dead souls(死魂灵)-第25部分

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ce；　which　whom　he　DOES　seem　to　be　friendly。〃　Accordingly　he　added　aloud：　〃For　my　own　part；　I　should　give　the　preference　to　the　Head　of　the　Gendarmery。　What　a　frank；　outspoken　nature　he　has！　And　what　an　element　of　simplicity　does　his　expression　contain！〃

〃He　is　mean　to　the　core；〃　remarked　Sobakevitch　coldly。　〃He　will　sell　you　and　cheat　you；　and　then　dine　at　your　table。　Yes；　I　know　them　all；　and　every　one　of　them　is　a　swindler；　and　the　town　a　nest　of　rascals　engaged　in　robbing　one　another。　Not　a　man　of　the　lot　is　there　but　would　sell　Christ。　Yet　stay：　ONE　decent　fellow　there　isthe　Public　Prosecutor；　though　even　HE；　if　the　truth　be　told；　is　little　better　than　a　pig。〃

After　these　eulogia　Chichikov　saw　that　it　would　be　useless　to　continue　running　through　the　list　of　officialsmore　especially　since　suddenly　he　had　remembered　that　Sobakevitch　was　not　at　any　time　given　to　commending　his　fellow　man。

〃Let　us　go　to　luncheon；　my　dear；〃　put　in　Theodulia　Ivanovna　to　her　spouse。

〃Yes；　pray　come　to　table；〃　said　Sobakevitch　to　his　guest；　whereupon　they　consumed　the　customary　glass　of　vodka　（accompanied　by　sundry　snacks　of　salted　cucumber　and　other　dainties）　with　which　Russians；　both　in　town　and　country；　preface　a　meal。　Then　they　filed　into　the　dining…room　in　the　wake　of　the　hostess；　who　sailed　on　ahead　like　a　goose　swimming　across　a　pond。　The　small　dining…table　was　found　to　be　laid　for　four　personsthe　fourth　place　being　occupied　by　a　lady　or　a　young　girl　（it　would　have　been　difficult　to　say　which　exactly）　who　might　have　been　either　a　relative；　the　housekeeper；　or　a　casual　visitor。　Certain　persons　in　the　world　exist；　not　as　personalities　in　themselves；　but　as　spots　or　specks　on　the　personalities　of　others。　Always　they　are　to　be　seen　sitting　in　the　same　place；　and　holding　their　heads　at　exactly　the　same　angle；　so　that　one　comes　within　an　ace　of　mistaking　them　for　furniture；　and　thinks　to　oneself　that　never　since　the　day　of　their　birth　can　they　have　spoken　a　single　word。

〃My　dear；〃　said　Sobakevitch；　〃the　cabbage　soup　is　excellent。〃　With　that　he　finished　his　portion；　and　helped　himself　to　a　generous　measure　of　niania＇4＇the　dish　which　follows　shtchi　and　consists　of　a　sheep's　stomach　stuffed　with　black　porridge；　brains；　and　other　things。　〃What　niania　this　is！〃　he　added　to　Chichikov。　〃Never　would　you　get　such　stuff　in　a　town；　where　one　is　given　the　devil　knows　what。〃

＇4＇　Literally；　〃nursemaid。〃

〃Nevertheless　the　Governor　keeps　a　fair　table；〃　said　Chichikov。

〃Yes；　but　do　you　know　what　all　the　stuff　is　MADE　OF？〃　retorted　Sobakevitch。　〃If　you　DID　know　you　would　never　touch　it。〃

〃Of　course　I　am　not　in　a　position　to　say　how　it　is　prepared；　but　at　least　the　pork　cutlets　and　the　boiled　fish　seemed　excellent。〃

〃Ah；　it　might　have　been　thought　so；　yet　I　know　the　way　in　which　such　things　are　bought　in　the　market…place。　They　are　bought　by　some　rascal　of　a　cook　whom　a　Frenchman　has　taught　how　to　skin　a　tomcat　and　then　serve　it　up　as　hare。〃

〃Ugh！　What　horrible　things　you　say！〃　put　in　Madame。

〃Well；　my　dear；　that　is　how　things　are　done；　and　it　is　no　fault　of　mine　that　it　is　so。　Moreover；　everything　that　is　left　overeverything　that　WE　（pardon　me　for　mentioning　it）　cast　into　the　slop…pailis　used　by　such　folk　for　making　soup。〃

〃Always　at　table　you　begin　talking　like　this！〃　objected　his　helpmeet。

〃And　why　not？〃　said　Sobakevitch。　〃I　tell　you　straight　that　I　would　not　eat　such　nastiness；　even　had　I　made　it　myself。　Sugar　a　frog　as　much　as　you　like；　but　never　shall　it　pass　MY　lips。　Nor　would　I　swallow　an　oyster；　for　I　know　only　too　well　what　an　oyster　may　resemble。　But　have　some　mutton；　friend　Chichikov。　It　is　shoulder　of　mutton；　and　very　different　stuff　from　the　mutton　which　they　cook　in　noble　kitchensmutton　which　has　been　kicking　about　the　market…place　four　days　or　more。　All　that　sort　of　cookery　has　been　invented　by　French　and　German　doctors；　and　I　should　like　to　hang　them　for　having　done　so。　They　go　and　prescribe　diets　and　a　hunger　cure　as　though　what　suits　their　flaccid　German　systems　will　agree　with　a　Russian　stomach！　Such　devices　are　no　good　at　all。〃　Sobakevitch　shook　his　head　wrathfully。　〃Fellows　like　those　are　for　ever　talking　of　civilisation。　As　if　THAT　sort　of　thing　was　civilisation！　Phew！〃　（Perhaps　the　speaker's　concluding　exclamation　would　have　been　even　stronger　had　he　not　been　seated　at　table。）　〃For　myself；　I　will　have　none　of　it。　When　I　eat　pork　at　a　meal；　give　me　the　WHOLE　pig；　when　mutton；　the　WHOLE　sheep；　when　goose；　the　WHOLE　of　the　bird。　Two　dishes　are　better　than　a　thousand；　provided　that　one　can　eat　of　them　as　much　as　one　wants。〃

And　he　proceeded　to　put　precept　into　practice　by　taking　half　the　shoulder　of　mutton　on　to　his　plate；　and　then　devouring　it　down　to　the　last　morsel　of　gristle　and　bone。

〃My　word！〃　reflected　Chichikov。　〃The　fellow　has　a　pretty　good　holding　capacity！〃

〃None　of　it　for　me；〃　repeated　Sobakevitch　as　he　wiped　his　hands　on　his　napkin。　〃I　don't　intend　to　be　like　a　fellow　named　Plushkin；　who　owns　eight　hundred　souls；　yet　dines　worse　than　does　my　shepherd。〃

〃Who　is　Plushkin？〃　asked　Chichikov。

〃A　miser；〃　replied　Sobakevitch。　〃Such　a　miser　as　never　you　could　imagine。　Even　convicts　in　prison　live　better　than　he　does。　And　he　starves　his　servants　as　well。〃

〃Really？〃　ejaculated　Chichikov；　greatly　interested。　〃Should　you；　then；　say　that　he　has　lost　many　peasants　by　death？〃

〃Certainly。　They　keep　dying　like　flies。〃

〃Then　how　far　from　here　does　he　reside？〃

〃About　five　versts。〃

〃Only　five　versts？〃　exclaimed　Chichikov；　feeling　his　heart　beating　joyously。　〃Ought　one；　when　leaving　your　gates；　to　turn　to　the　right　or　to　the　left？〃

〃I　should　be　sorry　to　tell　you　the　way　to　the　house　of　such　a　cur；〃　said　Sobakevitch。　〃A　man　had　far　better　go　to　hell　than　to　Plushkin's。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　responded　Chichikov。　〃My　only　reason　for　asking　you　is　that　it　interests　me　to　become　acquainted　with　any　and　every　sort　of　locality。〃

To　the　shoulder　of　mutton　there　succeeded；　in　turn；　cutlets　（each　one　larger　than　a　plate）；　a　turkey　of　about　the　size　of　a　calf；　eggs；　rice；　pastry；　and　every　conceivable　thing　which　could　possibly　be　put　into　a　stomach。　There　the　meal　ended。　When　he　rose　from　table　Chichikov　felt　as　though　a　pood's　weight　were　inside　him。　In　the　drawing…room　the　company　found　dessert　awaiting　them　in　the　shape　of　pears；　plums；　and　apples；　but　since　neither　host　nor　guest　could　tackle　these　particular　dainties　the　hostess　removed　them　to　another　room。　Taking　advantage　of　her　absence；　Chichikov　turned　to　Sobakevitch　（who；　prone　in　an　armchair；　seemed；　after　his　ponderous　meal；　to　be　capable　of　doing　little　beyond　belching　and　gruntingeach　such　grunt　or　belch　necessitating　a　subsequent　signing　of　the　cross　over　the　mouth）；　and　intimated　to　him　a　desire　to　have　a　little　private　conversation　concerning　a　certain　matter。　At　this　moment　the　hostess　returned。

〃Here　is　more　dessert；〃　she　said。　〃Pray　have　a　few　radishes　stewed　in　honey。〃

〃Later；　later；〃　replied　Sobakevitch。　〃Do　you　go　to　your　room；　and　Paul　Ivanovitch　and　I　will　take　off　our　coats　and　have　a　nap。〃

Upon　this　the　good　lady　expressed　her　readiness　to　send　for　feather　beds　and　cushions；　but　her　husband　expressed　a　preference　for　slumbering　in　an　armchair；　and　she　therefore　departed。　When　she　had　gone　Sobakevitch　inclined　his　head　in　an　attitude　of　willingness　to　listen　to　Chichikov's　business。　Our　hero　began　in　a　sort　of　detached　mannertouching　lightly　upon　the　subject　of　the　Russian　Empire；　and　expatiating　upon　the　immensity　of　the　same；　and　saying　that　even　the　Empire　of　Ancient　Rome　had　been　of　considerably　smaller　dimensions。　Meanwhile　Sobakevitch　sat　with　his　head　drooping。

From　that　Chichikov　went　on　to　remark　that；　according　to　the　statutes　of　the　said　Russian　Empire　（which　yielded　to　none　in　gloryso　much　so　that　foreigners　marvelled　at　it）；　peasants　on　the　census　lists　who　had　ended　their　earthly　careers　were　nevertheless；　on　the　rendering　of　new　lists；　returned　equally　with　the　living；　to　the　end　that　the　courts　might　be　relieved　of　a　multitude　of　trifling；　useless　emendations　which　might　complicate　the　already　sufficiently　complex　mechanism　of　the　State。　Nevertheless；　said　Chichikov；　the　general　equity　of　this　measure　did　not　obviate　a　certain　amount　of　annoyance　to　landowners；　since　it　forced　them　to　pay　upon　a　non…living　article　the　tax　due　upon　a　living。　Hence　（our　hero　concluded）　he　（Chichikov）　was　prepared；　owing　to　the　personal　respect　which　he　felt　for　Sobakevitch；　to　relieve　him；　in　part；　of　the　irksome　obligation　referred　to　（in　passing；　it　may　be　said　that　Chichikov　referred　to　his　principal　point　only　guardedly；　for　he　called　the　souls　which　he　was　seeking　not　〃dead；〃　but　〃non…existent〃）。

Meanwhile　Sobakevitch　listened　with　bent　head；　though　something　like　a　trace　of　expression　dawned　in　his　face　as　he　did　so。　Ordinarily　his　body　lacked　a　soulor；　if　he　did　posses　a　soul；　he　seemed　to　keep　it　elsewhere　than　where　it　ought　to　have　been；　so　that；　buried　beneath　mountains　（as　it　were）　or　enclosed　within　a　massive　shell；　its　movements　produced　no　sort　of　agitation　on　the　surface。

〃Well？〃　said　Chichikovthough　not　without　a　certain　tremor　of　diffidence　as　to　the　possible　response。

〃You　are　after　dead　soul