confession；〃　which　he　read　not　long　before　his　death。　　Having　promised　to　read　it；　〃to　try　to　understand　it；〃　and　〃not　to　lose　my　temper；〃　he　〃started　to　write　a　long　letter　in　answer　to　the　'Confession；'　but　never　finished　it　。　。　。　for　fear　of　becoming　disputatious。〃

In　a　letter　to　D。　V。　Grigorevitch　he　called　the　book；　which　was　based；　in　his　opinion；　on　false　premises；　〃a　denial　of　all　live　human　life〃　and　〃a　new　sort　of　Nihilism。〃

It　is　evident　that　even　then　Turgenieff　did　not　understand　what　a　mastery　my　father's　new　philosophy　of　life　had　obtained　over　him；　and　he　was　inclined　to　attribute　his　enthusiasm　along　with　the　rest　to　the　same　perpetual　〃crankinesses〃　and　〃somersaults〃　to　which　he　had　formerly　attributed　his　interest　in　school…teaching；　agriculture；　the　publication　of　a　paper；　and　so　forth。


IVaN　SERGeYEVITCH　three　times　visited　Yasnaya　Polyana　within　my　memory；　in：　August　and　September；　1878；　and　the　third　and　last　time　at　the　beginning　of　May；　1880。　　I　can　remember　all　these　visits；　although　it　is　quite　possible　that　some　details　have　escaped　me。

I　remember　that　when　we　expected　Turgenieff　on　his　first　visit；　it　was　a　great　occasion；　and　the　most　anxious　and　excited　of　all　the　household　about　it　was　my　mother。　　She　told　us　that　my　father　had　quarreled　with　Turgenieff　and　had　once　challenged　him　to　a　duel；　and　that　he　was　now　coming　at　my　father's　invitation　to　effect　a　reconciliation。

Turgenieff　spent　all　the　time　sitting　with　my　father；　who　during　his　visit　put　aside　even　his　work；　and　once　in　the　middle　of　the　day　my　mother　collected　us　all　at　a　quite　unusual　hour　in　the　drawing…room；　where　Ivan　Sergeyevitch　read　us　his　story　of　〃The　Dog。〃

I　can　remember　his　tall；　stalwart　figure；　his　gray；　silky；　yellowish　hair；　his　soft　tread；　rather　waddling　walk；　and　his　piping　voice；　quite　out　of　keeping　with　his　majestic　exterior。　　He　had　a　chuckling　kind　of　laugh；　like　a　child's；　and　when　he　laughed　his　voice　was　more　piping　than　ever。

In　the　evening；　after　dinner；　we　all　gathered　in　the　zala。　　At　that　time　Uncle　Seryozha；　Prince　Leonid　Dmitryevitch　Urusof；　Vice…Governor　of　the　Province　of　Tula；　Uncle　Sasha　Behrs　and　his　young　wife；　the　handsome　Georgian　Patty；　and　the　whole　family　of　the　Kuzminskys；　were　staying　at　Yasnaya。

Aunt　Tanya　was　asked　to　sing。　　We　listened　with　beating　hearts；　and　waited　to　hear　what　Turgenieff；　the　famous　connoisseur；　would　say　about　her　singing。　　Of　course　he　praised　it；　sincerely；　I　think。　　After　the　singing　a　quadrille　was　got　up。　　All　of　a　sudden；　in　the　middle　of　the　quadrille；　Ivan　Sergeyevitch；　who　was　sitting　at　one　side　looking　on；　got　up　and　took　one　of　the　ladies　by　the　hand；　and；　putting　his　thumbs　into　the　armholes　of　his　waistcoat；　danced　a　cancan　according　to　the　latest　rules　of　Parisian　art。　　Everyone　roared　with　laughter；　Turgenieff　more　than　anybody。

After　tea　the　〃grown…ups〃　started　some　conversation；　and　a　warm　dispute　arose　among　them。　　It　was　Prince　Uru；sof　who　disputed　most　warmly；　and　〃went　for〃　Turgenieff。

Of　Turgenieff's　third　visit　I　remember　the　woodcock　shooting。　　This　was　on　the　second　or　third　of　May；　1880。

We　all　went　out　together　beyond　the　Voronka；　my　father；　my　mother　and　all　the　children。　　My　father　gave　Turgenieff　the　best　place　and　posted　himself　one　hundred　and　fifty　paces　away　at　the　other　end　of　the　same　glade。

My　mother　stood　by　Turgenieff；　and　we　children　lighted　a　bonfire　not　far　off。

My　father　fired　several　shots　and　brought　down　two　birds；　Ivan　Sergeyevitch　had　no　luck；　and　was　envying　my　father's　good　fortune　all　the　time。　　At　last；　when　it　was　beginning　to　get　dark；　a　woodcock　flew　over　Turgenieff；　and　he　shot　it。

〃Killed　it？〃　called　out　my　father。

〃Fell　like　a　stone；　send　your　dog　to　pick　him　up；〃　answered　Ivan　Sergeyevitch。

My　father　sent　us　with　the　dog；　Turgenieff　showed　us　where　to　look　for　the　bird；　but　search　as　we　might；　and　the　dog；　too；　there　was　no　woodcock　to　be　found。　　At　last　Turgenieff　came　to　help；　and　my　father　came；　there　was　no　woodcock　there。

〃Perhaps　you　only　winged　it；　it　may　have　got　away　along　the　ground；〃　said　my　father；　puzzled。　　〃It　is　impossible　that　the　dog　shouldn't　find　it；　he　couldn't　miss　a　bird　that　was　killed。〃

〃I　tell　you　I　saw　it　with　my　own　eyes；　Lyoff　Nikolaievich；　it　fell　like　a　stone。　　I　didn't　wound　it；　I　killed　it　outright。　　I　can　tell　the　difference。〃

〃Then　why　can't　the　dog　find　it？　　It's　impossible；　there's　something　wrong。〃

〃I　don't　know　anything　about　that；〃　insisted　Turgenieff。　　〃You　may　take　it　from　me　I'm　not　lying；　it　fell　like　a　stone　where　I　tell　you。〃

There　was　no　finding　the　woodcock；　and　the　incident　left　an　unpleasant　flavor；　as　if　one　or　the　other　of　them　was　in　the　wrong。　Either　Turgenieff　was　bragging　when　he　said　that　he　shot　it　dead；　or　my　father；　in　maintaining　that　the　dog　could　not　fail　to　find　a　bird　that　had　been　killed。

And　this　must　needs　happen　just　when　they　were　both　so　anxious　to　avoid　every　sort　of　misunderstanding！　　That　was　the　very　reason　why　they　had　carefully　fought　shy　of　all　serious　conversation；　and　spent　all　their　time　merely　amusing　themselves。

When　my　father　said　good　night　to　us　that　night；　he　whispered　to　us　that　we　were　to　get　up　early　and　go　back　to　the　place　to　have　a　good　hunt　for　the　bird。

And　what　was　the　result？　　The　woodcock；　in　falling；　had　caught　in　the　fork　of　a　branch；　right　at　the　top　of　an　aspen…tree；　and　it　was　all　we　could　do　to　knock　it　out　from　there。

When　we　brought　it　home　in　triumph；　it　was　something　of　an　〃occasion；〃　and　my　father　and　Turgenieff　were　far　more　delighted　than　we　were。　　It　turned　out　that　they　were　both　in　the　right；　and　everything　ended　to　their　mutual　satisfaction。

Ivan　Sergeyevitch　slept　down…stairs　in　my　father's　study。　　When　the　party　broke　up　for　the　night；　I　used　to　see　him　to　his　room；　and　while　he　was　undressing　I　sat　on　his　bed　and　talked　sport　with　him。

He　asked　me　if　I　could　shoot。　　I　said　yes；　but　that　I　didn't　care　to　go　out　shooting　because　I　had　nothing　but　a　rotten　old　one…barreled　gun。

〃I'll　give　you　a　gun；〃　he　said。　　〃I've　got　two　in　Paris；　and　I　have　no　earthly　need　for　both。　　It's　not　an