dead souls(死魂灵)-第74部分

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here　Tientietnikov's　mansion　was　situated。

〃This　is　where　I　should　plant　timber；〃　said　Chichikov。　〃And；　regarded　as　a　site　for　a　manor　house；　the　situation　could　scarcely　be　beaten　for　beauty　of　view。〃

〃You　seem　to　get　great　store　upon　views　and　beauty；〃　remarked　Kostanzhoglo　with　reproof　in　his　tone。　〃Should　you　pay　too　much　attention　to　those　things；　you　might　find　yourself　without　crops　or　view。　Utility　should　be　placed　first；　not　beauty。　Beauty　will　come　of　itself。　Take；　for　example；　towns。　The　fairest　and　most　beautiful　towns　are　those　which　have　built　themselvesthose　in　which　each　man　has　built　to　suit　his　own　exclusive　circumstances　and　needs；　whereas　towns　which　men　have　constructed　on　regular；　string…taut　lines　are　no　better　than　collections　of　barracks。　Put　beauty　aside；　and　look　only　to　what　is　NECESSARY。〃

〃Yes；　but　to　me　it　would　always　be　irksome　to　have　to　wait。　All　the　time　that　I　was　doing　so　I　should　be　hungering　to　see　in　front　of　the　me　the　sort　of　prospect　which　I　prefer。〃

〃Come；　come！　Are　you　a　man　of　twenty…fiveyou　who　have　served　as　a　tchinovnik　in　St。　Petersburg？　Have　patience；　have　patience。　For　six　years　work；　and　work　hard。　Plant；　sow；　and　dig　the　earth　without　taking　a　moment's　rest。　It　will　be　difficult；　I　knowyes；　difficult　indeed；　but　at　the　end　of　that　time；　if　you　have　thoroughly　stirred　the　soil；　the　land　will　begin　to　help　you　as　nothing　else　can　do。　That　is　to　say；　over　and　above　your　seventy　or　so　pairs　of　hands；　there　will　begin　to　assist　in　the　work　seven　hundred　pairs　of　hands　which　you　cannot　see。　Thus　everything　will　be　multiplied　tenfold。　I　myself　have　ceased　even　to　have　to　lift　a　finger；　for　whatsoever　needs　to　be　done　gets　done　of　itself。　Nature　loves　patience：　always　remember　that。　It　is　a　law　given　her　of　God　Himself；　who　has　blessed　all　those　who　are　strong　to　endure。〃

〃To　hear　your　words　is　to　be　both　encouraged　and　strengthened；〃　said　Chichikov。　To　this　Kostanzhoglo　made　no　reply；　but　presently　went　on：

〃And　see　how　that　piece　of　land　has　been　ploughed！　To　stay　here　longer　is　more　than　I　can　do。　For　me；　to　have　to　look　upon　such　want　of　orderliness　and　foresight　is　death。　Finish　your　business　with　Khlobuev　without　me；　and　whatsoever　you　do；　get　this　treasure　out　of　that　fool's　hands　as　quickly　as　possible；　for　he　is　dishonouring　God's　gifts。〃

And　Kostanzhoglo；　his　face　dark　with　the　rage　that　was　seething　in　his　excitable　soul；　left　Chichikov；　and　caught　up　the　owner　of　the　establishment。

〃What；　Constantine　Thedorovitch？〃　cried　Khlobuev　in　astonishment。　〃Just　arrived；　you　are　going　already？〃

〃Yes；　I　cannot　help　it；　urgent　business　requires　me　at　home。〃　And　entering　his　gig；　Kostanzhoglo　drove　rapidly　away。　Somehow　Khlobuev　seemed　to　divine　the　cause　of　his　sudden　departure。

〃It　was　too　much　for　him；〃　he　remarked。　〃An　agriculturist　of　that　kind　does　not　like　to　have　to　look　upon　the　results　of　such　feckless　management　as　mine。　Would　you　believe　it；　Paul　Ivanovitch；　but　this　year　I　have　been　unable　to　sow　any　wheat！　Am　I　not　a　fine　husbandman？　There　was　no　seed　for　the　purpose；　nor　yet　anything　with　which　to　prepare　the　ground。　No；　I　am　not　like　Constantine　Thedorovitch；　who；　I　hear；　is　a　perfect　Napoleon　in　his　particular　line。　Again　and　again　the　thought　occurs　to　me；　'Why　has　so　much　intellect　been　put　into　that　head；　and　only　a　drop　or　two　into　my　own　dull　pate？'　Take　care　of　that　puddle；　gentlemen。　I　have　told　my　peasants　to　lay　down　planks　for　the　spring；　but　they　have　not　done　so。　Nevertheless　my　heart　aches　for　the　poor　fellows；　for　they　need　a　good　example；　and　what　sort　of　an　example　am　I？　How　am　_I_　to　give　them　orders？　Pray　take　them　under　your　charge；　Paul　Ivanovitch；　for　I　cannot　teach　them　orderliness　and　method　when　I　myself　lack　both。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　should　have　given　them　their　freedom　long　ago；　had　there　been　any　use　in　my　doing　so；　for　even　I　can　see　that　peasants　must　first　be　afforded　the　means　of　earning　a　livelihood　before　they　can　live。　What　they　need　is　a　stern；　yet　just；　master　who　shall　live　with　them；　day　in；　day　out；　and　set　them　an　example　of　tireless　energy。　The　present…day　RussianI　know　of　it　myselfis　helpless　without　a　driver。　Without　one　he　falls　asleep；　and　the　mould　grows　over　him。〃

〃Yet　I　cannot　understand　WHY　he　should　fall　asleep　and　grow　mouldy　in　that　fashion；〃　said　Platon。　〃Why　should　he　need　continual　surveillance　to　keep　him　from　degenerating　into　a　drunkard　and　a　good…for…nothing？〃

〃The　cause　is　lack　of　enlightenment；〃　said　Chichikov。

〃Possiblyonly　God　knows。　Yet　enlightenment　has　reached　us　right　enough。　Do　we　not　attend　university　lectures　and　everything　else　that　is　befitting？　Take　my　own　education。　I　learnt　not　only　the　usual　things；　but　also　the　art　of　spending　money　upon　the　latest　refinement；　the　latest　amenitythe　art　of　familiarising　oneself　with　whatsoever　money　can　buy。　How；　then；　can　it　be　said　that　I　was　educated　foolishly？　And　my　comrades'　education　was　the　same。　A　few　of　them　succeeded　in　annexing　the　cream　of　things；　for　the　reason　that　they　had　the　wit　to　do　so；　and　the　rest　spent　their　time　in　doing　their　best　to　ruin　their　health　and　squander　their　money。　Often　I　think　there　is　no　hope　for　the　present…day　Russian。　While　desiring　to　do　everything；　he　accomplishes　nothing。　One　day　he　will　scheme　to　begin　a　new　mode　of　existence；　a　new　dietary；　yet　before　evening　he　will　have　so　over…eaten　himself　as　to　be　unable　to　speak　or　do　aught　but　sit　staring　like　an　owl。　The　same　with　every　one。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　agreed　Chichikov　with　a　smile。　〃'Tis　everywhere　the　same　story。〃

〃To　tell　the　truth；　we　are　not　born　to　common　sense。　I　doubt　whether　Russia　has　ever　produced　a　really　sensible　man。　For　my　own　part；　if　I　see　my　neighbour　living　a　regular　life；　and　making　money；　and　saving　it；　I　begin　to　distrust　him；　and　to　feel　certain　that　in　old　age；　if　not　before；　he　too　will　be　led　astray　by　the　devilled　astray　in　a　moment。　Yes；　whether　or　not　we　be　educated；　there　is　something　we　lack。　But　what　that　something　is　passes　my　understanding。〃

On　the　return　journey　the　prospect　was　the　same　as　before。　Everywhere　the　same　slovenliness；　the　same　disorder；　was　displaying　itself　unadorned：　the　only　difference　being　that　a　fresh　puddle　had　formed　in　the　middle　of　the　village　street。　This　want　and　neglect　was　noticeable　in　the　peasants'　quarters　equally　with　the　quarters　of　the　barin。　In　the　village　a　furious　woman　in　greasy　sackcloth　was　beating　a　poor　young　wench　within　an　ace　of　her　life；　and　at　the　same　time　devoting　some　third　person　to　the　care　of　all　the　devils　in　hell；　further　away　a　couple　of　peasants　were　stoically　contemplating　the　viragoone　scratching　his　rump　as　he　did　so；　and　the　other　yawning。　The　same　yawn　was　discernible　in　the　buildings；　for　not　a　roof　was　there　but　had　a　gaping　hole　in　it。　As　he　gazed　at　the　scene　Platon　himself　yawned。　Patch　was　superimposed　upon　patch；　and；　in　place　of　a　roof；　one　hut　had　a　piece　of　wooden　fencing；　while　its　crumbling　window…frames　were　stayed　with　sticks　purloined　from　the　barin's　barn。　Evidently　the　system　of　upkeep　in　vogue　was　the　system　employed　in　the　case　of　Trishkin's　coatthe　system　of　cutting　up　the　cuffs　and　the　collar　into　mendings　for　the　elbows。

〃No；　I　do　not　admire　your　way　of　doing　things；〃　was　Chichikov's　unspoken　comment　when　the　inspection　had　been　concluded　and　the　party　had　re…entered　the　house。　Everywhere　in　the　latter　the　visitors　were　struck　with　the　way　in　which　poverty　went　with　glittering；　fashionable　profusion。　On　a　writing…table　lay　a　volume　of　Shakespeare；　and；　on　an　occasional　table；　a　carved　ivory　back…scratcher。　The　hostess；　too；　was　elegantly　and　fashionably　attired；　and　devoted　her　whole　conversation　to　the　town　and　the　local　theatre。　Lastly；　the　childrenbright；　merry　little　thingswere　well…dressed　both　as　regards　boys　and　girls。　Yet　far　better　would　it　have　been　for　them　if　they　had　been　clad　in　plain　striped　smocks；　and　running　about　the　courtyard　like　peasant　children。　Presently　a　visitor　arrived　in　the　shape　of　a　chattering；　gossiping　woman；　whereupon　the　hostess　carried　her　off　to　her　own　portion　of　the　house；　and；　the　children　following　them；　the　men　found　themselves　alone。

〃How　much　do　you　want　for　the　property？〃　asked　Chichikov　of　Khlobuev。　〃I　am　afraid　I　must　request　you　to　name　the　lowest　possible　sum；　since　I　find　the　estate　in　a　far　worse　condition　than　I　had　expected　to　do。〃

〃Yes；　it　IS　in　a　terrible　state；〃　agreed　Khlobuev。　〃Nor　is　that　the　whole　of　the　story。　That　is　to　say；　I　will　not　conceal　from　you　the　fact　that；　out　of　a　hundred　souls　registered　at　the　last　revision；　only　fifty　survive；　so　terrible　have　been　the　ravages　of　cholera。　And　of　these；　again；　some　have　absconded；　wherefore　they　too　must　be　reckoned　as　dead；　seeing　that；　were　one　to　enter　process　against　them；　the　costs　would　end　in　the　property　having　to　pass　en　bloc　to　the　legal　authorities。　For　these　reasons　I　am　asking　only　thirty…five　thousand　roubles　for　the　estate。〃

Chichikov　（it　need　hardly　be　said）　started　to　haggle。

〃Thirty…five　thousand？〃　he　cried。　〃Come；　come！　Surely　you　will　accept　TWENTY…five　thousand？〃

This　was　too　much　for　Platon's　conscience。

〃Now；　now；　Paul　Ivanovitch！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Take　the　proper