dead souls(死魂灵)-第57部分

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idual　bias。　Yet　their　instruction；　alas！　contained　no　LIFEin　the　mouths　of　those　teachers　a　dead　language　savoured　merely　of　carrion。　Thus　everything　connected　with　the　school　underwent　a　radical　alteration；　and　respect　for　authority　and　the　authorities　waned；　and　tutors　and　ushers　came　to　be　dubbed　〃Old　Thedor；〃　〃Crusty；〃　and　the　like。　And　sundry　other　things　began　to　take　placethings　which　necessitated　many　a　penalty　and　expulsion；　until；　within　a　couple　of　years；　no　one　who　had　known　the　school　in　former　days　would　now　have　recognised　it。

Nevertheless　Tientietnikov；　a　youth　of　retiring　disposition；　experienced　no　leanings　towards　the　nocturnal　orgies　of　his　companions；　orgies　during　which　the　latter　used　to　flirt　with　damsels　before　the　very　windows　of　the　headmaster's　rooms；　nor　yet　towards　their　mockery　of　all　that　was　sacred；　simply　because　fate　had　cast　in　their　way　an　injudicious　priest。　No；　despite　its　dreaminess；　his　soul　ever　remembered　its　celestial　origin；　and　could　not　be　diverted　from　the　path　of　virtue。　Yet　still　he　hung　his　head；　for；　while　his　ambition　had　come　to　life；　it　could　find　no　sort　of　outlet。　Truly　'twere　well　if　it　had　NOT　come　to　life；　for　throughout　the　time　that　he　was　listening　to　professors　who　gesticulated　on　their　chairs　he　could　not　help　remembering　the　old　preceptor　who；　invariably　cool　and　calm；　had　yet　known　how　to　make　himself　understood。　To　what　subjects；　to　what　lectures；　did　the　boy　not　have　to　listen！to　lectures　on　medicine；　and　on　philosophy；　and　on　law；　and　on　a　version　of　general　history　so　enlarged　that　even　three　years　failed　to　enable　the　professor　to　do　more　than　finish　the　introduction　thereto；　and　also　the　account　of　the　development　of　some　self…governing　towns　in　Germany。　None　of　the　stuff　remained　fixed　in　Tientietnikov's　brain　save　as　shapeless　clots；　for　though　his　native　intellect　could　not　tell　him　how　instruction　ought　to　be　imparted；　it　at　least　told　him　that　THIS　was　not　the　way。　And　frequently；　at　such　moments　he　would　recall　Alexander　Petrovitch；　and　give　way　to　such　grief　that　scarcely　did　he　know　what　he　was　doing。

But　youth　is　fortunate　in　the　fact　that　always　before　it　there　lies　a　future；　and　in　proportion　as　the　time　for　his　leaving　school　drew　nigh；　Tientietnikov's　heart　began　to　beat　higher　and　higher；　and　he　said　to　himself：　〃This　is　not　life；　but　only　a　preparation　for　life。　True　life　is　to　be　found　in　the　Public　Service。　There　at　least　will　there　be　scope　for　activity。〃　So；　bestowing　not　a　glance　upon　that　beautiful　corner　of　the　world　which　never　failed　to　strike　the　guest　or　chance　visitor　with　amazement；　and　reverencing　not　a　whit　the　dust　of　his　ancestors；　he　followed　the　example　of　most　ambitious　men　of　his　class　by　repairing　to　St。　Petersburg　（whither；　as　we　know；　the　more　spirited　youth　of　Russia　from　every　quarter　gravitatesthere　to　enter　the　Public　Service；　to　shine；　to　obtain　promotion；　and；　in　a　word；　to　scale　the　topmost　peaks　of　that　pale；　cold；　deceptive　elevation　which　is　known　as　society）。　But　the　real　starting…point　of　Tientietnikov's　ambition　was　the　moment　when　his　uncle　（one　State　Councillor　Onifri　Ivanovitch）　instilled　into　him　the　maxim　that　the　only　means　to　success　in　the　Service　lay　in　good　handwriting；　and　that；　without　that　accomplishment；　no　one　could　ever　hope　to　become　a　Minister　or　Statesman。　Thus；　with　great　difficulty；　and　also　with　the　help　of　his　uncle's　influence；　young　Tientietnikov　at　length　succeeded　in　being　posted　to　a　Department。　On　the　day　that　he　was　conducted　into　a　splendid；　shining　halla　hall　fitted　with　inlaid　floors　and　lacquered　desks　as　fine　as　though　this　were　actually　the　place　where　the　great　ones　of　the　Empire　met　for　discussion　of　the　fortunes　of　the　State；　on　the　day　that　he　saw　legions　of　handsome　gentlemen　of　the　quill…driving　profession　making　loud　scratchings　with　pens；　and　cocking　their　heads　to　one　side；　lastly　on　the　day　that　he　saw　himself　also　allotted　a　desk；　and　requested　to　copy　a　document　which　appeared　purposely　to　be　one　of　the　pettiest　possible　order　（as　a　matter　of　fact　it　related　to　a　sum　of　three　roubles；　and　had　taken　half　a　year　to　produce）well；　at　that　moment　a　curious；　an　unwonted　sensation　seized　upon　the　inexperienced　youth；　for　the　gentlemen　around　him　appeared　so　exactly　like　a　lot　of　college　students。　And；　the　further　to　complete　the　resemblance；　some　of　them　were　engaged　in　reading　trashy　translated　novels；　which　they　kept　hurriedly　thrusting　between　the　sheets　of　their　apportioned　work　whenever　the　Director　appeared；　as　though　to　convey　the　impression　that　it　was　to　that　work　alone　that　they　were　applying　themselves。　In　short；　the　scene　seemed　to　Tientietnikov　strange；　and　his　former　pursuits　more　important　than　his　present；　and　his　preparation　for　the　Service　preferable　to　the　Service　itself。　Yes；　suddenly　he　felt　a　longing　for　his　old　school；　and　as　suddenly；　and　with　all　the　vividness　of　life；　there　appeared　before　his　vision　the　figure　of　Alexander　Petrovitch。　He　almost　burst　into　tears　as　he　beheld　his　old　master；　and　the　room　seemed　to　swim　before　his　eyes；　and　the　tchinovniks　and　the　desks　to　become　a　blur；　and　his　sight　to　grow　dim。　Then　he　thought　to　himself　with　an　effort：　〃No；　no！　I　WILL　apply　myself　to　my　work；　however　petty　it　be　at　first。〃　And　hardening　his　heart　and　recovering　his　spirit；　he　determined　then　and　there　to　perform　his　duties　in　such　a　manner　as　should　be　an　example　to　the　rest。

But　where　are　compensations　to　be　found？　Even　in　St。　Petersburg；　despite　its　grim　and　murky　exterior；　they　exist。　Yes；　even　though　thirty　degrees　of　keen；　cracking　frost　may　have　bound　the　streets；　and　the　family　of　the　North　Wind　be　wailing　there；　and　the　Snowstorm　Witch　have　heaped　high　the　pavements；　and　be　blinding　the　eyes；　and　powdering　beards　and　fur　collars　and　the　shaggy　manes　of　horseseven　THEN　there　will　be　shining　hospitably　through　the　swirling　snowflakes　a　fourth…floor　window　where；　in　a　cosy　room；　and　by　the　light　of　modest　candles；　and　to　the　hiss　of　the　samovar；　there　will　be　in　progress　a　discussion　which　warms　the　heart　and　soul；　or　else　a　reading　aloud　of　a　brilliant　page　of　one　of　those　inspired　Russian　poets　with　whom　God　has　dowered　us；　while　the　breast　of　each　member　of　the　company　is　heaving　with　a　rapture　unknown　under　a　noontide　sky。

Gradually；　therefore；　Tientietnikov　grew　more　at　home　in　the　Service。　Yet　never　did　it　become；　for　him；　the　main　pursuit；　the　main　object　in　life；　which　he　had　expected。　No；　it　remained　but　one　of　a　secondary　kind。　That　is　to　say；　it　served　merely　to　divide　up　his　time；　and　enable　him　the　more　to　value　his　hours　of　leisure。　Nevertheless；　just　when　his　uncle　was　beginning　to　flatter　himself　that　his　nephew　was　destined　to　succeed　in　the　profession；　the　said　nephew　elected　to　ruin　his　every　hope。　Thus　it　befell。　Tientietnikov's　friends　（he　had　many）　included　among　their　number　a　couple　of　fellows　of　the　species　known　as　〃embittered。〃　That　is　to　say；　though　good…natured　souls　of　that　curiously　restless　type　which　cannot　endure　injustice；　nor　anything　which　it　conceives　to　be　such；　they　were　thoroughly　unbalanced　of　conduct　themselves；　and；　while　demanding　general　agreement　with　their　views；　treated　those　of　others　with　the　scantiest　of　ceremony。　Nevertheless　these　two　associates　exercised　upon　Tientietnikovboth　by　the　fire　of　their　eloquence　and　by　the　form　of　their　noble　dissatisfaction　with　societya　very　strong　influence；　with　the　result　that；　through　arousing　in　him　an　innate　tendency　to　nervous　resentment；　they　led　him　also　to　notice　trifles　which　before　had　escaped　his　attention。　An　instance　of　this　is　seen　in　the　fact　that　he　conceived　against　Thedor　Thedorovitch　Lienitsin；　Director　of　one　of　the　Departments　which　was　quartered　in　the　splendid　range　of　offices　before　mentioned；　a　dislike　which　proved　the　cause　of　his　discerning　n　the　man　a　host　of　hitherto　unmarked　imperfections。　Above　all　things　did　Tientietnikov　take　it　into　his　head　that；　when　conversing　with　his　superiors；　Lienitsin　became；　of　the　moment；　a　stick　of　luscious　sweetmeat；　but　that；　when　conversing　with　his　inferiors；　he　approximated　more　to　a　vinegar　cruet。　Certain　it　is　that；　like　all　petty…minded　individuals；　Lienitsin　made　a　note　of　any　one　who　failed　to　offer　him　a　greeting　on　festival　days；　and　that　he　revenged　himself　upon　any　one　whose　visiting…card　had　not　been　handed　to　his　butler。　Eventually　the　youth's　aversion　almost　attained　the　point　of　hysteria；　until　he　felt　that；　come　what　might；　he　MUST　insult　the　fellow　in　some　fashion。　To　that　task　he　applied　himself　con　amore；　and　so　thoroughly　that　he　met　with　complete　success。　That　is　to　say；　he　seized　on　an　occasion　to　address　Lienitsin　in　such　fashion　that　the　delinquent　received　notice　either　to　apologies　or　to　leave　the　Service；　and　when　of　these　alternatives　he　chose　the　latter　his　uncle　came　to　him；　and　made　a　terrified　appeal。　〃For　God's　sake　remember　what　you　are　doing！〃　he　cried。　〃To　think　that；　after　beginning　your　career　so　well；　you　should　abandon　it　merely　for　the　reason　that　you　have　not　fallen　in　with　the　sort　of　Director　whom　you　prefer！　What　do　you　mean　by　it；　what　do　you　mean　by　it？　Were　others　to　regard　things　in　the　same　way；　the　Service　would　find　itself　without