dead souls(死魂灵)-第34章

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　〃more〃　might　possibly　signify。　In　fact；　she　felt　driven　to　inquire：　〃What　do　YOU　suppose　to　be　hidden　beneath　it　all？〃

〃No；　tell　me　what　YOU　suppose？〃

〃What　_I_　suppose？　I　am　at　a　loss　to　conjecture。〃

〃Yes；　but　tell　me　what　is　in　your　mind？〃

Upon　this　the　visitor　had　to　confess　herself　nonplussed；　for；　though　capable　of　growing　hysterical；　she　was　incapable　of　propounding　any　rational　theory。　Consequently　she　felt　the　more　that　she　needed　tender　comfort　and　advice。

〃Then　THIS　is　what　I　think　about　the　dead　souls；〃　said　the　hostess。　Instantly　the　guest　pricked　up　her　ears　（or；　rather；　they　pricked　themselves　up）　and　straightened　herself　and　became；　somehow；　more　modish；　and；　despite　her　not　inconsiderable　weight；　posed　herself　to　look　like　a　piece　of　thistledown　floating　on　the　breeze。

〃The　dead　souls；〃　began　the　hostess。

〃Are　what；　are　what？〃　inquired　the　guest　in　great　excitement。

〃Are；　are〃

〃Tell　me；　tell　me；　for　heaven's　sake！〃

〃They　are　an　invention　to　conceal　something　else。　The　man's　real　object　is；　isTO　ABDUCT　THE　GOVERNOR'S　DAUGHTER。〃

So　startling　and　unexpected　was　this　conclusion　that　the　guest　sat　reduced　to　a　state　of　pale；　petrified；　genuine　amazement。

〃My　God！〃　she　cried；　clapping　her　hands；　〃I　should　NEVER　have　guessed　it！〃

〃Well；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　I　guessed　it　as　soon　as　ever　you　opened　your　mouth。〃

〃So　much；　then；　for　educating　girls　like　the　Governor's　daughter　at　school！　Just　see　what　comes　of　it！〃

〃Yes；　indeed！　And　they　tell　me　that　she　says　things　which　I　hesitate　even　to　repeat。〃

〃Truly　it　wrings　one's　heart　to　see　to　what　lengths　immorality　has　come。〃

〃Some　of　the　men　have　quite　lost　their　heads　about　her；　but　for　my　part　I　think　her　not　worth　noticing。〃

〃Of　course。　And　her　manners　are　unbearable。　But　what　puzzles　me　most　is　how　a　travelled　man　like　Chichikov　could　come　to　let　himself　in　for　such　an　affair。　Surely　he　must　have　accomplices？〃

〃Yes；　and　I　should　say　that　one　of　those　accomplices　is　Nozdrev。〃

〃Surely　not？〃

〃CERTAINLY　I　should　say　so。　Why；　I　have　known　him　even　try　to　sell　his　own　father！　At　all　events　he　staked　him　at　cards。〃

〃Indeed？　You　interest　me。　I　should　never　had　thought　him　capable　of　such　things。〃

〃I　always　guessed　him　to　be　so。〃

The　two　ladies　were　still　discussing　the　matter　with　acumen　and　success　when　there　walked　into　the　room　the　Public　Prosecutorbushy　eyebrows；　motionless　features；　blinking　eyes；　and　all。　At　once　the　ladies　hastened　to　inform　him　of　the　events　related；　adducing　therewith　full　details　both　as　to　the　purchase　of　dead　souls　and　as　to　the　scheme　to　abduct　the　Governor's　daughter；　after　which　they　departed　in　different　directions；　for　the　purpose　of　raising　the　rest　of　the　town。　For　the　execution　of　this　undertaking　not　more　than　half　an　hour　was　required。　So　thoroughly　did　they　succeed　in　throwing　dust　in　the　public's　eyes　that　for　a　while　every　onemore　especially　the　army　of　public　officialswas　placed　in　the　position　of　a　schoolboy　who；　while　still　asleep；　has　had　a　bag　of　pepper　thrown　in　his　face　by　a　party　of　more　early…rising　comrades。　The　questions　now　to　be　debated　resolved　themselves　into　twonamely；　the　question　of　the　dead　souls　and　the　question　of　the　Governor's　daughter。　To　this　end　two　parties　were　formedthe　men's　party　and　the　feminine　section。　The　men's　partythe　more　absolutely　senseless　of　the　twodevoted　its　attention　to　the　dead　souls：　the　women's　party　occupied　itself　exclusively　with　the　alleged　abduction　of　the　Governor's　daughter。　And　here　it　may　be　said　（to　the　ladies'　credit）　that　the　women's　party　displayed　far　more　method　and　caution　than　did　its　rival　faction；　probably　because　the　function　in　life　of　its　members　had　always　been　that　of　managing　and　administering　a　household。　With　the　ladies；　therefore；　matters　soon　assumed　vivid　and　definite　shape；　they　became　clearly　and　irrefutably　materialised；　they　stood　stripped　of　all　doubt　and　other　impedimenta。　Said　some　of　the　ladies　in　question；　Chichikov　had　long　been　in　love　with　the　maiden；　and　the　pair　had　kept　tryst　by　the　light　of　the　moon；　while　the　Governor　would　have　given　his　consent　（seeing　that　Chichikov　was　as　rich　as　a　Jew）　but　for　the　obstacle　that　Chichikov　had　deserted　a　wife　already　（how　the　worthy　dames　came　to　know　that　he　was　married　remains　a　mystery）；　and　the　said　deserted　wife；　pining　with　love　for　her　faithless　husband；　had　sent　the　Governor　a　letter　of　the　most　touching　kind；　so　that　Chichikov；　on　perceiving　that　the　father　and　mother　would　never　give　their　consent；　had　decided　to　abduct　the　girl。　In　other　circles　the　matter　was　stated　in　a　different　way。　That　is　to　say；　this　section　averred　that　Chichikov　did　NOT　possess　a　wife；　but　that；　as　a　man　of　subtlety　and　experience；　he　had　bethought　him　of　obtaining　the　daughter's　hand　through　the　expedient　of　first　tackling　the　mother　and　carrying　on　with　her　an　ardent　liaison；　and　that；　thereafter；　he　had　made　an　application　for　the　desired　hand；　but　that　the　mother；　fearing　to　commit　a　sin　against　religion；　and　feeling　in　her　heart　certain　gnawings　of　conscience；　had　returned　a　blank　refusal　to　Chichikov's　request；　whereupon　Chichikov　had　decided　to　carry　out　the　abduction　alleged。　To　the　foregoing；　of　course；　there　became　appended　various　additional　proofs　and　items　of　evidence；　in　proportion　as　the　sensation　spread　to　more　remote　corners　of　the　town。　At　length；　with　these　perfectings；　the　affair　reached　the　ears　of　the　Governor's　wife　herself。　Naturally；　as　the　mother　of　a　family；　and　as　the　first　lady　in　the　town；　and　as　a　matron　who　had　never　before　been　suspected　of　things　of　the　kind；　she　was　highly　offended　when　she　heard　the　stories；　and　very　justly　so：　with　the　result　that　her　poor　young　daughter；　though　innocent；　had　to　endure　about　as　unpleasant　a　tete…a…tete　as　ever　befell　a　maiden　of　sixteen；　while；　for　his　part；　the　Swiss　footman　received　orders　never　at　any　time　to　admit　Chichikov　to　the　house。

Having　done　their　business　with　the　Governor's　wife；　the　ladies'　party　descended　upon　the　male　section；　with　a　view　to　influencing　it　to　their　own　side　by　asserting　that　the　dead　souls　were　an　invention　used　solely　for　the　purpose　of　diverting　suspicion　and　successfully　affecting　the　abduction。　And；　indeed；　more　than　one　man　was　converted；　and　joined　the　feminine　camp；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　thereby　such　seceders　incurred　strong　names　from　their　late　comradesnames　such　as　〃old　women；〃　〃petticoats；〃　and　others　of　a　nature　peculiarly　offensive　to　the　male　sex。

Also；　however　much　they　might　arm　themselves　and　take　the　field；　the　men　could　not　compass　such　orderliness　within　their　ranks　as　could　the　women。　With　the　former　everything　was　of　the　antiquated　and　rough…hewn　and　ill…fitting　and　unsuitable　and　badly…adapted　and　inferior　kind；　their　heads　were　full　of　nothing　but　discord　and　triviality　and　confusion　and　slovenliness　of　thought。　In　brief；　they　displayed　everywhere　the　male　bent；　the　rude；　ponderous　nature　which　is　incapable　either　of　managing　a　household　or　of　jumping　to　a　conclusion；　as　well　as　remains　always　distrustful　and　lazy　and　full　of　constant　doubt　and　everlasting　timidity。　For　instance；　the　men's　party　declared　that　the　whole　story　was　rubbishthat　the　alleged　abduction　of　the　Governor's　daughter　was　the　work　rather　of　a　military　than　of　a　civilian　culprit；　that　the　ladies　were　lying　when　they　accused　Chichikov　of　the　deed；　that　a　woman　was　like　a　money…bagwhatsoever　you　put　into　her　she　thenceforth　retained；　that　the　subject　which　really　demanded　attention　was　the　dead　souls；　of　which　the　devil　only　knew　the　meaning；　but　in　which　there　certainly　lurked　something　that　was　contrary　to　good　order　and　discipline。　One　reason　why　the　men's　party　was　so　certain　that　the　dead　souls　connoted　something　contrary　to　good　order　and　discipline；　was　that　there　had　just　been　appointed　to　the　province　a　new　Governor…Generalan　event　which；　of　course；　had　thrown　the　whole　army　of　provincial　tchinovniks　into　a　state　of　great　excitement；　seeing　that　they　knew　that　before　long　there　would　ensue　transferments　and　sentences　of　censure；　as　well　as　the　series　of　official　dinners　with　which　a　Governor…General　is　accustomed　to　entertain　his　subordinates。　〃Alas；〃　thought　the　army　of　tchinovniks；　〃it　is　probable　that；　should　he　learn　of　the　gross　reports　at　present　afloat　in　our　town；　he　will　make　such　a　fuss　that　we　shall　never　hear　the　last　of　them。〃　In　particular　did　the　Director　of　the　Medical　Department　turn　pale　at　the　thought　that　possibly　the　new　Governor…General　would　surmise　the　term　〃dead　folk〃　to　connote　patients　in　the　local　hospitals　who；　for　want　of　proper　preventative　measures；　had　died　of　sporadic　fever。　Indeed；　might　it　not　be　that　Chichikov　was　neither　more　nor　less　than　an　emissary　of　the　said　Governor…General；　sent　to　conduct　a　secret　inquiry？　Accordingly　he　（the　Director　of　the　Medical　Department）　communicated　this　last　supposition　to　the　President　of　the　Council；　who；　though　at　first　inclined　to　ejaculate　〃Rubbish！〃　suddenly　turned　pale　on　propounding　to　himself　the　theory。　〃What　if　the　souls　purchased　by　Chichikov　should　REALLY　be　dead　ones？〃a　terrible　thought　considering　that　he；　the　President；　had　permitted　their　transferment　to　be　registered；　and　had　himself　acted　as　Plushkin's　representative！　What　if　these　things　should　reach　the　Governor…General's　ears？　He　mentioned　the　matter　to　one　friend　and　another；　and　they；　in　their　turn；　went　white　to　the　lips；　for　panic　spreads　faster　and　is　even　more　destructive；　than　the　dreaded　black　death。　Also；　to　add　to　the　tchinovniks'　troubles；　it　so　befell　that　just　at　this　juncture　there　came　into　the　local　Governor's　hands　two　documents　of　great　importance。　The　first　of　them　contained　advices　that；　according　to　received　evidence　and　reports；　there　was　operating　in　the　province　a　forger　of　rouble…notes　who　had　been　passing　under　various　aliases　and　must　therefore　be　sought　for　with　the　utmost　diligence；　while　the　second　document　was　a　letter　from　the　Governor　of　a　neighbouring　province　with　regard　to　a　malefactor　who　had　there　evaded　apprehensiona　letter　conveying　also　a　warning　that；　if　in　the　province　of　the　town　of　N。　there　should　appear　any　suspicious　individual　who　could　produce　neither　references　nor　passports；　he　was　to　be　arrested　forthwith。　These　two　documents　left　every　one　thunderstruck；　for　they　knocked　on　the　head　all　previous　conceptions　and　theories。　Not　for　a　moment　could　it　be　supposed　that　the　former　document　referred　to　Chichikov；　yet；　as　each　man　pondered　the　position　from　his　own　point　of　view；　he　remembered　that　no　one　REALLY　knew　who　Chichikov　was；　as　also　that　his　vague　references　to　himself　hadyes！included　statements　that　his　career　in　the　service　had　suffered　much　to　the　cause　of　Truth；　and　that　he　possessed　a　number　of　enemies　who　were　seeking　his　life。　This　gave　the　tchinovniks　further　food　for　thought。　Perhaps　his　life　really　DID　stand　in　danger？　Perhaps　he　really　WAS　being　sought　for　by　some　one？　Perhaps　he　really　HAD　done　something　of　the　kind　above　referred　to？　As　a　matter　of　fact；　who　was　he？not　that　it　could　actually　be　supposed　that　he　was　a　forger　of　notes；　still　less　a　brigand；　seeing　that　his　exterior　was　respectable　in　the　highest　degree。　Yet　who　was　he？　At　length　the