dead souls(死魂灵)-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


igand；　seeing　that　his　exterior　was　respectable　in　the　highest　degree。　Yet　who　was　he？　At　length　the　tchinovniks　decided　to　make　enquiries　among　those　of　whom　he　had　purchased　souls；　in　order　that　at　least　it　might　be　learnt　what　the　purchases　had　consisted　of；　and　what　exactly　underlay　them；　and　whether；　in　passing；　he　had　explained　to　any　one　his　real　intentions；　or　revealed　to　any　one　his　identity。　In　the　first　instance；　therefore；　resort　was　had　to　Korobotchka。　Yet　little　was　gleaned　from　that　sourcemerely　a　statement　that　he　had　bought　of　her　some　souls　for　fifteen　roubles　apiece；　and　also　a　quantity　of　feathers；　while　promising　also　to　buy　some　other　commodities　in　the　future；　seeing　that；　in　particular；　he　had　entered　into　a　contract　with　the　Treasury　for　lard；　a　fact　constituting　fairly　presumptive　proof　that　the　man　was　a　rogue；　seeing　that　just　such　another　fellow　had　bought　a　quantity　of　feathers；　yet　had　cheated　folk　all　round；　and；　in　particular；　had　done　the　Archpriest　out　of　over　a　hundred　roubles。　Thus　the　net　result　of　Madame's　cross…examination　was　to　convince　the　tchinovniks　that　she　was　a　garrulous；　silly　old　woman。　With　regard　to　Manilov；　he　replied　that　he　would　answer　for　Chichikov　as　he　would　for　himself；　and　that　he　would　gladly　sacrifice　his　property　in　toto　if　thereby　he　could　attain　even　a　tithe　of　the　qualities　which　Paul　Ivanovitch　possessed。　Finally；　he　delivered　on　Chichikov；　with　acutely…knitted　brows；　a　eulogy　couched　in　the　most　charming　of　terms；　and　coupled　with　sundry　sentiments　on　the　subject　of　friendship　and　affection　in　general。　True；　these　remarks　sufficed　to　indicate　the　tender　impulses　of　the　speaker's　heart；　but　also　they　did　nothing　to　enlighten　his　examiners　concerning　the　business　that　was　actually　at　hand。　As　for　Sobakevitch；　that　landowner　replied　that　he　considered　Chichikov　an　excellent　fellow；　as　well　as　that　the　souls　whom　he　had　sold　to　his　visitor　had　been　in　the　truest　sense　of　the　word　alive；　but　that　he　could　not　answer　for　anything　which　might　occur　in　the　future；　seeing　that　any　difficulties　which　might　arise　in　the　course　of　the　actual　transferment　of　souls　would　not　be　HIS　fault；　in　view　of　the　fact　that　God　was　lord　of　all；　and　that　fevers　and　other　mortal　complaints　were　so　numerous　in　the　world；　and　that　instances　of　whole　villages　perishing　through　the　same　could　be　found　on　record。

Finally；　our　friends　the　tchinovniks　found　themselves　compelled　to　resort　to　an　expedient　which；　though　not　particularly　savoury；　is　not　infrequently　employednamely；　the　expedient　of　getting　lacqueys　quietly　to　approach　the　servants　of　the　person　concerning　whom　information　is　desired；　and　to　ascertain　from　them　（the　servants）　certain　details　with　regard　to　their　master's　life　and　antecedents。　Yet　even　from　this　source　very　little　was　obtained；　since　Petrushka　provided　his　interrogators　merely　with　a　taste　of　the　smell　of　his　living…room；　and　Selifan　confined　his　replies　to　a　statement　that　the　barin　had　〃been　in　the　employment　of　the　State；　and　also　had　served　in　the　Customs。〃

In　short；　the　sum　total　of　the　results　gathered　by　the　tchinovniks　was　that　they　still　stood　in　ignorance　of　Chichikov's　identity；　but　that　he　MUST　be　some　one；　wherefore　it　was　decided　to　hold　a　final　debate　on　the　subject　on　what　ought　to　be　done；　and　who　Chichikov　could　possibly　be；　and　whether　or　not　he　was　a　man　who　ought　to　be　apprehended　and　detained　as　not　respectable；　or　whether　he　was　a　man　who　might　himself　be　able　to　apprehend　and　detain　THEM　as　persons　lacking　in　respectability。　The　debate　in　question；　it　was　proposed；　should　be　held　at　the　residence　of　the　Chief　of　Police；　who　is　known　to　our　readers　as　the　father　and　the　general　benefactor　of　the　town。



CHAPTER　X

On　assembling　at　the　residence　indicated；　the　tchinovniks　had　occasion　to　remark　that；　owing　to　all　these　cares　and　excitements；　every　one　of　their　number　had　grown　thinner。　Yes；　the　appointment　of　a　new　Governor…General；　coupled　with　the　rumours　described　and　the　reception　of　the　two　serious　documents　above…mentioned；　had　left　manifest　traces　upon　the　features　of　every　one　present。　More　than　one　frockcoat　had　come　to　look　too　large　for　its　wearer；　and　more　than　one　frame　had　fallen　away；　including　the　frames　of　the　President　of　the　Council；　the　Director　of　the　Medical　Department；　and　the　Public　Prosecutor。　Even　a　certain　Semen　Ivanovitch；　who；　for　some　reason　or　another；　was　never　alluded　to　by　his　family　name；　but　who　wore　on　his　index　finger　a　ring　with　which　he　was　accustomed　to　dazzle　his　lady　friends；　had　diminished　in　bulk。　Yet；　as　always　happens　at　such　junctures；　there　were　also　present　a　score　of　brazen　individuals　who　had　succeeded　in　NOT　losing　their　presence　of　mind；　even　though　they　constituted　a　mere　sprinkling。　Of　them　the　Postmaster　formed　one；　since　he　was　a　man　of　equable　temperament　who　could　always　say：　〃WE　know　you；　Governor…Generals！　We　have　seen　three　or　four　of　you　come　and　go；　whereas　WE　have　been　sitting　on　the　same　stools　these　thirty　years。〃　Nevertheless　a　prominent　feature　of　the　gathering　was　the　total　absence　of　what　is　vulgarly　known　as　〃common　sense。〃　In　general；　we　Russians　do　not　make　a　good　show　at　representative　assemblies；　for　the　reason　that；　unless　there　be　in　authority　a　leading　spirit　to　control　the　rest；　the　affair　always　develops　into　confusion。　Why　this　should　be　so　one　could　hardly　say；　but　at　all　events　a　success　is　scored　only　by　such　gatherings　as　have　for　their　object　dining　and　festivityto　wit；　gatherings　at　clubs　or　in　German…run　restaurants。　However；　on　the　present　occasion；　the　meeting　was　NOT　one　of　this　kind；　it　was　a　meeting　convoked　of　necessity；　and　likely　in　view　of　the　threatened　calamity　to　affect　every　tchinovnik　in　the　place。　Also；　in　addition　to　the　great　divergency　of　views　expressed　thereat；　there　was　visible　in　all　the　speakers　an　invincible　tendency　to　indecision　which　led　them　at　one　moment　to　make　assertions；　and　at　the　next　to　contradict　the　same。　But　on　at　least　one　point　all　seemed　to　agreenamely；　that　Chichikov's　appearance　and　conversation　were　too　respectable　for　him　to　be　a　forger　or　a　disguised　brigand。　That　is　to　say；　all　SEEMED　to　agree　on　the　point；　until　a　sudden　shout　arose　from　the　direction　of　the　Postmaster；　who　for　some　time　past　had　been　sitting　plunged　in　thought。

〃_I_　can　tell　you；〃　he　cried；　〃who　Chichikov　is！〃

〃Who；　then？〃　replied　the　crowd　in　great　excitement。

〃He　is　none　other　than　Captain　Kopeikin。〃

〃And　who　may　Captain　Kopeikin　be？〃

Taking　a　pinch　of　snuff　（which　he　did　with　the　lid　of　his　snuff…box　half…open；　lest　some　extraneous　person　should　contrive　to　insert　a　not　over…clean　finger　into　the　stuff）；　the　Postmaster　related　the　following　story＇1＇。

＇1＇　To　reproduce　this　story　with　a　raciness　worthy　of　the　Russian　　　　　original　is　practically　impossible。　The　translator　has　not　　　　　attempted　the　task。

〃After　fighting　in　the　campaign　of　1812；　there　was　sent　home；　wounded；　a　certain　Captain　Kopeikina　headstrong；　lively　blade　who；　whether　on　duty　or　under　arrest；　made　things　lively　for　everybody。　Now；　since　at　Krasni　or　at　Leipzig　（it　matters　not　which）　he　had　lost　an　arm　and　a　leg；　and　in　those　days　no　provision　was　made　for　wounded　soldiers；　and　he　could　not　work　with　his　left　arm　alone；　he　set　out　to　see　his　father。　Unfortunately　his　father　could　only　just　support　himself；　and　was　forced　to　tell　his　son　so；　wherefore　the　Captain　decided　to　go　and　apply　for　help　in　St。　Petersburg；　seeing　that　he　had　risked　his　life　for　his　country；　and　had　lost　much　blood　in　its　service。　You　can　imagine　him　arriving　in　the　capital　on　a　baggage　waggonin　the　capital　which　is　like　no　other　city　in　the　world！　Before　him　there　lay　spread　out　the　whole　field　of　life；　like　a　sort　of　Arabian　Nightsa　picture　made　up　of　the　Nevski　Prospect；　Gorokhovaia　Street；　countless　tapering　spires；　and　a　number　of　bridges　apparently　supported　on　nothingin　fact；　a　regular　second　Nineveh。　Well；　he　made　shift　to　hire　a　lodging；　but　found　everything　so　wonderfully　furnished　with　blinds　and　Persian　carpets　and　so　forth　that　he　saw　it　would　mean　throwing　away　a　lot　of　money。　True；　as　one　walks　the　streets　of　St。　Petersburg　one　seems　to　smell　money　by　the　thousand　roubles；　but　our　friend　Kopeikin's　bank　was　limited　to　a　few　score　coppers　and　a　little　silvernot　enough　to　buy　a　village　with！　At　length；　at　the　price　of　a　rouble　a　day；　he　obtained　a　lodging　in　the　sort　of　tavern　where　the　daily　ration　is　a　bowl　of　cabbage　soup　and　a　crust　of　bread；　and　as　he　felt　that　he　could　not　manage　to　live　very　long　on　fare　of　that　kind　he　asked　folk　what　he　had　better　do。　'What　you　had　better　do？'　they　said。　'Well　the　Government　is　not　hereit　is　in　Paris；　and　the　troops　have　not　yet　returned　from　the　war；　but　there　is　a　TEMPORARY　Commission　sitting；　and　you　had　better　go　and　see　what　IT　can　do　for　you。'　'All　right！'　he　said。　'I　will　go　and　tell　the　Commission　that　I　have　shed　my　blood；　and　sacrificed　my　life；　for　my　country。'　And　he　got　up　early　one　morning；　and　shaved　himself　with　his　left　hand　（since　the　expense　of　a　barber　was　not　worth　while）；　and　set　out；　wooden　leg　and　all；　to　see　the　President　of　the　Commission。　But　first　he　asked　where　the　President　lived；　and　was　told　that　his　house　was　in　Naberezhnaia　Street。　And　you　may　be　sure　that　it　was　no　peasant's　hut；　with　its　glazed　windows　and　great　mirrors　and　statues　and　lacqueys　and　brass　door　handles！　Rather；　it　was　the　sort　of　place　which　you　would　enter　only　after　you　had　bought　a　cheap　cake　of　soap　and　indulged　in　a　two　hours'　wash。　Also；　at　the　entrance　there　was　posted　a　grand　Swiss　footman　with　a　baton　and　an　embroidered　collara　fellow　looking　like　a　fat；　over…fed　pug　dog。　However；　friend　Kopeikin　managed　to　get　himself　and　his　wooden　leg　into　the　reception　room；　and　there　squeezed　himself　away　into　a　corner；　for　fear　lest　he　should　knock　down　the　gilded　china　with　his　elbow。　And　he　stood　waiting　in　great　satisfaction　at　having　arrived　before　the　President　had　so　much　as　left　his　bed　and　been　served　with　his　silver　wash…basin。　Nevertheless；　it　was　only　when　Kopeikin　had　been　waiting　four　hours　that　a　breakfast　waiter　entered　to　say；　'The　President　will　soon　be　here。'　By　now　the　room　was　as　full　of　people　as　a　plate　is　of　beans；　and　when　the　President　left　the　breakfast…room　he　brought　with　him；　oh；　such　dignity　and　refinement；　and　such　an　air　of　the　metropolis！　First　he　walked　up　to　one　person；　and　then　up　to　another；　saying：　'What　do　YOU　want？　And　what　do　YOU　want？　What　can　I　do　for　YOU？　What　is　YOUR　business？'　And　at　length　he　stopped　before　Kopeikin；　and　Kopeikin　said　to　him：　'I　have　shed　my　blood；　and　lost　both　an　arm　and　a　leg；　for　my　country；　and　am　unable　to　work。　Might　I　therefore　dare　to　ask　you　for　a　little　help；　if　the　regulations　should　permit　of　it；　or　for　a　gratuity；　or　for　a　pension；　or　something　of　the　kind？'　Then　the　President　looked　at　him；　and　saw　that　one　of　his　legs　was　indeed　a　wooden　one；　and　that　an　empty　right　sleeve　was　pinned　to　his　uniform。　'Very　well；'　he　said。　'Come　to　me　again　in　a　few　days'　time。'　Upon　this　friend　Kopeikin　felt　delighted。　'NOW　I　have　done　my　job！'　he　thought　to　himself；　and　you　may　imagine　how　gaily　he　trotted　along　the　pavement；　and　how　he　dropped　into　a　tavern　for　a　glass