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.