dead souls(死魂灵)-第58部分

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　you　mean　by　it？　Were　others　to　regard　things　in　the　same　way；　the　Service　would　find　itself　without　a　single　individual。　Reconsider　your　conductforego　your　pride　and　conceit；　and　make　Lienitsin　amends。〃

〃But；　dear　Uncle；〃　the　nephew　replied；　〃that　is　not　the　point。　The　point　is；　not　that　I　should　find　an　apology　difficult　to　offer；　seeing　that；　since　Lienitsin　is　my　superior；　and　I　ought　not　to　have　addressed　him　as　I　did；　I　am　clearly　in　the　wrong。　Rather；　the　point　is　the　following。　To　my　charge　there　has　been　committed　the　performance　of　another　kind　of　service。　That　is　to　say；　I　am　the　owner　of　three　hundred　peasant　souls；　a　badly　administered　estate；　and　a　fool　of　a　bailiff。　That　being　so；　whereas　the　State　will　lose　little　by　having　to　fill　my　stool　with　another　copyist；　it　will　lose　very　much　by　causing　three　hundred　peasant　souls　to　fail　in　the　payment　of　their　taxes。　As　I　say　（how　am　I　to　put　it？）；　I　am　a　landowner　who　has　preferred　to　enter　the　Public　Service。　Now；　should　I　employ　myself　henceforth　in　conserving；　restoring；　and　improving　the　fortunes　of　the　souls　whom　God　has　entrusted　to　my　care；　and　thereby　provide　the　State　with　three　hundred　law…abiding；　sober；　hard…working　taxpayers；　how　will　that　service　of　mine　rank　as　inferior　to　the　service　of　a　department…directing　fool　like　Lienitsin？〃

On　hearing　this　speech；　the　State　Councillor　could　only　gape；　for　he　had　not　expected　Tientietnikov's　torrent　of　words。　He　reflected　a　few　moments；　and　then　murmured：

〃Yes；　but；　butbut　how　can　a　man　like　you　retire　to　rustication　in　the　country？　What　society　will　you　get　there？　Here　one　meets　at　least　a　general　or　a　prince　sometimes；　indeed；　no　matter　whom　you　pass　in　the　street；　that　person　represents　gas　lamps　and　European　civilisation；　but　in　the　country；　no　matter　what　part　of　it　you　are　in；　not　a　soul　is　to　be　encountered　save　muzhiks　and　their　women。　Why　should　you　go　and　condemn　yourself　to　a　state　of　vegetation　like　that？〃

Nevertheless　the　uncle's　expostulations　fell　upon　deaf　ears；　for　already　the　nephew　was　beginning　to　think　of　his　estate　as　a　retreat　of　a　type　more　likely　to　nourish　the　intellectual　faculties　and　afford　the　only　profitable　field　of　activity。　After　unearthing　one　or　two　modern　works　on　agriculture；　therefore；　he；　two　weeks　later；　found　himself　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　home　where　his　boyhood　had　been　spent；　and　approaching　the　spot　which　never　failed　to　enthral　the　visitor　or　guest。　And　in　the　young　man's　breast　there　was　beginning　to　palpitate　a　new　feelingin　the　young　man's　soul　there　were　reawakening　old；　long…concealed　impressions；　with　the　result　that　many　a　spot　which　had　long　been　faded　from　his　memory　now　filled　him　with　interest；　and　the　beautiful　views　on　the　estate　found　him　gazing　at　them　like　a　newcomer；　and　with　a　beating　heart。　Yes；　as　the　road　wound　through　a　narrow　ravine；　and　became　engulfed　in　a　forest　where；　both　above　and　below；　he　saw　three…centuries…old　oaks　which　three　men　could　not　have　spanned；　and　where　Siberian　firs　and　elms　overtopped　even　the　poplars；　and　as　he　asked　the　peasants　to　tell　him　to　whom　the　forest　belonged；　and　they　replied；　〃To　Tientietnikov；〃　and　he　issued　from　the　forest；　and　proceeded　on　his　way　through　meadows；　and　past　spinneys　of　elder；　and　of　old　and　young　willows；　and　arrived　in　sight　of　the　distant　range　of　hills；　and；　crossing　by　two　different　bridges　the　winding　river　（which　he　left　successively　to　right　and　to　left　of　him　as　he　did　so）；　he　again　questioned　some　peasants　concerning　the　ownership　of　the　meadows　and　the　flooded　lands；　and　was　again　informed　that　they　all　belonged　to　Tientietnikov；　and　then；　ascending　a　rise；　reached　a　tableland　where；　on　one　side；　lay　ungarnered　fields　of　wheat　and　rye　and　barley；　and；　on　the　other；　the　country　already　traversed　（but　which　now　showed　in　shortened　perspective）；　and　then　plunged　into　the　shade　of　some　forked；　umbrageous　trees　which　stood　scattered　over　turf　and　extended　to　the　manor…house　itself；　and　caught　glimpses　of　the　carved　huts　of　the　peasants；　and　of　the　red　roofs　of　the　stone　manorial　outbuildings；　and　of　the　glittering　pinnacles　of　the　church；　and　felt　his　heart　beating；　and　knew；　without　being　told　by　any　one；　whither　he　had　at　length　arrivedwell；　then　the　feeling　which　had　been　growing　within　his　soul　burst　forth；　and　he　cried　in　ecstasy：

〃Why　have　I　been　a　fool　so　long？　Why；　seeing　that　fate　has　appointed　me　to　be　ruler　of　an　earthly　paradise；　did　I　prefer　to　bind　myself　in　servitude　as　a　scribe　of　lifeless　documents？　To　think　that；　after　I　had　been　nurtured　and　schooled　and　stored　with　all　the　knowledge　necessary　for　the　diffusion　of　good　among　those　under　me；　and　for　the　improvement　of　my　domain；　and　for　the　fulfilment　of　the　manifold　duties　of　a　landowner　who　is　at　once　judge；　administrator；　and　constable　of　his　people；　I　should　have　entrusted　my　estate　to　an　ignorant　bailiff；　and　sought　to　maintain　an　absentee　guardianship　over　the　affairs　of　serfs　whom　I　have　never　met；　and　of　whose　capabilities　and　characters　I　am　yet　ignorant！　To　think　that　I　should　have　deemed　true　estate…management　inferior　to　a　documentary；　fantastical　management　of　provinces　which　lie　a　thousand　versts　away；　and　which　my　foot　has　never　trod；　and　where　I　could　never　have　effected　aught　but　blunders　and　irregularities！〃

Meanwhile　another　spectacle　was　being　prepared　for　him。　On　learning　that　the　barin　was　approaching　the　mansion；　the　muzhiks　collected　on　the　verandah　in　very　variety　of　picturesque　dress　and　tonsure；　and　when　these　good　folk　surrounded　him；　and　there　arose　a　resounding　shout　of　〃Here　is　our　Foster　Father！　He　has　remembered　us！〃　and；　in　spite　of　themselves；　some　of　the　older　men　and　women　began　weeping　as　they　recalled　his　grandfather　and　great…grandfather；　he　himself　could　not　restrain　his　tears；　but　reflected：　〃How　much　affection！　And　in　return　for　what？　In　return　for　my　never　having　come　to　see　themin　return　for　my　never　having　taken　the　least　interest　in　their　affairs！〃　And　then　and　there　he　registered　a　mental　vow　to　share　their　every　task　and　occupation。

So　he　applied　himself　to　supervising　and　administering。　He　reduced　the　amount　of　the　barstchina＇1＇；　he　decreased　the　number　of　working…days　for　the　owner；　and　he　augmented　the　sum　of　the　peasants'　leisure…time。　He　also　dismissed　the　fool　of　a　bailiff；　and　took　to　bearing　a　personal　hand　in　everythingto　being　present　in　the　fields；　at　the　threshing…floor；　at　the　kilns；　at　the　wharf；　at　the　freighting　of　barges　and　rafts；　and　at　their　conveyance　down　the　river：　wherefore　even　the　lazy　hands　began　to　look　to　themselves。　But　this　did　not　last　long。　The　peasant　is　an　observant　individual；　and　Tientietnikov's　muzhiks　soon　scented　the　fact　that；　though　energetic　and　desirous　of　doing　much；　the　barin　had　no　notion　how　to　do　it；　nor　even　how　to　set　about　itthat；　in　short；　he　spoke　by　the　book　rather　than　out　of　his　personal　knowledge。　Consequently　things　resulted；　not　in　master　and　men　failing　to　understand　one　another；　but　in　their　not　singing　together；　in　their　not　producing　the　very　same　note。

＇1＇　In　the　days　of　serfdom；　the　rate　of　forced　labourso　many　hours　　　　　or　so　many　days　per　weekwhich　the　serf　had　to　perform　for　his　　　　　proprietor。

That　is　to　say；　it　was　not　long　before　Tientietnikov　noticed　that　on　the　manorial　lands；　nothing　prospered　to　the　extent　that　it　did　on　the　peasants'。　The　manorial　crops　were　sown　in　good　time；　and　came　up　well；　and　every　one　appeared　to　work　his　best；　so　much　so　that　Tientietnikov；　who　supervised　the　whole；　frequently　ordered　mugs　of　vodka　to　be　served　out　as　a　reward　for　the　excellence　of　the　labour　performed。　Yet　the　rye　on　the　peasants'　land　had　formed　into　ear；　and　the　oats　had　begun　to　shoot　their　grain；　and　the　millet　had　filled　before；　on　the　manorial　lands；　the　corn　had　so　much　as　grown　to　stalk；　or　the　ears　had　sprouted　in　embryo。　In　short；　gradually　the　barin　realised　that；　in　spite　of　favours　conferred；　the　peasants　were　playing　the　rogue　with　him。　Next　he　resorted　to　remonstrance；　but　was　met　with　the　reply；　〃How　could　we　not　do　our　best　for　our　barin？　You　yourself　saw　how　well　we　laboured　at　the　ploughing　and　the　sowing；　for　you　gave　us　mugs　of　vodka　for　our　pains。〃

〃Then　why　have　things　turned　out　so　badly？〃　the　barin　persisted。

〃Who　can　say？　It　must　be　that　a　grub　has　eaten　the　crop　from　below。　Besides；　what　a　summer　has　it　beennever　a　drop　of　rain！〃

Nevertheless；　the　barin　noted　that　no　grub　had　eaten　the　PEASANTS'　crops；　as　well　as　that　the　rain　had　fallen　in　the　most　curious　fashionnamely；　in　patches。　It　had　obliged　the　muzhiks；　but　had　shed　a　mere　sprinkling　for　the　barin。

Still　more　difficult　did　he　find　it　to　deal　with　the　peasant　women。　Ever　and　anon　they　would　beg　to　be　excused　from　work；　or　start　making　complaints　of　the　severity　of　the　barstchina。　Indeed；　they　were　terrible　folk！　However；　Tientietnikov　abolished　the　majority　of　the　tithes　of　linen；　hedge　fruit；　mushrooms；　and　nuts；　and　also　reduced　by　one…half　other　tasks　proper　to　the　women；　in　the　hope　that　they　would　devote　their　spare　time　to　their　own　domestic　concernsnamely；　to　sewing　and　mending；　and　to　making　clothes　for　their　husbands；　and　to　increasing　the　area　of　their　kitchen　gardens。　Yet　no