dead souls(死魂灵)-第52部分

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　a　heated　argument；　this　quarrel　reached　the　point　of　Chichikovwho　was；　possibly；　a　trifle　tipsycalling　his　colleague　a　priest's　son；　and　though　that　description　of　the　person　so　addressed　was　perfectly　accurate；　he　chose　to　take　offence；　and　to　answer　Chichikov　with　the　words　（loudly　and　incisively　uttered）；　〃It　is　YOU　who　have　a　priest　for　your　father；〃　and　to　add　to　that　（the　more　to　incense　his　companion）；　〃Yes；　mark　you！　THAT　is　how　it　is。〃　Yet；　though　he　had　thus　turned　the　tables　upon　Chichikov　with　a　tu　quoque；　and　then　capped　that　exploit　with　the　words　last　quoted；　the　offended　tchinovnik　could　not　remain　satisfied；　but　went　on　to　send　in　an　anonymous　document　to　the　authorities。　On　the　other　hand；　some　aver　that　it　was　over　a　woman　that　the　pair　fell　outover　a　woman　who；　to　quote　the　phrase　then　current　among　the　staff　of　the　Customs　Department；　was　〃as　fresh　and　as　strong　as　the　pulp　of　a　turnip；〃　and　that　night…birds　were　hired　to　assault　our　hero　in　a　dark　alley；　and　that　the　scheme　miscarried；　and　that　in　any　case　both　Chichikov　and　his　friend　had　been　deceived；　seeing　that　the　person　to　whom　the　lady　had　really　accorded　her　favours　was　a　certain　staff…captain　named　Shamsharev。　However；　only　God　knows　the　truth　of　the　matter。　Let　the　inquisitive　reader　ferret　it　out　for　himself。　The　fact　remains　that　a　complete　exposure　of　the　dealings　with　the　contrabandists　followed；　and　that　the　two　tchinovniks　were　put　to　the　question；　deprived　of　their　property；　and　made　to　formulate　in　writing　all　that　they　had　done。　Against　this　thunderbolt　of　fortune　the　State　Councillor　could　make　no　headway；　and　in　some　retired　spot　or　another　sank　into　oblivion；　but　Chichikov　put　a　brave　face　upon　the　matter；　for；　in　spite　of　the　authorities'　best　efforts　to　smell　out　his　gains；　he　had　contrived　to　conceal　a　portion　of　them；　and　also　resorted　to　every　subtle　trick　of　intellect　which　could　possibly　be　employed　by　an　experienced　man　of　the　world　who　has　a　wide　knowledge　of　his　fellows。　Nothing　which　could　be　effected　by　pleasantness　of　demeanour；　by　moving　oratory；　by　clouds　of　flattery；　and　by　the　occasional　insertion　of　a　coin　into　a　palm　did　he　leave　undone；　with　the　result　that　he　was　retired　with　less　ignominy　than　was　his　companion；　and　escaped　actual　trial　on　a　criminal　charge。　Yet　he　issued　stripped　of　all　his　capital；　stripped　of　his　imported　effects；　stripped　of　everything。　That　is　to　say；　all　that　remained　to　him　consisted　of　ten　thousand　roubles　which　he　had　stored　against　a　rainy　day；　two　dozen　linen　shirts；　a　small　britchka　of　the　type　used　by　bachelors；　and　two　serving…men　named　Selifan　and　Petrushka。　Yes；　and　an　impulse　of　kindness　moved　the　tchinovniks　of　the　Customs　also　to　set　aside　for　him　a　few　cakes　of　the　soap　which　he　had　found　so　excellent　for　the　freshness　of　the　cheeks。　Thus　once　more　our　hero　found　himself　stranded。　And　what　an　accumulation　of　misfortunes　had　descended　upon　his　head！though；　true；　he　termed　them　〃suffering　in　the　Service　in　the　cause　of　Truth。〃　Certainly　one　would　have　thought　that；　after　these　buffetings　and　trials　and　changes　of　fortuneafter　this　taste　of　the　sorrows　of　lifehe　and　his　precious　ten　thousand　roubles　would　have　withdrawn　to　some　peaceful　corner　in　a　provincial　town；　where；　clad　in　a　stuff　dressing…gown；　he　could　have　sat　and　listened　to　the　peasants　quarrelling　on　festival　days；　or　（for　the　sake　of　a　breath　of　fresh　air）　have　gone　in　person　to　the　poulterer's　to　finger　chickens　for　soup；　and　so　have　spent　a　quiet；　but　not　wholly　useless；　existence；　but　nothing　of　the　kind　took　place；　and　therein　we　must　do　justice　to　the　strength　of　his　character。　In　other　words；　although　he　had　undergone　what；　to　the　majority　of　men；　would　have　meant　ruin　and　discouragement　and　a　shattering　of　ideals；　he　still　preserved　his　energy。　True；　downcast　and　angry；　and　full　of　resentment　against　the　world　in　general；　he　felt　furious　with　the　injustice　of　fate；　and　dissatisfied　with　the　dealings　of　men；　yet　he　could　not　forbear　courting　additional　experiences。　In　short；　the　patience　which　he　displayed　was　such　as　to　make　the　wooden　persistency　of　the　Germana　persistency　merely　due　to　the　slow；　lethargic　circulation　of　the　Teuton's　bloodseem　nothing　at　all；　seeing　that　by　nature　Chichikov's　blood　flowed　strongly；　and　that　he　had　to　employ　much　force　of　will　to　curb　within　himself　those　elements　which　longed　to　burst　forth　and　revel　in　freedom。　He　thought　things　over；　and；　as　he　did　so；　a　certain　spice　of　reason　appeared　in　his　reflections。

〃How　have　I　come　to　be　what　I　am？〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃Why　has　misfortune　overtaken　me　in　this　way？　Never　have　I　wronged　a　poor　person；　or　robbed　a　widow；　or　turned　any　one　out　of　doors：　I　have　always　been　careful　only　to　take　advantage　of　those　who　possess　more　than　their　share。　Moreover；　I　have　never　gleaned　anywhere　but　where　every　one　else　was　gleaning；　and；　had　I　not　done　so；　others　would　have　gleaned　in　my　place。　Why；　then；　should　those　others　be　prospering；　and　I　be　sunk　as　low　as　a　worm？　What　am　I？　What　am　I　good　for？　How　can　I；　in　future；　hope　to　look　any　honest　father　of　a　family　in　the　face？　How　shall　I　escape　being　tortured　with　the　thought　that　I　am　cumbering　the　ground？　What；　in　the　years　to　come；　will　my　children　say；　save　that　'our　father　was　a　brute；　for　he　left　us　nothing　to　live　upon？'〃

Here　I　may　remark　that　we　have　seen　how　much　thought　Chichikov　devoted　to　his　future　descendants。　Indeed；　had　not　there　been　constantly　recurring　to　his　mind　the　insistent　question；　〃What　will　my　children　say？〃　he　might　not　have　plunged　into　the　affair　so　deeply。　Nevertheless；　like　a　wary　cat　which　glances　hither　and　thither　to　see　whether　its　mistress　be　not　coming　before　it　can　make　off　with　whatsoever　first　falls　to　its　paw　（butter；　fat；　lard；　a　duck；　or　anything　else）；　so　our　future　founder　of　a　family　continued；　though　weeping　and　bewailing　his　lot；　to　let　not　a　single　detail　escape　his　eye。　That　is　to　say；　he　retained　his　wits　ever　in　a　state　of　activity；　and　kept　his　brain　constantly　working。　All　that　he　required　was　a　plan。　Once　more　he　pulled　himself　together；　once　more　he　embarked　upon　a　life　of　toil；　once　more　he　stinted　himself　in　everything；　once　more　he　left　clean　and　decent　surroundings　for　a　dirty；　mean　existence。　In　other　words；　until　something　better　should　turn　up；　he　embraced　the　calling　of　an　ordinary　attorneya　calling　which；　not　then　possessed　of　a　civic　status；　was　jostled　on　very　side；　enjoyed　little　respect　at　the　hands　of　the　minor　legal　fry　（or；　indeed；　at　its　own）；　and　perforce　met　with　universal　slights　and　rudeness。　But　sheer　necessity　compelled　Chichikov　to　face　these　things。　Among　commissions　entrusted　to　him　was　that　of　placing　in　the　hands　of　the　Public　Trustee　several　hundred　peasants　who　belonged　to　a　ruined　estate。　The　estate　had　reached　its　parlous　condition　through　cattle　disease；　through　rascally　bailiffs；　through　failures　of　the　harvest；　through　such　epidemic　diseases　that　had　killed　off　the　best　workmen；　and；　last；　but　not　least；　through　the　senseless　conduct　of　the　owner　himself；　who　had　furnished　a　house　in　Moscow　in　the　latest　style；　and　then　squandered　his　every　kopeck；　so　that　nothing　was　left　for　his　further　maintenance；　and　it　became　necessary　to　mortgage　the　remainsincluding　the　peasantsof　the　estate。　In　those　days　mortgage　to　the　Treasury　was　an　innovation　looked　upon　with　reserve；　and；　as　attorney　in　the　matter；　Chichikov　had　first　of　all　to　〃entertain〃　every　official　concerned　（we　know　that；　unless　that　be　previously　done；　unless　a　whole　bottle　of　madeira　first　be　emptied　down　each　clerical　throat；　not　the　smallest　legal　affair　can　be　carried　through）；　and　to　explain；　for　the　barring　of　future　attachments；　that　half　of　the　peasants　were　dead。

〃And　are　they　entered　on　the　revision　lists？〃　asked　the　secretary。　〃Yes；〃　replied　Chichikov。　〃Then　what　are　you　boggling　at？〃　continued　the　Secretary。　〃Should　one　soul　die；　another　will　be　born；　and　in　time　grow　up　to　take　the　first　one's　place。〃　Upon　that　there　dawned　on　our　hero　one　of　the　most　inspired　ideas　which　ever　entered　the　human　brain。　〃What　a　simpleton　I　am！〃　he　thought　to　himself。　〃Here　am　I　looking　about　for　my　mittens　when　all　the　time　I　have　got　them　tucked　into　my　belt。　Why；　were　I　myself　to　buy　up　a　few　souls　which　are　deadto　buy　them　before　a　new　revision　list　shall　have　been　made；　the　Council　of　Public　Trust　might　pay　me　two　hundred　roubles　apiece　for　them；　and　I　might　find　myself　with；　say；　a　capital　of　two　hundred　thousand　roubles！　The　present　moment　is　particularly　propitious；　since　in　various　parts　of　the　country　there　has　been　an　epidemic；　and；　glory　be　to　God；　a　large　number　of　souls　have　died　of　it。　Nowadays　landowners　have　taken　to　card…playing　and　junketting　and　wasting　their　money；　or　to　joining　the　Civil　Service　in　St。　Petersburg；　consequently　their　estates　are　going　to　rack　and　ruin；　and　being　managed　in　any　sort　of　fashion；　and　succeeding　in　paying　their　dues　with　greater　difficulty　each　year。　That　being　so；　not　a　man　of　the　lot　but　would　gladly　surrender　to　me　his　dead　souls　rather　than　continue　paying　the　poll…tax；　and　in　this　fashion　I　might　makewell；　not　a　few　kopecks。　Of　course　there　are　difficulties；　and；　to　avoid　creating　a　scandal；　I　shou