登陆注册
5215100000022

第22章

"May the Lord bless you both, you and your babe Lizaveta! You have gladdened my heart, mother.Farewell, dear children, farewell, dear ones."He blessed them all and bowed low to them.

Chapter 4

A Lady of Little FaithA visitor looking on the scene of his conversation with the peasants and his blessing them shed silent tears and wiped them away with her handkerchief.She was a sentimental society lady of genuinely good disposition in many respects.When the elder went up to her at last she met him enthusiastically.

"Ah, what I have been feeling, looking on at this touching scene!..."She could not go on for emotion."Oh, I understand the people's love for you.I love the people myself.I want to love them.And who could help loving them, our splendid Russian people, so simple in their greatness!""How is your daughter's health? You wanted to talk to me again?""Oh, I have been urgently begging for it, I have prayed for it!

I was ready to fall on my knees and kneel for three days at your windows until you let me in.We have come, great healer, to express our ardent gratitude.You have healed my Lise, healed her completely, merely by praying over her last Thursday and laying your hands upon her.We have hastened here to kiss those hands, to pour out our feelings and our homage.""What do you mean by healed? But she is still lying down in her chair.""But her night fevers have entirely ceased ever since Thursday,"said the lady with nervous haste."And that's not all.Her legs are stronger.This mourning she got up well; she had slept all night.Look at her rosy cheeks, her bright eyes! She used to be always crying, but now she laughs and is gay and happy.This morning she insisted on my letting her stand up, and she stood up for a whole minute without any support.She wagers that in a fortnight she'll be dancing a quadrille.I've called in Doctor Herzenstube.He shrugged his shoulders and said, 'I am amazed; I can make nothing of it.' And would you have us not come here to disturb you, not fly here to thank you?

Lise, thank him- thank him!"

Lise's pretty little laughing face became suddenly serious.She rose in her chair as far as she could and, looking at the elder, clasped her hands before him, but could not restrain herself and broke into laughter.

"It's at him," she said, pointing to Alyosha, with childish vexation at herself for not being able to repress her mirth.

If anyone had looked at Alyosha standing a step behind the elder, he would have caught a quick flush crimsoning his cheeks in an instant.His eyes shone and he looked down.

"She has a message for you, Alexey Fyodorovitch.How are you?" the mother went on, holding out her exquisitely gloved hand to Alyosha.

The elder turned round and all at once looked attentively at Alyosha.The latter went nearer to Lise and, smiling in a strangely awkward way, held out his hand to her too.Lise assumed an important air.

"Katerina Ivanovna has sent you this through me." She handed him a little note."She particularly begs you to go and see her as soon as possible; that you will not fail her, but will be sure to come.""She asks me to go and see her? Me? What for?" Alyosha muttered in great astonishment.His face at once looked anxious.

"Oh, it's all to do with Dmitri Fyodorovitch and- what has happened lately," the mother explained hurriedly."Katerina Ivanovna has made up her mind, but she must see you about it....Why, of course, I can't say.But she wants to see you at once.And you will go to her, of course.It is a Christian duty.""I have only seen her once," Alyosha protested with the same perplexity.

"Oh, she is such a lofty, incomparable creature If only for her suffering....Think what she has gone through, what she is enduring now Think what awaits her! It's all terrible, terrible!

"Very well, I will come," Alyosha decided, after rapidly scanning the brief, enigmatic note, which consisted of an urgent entreaty that he would come, without any sort of explanation.

"Oh, how sweet and generous that would be of you" cried Lise with sudden animation."I told mamma you'd be sure not to go.I said you were saving your soul.How splendid you are I've always thought you were splendid.How glad I am to tell you so!""Lise!" said her mother impressively, though she smiled after she had said it.

"You have quite forgotten us, Alexey Fyodorovitch," she said; "you never come to see us.Yet Lise has told me twice that she is never happy except with you."Alyosha raised his downcast eyes and again flushed, and again smiled without knowing why.But the elder was no longer watching him.He had begun talking to a monk who, as mentioned before, had been awaiting his entrance by Lise's chair.He was evidently a monk of the humblest, that is of the peasant, class, of a narrow outlook, but a true believer, and, in his own way, a stubborn one.He announced that he had come from the far north, from Obdorsk, from Saint Sylvester, and was a member of a poor monastery, consisting of only ten monks.The elder gave him his blessing and invited him to come to his cell whenever he liked.

"How can you presume to do such deeds?" the monk asked suddenly, pointing solemnly and significantly at Lise.He was referring to her "healing.""It's too early, of course, to speak of that.Relief is not complete cure, and may proceed from different causes.But if there has been any healing, it is by no power but God's will.It's all from God.

Visit me, Father," he added to the monk."It's not often I can see visitors.I am ill, and I know that my days are numbered.""Oh, no, no! God will not take you from us.You will live a long, long time yet," cried the lady."And in what way are you ill?

You look so well, so gay and happy."

同类推荐
  • 云林堂饮食制度集

    云林堂饮食制度集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 黄书

    黄书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 群仙要语纂集

    群仙要语纂集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 释门归敬仪护法记

    释门归敬仪护法记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 养生类要

    养生类要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 恐龙公园(走进科学)

    恐龙公园(走进科学)

    本套书全面而系统地介绍了当今世界各种各样的难解之谜和科学技术,集知识性、趣味性、新奇性、疑问性与科普性于一体,深入浅出,生动可读,通俗易懂,目的是使广大读者在兴味盎然地领略世界难解之谜和科学技术的同时,能够加深思考,启迪智慧,开阔视野,增加知识,能够正确了解和认识这个世界,激发求知的欲望和探索的精神,激起热爱科学和追求科学的热情,不断掌握开启人类世界的金钥匙,不断推动人类社会向前发展,使我们真正成为人类社会的主人。
  • 冷案重启3:深渊之光

    冷案重启3:深渊之光

    四个垂死挣扎的年轻人,一场诡异的杀戮游戏,决定他们命运的,是一个早已跳楼身亡的少女,而警方却被诱导上了一段彭罗斯阶梯,在错误的方向无限循环,始终无法接近真相……一桩诡异离奇的“杀妻案”,一名雨夜遇害的警察,当事人全部人间蒸发。萧兰草和甘凤池发觉,他们似乎被卷入一场精心设计的捉迷藏游戏,而一张死亡的天罗地网,正悄然向他们逼近……人性的黑暗,深不可测,唯有燃烧的热血,是照亮深渊的微光。
  • 对不起,我爱你!

    对不起,我爱你!

    人前,她是懦弱的落魄千金;人后,她是步步为营的复仇女神。凌晨的机场,她撞了不该撞的故人——裴湛,人人尊称他一声‘三哥’。她家公司面临破产,她被仇人追杀,她的弟弟妹妹遭遇绑架……他设下陷阱,诱她步步深陷;她无路可走,只得口是心非的说出“心甘情愿”。
  • 大剑之最强辅助

    大剑之最强辅助

    那天我给一个濒死的大剑妹子加了个提神水晶的BUFF,然后,她没死。萌新练笔,请多关照。我把群建好了,651696804,欢迎进来提建议哦。 新书《今晚有好梦》已经发布啦,拜托大家多多捧场支持!
  • 少村漫稿

    少村漫稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 苏小宁的空间田园

    苏小宁的空间田园

    苏小宁投简历屡次被拒后,一家零食手工铺的老板聘用了她。在她第一天上班做事的时候不小心割伤了手指,然后与手上的戒指居然吸了她的血…………
  • 盖世武尊

    盖世武尊

    寻道路上,人若阻我,一拳碎之!神若阻我,一脚踏之!天若欺我,一戟破之!道若阻我,那便一碑封之!你狂吾更狂,看谁称尊而道皇!
  • 妾本倾城

    妾本倾城

    她,南宫汐雪,倾国又倾城,却倾倒不了心中的那个男人?他在死人堆里救起她,给了她新的名字,新的生命,新的开始,陪伴她走过生命中最孤苦的岁月。她倾心于他,愿意给他全部的生命,她的爱,从来不加掩饰!可是他一心权术,他的爱,沉默隐忍,冰冷刻骨,充满伤害,为了权力不惜一次又一次把她推向别人,甚至嫁做人妻!她嫁的那个王爷可一点也不比他差,虽然他是个傻子,可是却有全天下最纯澈最温暖的心。他就不怕她变心吗?*沈墨,靖王府的少爷,冷漠,英俊,残忍,野心勃勃,对女人来说,他是用来膜拜的。他曾失手杀死心爱的女人,被指为蓄意谋杀,愧疚缠绕他数十年,直到另一个人慢慢打开他的心扉…他却已无力爱她。慕容颜,南王府的继承人,他们在荷花池边相遇,命运的齿轮便开始流转。他灿烂,明媚,温暖人心,是傻子却也不是傻子,在她最需要他的时候,毅然站出来承担了一直逃避的生活…颜笙,聪明坚定的皇宫侍卫统领,一直默默守护着她,沉着,冷静,稳重,只要他在,事情总是会有挽回的余地,只要他在,她就很安心…*《倾城》的视频做好了。。哈哈,是未央爱妃和袖子一起做的,挺漂亮的```那首歌也是我超喜欢的来着。亲们有空去看看。?pstyle=0————倾城入了原创大赛复赛,谢谢大家的支持~~推荐自己的新文。《狐戏红尘》
  • 刺杀何思源

    刺杀何思源

    国民党特务刺杀何思源的事,妇孺皆知。但是,刺杀何思源的那个特务是谁?他们又是怎么实施行动的,特务的命运后来如何了,等等细节,知道的人却微乎其微。有人曾问过特务刺杀行动中幸存的何思源的女儿何鲁丽,当年的行刺内幕究竟是什么?何鲁丽回答:我和你们知道的一样少。
  • Three Men on the Bummel

    Three Men on the Bummel

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。