Anna Karenina (Penguin) - Leo Tolstoy [183]
Serpukhovskoy smiled. He was obviously pleased by this opinion of him, and found it unnecessary to conceal it.
‘I, on the contrary, will sincerely admit that I expected less. But I’m glad, very glad. I’m ambitious, that’s my weakness, and I admit it.’
‘You might not admit it if you weren’t successful,’ said Vronsky.
‘I don’t think so,’ said Serpukhovskoy, smiling again. ‘I won’t say life wouldn’t be worth living without it, but it would be boring. Of course, I may be wrong, but it seems to me that I have some ability for the sphere of action I’ve chosen, and that power, whatever it might be, if I should get it, would be better in my hands than in the hands of many men I know,’ he said, with a glowing awareness of success. ‘And therefore, the closer I come to it, the more pleased I am.’
‘That may be so for you, but not for everyone. I thought the same thing, but now I live and find that it’s not worth living just for that,’ said Vronsky.
‘There it is! There it is!’ Serpukhovskoy said, laughing. ‘I began by saying that I’d heard about you, about your refusal ... Naturally, I approved of you. But there’s a right and wrong way for everything. And I think that the action was good, but you didn’t do it as you should have.’
‘What’s done is done, and you know I never renounce what I’ve done. And then, too, I’m quite fine.’
‘Quite fine - for the time being. But you won’t remain satisfied with that. It’s not your brother I’m talking to. He’s a sweet child, just like our host - there he goes!’ he added, hearing a shout of ‘Hurrah!’ ‘And he has his fun. But for you that’s not enough.’
‘I’m not saying I’m satisfied.’
‘It isn’t just that. People like you are needed.’
‘By whom?’
‘By whom? By society. Russia needs people, needs a party, otherwise everything goes and will go to the dogs.’
‘Meaning what? Bertenev’s party against the Russian communists?’21
‘No,’ said Serpukhovskoy, wincing with vexation at being suspected of such stupidity. ‘Tout ça est une blague.z It always has been and always will be. There aren’t any communists. But people given to intrigue always have to invent some harmful, dangerous party. It’s an old trick. No, what’s needed is a party of independent people like you and me.’
‘But why?’ Vronsky named several people in power. ‘Why aren’t they independent people?’
‘Only because they don’t have or weren’t born with an independent fortune, didn’t have a name, weren’t born as near to the sun as we were. They can be bought either by money or by favours. And in order to hold out they have to invent a trend. And they put forth some idea, some trend which they don’t believe in themselves, and which does harm; and this whole trend is only a means of having a government house and a salary of so much. Cela n’est pas plus fin que ça,aa when you look into their cards. Maybe I’m worse or stupider than they are, though I don’t see why I should be worse. But you and I certainly have the one important advantage that we’re harder to buy. And such people are needed now more than ever.’
Vronsky listened attentively, but was taken up not so much with the actual content of his words as with Serpukhovskoy’s attitude towards things, how he already thought of struggling with the ruling powers and already had his sympathies and antipathies in this world, while for him there was nothing in the service but the interests of his squadron. Vronsky also realized how strong Serpukhovskoy could be in his unquestionable ability to reflect, to comprehend things, in his intelligence and gift for words, which occurred so rarely in the milieu in which he lived. And, much as it shamed him, he was envious.
‘All the same I lack the one chief thing for that,’ he replied, ‘I lack the desire for power. I had it, but it went away.’
‘Excuse me, but that’s not true,’ Serpukhovskoy said, smiling.
‘No, it’s true, it’s true! ... now,’ Vronsky added, to be sincere.
‘Yes, it’s true now, that’s another matter; but this now is not