Part Four: Chapter 6

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Alexey Alexandrovitch had gained a brilliant victory at thesitting of the Commission of the 17th of August, but in thesequel this victory cut the ground from under his feet. The newcommission for the inquiry into the condition of the nativetribes in all its branches had been formed and despatched to itsdestination with an unusual speed and energy inspired by AlexeyAlexandrovitch. Within three months a report was presented. Thecondition of the native tribes was investigated in its political,administrative, economic, ethnographic, material, and religiousaspects. To all these questions there were answers admirablystated, and answers admitting no shade of doubt, since they werenot a product of human thought, always liable to error, but wereall the product of official activity. The answers were all basedon official data furnished by governors and heads of churches,and founded on the reports of district magistrates andecclesiastical superintendents, founded in their turn on thereports of parochial overseers and parish priests; and so all ofthese answers were unhesitating and certain. All such questionsas, for instance, of the cause of failure of crops, of theadherence of certain tribes to their ancient beliefs, etc.--questions which, but for the convenient intervention of theofficial machine, are not, and cannot be solved for ages--received full, unhesitating solution. And this solution was infavor of Alexey Alexandrovitch's contention. But Stremov, whohad felt stung to the quick at the last sitting, had, on thereception of the commission's report, resorted to tactics whichAlexey Alexandrovitch had not anticipated. Stremov, carryingwith him several members, went over to Alexey Alexandrovitch'sside, and not contenting himself with warmly defending themeasure proposed by Karenin, proposed other more extreme measuresin the same direction. These measures, still further exaggeratedin opposition to what was Alexey Alexandrovitch's fundamentalidea, were passed by the commission, and then the aim ofStremov's tactics became apparent. Carried to an extreme, themeasures seemed at once to be so absurd that the highestauthorities, and public opinion, and intellectual ladies, and thenewspapers, all at the same time fell foul of them, expressingtheir indignation both with the measures and their nominalfather, Alexey Alexandrovitch. Stremov drew back, affecting tohave blindly followed Karenin, and to be astounded and distressedat what had been done. This meant the defeat of AlexeyAlexandrovitch. But in spite of failing health, in spite of hisdomestic griefs, he did not give in. There was a split in thecommission. Some members, with Stremov at their head, justifiedtheir mistake on the ground that they had put faith in thecommission of revision, instituted by Alexey Alexandrovitch, andmaintained that the report of the commission was rubbish, andsimply so much waste paper. Alexey Alexandrovitch, with afollowing of those who saw the danger of so revolutionary anattitude to official documents, persisted in upholding thestatements obtained by the revising commission. In consequenceof this, in the higher spheres, and even in society, all waschaos, and although everyone was interested, no one could tellwhether the native tribes really were becoming impoverished andruined, or whether they were in a flourishing condition. Theposition of Alexey Alexandrovitch, owing to this, and partlyowing to the contempt lavished on him for his wife's infidelity,became very precarious. And in this position he took animportant resolution. To the astonishment of the commission, heannounced that he should ask permission to go himself toinvestigate the question on the spot. And having obtainedpermission, Alexey Alexandrovitch prepared to set off to theseremote provinces.

　　Alexey Alexandrovitch's departure made a great sensation, themore so as just before he started he officially returned theposting-fares allowed him for twelve horses, to drive to hisdestination.

　　"I think it very noble," Betsy said about this to the PrincessMyakaya. "Why take money for posting-horses when everyone knowsthat there are railways everywhere now?"

　　But Princess Myakaya did not agree, and the Princess Tverskaya'sopinion annoyed her indeed.

　　"It's all very well for you to talk," said she, "when you have Idon't know how many millions; but I am very glad when my husbandgoes on a revising tour in the summer. It's very good for himand pleasant traveling about, and it's a settled arrangement forme to keep a carriage and coachman on the money."

　　On his way to the remote provinces Alexey Alexandrovitch stoppedfor three days at Moscow.

　　The day after his arrival he was driving back from calling on thegovernor-general. At the crossroads by Gazetoy Place, wherethere are always crowds of carriages and sledges, AlexeyAlexandrovitch suddenly heard his name called out in such a loudand cheerful voice that he could not help looking round. At thecorner of the pavement, in a short, stylish overcoat and alow-crowned fashionable hat, jauntily askew, with a smile thatshowed a gleam of white teeth and red lips, stood StepanArkadyevitch, radiant, young, and beaming. He called himvigorously and urgently, and insisted on his stopping. He hadone arm on the window of a carriage that was stopping at thecorner, and out of the window were thrust the heads of a lady ina velvet hat, and two children. Stepan Arkadyevitch was smilingand beckoning to his brother-in-law. The lady smiled a kindlysmile too, and she too waved her hand to Alexey Alexandrovitch.It was Dolly with her children.

　　Alexey Alexandrovitch did not want to see anyone in Moscow, andleast of all his wife's brother. He raised his hat and wouldhave driven on, but Stepan Arkadyevitch told his coachman tostop, and ran across the snow to him.

　　"Well, what a shame not to have let us know! Been here long? Iwas at Dussot's yesterday and saw 'Karenin' on the visitors'list, but it never entered my head that it was you," said StepanArkadyevitch, sticking his head in at the window of the carriage,"or I should have looked you up. I am glad to see you!" hesaid, knocking one foot against the other to shake the snow off."What a shame of you not to let us know!" he repeated.

　　"I had no time; I am very busy," Alexey Alexandrovitch respondeddryly.

　　"Come to my wife, she does so want to see you."

　　Alexey Alexandrovitch unfolded the rug in which his frozen feetwere wrapped, and getting out of his carriage made his way overthe snow to Darya Alexandrovna.

　　"Why, Alexey Alexandrovitch, what are you cutting us like thisfor?" said Dolly, smiling.

　　"I was very busy. Delighted to see you!" he said in a toneclearly indicating that he was annoyed by it. "How are you?"

　　"Tell me, how is my darling Anna?"

　　Alexey Alexandrovitch mumbled something and would have gone on.But Stepan Arkadyevitch stopped him.

　　"I tell you what we'll do tomorrow. Dolly, ask him to dinner.We'll ask Koznishev and Pestsov, so as to entertain him with ourMoscow celebrities."

　　"Yes, please, do come," said Dolly; "we will expect you at five,or six o'clock, if you like. How is my darling Anna? Howlong..."

　　"She is quite well," Alexey Alexandrovitch mumbled, frowning."Delighted!" and he moved away towards his carriage.

　　"You will come?" Dolly called after him.

　　Alexey Alexandrovitch said something which Dolly could not catchin the noise of the moving carriages.

　　"I shall come round tomorrow!" Stepan Arkadyevitch shouted tohim.

　　Alexey Alexandrovitch got into his carriage, and buried himselfin it so as neither to see nor be seen.

　　"Queer fish!" said Stepan Arkadyevitch to his wife, and glancingat his watch, he made a motion of his hand before his face,indicating a caress to his wife and children, and walked jauntilyalong the pavement.

　　"Stiva! Stiva!" Dolly called, reddening.

　　He turned round.

　　"I must get coats, you know, for Grisha and Tanya. Give me themoney."

　　"Never mind; you tell them I'll pay the bill!" and he vanished,nodding genially to an acquaintance who drove by.