dead souls(死魂灵)-第10部分

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　idea。　Then　suddenly　Chichikov's　extraordinary　request　interrupted　the　dreamer's　reflections；　and　he　found　his　brain　powerless　to　digest　it；　seeing　that；　turn　and　turn　the　matter　about　as　he　might；　he　could　not　properly　explain　its　bearing。　Smoking　his　pipe；　he　sat　where　he　was　until　supper　time。



CHAPTER　III

Meanwhile；　Chichikov；　seated　in　his　britchka　and　bowling　along　the　turnpike；　was　feeling　greatly　pleased　with　himself。　From　the　preceding　chapter　the　reader　will　have　gathered　the　principal　subject　of　his　bent　and　inclinations：　wherefore　it　is　no　matter　for　wonder　that　his　body　and　his　soul　had　ended　by　becoming　wholly　immersed　therein。　To　all　appearances　the　thoughts；　the　calculations；　and　the　projects　which　were　now　reflected　in　his　face　partook　of　a　pleasant　nature；　since　momentarily　they　kept　leaving　behind　them　a　satisfied　smile。　Indeed；　so　engrossed　was　he　that　he　never　noticed　that　his　coachman；　elated　with　the　hospitality　of　Manilov's　domestics；　was　making　remarks　of　a　didactic　nature　to　the　off　horse　of　the　troika＇1＇；　a　skewbald。　This　skewbald　was　a　knowing　animal；　and　made　only　a　show　of　pulling；　whereas　its　comrades；　the　middle　horse　（a　bay；　and　known　as　the　Assessor；　owing　to　his　having　been　acquired　from　a　gentleman　of　that　rank）　and　the　near　horse　（a　roan）；　would　do　their　work　gallantly；　and　even　evince　in　their　eyes　the　pleasure　which　they　derived　from　their　exertions。

＇1＇　Three　horses　harnessed　abreast。

〃Ah；　you　rascal；　you　rascal！　I'll　get　the　better　of　you！〃　ejaculated　Selifan　as　he　sat　up　and　gave　the　lazy　one　a　cut　with　his　whip。　〃YOU　know　your　business　all　right；　you　German　pantaloon！　The　bay　is　a　good　fellow；　and　does　his　duty；　and　I　will　give　him　a　bit　over　his　feed；　for　he　is　a　horse　to　be　respected；　and　the　Assessor　too　is　a　good　horse。　But　what　are　YOU　shaking　your　ears　for？　You　are　a　fool；　so　just　mind　when　you're　spoken　to。　'Tis　good　advice　I'm　giving　you；　you　blockhead。　Ah！　You　CAN　travel　when　you　like。〃　And　he　gave　the　animal　another　cut；　and　then　shouted　to　the　trio；　〃Gee　up；　my　beauties！〃　and　drew　his　whip　gently　across　the　backs　of　the　skewbald's　comradesnot　as　a　punishment；　but　as　a　sign　of　his　approval。　That　done；　he　addressed　himself　to　the　skewbald　again。

〃Do　you　think；〃　he　cried；　〃that　I　don't　see　what　you　are　doing？　You　can　behave　quite　decently　when　you　like；　and　make　a　man　respect　you。〃

With　that　he　fell　to　recalling　certain　reminiscences。

〃They　were　NICE　folk；　those　folk　at　the　gentleman's　yonder；〃　he　mused。　〃I　DO　love　a　chat　with　a　man　when　he　is　a　good　sort。　With　a　man　of　that　kind　I　am　always　hail…fellow…well…met；　and　glad　to　drink　a　glass　of　tea　with　him；　or　to　eat　a　biscuit。　One　CAN'T　help　respecting　a　decent　fellow。　For　instance；　this　gentleman　of　minewhy；　every　one　looks　up　to　him；　for　he　has　been　in　the　Government's　service；　and　is　a　Collegiate　Councillor。〃

Thus　soliloquising；　he　passed　to　more　remote　abstractions；　until；　had　Chichikov　been　listening；　he　would　have　learnt　a　number　of　interesting　details　concerning　himself。　However；　his　thoughts　were　wholly　occupied　with　his　own　subject；　so　much　so　that　not　until　a　loud　clap　of　thunder　awoke　him　from　his　reverie　did　he　glance　around　him。　The　sky　was　completely　covered　with　clouds；　and　the　dusty　turnpike　beginning　to　be　sprinkled　with　drops　of　rain。　At　length　a　second　and　a　nearer　and　a　louder　peal　resounded；　and　the　rain　descended　as　from　a　bucket。　Falling　slantwise；　it　beat　upon　one　side　of　the　basketwork　of　the　tilt　until　the　splashings　began　to　spurt　into　his　face；　and　he　found　himself　forced　to　draw　the　curtains　（fitted　with　circular　openings　through　which　to　obtain　a　glimpse　of　the　wayside　view）；　and　to　shout　to　Selifan　to　quicken　his　pace。　Upon　that　the　coachman；　interrupted　in　the　middle　of　his　harangue；　bethought　him　that　no　time　was　to　be　lost；　wherefore；　extracting　from　under　the　box…seat　a　piece　of　old　blanket；　he　covered　over　his　sleeves；　resumed　the　reins；　and　cheered　on　his　threefold　team　（which；　it　may　be　said；　had　so　completely　succumbed　to　the　influence　of　the　pleasant　lassitude　induced　by　Selifan's　discourse　that　it　had　taken　to　scarcely　placing　one　leg　before　the　other）。　Unfortunately；　Selifan　could　not　clearly　remember　whether　two　turnings　had　been　passed　or　three。　Indeed；　on　collecting　his　faculties；　and　dimly　recalling　the　lie　of　the　road；　he　became　filled　with　a　shrewd　suspicion　that　A　VERY　LARGE　NUMBER　of　turnings　had　been　passed。　But　since；　at　moments　which　call　for　a　hasty　decision；　a　Russian　is　quick　to　discover　what　may　conceivably　be　the　best　course　to　take；　our　coachman　put　away　from　him　all　ulterior　reasoning；　and；　turning　to　the　right　at　the　next　cross…road；　shouted；　〃Hi；　my　beauties！〃　and　set　off

at　a　gallop。　Never　for　a　moment　did　he　stop　to　think　whither　the　road　might　lead　him！

It　was　long　before　the　clouds　had　discharged　their　burden；　and；　meanwhile；　the　dust　on　the　road　became　kneaded　into　mire；　and　the　horses'　task　of　pulling　the　britchka　heavier　and　heavier。　Also；　Chichikov　had　taken　alarm　at　his　continued　failure　to　catch　sight　of　Sobakevitch's　country　house。　According　to　his　calculations；　it　ought　to　have　been　reached　long　ago。　He　gazed　about　him　on　every　side；　but　the　darkness　was　too　dense　for　the　eye　to　pierce。

〃Selifan！〃　he　exclaimed；　leaning　forward　in　the　britchka。

〃What　is　it；　barin？〃　replied　the　coachman。

〃Can　you　see　the　country　house　anywhere？〃

〃No；　barin。〃　After　which；　with　a　flourish　of　the　whip；　the　man　broke　into　a　sort　of　endless；　drawling　song。　In　that　song　everything　had　a　place。　By　〃everything〃　I　mean　both　the　various　encouraging　and　stimulating　cries　with　which　Russian　folk　urge　on　their　horses；　and　a　random；　unpremeditated　selection　of　adjectives。

Meanwhile　Chichikov　began　to　notice　that　the　britchka　was　swaying　violently；　and　dealing　him　occasional　bumps。　Consequently　he　suspected　that　it　had　left　the　road　and　was　being　dragged　over　a　ploughed　field。　Upon　Selifan's　mind　there　appeared　to　have　dawned　a　similar　inkling；　for　he　had　ceased　to　hold　forth。

〃You　rascal；　what　road　are　you　following？〃　inquired　Chichikov。

〃I　don't　know；〃　retorted　the　coachman。　〃What　can　a　man　do　at　a　time　of　night　when　the　darkness　won't　let　him　even　see　his　whip？〃　And　as　Selifan　spoke　the　vehicle　tilted　to　an　angle　which　left　Chichikov　no　choice　but　to　hang　on　with　hands　and　teeth。　At　length　he　realised　the　fact　that　Selifan　was　drunk。

〃Stop；　stop；　or　you　will　upset　us！〃　he　shouted　to　the　fellow。

〃No；　no；　barin；〃　replied　Selifan。　〃HOW　could　I　upset　you？　To　upset　people　is　wrong。　I　know　that　very　well；　and　should　never　dream　of　such　conduct。〃

Here　he　started　to　turn　the　vehicle　round　a　littleand　kept　on　doing　so　until　the　britchka　capsized　on　to　its　side；　and　Chichikov　landed　in　the　mud　on　his　hands　and　knees。　Fortunately　Selifan　succeeded　in　stopping　the　horses；　although　they　would　have　stopped　of　themselves；　seeing　that　they　were　utterly　worn　out。　This　unforeseen　catastrophe　evidently　astonished　their　driver。　Slipping　from　the　box；　he　stood　resting　his　hands　against　the　side　of　the　britchka；　while　Chichikov　tumbled　and　floundered　about　in　the　mud；　in　a　vain　endeavour　to　wriggle　clear　of　the　stuff。

〃Ah；　you！〃　said　Selifan　meditatively　to　the　britchka。　〃To　think　of　upsetting　us　like　this！〃

〃You　are　as　drunk　as　a　lord！〃　exclaimed　Chichikov。

〃No；　no；　barin。　Drunk；　indeed？　Why；　I　know　my　manners　too　well。　A　word　or　two　with　a　friendthat　is　all　that　I　have　taken。　Any　one　may　talk　with　a　decent　man　when　he　meets　him。　There　is　nothing　wrong　in　that。　Also；　we　had　a　snack　together。　There　is　nothing　wrong　in　a　snackespecially　a　snack　with　a　decent　man。〃

〃What　did　I　say　to　you　when　last　you　got　drunk？〃　asked　Chichikov。　〃Have　you　forgotten　what　I　said　then？〃

〃No；　no；　barin。　HOW　could　I　forget　it？　I　know　what　is　what；　and　know　that　it　is　not　right　to　get　drunk。　All　that　I　have　been　having　is　a　word　or　two　with　a　decent　man；　for　the　reason　that〃

〃Well；　if　I　lay　the　whip　about　you；　you'll　know　then　how　to　talk　to　a　decent　fellow；　I'll　warrant！〃

〃As　you　please；　barin；〃　replied　the　complacent　Selifan。　〃Should　you　whip　me；　you　will　whip　me；　and　I　shall　have　nothing　to　complain　of。　Why　should　you　not　whip　me　if　I　deserve　it？　'Tis　for　you　to　do　as　you　like。　Whippings　are　necessary　sometimes；　for　a　peasant　often　plays　the　fool；　and　discipline　ought　to　be　maintained。　If　I　have　deserved　it；　beat　me。　Why　should　you　not？〃

This　reasoning　seemed；　at　the　moment；　irrefutable；　and　Chichikov　said　nothing　more。　Fortunately　fate　had　decided　to　take　pity　on　the　pair；　for　from　afar　their　ears　caught　the　barking　of　a　dog。　Plucking　up　courage；　Chichikov　gave　orders　for　the　britchka　to　be　righted；　and　the　horses　to　be　urged　forward；　and　since　a　Russian　driver　has　at　least　this　merit；　that；　owing　to　a　keen　sense　of　smell　being　able　to　take　the　place　of　eyesight；　he　can；　if　necessary；　drive　at　random　and　yet　reach　a　destination　of　some　sort；　Selifan　succeeded；　though　powerless　to　discern　a　single　object；　in　directing　his　steeds　to　a　country　house　near　by；　and　that　with　such　a　certainty　of　instinct　that　it　was　not　until　the　shafts　had　collided　with　a　garden　wall；　and　thereby　made　it　clear　that　to　proceed　another　pace　was　impossible；　that　he　stopped。　All