Resurrection

The next morning Nekhludoff awoke, conscious that something had

happened to him, and even before he had remembered what it was he

knew it to be something important and good.

"Katusha--the trial!" Yes, he must stop lying and tell the whole

truth.

By a strange coincidence on that very morning he received the

long-expected letter from Mary Vasilievna, the wife of the

Marechal de Noblesse, the very letter he particularly needed.

She gave him full freedom, and wished him happiness in his

intended marriage.

"Marriage!" he repeated with irony. "How far I am from all that

at present."

And he remembered the plans he had formed the day before, to tell

the husband everything, to make a clean breast of it, and express

his readiness to give him any kind of satisfaction. But this

morning this did not seem so easy as the day before. And, then,

also, why make a man unhappy by telling him what he does not

know? Yes, if he came and asked, he would tell him all, but to go

purposely and tell--no! that was unnecessary.

And telling the whole truth to Missy seemed just as difficult

this morning. Again, he could not begin to speak without offence.

As in many worldly affairs, something had to remain unexpressed.

Only one thing he decided on, i.e., not to visit there, and to

tell the truth if asked.

But in connection with Katusha, nothing was to remain unspoken.

"I shall go to the prison and shall tell her every thing, and ask

her to forgive me. And if need be--yes, if need be, I shall marry

her," he thought.

This idea, that he was ready to sacrifice all on moral grounds,

and marry her, again made him feel very tender towards himself.

Concerning money matters he resolved this morning to arrange them

in accord with his conviction, that the holding of landed

property was unlawful. Even if he should not be strong enough to

give up everything, he would still do what he could, not

deceiving himself or others.

It was long since he had met the coming day with so much energy.

When Agraphena Petrovna came in, he told her, with more firmness

than he thought himself capable of, that he no longer needed this

lodging nor her services. There had been a tacit understanding

that he was keeping up so large and expensive an establishment

because he was thinking of getting married. The giving up of the

house had, therefore, a special meaning. Agraphena Petrovna

looked at him in surprise.

"I thank you very much, Agraphena Petrovna, for all your care for

me, but I no longer require so large a house nor so many

servants. If you wish to help me, be so good as to settle about

the things, put them away as it used to be done during mamma's

life, and when Natasha comes she will see to everything." Natasha

was Nekhludoff's sister.