selected writings-第42部分

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〃I；　too；　am　rich！I　am　worth　two　hundred　thousand　francs。〃



Suddenly　he　thought　of　his　employer。　He　drove　up　to　the　office；

and　entered　gaily；　saying：



〃Sir；　I　have　come　to　resign　my　position。　I　have　just　inherited

three　hundred　thousand　francs。〃



He　shook　hands　with　his　former　colleagues　and　confided　to　them

some　of　his　projects　for　the　future；　then　he　went　off　to　dine　at

the　Cafe　Anglais。



He　seated　himself　beside　a　gentleman　of　aristocratic　bearing；　and

during　the　meal　informed　the　latter　confidentially　that　he　had

just　inherited　a　fortune　of　four　hundred　thousand　francs。



For　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　was　not　bored　at　the　theater；

and　spent　the　remainder　of　the　night　in　a　gay　frolic。



Six　months　afterward　he　married　again。　His　second　wife　was　a　very

virtuous　woman；　with　a　violent　temper。　She　caused　him　much

sorrow。



　



COUNTESS　SATAN



I。



They　were　discussing　dynamite；　the　social　revolution；　Nihilism；

and　even　those　who　cared　least　about　politics　had　something　to

say。　Some　were　alarmed；　others　philosophized；　and　others　again

tried　to　smile。



〃Bah！〃　Nsaid；　〃when　we　are　all　blown　up；　we　shall　see　what　it

is　like。　Perhaps；　after　all；　it　may　be　an　amusing　sensation；

provided　one　goes　high　enough。〃



〃But　we　shall　not　be　blown　up　at　all；〃　G；　the　optimist；　said；

interrupting　him。　〃It　is　all　a　romance。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；　my　dear　fellow；〃　Jules　de　Creplied。　〃It　is

like　a　romance；　but　with　this　confounded　Nihilism；　everything　is

the　same；　it　would　be　a　mistake　to　trust　to　it。　For　instance；　the

manner　in　which　I　made　Bakounine's　acquaintance〃



They　knew　that　he　was　a　good　narrator；　and　it　was　no　secret　that

his　life　had　been　an　adventurous　one；　so　they　drew　closer　to　him；

and　listened　intently。　This　is　what　he　told　them：



II



〃I　met　Countess　Nioska　W；　that　strange　woman　who　was　usually

called　Countess　Satan；　in　Naples。　I　immediately　attached　myself

to　her　out　of　curiosity；　and　soon　fell　in　love　with　her。　Not　that

she　was　beautiful；　for　she　was　a　Russian　with　the　bad

characteristics　of　the　Russian　type。　She　was　thin　and　squat　at

the　same　time；　while　her　face　was　sallow　and　puffy；　with　high

cheek…bones　and　a　Cossack's　nose。　But　her　conversation　bewitched

everyone。



〃She　was　many…sided；　learned；　a　philosopher；　scientifically

depraved；　satanic。　Perhaps　the　word　is　rather　pretentious；　but　it

exactly　expresses　what　I　want　to　say；　for　in　other　words　she

loved　evil　for　the　sake　of　evil。　She　rejoiced　in　other　people's

vices；　she　liked　to　sow　the　seeds　of　evil；　in　order　to　see　it

flourish。　And　that；　too；　by　fraud　on　an　enormous　scale。　It　was

not　enough　for　her　to　corrupt　individuals；　she　only　did　that　to

keep　her　hand　in；　what　she　wished　to　do　was　to　corrupt　the

masses。　By　slightly　altering　it　after　her　own　fashion；　she　might

have　used　Caligula's　famous　wish。　She　also　might　have　wished　that

the　whole　human　race　had　but　one　head；　not　in　order　that　she

might　cut　it　off；　but　that　she　might　make　the　philosophy　of

Nihilism　flourish　there。



〃What　a　temptation　to　become　the　lord　and　master　of　such　a

monster！　I　allowed　myself　to　be　tempted；　and　undertook　the

adventure。　The　means　came　unsought　for　by　me；　and　the　only　thing

that　I　had　to　do　was　to　show　myself　more　perverted　and　satanic

than　she　was　herself。　And　so　I　played　the　devil。



〃　'Yes；'　I　said；　'we　writers　are　the　best　workmen　for　doing　evil；

as　our　books　may　be　bottles　of　poison。　The　so…called　men　of

action　only　turn　the　handle　of　the　mitrailleuse　which　we　have

loaded。　Formulas　will　destroy　the　world；　and　it　is　we　who　invent

them。'



〃　'That　is　true；'　said　she；　'and　that　is　what　is　wanting　in

Bakounine；　I　am　sorry　to　say。'



〃That　name　was　constantly　in　her　mouth。　So　I　asked　her　for

details；　which　she　gave　me；　as　she　knew　the　man　intimately。



〃　'After　all；'　she　said；　with　a　contemptuous　grimace；　'he　is　only

a　kind　of　Garibaldi。'



〃She　told　me；　although　she　made　fun　of　him　as　she　did　so；　about

that　'Odyssey'　of　the　barricades　and　of　the　hulks　which　made　up

Bakounine's　history；　and　which　is；　nevertheless；　the　exact　truth；

about　his　adventures　as　chief　of　the　insurgents　at　Prague　and

then　at　Dresden；　of　his　first　death　sentence；　about　his

imprisonment　at　Olmutz；　in　the　casemates　of　the　fortress　of　St。

Peter　and　St。　Paul；　and　in　a　subterranean　dungeon　at

Schusselburg；　about　his　exile　to　Siberia　and　his　wonderful　escape

down　the　river　Amour；　on　a　Japanese　coasting…vessel；　and　about

his　final　arrival；　by　way　of　Yokohama　and　San　Francisco；　in　London；

whence　he　was　directing　all　the　operations　of　Nihilism。



〃　'You　see；'　she　said；　'he　is　a　thorough　adventurer；　and　now　all

his　adventures　are　over。　He　got　married　at　Tobolsk　and　became　a

mere　respectable；　middle…class　man。　And　then　he　has　no　individual

ideas。　Herzen；　the　pamphleteer　of　〃Kolokol；〃　inspired　him　with

the　only　fertile　phrase　that　he　ever　uttered：　〃Land　and　Liberty！〃

But　that　is　not　yet　the　definite　formula；　the　general

formulawhat　I　may　call　the　dynamite　formula。　At　best；　Bakounine

would　only　become　an　incendiary；　and　burn　down　cities。　And　what

is　that；　I　ask　you？　Bah！　A　second…hand　Rostoptchin！　He　wants　a

prompter；　and　I　offered　to　become　his；　but　he　did　not　take　me

seriously。'



　*　*　*　*　*　*　*



〃It　would　be　useless　to　enter　into　all　the　psychological　details

which　marked　the　course　of　my　passion　for　the　Countess；　and　to

explain　to　you　more　fully　the　curious　and　daily　growing

attraction　which　she　had　for　me。　It　was　getting　exasperating；　and

the　more　so　as　she　resisted　me　as　stoutly　as　the　shyest　of

innocents　could　have　done。　At　the　end　of　a　month　of　mad　Satanism；

I　saw　what　her　game　was。　Do　you　know　what　she　intended？　She　meant

to　make　me　Bakounine's　prompter；　or；　at　any　rate；　that　is　what

she　said。　But　no　doubt　she　reserved　the　right　to　herselfat

least　that　is　how　I　understood　herto　prompt　the　prompter；　and

my　passion　for　her；　which　she　purposely　left　unsatisfied；　assured

her　that　absolute　power　over　me。



〃All　this　may　appear　madness　to　you；　but　it　is；　nevertheless；　the

exact　truth。　In　short；　one　morning　she　bluntly　made　the　offer：



〃　'Become　Bakounine's　soul；　and　you　shall　possess　me。'



〃Of　course　I　accepted；　for　it　was　too　fantastically　strange　to

refuse。　Don't　you　think　so？　What　an　adventure！　What　luck！　A

number　of　letters　between　the　Countess　and　Bakounine　prepared　the

way；　I　was　introduced　to　him　at　his　house；　and　they　discussed　me

there。　I　became　a　sort　of　Western　prophet；　a　mystic　charmer　who

was　ready　to　nihilize　the　Latin　races；　the　Saint　Paul　of　the　new

religion　of　nothingness；　and　at　last　a　day　was　fixed　for　us　to

meet　in　London。　He　lived　in　a　small；　one…storied　house　in

Pimlico；　with　a　tiny　garden　in　front；　and　nothing　noticeable

about　it。



〃We　were　first　of　all　shown　into　the　commonplace　parlor　of　all

English　homes；　and　then　upstairs。　The　room　where　the　Countess　and

I　were　left　was　small；　and　very　badly　furnished。　It　had　a　square

table　with　writing　materials　on　it；　in　the　center　of　the　room。

This　was　his　sanctuary。　The　deity　soon　appeared；　and　I　saw　him　in

flesh　and　boneespecially　in　flesh；　for　he　was　enormously　stout。

His　broad　face；　with　prominent　cheek…bones；　in　spite　of　fat；　a

nose　like　a　double　funnel；　and　small；　sharp　eyes；　which　had　a

magnetic　lock；　proclaimed　the　Tartar；　the　old　Turanian　blood

which　produced　the　Attilas；　the　Genghis…Khans；　the　Tamerlanes。

The　obesity　which　is　characteristic　of　nomad　races；　who　are

always　on　horseback　or　driving；　added　to　his　Asiatic　look。　The

man　was　certainly　not　a　European；　a　slave；　a　descendant　of　the

deistic　Aryans；　but　a　scion　of　the　atheistic　hordes　who　had

several　times　already　almost　overrun　Europe；　and　who；　instead　of

ideas　of　progress；　have　Nihilism　buried　in　their　hearts。



〃I　was　astonished；　for　I　had　not　expected　that　the　majesty　of　a

whole　race　could　be　thus　revived　in　a　man；　and　my　stupefaction

increased　after　an　hour's　conversation。　I　could　quite　understand

why　such　a　Colossus　had　not　wished　for　the　Countess　as　his

Egeria；　she　was　a　silly　child　to　have　dreamed　of　acting　such　a

part　to　such　a　thinker。　She　had　not　felt　the　profoundness　of　that

horrible；　philosophy　which　was　hidden　under　his　material

activity；　nor　had　she　seen　the　prophet　under　this　hero　of　the

barricades。　Perhaps　he　had　not　thought　it　advisable　to　reveal

himself　to　her；　but　he　revealed　himself　to　me；　and　inspired　me

with　terror。



〃A　prophet？　Oh！　yes。　He　thought　himself　an　Attila；　and　foresaw

the　consequences　of　his　revolution；　it　was　not　only　from　instinct

but　also　from　theory　that　he　urged　a　nation　on　to　Nihilism。　The

phrase　is　not　his；　but　Turgenieff's；　I　believe；　but　the　idea

certainly　belonged　to　him。　He　got　his　programme　of　agricultural

communism　from　Herzen；　and　his　destructive　radicalism　from

Pougatcheff；　but　he　did　not　stop　there。　I　mean　that　he　went　on　to

evil　for　the　sake　of　evil。　Herzen　wished　for　the　happiness　of　the

Slav　peasant；　Pougatcheff　wanted　to　be　elected　Emperor；　but　all

that　Bakounine　wanted　was　to　overthrow　the　actual　order　of

things；　no　matter　by　what　means；　and　to　replace　social

concentration　by　a　universal　upheaval。



〃It　was　the　dream　of　a　Tartar；　it　was　true　Nihilism　pushed　to

extreme　and　practical　conclusions。　It　was；　in　a　word；　the　applied

philosophy　of　chance；　the　indeterminate　end　of　anarchy。　Monstrous

it　may　be；　but　grand　in　its　monstrosity！



〃And　you　must　note　that　the　typical　man　of　action　so　despised　by

the　Countess　was；　in　Bakounine；　the　gigantic　dreamer　whom　I　have

just　shown　to　you。　His　dream　did　not　remain　a　dream；　but　began　to

be　realized。　It　was　by　the　care　of　Bakounine　that　the　Nihilistic

party　became　an　entity；　a　party　in　which　there　is　a　little　of

everything；　you　know；　but　on　the　whole；　a　formidable　party；　the

advanced　guard　of　which　is　true　Nihilism；　whose　object　is　nothing

l