dead souls(死魂灵)-第50部分

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　Clerk　〃Papenka；〃　or　to　kiss　his　hand；　and　the　matter　of　the　wedding　came　to　as　abrupt　a　termination　as　though　it　had　never　been　mooted。　Yet　also　he　never　failed　to　press　his　late　host's　hand；　whenever　he　met　him；　and　to　invite　him　to　tea；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　for　all　his　immobility　and　dry　indifference；　the　Chief　Clerk　never　failed　to　shake　his　head　with　a　muttered；　〃Ah；　my　fine　fellow；　you　have　grown　too　proud；　you　have　grown　too　proud。〃

The　foregoing　constituted　the　most　difficult　step　that　our　hero　had　to　negotiate。　Thereafter　things　came　with　greater　ease　and　swifter　success。　Everywhere　he　attracted　notice；　for　he　developed　within　himself　everything　necessary　for　this　worldnamely；　charm　of　manner　and　bearing；　and　great　diligence　in　business　matters。　Armed　with　these　resources；　he　next　obtained　promotion　to　what　is　known　as　〃a　fat　post；〃　and　used　it　to　the　best　advantage；　and　even　though；　at　that　period；　strict　inquiry　had　begun　to　be　made　into　the　whole　subject　of　bribes；　such　inquiry　failed　to　alarm　himnay；　he　actually　turned　it　to　account　and　thereby　manifested　the　Russian　resourcefulness　which　never　fails　to　attain　its　zenith　where　extortion　is　concerned。　His　method　of　working　was　the　following。　As　soon　as　a　petitioner　or　a　suitor　put　his　hand　into　his　pocket；　to　extract　thence　the　necessary　letters　of　recommendation　for　signature；　Chichikov　would　smilingly　exclaim　as　he　detained　his　interlocutor's　hand：　〃No；　no！　Surely　you　do　not　think　that　I？　But　no；　no！　It　is　our　duty；　it　is　our　obligation；　and　we　do　not　require　rewards　for　doing　our　work　properly。　So　far　as　YOUR　matter　is　concerned；　you　may　rest　easy。　Everything　shall　be　carried　through　to…morrow。　But　may　I　have　your　address？　There　is　no　need　to　trouble　yourself；　seeing　that　the　documents　can　easily　be　brought　to　you　at　your　residence。〃　Upon　which　the　delighted　suitor　would　return　home　in　raptures；　thinking：　〃Here；　at　long　last；　is　the　sort　of　man　so　badly　needed。　A　man　of　that　kind　is　a　jewel　beyond　price。〃　Yet　for　a　day；　for　two　daysnay；　even　for　threethe　suitor　would　wait　in　vain　so　far　as　any　messengers　with　documents　were　concerned。　Then　he　would　repair　to　the　officeto　find　that　his　business　had　not　so　much　as　been　entered　upon！　Lastly；　he　would　confront　the　〃jewel　beyond　price。〃　〃Oh；　pardon　me；　pardon　me！〃　Chichikov　would　exclaim　in　the　politest　of　tones　as　he　seized　and　grasped　the　visitor's　hands。　〃The　truth　is　that　we　have　SUCH　a　quantity　of　business　on　hand！　But　the　matter　shall　be　put　through　to…morrow；　and　in　the　meanwhile　I　am　most　sorry　about　it。〃　And　with　this　would　go　the　most　fascinating　of　gestures。　Yet　neither　on　the　morrow；　nor　on　the　day　following；　nor　on　the　third　would　documents　arrive　at　the　suitor's　abode。　Upon　that　he　would　take　thought　as　to　whether　something　more　ought　not　to　have　been　done；　and；　sure　enough；　on　his　making　inquiry；　he　would　be　informed　that　〃something　will　have　to　be　given　to　the　copyists。〃　〃Well；　there　can　be　no　harm　in　that；〃　he　would　reply。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　have　ready　a　tchetvertak＇3＇　or　two。〃　〃Oh；　no；　no；〃　the　answer　would　come。　〃Not　a　tchetvertak　per　copyist；　but　a　rouble；　is　the　fee。〃　〃What？　A　rouble　per　copyist？〃　〃Certainly。　What　is　there　to　grumble　at　in　that？　Of　the　money　the　copyists　will　receive　a　tchetvertak　apiece；　and　the　rest　will　go　to　the　Government。〃　Upon　that　the　disillusioned　suitor　would　fly　out　upon　the　new　order　of　things　brought　about　by　the　inquiry　into　illicit　fees；　and　curse　both　the　tchinovniks　and　their　uppish；　insolent　behaviour。　〃Once　upon　a　time；〃　would　the　suitor　lament；　〃one　DID　know　what　to　do。　Once　one　had　tipped　the　Director　a　bank…note；　one's　affair　was；　so　to　speak；　in　the　hat。　But　now　one　has　to　pay　a　rouble　per　copyist　after　waiting　a　week　because　otherwise　it　was　impossible　to　guess　how　the　wind　might　set！　The　devil　fly　away　with　all　'disinterested'　and　'trustworthy'　tchinovniks！〃　And　certainly　the　aggrieved　suitor　had　reason　to　grumble；　seeing　that；　now　that　bribe…takers　had　ceased　to　exist；　and　Directors　had　uniformly　become　men　of　honour　and　integrity；　secretaries　and　clerks　ought　not　with　impunity　to　have　continued　their　thievish　ways。　In　time　there　opened　out　to　Chichikov　a　still　wider　field；　for　a　Commission　was　appointed　to　supervise　the　erection　of　a　Government　building；　and；　on　his　being　nominated　to　that　body；　he　proved　himself　one　of　its　most　active　members。　The　Commission　got　to　work　without　delay；　but　for　a　space　of　six　years　had　some　trouble　with　the　building　in　question。　Either　the　climate　hindered　operations　or　the　materials　used　were　of　the　kind　which　prevents　official　edifices　from　ever　rising　higher　than　the　basement。　But；　meanwhile；　OTHER　quarters　of　the　town　saw　arise；　for　each　member　of　the　Commission；　a　handsome　house　of　the　NON…official　style　of　architecture。　Clearly　the　foundation　afforded　by　the　soil　of　those　parts　was　better　than　that　where　the　Government　building　was　still　engaged　in　hanging　fire！　Likewise　the　members　of　the　Commission　began　to　look　exceedingly　prosperous；　and　to　blossom　out　into　family　life；　and；　for　the　first　time　in　his　existence；　even　Chichikov　also　departed　from　the　iron　laws　of　his　self…imposed　restraint　and　inexorable　self…denial；　and　so　far　mitigated　his　heretofore　asceticism　as　to　show　himself　a　man　not　averse　to　those　amenities　which；　during　his　youth；　he　had　been　capable　of　renouncing。　That　is　to　say；　certain　superfluities　began　to　make　their　appearance　in　his　establishment。　He　engaged　a　good　cook；　took　to　wearing　linen　shirts；　bought　for　himself　cloth　of　a　pattern　worn　by　no　one　else　in　the　province；　figured　in　checks　shot　with　the　brightest　of　reds　and　browns；　fitted　himself　out　with　two　splendid　horses　（which　he　drove　with　a　single　pair　of　reins；　added　to　a　ring　attachment　for　the　trace　horse）；　developed　a　habit　of　washing　with　a　sponge　dipped　in　eau…de…Cologne；　and　invested　in　soaps　of　the　most　expensive　quality；　in　order　to　communicate　to　his　skin　a　more　elegant　polish。

＇3＇　A　silver　quarter　rouble。

But　suddenly　there　appeared　upon　the　scene　a　new　Directora　military　man；　and　a　martinet　as　regarded　his　hostility　to　bribe…takers　and　anything　which　might　be　called　irregular。　On　the　very　day　after　his　arrival　he　struck　fear　into　every　breast　by　calling　for　accounts；　discovering　hosts　of　deficits　and　missing　sums；　and　directing　his　attention　to　the　aforesaid　fine　houses　of　civilian　architecture。　Upon　that　there　ensued　a　complete　reshuffling。　Tchinovniks　were　retired　wholesale；　and　the　houses　were　sequestrated　to　the　Government；　or　else　converted　into　various　pious　institutions　and　schools　for　soldiers'　children。　Thus　the　whole　fabric；　and　especially　Chichikov；　came　crashing　to　the　ground。　Particularly　did　our　hero's　agreeable　face　displease　the　new　Director。　Why　that　was　so　it　is　impossible　to　say；　but　frequently；　in　cases　of　the　kind；　no　reason　exists。　However；　the　Director　conceived　a　mortal　dislike　to　him；　and　also　extended　that　enmity　to　the　whole　of　Chichikov's　colleagues。　But　inasmuch　as　the　said　Director　was　a　military　man；　he　was　not　fully　acquainted　with　the　myriad　subtleties　of　the　civilian　mind；　wherefore　it　was　not　long　before；　by　dint　of　maintaining　a　discreet　exterior；　added　to　a　faculty　for　humouring　all　and　sundry；　a　fresh　gang　of　tchinovniks　succeeded　in　restoring　him　to　mildness；　and　the　General　found　himself　in　the　hands　of　greater　thieves　than　before；　but　thieves　whom　he　did　not　even　suspect；　seeing　that　he　believed　himself　to　have　selected　men　fit　and　proper；　and　even　ventured　to　boast　of　possessing　a　keen　eye　for　talent。　In　a　trice　the　tchinovniks　concerned　appraised　his　spirit　and　character；　with　the　result　that　the　entire　sphere　over　which　he　ruled　became　an　agency　for　the　detection　of　irregularities。　Everywhere；　and　in　every　case；　were　those　irregularities　pursued　as　a　fisherman　pursues　a　fat　sturgeon　with　a　gaff；　and　to　such　an　extent　did　the　sport　prove　successful　that　almost　in　no　time　each　participator　in　the　hunt　was　seen　to　be　in　possession　of　several　thousand　roubles　of　capital。　Upon　that　a　large　number　of　the　former　band　of　tchinovniks　also　became　converted　to　paths　of　rectitude；　and　were　allowed　to　re…enter　the　Service；　but　not　by　hook　or　by　crook　could　Chichikov　worm　his　way　back；　even　though；　incited　thereto　by　sundry　items　of　paper　currency；　the　General's　first　secretary　and　principal　bear　leader　did　all　he　could　on　our　hero's　behalf。　It　seemed　that　the　General　was　the　kind　of　man　who；　though　easily　led　by　the　nose　（provided　it　was　done　without　his　knowledge）　no　sooner　got　an　idea　into　his　head　than　it　stuck　there　like　a　nail；　and　could　not　possibly　be　extracted；　and　all　that　the　wily　secretary　succeeded　in　procuring　was　the　tearing　up　of　a　certain　dirty　fragment　of　papereven　that　being　effected　only　by　an　appeal　to　the　General's　compassion；　on　the　score　of　the　unhappy　fate　which；　otherwise；　would　befall　Chichikov's　wife　and　children　（who；　luckily；　had　no　existence　in　fact）。

〃Well；〃　said　Chichikov　to　himself；　〃I　have　done　my　best；　and　now　everything　has　failed。　Lamenting　my　misfortune　won't　help　me；　but　only　action。〃　And　with　that　he　decided　to　begin　his　career　anew；　and　once　more　to　arm　himself　with　the　weapons　of　patience　and　self…denial。　The　better　to　effect　this；　he　had；　of