dead souls(死魂灵)-第29章

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ating　minor　comestibles；　and　drinking　and　talking；　contrived　to　consume　more　than　a　quarter　of　the　whole　fish；　so　that；　on　the　host　remembering　the　creature；　and；　with　fork　in　hand；　leading　the　way　in　its　direction　and　saying；　〃What；　gentlemen；　think　you　of　this　striking　product　of　nature？〃　there　ensued　the　discovery　that　of　the　said　product　of　nature　there　remained　little　beyond　the　tail；　while　Sobakevitch；　with　an　air　as　though　at　least　HE　had　not　eaten　it；　was　engaged　in　plunging　his　fork　into　a　much　more　diminutive　piece　of　fish　which　happened　to　be　resting　on　an　adjacent　platter。　After　his　divorce　from　the　sturgeon；　Sobakevitch　ate　and　drank　no　more；　but　sat　frowning　and　blinking　in　an　armchair。

Apparently　the　host　was　not　a　man　who　believed　in　sparing　the　wine；　for　the　toasts　drunk　were　innumerable。　The　first　toast　（as　the　reader　may　guess）　was　quaffed　to　the　health　of　the　new　landowner　of　Kherson；　the　second　to　the　prosperity　of　his　peasants　and　their　safe　transferment；　and　the　third　to　the　beauty　of　his　future　wifea　compliment　which　brought　to　our　hero's　lips　a　flickering　smile。　Lastly；　he　received　from　the　company　a　pressing；　as　well　as　an　unanimous；　invitation　to　extend　his　stay　in　town　for　at　least　another　fortnight；　and；　in　the　meanwhile；　to　allow　a　wife　to　be　found　for　him。

〃Quite　so；〃　agreed　the　President。　〃Fight　us　tooth　and　nail　though　you　may；　we　intend　to　have　you　married。　You　have　happened　upon　us　by　chance；　and　you　shall　have　no　reason　to　repent　of　it。　We　are　in　earnest　on　this　subject。〃

〃But　why　should　I　fight　you　tooth　and　nail？〃　said　Chichikov；　smiling。　〃Marriage　would　not　come　amiss　to　me；　were　I　but　provided　with　a　betrothed。〃

〃Then　a　betrothed　you　shall　have。　Why　not？　We　will　do　as　you　wish。〃

〃Very　well；〃　assented　Chichikov。

〃Bravo；　bravo！〃　the　company　shouted。　〃Long　live　Paul　Ivanovitch！　Hurrah！　Hurrah！〃　And　with　that　every　one　approached　to　clink　glasses　with　him；　and　he　readily　accepted　the　compliment；　and　accepted　it　many　times　in　succession。　Indeed；　as　the　hours　passed　on；　the　hilarity　of　the　company　increased　yet　further；　and　more　than　once　the　President　（a　man　of　great　urbanity　when　thoroughly　in　his　cups）　embraced　the　chief　guest　of　the　day　with　the　heartfelt　words；　〃My　dearest　fellow！　My　own　most　precious　of　friends！〃　Nay；　he　even　started　to　crack　his　fingers；　to　dance　around　Chichikov's　chair；　and　to　sing　snatches　of　a　popular　song。　To　the　champagne　succeeded　Hungarian　wine；　which　had　the　effect　of　still　further　heartening　and　enlivening　the　company。　By　this　time　every　one　had　forgotten　about　whist；　and　given　himself　up　to　shouting　and　disputing。　Every　conceivable　subject　was　discussed；　including　politics　and　military　affairs；　and　in　this　connection　guests　voiced　jejune　opinions　for　the　expression　of　which　they　would；　at　any　other　time；　have　soundly　spanked　their　offspring。　Chichikov；　like　the　rest；　had　never　before　felt　so　gay；　and；　imagining　himself　really　and　truly　to　be　a　landowner　of　Kherson；　spoke　of　various　improvements　in　agriculture；　of　the　three…field　system　of　tillage＇5＇；　and　of　the　beatific　felicity　of　a　union　between　two　kindred　souls。　Also；　he　started　to　recite　poetry　to　Sobakevitch；　who　blinked　as　he　listened；　for　he　greatly　desired　to　go　to　sleep。　At　length　the　guest　of　the　evening　realised　that　matters　had　gone　far　enough；　so　begged　to　be　given　a　lift　home；　and　was　accommodated　with　the　Public　Prosecutor's　drozhki。　Luckily　the　driver　of　the　vehicle　was　a　practised　man　at　his　work；　for；　while　driving　with　one　hand；　he　succeeded　in　leaning　backwards　and；　with　the　other；　holding　Chichikov　securely　in　his　place。　Arrived　at　the　inn；　our　hero　continued　babbling　awhile　about　a　flaxen…haired　damsel　with　rosy　lips　and　a　dimple　in　her　right　cheek；　about　villages　of　his　in　Kherson；　and　about　the　amount　of　his　capital。　Nay；　he　even　issued　seignorial　instructions　that　Selifan　should　go　and　muster　the　peasants　about　to　be　transferred；　and　make　a　complete　and　detailed　inventory　of　them。　For　a　while　Selifan　listened　in　silence；　then　he　left　the　room；　and　instructed　Petrushka　to　help　the　barin　to　undress。　As　it　happened；　Chichikov's　boots　had　no　sooner　been　removed　than　he　managed　to　perform　the　rest　of　his　toilet　without　assistance；　to　roll　on　to　the　bed　（which　creaked　terribly　as　he　did　so）；　and　to　sink　into　a　sleep　in　every　way　worthy　of　a　landowner　of　Kherson。　Meanwhile　Petrushka　had　taken　his　master's　coat　and　trousers　of　bilberry…coloured　check　into　the　corridor；　where；　spreading　them　over　a　clothes'　horse；　he　started　to　flick　and　to　brush　them；　and　to　fill　the　whole　corridor　with　dust。　Just　as　he　was　about　to　replace　them　in　his　master's　room　he　happened　to　glance　over　the　railing　of　the　gallery；　and　saw　Selifan　returning　from　the　stable。　Glances　were　exchanged；　and　in　an　instant　the　pair　had　arrived　at　an　instinctive　understandingan　understanding　to　the　effect　that　the　barin　was　sound　asleep；　and　that　therefore　one　might　consider　one's　own　pleasure　a　little。　Accordingly　Petrushka　proceeded　to　restore　the　coat　and　trousers　to　their　appointed　places；　and　then　descended　the　stairs；　whereafter　he　and　Selifan　left　the　house　together。　Not　a　word　passed　between　them　as　to　the　object　of　their　expedition。　On　the　contrary；　they　talked　solely　of　extraneous　subjects。　Yet　their　walk　did　not　take　them　far；　it　took　them　only　to　the　other　side　of　the　street；　and　thence　into　an　establishment　which　immediately　confronted　the　inn。　Entering　a　mean；　dirty　courtyard　covered　with　glass；　they　passed　thence　into　a　cellar　where　a　number　of　customers　were　seated　around　small　wooden　tables。　What　thereafter　was　done　by　Selifan　and　Petrushka　God　alone　knows。　At　all　events；　within　an　hour's　time　they　issued；　arm　in　arm；　and　in　profound　silence；　yet　remaining　markedly　assiduous　to　one　another；　and　ever　ready　to　help　one　another　around　an　awkward　corner。　Still　linked　togethernever　once　releasing　their　mutual　holdthey　spent　the　next　quarter　of　an　hour　in　attempting　to　negotiate　the　stairs　of　the　inn；　but　at　length　even　that　ascent　had　been　mastered；　and　they　proceeded　further　on　their　way。　Halting　before　his　mean　little　pallet；　Petrushka　stood　awhile　in　thought。　His　difficulty　was　how　best　to　assume　a　recumbent　position。　Eventually　he　lay　down　on　his　face；　with　his　legs　trailing　over　the　floor；　after　which　Selifan　also　stretched　himself　upon　the　pallet；　with　his　head　resting　upon　Petrushka's　stomach；　and　his　mind　wholly　oblivious　of　the　fact　that　he　ought　not　to　have　been　sleeping　there　at　all；　but　in　the　servant's　quarters；　or　in　the　stable　beside　his　horses。　Scarcely　a　moment　had　passed　before　the　pair　were　plunged　in　slumber　and　emitting　the　most　raucous　snores；　to　which　their　master　（next　door）　responded　with　snores　of　a　whistling　and　nasal　order。　Indeed；　before　long　every　one　in　the　inn　had　followed　their　soothing　example；　and　the　hostelry　lay　plunged　in　complete　restfulness。　Only　in　the　window　of　the　room　of　the　newly…arrived　lieutenant　from　Riazan　did　a　light　remain　burning。　Evidently　he　was　a　devotee　of　boots；　for　he　had　purchased　four　pairs；　and　was　now　trying　on　a　fifth。　Several　times　he　approached　the　bed　with　a　view　to　taking　off　the　boots　and　retiring　to　rest；　but　each　time　he　failed；　for　the　reason　that　the　boots　were　so　alluring　in　their　make　that　he　had　no　choice　but　to　lift　up　first　one　foot；　and　then　the　other；　for　the　purpose　of　scanning　their　elegant　welts。

＇5＇　The　system　by　which；　in　annual　rotation；　two…thirds　of　a　given　　　　　area　are　cultivated；　while　the　remaining　third　is　left　fallow。



CHAPTER　VIII

It　was　not　long　before　Chichikov's　purchases　had　become　the　talk　of　the　town；　and　various　were　the　opinions　expressed　as　to　whether　or　not　it　was　expedient　to　procure　peasants　for　transferment。　Indeed　such　was　the　interest　taken　by　certain　citizens　in　the　matter　that　they　advised　the　purchaser　to　provide　himself　and　his　convoy　with　an　escort；　in　order　to　ensure　their　safe　arrival　at　the　appointed　destination；　but　though　Chichikov　thanked　the　donors　of　this　advice　for　the　same；　and　declared　that　he　should　be　very　glad；　in　case　of　need；　to　avail　himself　of　it；　he　declared　also　that　there　was　no　real　need　for　an　escort；　seeing　that　the　peasants　whom　he　had　purchased　were　exceptionally　peace…loving　folk；　and　that；　being　themselves　consenting　parties　to　the　transferment；　they　would　undoubtedly　prove　in　every　way　tractable。

One　particularly　good　result　of　this　advertisement　of　his　scheme　was　that　he　came　to　rank　as　neither　more　nor　less　than　a　millionaire。　Consequently；　much　as　the　inhabitants　had　liked　our　hero　in　the　first　instance　（as　seen　in　Chapter　I。）；　they　now　liked　him　more　than　ever。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　they　were　citizens　of　an　exceptionally　quiet；　good…natured；　easy…going　disposition；　and　some　of　them　were　even　well…educated。　For　instance；　the　President　of　the　Local　Council　could　recite　the　whole　of　Zhukovski's　LUDMILLA　by　heart；　and　give　such　an　impressive　rendering　of　the　passage　〃The　pine　forest　was　asleep　and　the　valley　at　rest〃　（as　well　as　of　the　exclamation　〃Phew！〃）　that　one　felt；　as　he　did　so；　that　the　pine　forest　and　the　valley　really　WERE　as　he　described　them。　The　effect　was　also　further　heightened　by　the　manner　in　which；　at　such　moments；　he　assumed　the　most　portentous　frown。　For　his　part；　the　Postmaster　went　in　more　for　philosophy；　and　diligently　perused　such　works　as　Young's　Night　Thoughts；　and　Eckharthausen's　A　Key　to　the　Mysteries　of　Nature；　of　which　latter　work　he　would　make　copious　extracts；　though　no　one　had　the　slightest　notion　what　they　referred　to。　For　the　rest；　he　was　a　witty；　florid　little　individual；　and　much　addicted　to　a　practice　of　what　he　called　〃embellishing〃　whatsoever　he　had　to　saya　feat　which　he　performed　with　the　aid　of　such　by…the…way　phrases　as　〃my　dear　sir；〃　〃my　good　So…and…So；〃　〃you　know；〃　〃you　understand；〃　〃you　may　imagine；〃　〃relatively　speaking；〃　〃for　instance；〃　and　〃et　cetera〃；　of　which　phrases　he　would　add　sackfuls　to　his　speech。　He　could　also　〃embellish〃　his　words　by　the　simple　expedient　of　half…closing；　half…winking　one　eye；　which　trick　communicated　to　some　of　his　satirical　utterances　quite　a　mordant　effect。　Nor　were　his　colleagues　a　wit　inferior　to　him　in　enlightenment。　For　instance；　one　of　them　made　a　regular　practice　of　reading　Karamzin；　another　of　conning　the　Moscow　Gazette；　and　a　third　of　never　looking　at　a　book　at　all。　Likewise；　although　they　were　the　sort　of　men　to　whom；　in　their　more　intimate　movements；　their　wives　would　very　naturally　address　such　nicknames　as　〃Toby　Jug；〃　〃Marmot；〃　〃Fatty；〃　〃Pot　Belly；〃　〃Smutty；〃　〃Kiki；〃　and　〃Buzz…Buzz；〃　they　were　men　also　of　good　heart；　and　very　ready　to　extend　their　hospitality　and　their　friendship　when　once　a　guest　had　eaten　of　their　bread　and　salt；　or　spent　an　evening　in　their　company。　Particularly；　therefore；　did　Chichikov　earn　these　good　folk's　approval　with　his　taking　methods　and　qualitiesso　much　so　that　the　expression　of　that　approval　bid　fair　to　make　it　difficult　for　him　to　quit　the　town；　seeing　that；　wherever　he　went；　the　one　phrase　dinned　into　his　ears　was　〃Stay　another　week　with　us；　Paul　Ivanovitch。〃　In　short；　he　ceased　to　be　a　free　agent。　But　incomparably　more　striking　was　the　impression　（a　matter　for　unbounded　surprise！）　which　he　produced　upon　the　ladies。　Properly　to　explain　this　pheno