“A serious young man. _Un esprit superieur_.”
“I see that, _mon cher Prince_,” said the General. “Mr. Razumov is quite
safe with me. I am interested in him. He has, it seems, the great and
useful quality of inspiring confidence. What I was wondering at is why
the other should mention anything at all--I mean even the bare fact
alone--if his object was only to obtain temporary shelter for a few
hours. For, after all, nothing was easier than to say nothing about it
unless, indeed, he were trying, under a crazy misapprehension of your
true sentiments, to enlist your assistance--eh, Mr. Razumov?”
It seemed to Razumov that the floor was moving slightly. This grotesque
man in a tight uniform was terrible. It was right that he should be
terrible.
“I can see what your Excellency has in your mind. But I can only answer
that I don’t know why.”
“I have nothing in my mind,” murmured the General, with gentle surprise.
“I am his prey--his helpless prey,” thought Razumov. The fatigues and
the disgusts of that afternoon, the need to forget, the fear which he
could not keep off, reawakened his hate for Haldin.
“Then I can’t help your Excellency. I don’t know what he meant. I only
know there was a moment when I wished to kill him. There was also a
moment when I wished myself dead. I said nothing. I was overcome. I
provoked no confidence--I asked for no explanations--”
Razumov seemed beside himself; but his mind was lucid. It was really a
calculated outburst.
“It is rather a pity,” the General said, “that you did not. Don’t you
know at all what he means to do?” Razumov calmed down and saw an opening
there.
“He told me he was in hopes that a sledge would meet him about half an
hour after midnight at the seventh lamp-post on the left from the upper
end of Karabelnaya. At any rate, he meant to be there at that time. He
did not even ask me for a change of clothes.”
“_Ah voila_!” said the General, turning to Prince K with an air of
satisfaction. “There is a way to keep your _protege_, Mr. Razumov, quite
clear of any connexion with the actual arrest. We shall be ready for
that gentleman in Karabelnaya.”
The Prince expressed his gratitude. There was real emotion in his voice.
Razumov, motionless, silent, sat staring at the carpet. The General
turned to him.
“Half an hour after midnight. Till then we have to depend on you, Mr.
Razumov. You don’t think he is likely to change his purpose?”
“How can I tell?” said Razumov. “Those men are not of the sort that ever
changes its purpose.”
“What men do you mean?”
“Fanatical lovers of liberty in general. Liberty with a capital L,
Excellency. Liberty that means nothing precise. Liberty in whose name
crimes are committed.”