Under Western Eyes | Page 5

procured for Mr.
Razumov a reputation of profundity. Amongst a lot of exuberant talkers,
in the habit of exhausting themselves daily by ardent discussion, a
comparatively taciturn personality is naturally credited with reserve
power. By his comrades at the St. Petersburg University, Kirylo
Sidorovitch Razumov, third year's student in philosophy, was looked
upon as a strong nature--an altogether trustworthy man. This, in a
country where an opinion may be a legal crime visited by death or
sometimes by a fate worse than mere death, meant that he was worthy
of being trusted with forbidden opinions. He was liked also for his
amiability and for his quiet readiness to oblige his comrades even at the
cost of personal inconvenience.
Mr. Razumov was supposed to be the son of an Archpriest and to be
protected by a distinguished nobleman--perhaps of his own distant
province. But his outward appearance accorded badly with such
humble origin. Such a descent was not credible. It was, indeed,
suggested that Mr. Razumov was the son of an Archpriest's pretty
daughter--which, of course, would put a different complexion on the
matter. This theory also rendered intelligible the protection of the

distinguished nobleman. All this, however, had never been investigated
maliciously or otherwise. No one knew or cared who the nobleman in
question was. Razumov received a modest but very sufficient
allowance from the hands of an obscure attorney, who seemed to act as
his guardian in some measure. Now and then he appeared at some
professor's informal reception. Apart from that Razumov was not
known to have any social relations in the town. He attended the
obligatory lectures regularly and was considered by the authorities as a
very promising student. He worked at home in the manner of a man
who means to get on, but did not shut himself up severely for that
purpose. He was always accessible, and there was nothing secret or
reserved in his life.
I
The origin of Mr. Razumov's record is connected with an event
characteristic of modern Russia in the actual fact: the assassination of a
prominent statesman--and still more characteristic of the moral
corruption of an oppressed society where the noblest aspirations of
humanity, the desire of freedom, an ardent patriotism, the love of
justice, the sense of pity, and even the fidelity of simple minds are
prostituted to the lusts of hate and fear, the inseparable companions of
an uneasy despotism.
The fact alluded to above is the successful attempt on the life of Mr. de
P---, the President of the notorious Repressive Commission of some
years ago, the Minister of State invested with extraordinary powers.
The newspapers made noise enough about that fanatical,
narrow-chested figure in gold-laced uniform, with a face of crumpled
parchment, insipid, bespectacled eyes, and the cross of the Order of St.
Procopius hung under the skinny throat. For a time, it may be
remembered, not a month passed without his portrait appearing in some
one of the illustrated papers of Europe. He served the monarchy by
imprisoning, exiling, or sending to the gallows men and women, young
and old, with an equable, unwearied industry. In his mystic acceptance
of the principle of autocracy he was bent on extirpating from the land
every vestige of anything that resembled freedom in public institutions;

and in his ruthless persecution of the rising generation he seemed to
aim at the destruction of the very hope of liberty itself.
It is said that this execrated personality had not enough imagination to
be aware of the hate he inspired. It is hardly credible; but it is a fact that
he took very few precautions for his safety. In the preamble of a certain
famous State paper he had declared once that "the thought of liberty has
never existed in the Act of the Creator. From the multitude of men's
counsel nothing could come but revolt and disorder; and revolt and
disorder in a world created for obedience and stability is sin. It was not
Reason but Authority which expressed the Divine Intention. God was
the Autocrat of the Universe. . . ." It may be that the man who made
this declaration believed that heaven itself was bound to protect him in
his remorseless defence of Autocracy on this earth.
No doubt the vigilance of the police saved him many times; but, as a
matter of fact, when his appointed fate overtook him, the competent
authorities could not have given him any warning. They had no
knowledge of any conspiracy against the Minister's life, had no hint of
any plot through their usual channels of information, had seen no signs,
were aware of no suspicious movements or dangerous persons.
Mr. de P--- was being driven towards the railway station in a two-horse
uncovered sleigh with footman and coachman on the box. Snow