dead souls(死魂灵)-第4部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

ulfilling　of　it　as　a　sacred　duty。　In　the　same　way　Sobakevitch　said　to　him　laconically：　〃And　do　you　pay　ME　a　visit；〃　and　then　proceeded　to　shuffle　a　pair　of　boots　of　such　dimensions　that　to　find　a　pair　to　correspond　with　them　would　have　been　indeed　difficultmore　especially　at　the　present　day；　when　the　race　of　epic　heroes　is　beginning　to　die　out　in　Russia。

＇4＇　Priest's　wife。

Next　day　Chichikov　dined　and　spent　the　evening　at　the　house　of　the　Chief　of　Policea　residence　where；　three　hours　after　dinner；　every　one　sat　down　to　whist；　and　remained　so　seated　until　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　On　this　occasion　Chichikov　made　the　acquaintance　of；　among

others；　a　landowner　named　Nozdreva　dissipated　little　fellow　of　thirty　who　had　no　sooner　exchanged　three　or　four　words　with　his　new　acquaintance　than　he　began　to　address　him　in　the　second　person　singular。　Yet　although　he　did　the　same　to　the　Chief　of　Police　and　the　Public　Prosecutor；　the　company　had　no　sooner　seated　themselves　at　the　card…table　than　both　the　one　and　the　other　of　these　functionaries　started　to　keep　a　careful　eye　upon　Nozdrev's　tricks；　and　to　watch　practically　every　card　which　he　played。　The　following　evening　Chichikov　spent　with　the　President　of　the　Local　Council；　who　received　his　guestseven　though　the　latter　included　two　ladiesin　a　greasy　dressing…gown。　Upon　that　followed　an　evening　at　the　Vice…Governor's；　a　large　dinner　party　at　the　house　of　the　Commissioner　of　Taxes；　a　smaller　dinner…party　at　the　house　of　the　Public　Prosecutor　（a　very　wealthy　man）；　and　a　subsequent　reception　given　by　the　Mayor。　In　short；　not　an　hour　of　the　day　did　Chichikov　find　himself　forced　to　spend　at　home；　and　his　return　to　the　inn　became　necessary　only　for　the　purposes　of　sleeping。　Somehow　or　other　he　had　landed　on　his　feet；　and　everywhere　he　figured　as　an　experienced　man　of　the　world。　No　matter　what　the　conversation　chanced　to　be　about；　he　always　contrived　to　maintain　his　part　in　the　same。　Did　the　discourse　turn　upon　horse…breeding；　upon　horse…breeding　he　happened　to　be　peculiarly　well…qualified　to　speak。　Did　the　company　fall　to　discussing　well…bred　dogs；　at　once　he　had　remarks　of　the　most　pertinent　kind　possible　to　offer。　Did　the　company　touch　upon　a　prosecution　which　had　recently　been　carried　out　by　the　Excise　Department；　instantly　he　showed　that　he　too　was　not　wholly　unacquainted　with　legal　affairs。　Did　an　opinion　chance　to　be　expressed　concerning　billiards；　on　that　subject　too　he　was　at　least　able　to　avoid　committing　a　blunder。　Did　a　reference　occur　to　virtue；　concerning　virtue　he　hastened　to　deliver　himself　in　a　way　which　brought　tears　to　every　eye。　Did　the　subject　in　hand　happen　to　be　the　distilling　of　brandywell；　that　was　a　matter　concerning　which　he　had　the　soundest　of　knowledge。　Did　any　one　happen　to　mention　Customs　officials　and　inspectors；　from　that　moment　he　expatiated　as　though　he　too　had　been　both　a　minor　functionary　and　a　major。　Yet　a　remarkable　fact　was　the　circumstance　that　he　always　contrived　to　temper　his　omniscience　with　a　certain　readiness　to　give　way；　a　certain　ability　so　to　keep　a　rein　upon　himself　that　never　did　his　utterances　become　too　loud　or　too　soft；　or　transcend　what　was　perfectly　befitting。　In　a　word；　he　was　always　a　gentleman　of　excellent　manners；　and　every　official　in　the　place　felt　pleased　when　he　saw　him　enter　the　door。　Thus　the　Governor　gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　Chichikov　was　a　man　of　excellent　intentions；　the　Public　Prosecutor；　that　he　was　a　good　man　of　business；　the　Chief　of　Gendarmery；　that　he　was　a　man　of　education；　the　President　of　the　Local　Council；　that　he　was　a　man　of　breeding　and　refinement；　and　the　wife　of　the　Chief　of　Gendarmery；　that　his　politeness　of　behaviour　was　equalled　only　by　his　affability　of　bearing。　Nay；　even　Sobakevitchwho　as　a　rule　never　spoke　well　of　ANY　ONEsaid　to　his　lanky　wife　when；　on　returning　late　from　the　town；　he　undressed　and　betook　himself　to　bed　by　her　side：　〃My　dear；　this　evening；　after　dining　with　the　Chief　of　Police；　I　went　on　to　the　Governor's；　and　met　there；　among　others；　a　certain　Paul　Ivanovitch　Chichikov；　who　is　a　Collegiate　Councillor　and　a　very　pleasant　fellow。〃　To　this　his　spouse　replied　〃Hm！〃　and　then　dealt　him　a　hearty　kick　in　the　ribs。

Such　were　the　flattering　opinions　earned　by　the　newcomer　to　the　town；　and　these　opinions　he　retained　until　the　time　when　a　certain　speciality　of　his；　a　certain　scheme　of　his　（the　reader　will　learn　presently　what　it　was）；　plunged　the　majority　of　the　townsfolk　into　a　sea　of　perplexity。



CHAPTER　II

For　more　than　two　weeks　the　visitor　lived　amid　a　round　of　evening　parties　and　dinners；　wherefore　he　spent　（as　the　saying　goes）　a　very　pleasant　time。　Finally　he　decided　to　extend　his　visits　beyond　the　urban　boundaries　by　going　and　calling　upon　landowners　Manilov　and　Sobakevitch；　seeing　that　he　had　promised　on　his　honour　to　do　so。　Yet　what　really　incited　him　to　this　may　have　been　a　more　essential　cause；　a　matter　of　greater　gravity；　a　purpose　which　stood　nearer　to　his　heart；　than　the　motive　which　I　have　just　given；　and　of　that　purpose　the　reader　will　learn　if　only　he　will　have　the　patience　to　read　this　prefatory　narrative　（which；　lengthy　though　it　be；　may　yet　develop　and　expand　in　proportion　as　we　approach　the　denouement　with　which　the　present　work　is　destined　to　be　crowned）。

One　evening；　therefore；　Selifan　the　coachman　received　orders　to　have　the　horses　harnessed　in　good　time　next　morning；　while　Petrushka　received　orders　to　remain　behind；　for　the　purpose　of　looking　after　the　portmanteau　and　the　room。　In　passing；　the　reader　may　care　to　become　more　fully　acquainted　with　the　two　serving…men　of　whom　I　have　spoken。　Naturally；　they　were　not　persons　of　much　note；　but　merely　what　folk　call　characters　of　secondary；　or　even　of　tertiary；　importance。　Yet；　despite　the　fact　that　the　springs　and　the　thread　of　this　romance　will　not　DEPEND　upon　them；　but　only　touch　upon　them；　and　occasionally　include　them；　the　author　has　a　passion　for　circumstantiality；　and；　like　the　average　Russian；　such　a　desire　for　accuracy　as　even　a　German　could　not　rival。　To　what　the　reader　already　knows　concerning　the　personages　in　hand　it　is　therefore　necessary　to　add　that　Petrushka　usually　wore　a　cast…off　brown　jacket　of　a　size　too　large　for　him；　as　also　that　he　had　（according　to　the　custom　of　individuals　of　his　calling）　a　pair　of　thick　lips　and　a　very　prominent　nose。　In　temperament　he　was　taciturn　rather　than　loquacious；　and　he　cherished　a　yearning　for　self…education。　That　is　to　say；　he　loved　to　read　books；　even　though　their　contents　came　alike　to　him　whether　they　were　books　of　heroic　adventure　or　mere　grammars　or　liturgical　compendia。　As　I　say；　he　perused　every　book　with　an　equal　amount　of　attention；　and；　had　he　been　offered　a　work　on　chemistry；　would　have　accepted　that　also。　Not　the　words　which　he　read；　but　the　mere　solace　derived　from　the　act　of　reading；　was　what　especially　pleased　his　mind；　even　though　at　any　moment　there　might　launch　itself　from　the　page　some　devil…sent　word　whereof　he　could　make　neither　head　nor　tail。　For　the　most　part；　his　task　of　reading　was　performed　in　a　recumbent　position　in　the　anteroom；　which　circumstance　ended　by　causing　his　mattress　to　become　as　ragged　and　as　thin　as　a　wafer。　In　addition　to　his　love　of　poring　over　books；　he　could　boast　of　two　habits　which　constituted　two　other　essential　features　of　his　characternamely；　a　habit　of　retiring　to　rest　in　his　clothes　（that　is　to　say；　in　the　brown　jacket　above…mentioned）　and　a　habit　of　everywhere　bearing　with　him　his　own　peculiar　atmosphere；　his　own　peculiar　smella　smell　which　filled　any　lodging　with　such　subtlety　that　he　needed　but　to　make　up　his　bed　anywhere；　even　in　a　room　hitherto　untenanted；　and　to　drag　thither　his　greatcoat　and　other　impedimenta；　for　that　room　at　once　to　assume　an　air　of　having　been　lived　in　during　the　past　ten　years。　Nevertheless；　though　a　fastidious；　and　even　an　irritable；　man；　Chichikov　would　merely　frown　when　his　nose　caught　this　smell　amid　the　freshness　of　the　morning；　and　exclaim　with　a　toss　of　his　head：　〃The　devil　only　knows　what　is　up　with　you！　Surely　you　sweat　a　good　deal；　do　you　not？　The　best　thing　you　can　do　is　to　go　and　take　a　bath。〃　To　this　Petrushka　would　make　no　reply；　but；　approaching；　brush　in　hand；　the　spot　where　his　master's　coat　would　be　pendent；　or　starting　to　arrange　one　and　another　article　in　order；　would　strive　to　seem　wholly　immersed　in　his　work。　Yet　of　what　was　he　thinking　as　he　remained　thus　silent？　Perhaps　he　was　saying　to　himself：　〃My　master　is　a　good　fellow；　but　for　him　to　keep　on　saying　the　same　thing　forty　times　over　is　a　little　wearisome。〃　Only　God　knows　and　sees　all　things；　wherefore　for　a　mere　human　being　to　know　what　is　in　the　mind　of　a　servant　while　his　master　is　scolding　him　is　wholly　impossible。　However；　no　more　need　be　said　about　Petrushka。　On　the　other　hand；　Coachman　Selifan

But　here　let　me　remark　that　I　do　not　like　engaging　the　reader's　attention　in　connection　with　persons　of　a　lower　class　than　himself；　for　experience　has　taught　me　that　we　do　not　willingly　familiarise　ourselves　with　the　lower　ordersthat　it　is　the　custom　of　the　average　Russian　to　yearn　exclusively　for　information　concerning　persons　on　the　higher　rungs　of　the　social　ladder。　In　fact；　even　a　bowing　acquaintance　with　a　pr