dead souls(死魂灵)-第38章

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；　you　cursed　idiot？　For　these　three　weeks　past　you　have　been　doing　nothing　at　all；　yet　now；　at　the　last　moment；　you　come　here　stammering　and　playing　the　fool！　Do　you　think　I　keep　you　just　to　eat　and　to　drive　yourself　about？　You　must　have　known　of　this　before？　Did　you；　or　did　you　not；　know　it？　Answer　me　at　once。〃

〃Yes；　I　did　know　it；〃　replied　Selifan；　hanging　his　head。

〃Then　why　didn't　you　tell　me　about　it？〃

Selifan　had　no　reply　immediately　ready；　so　continued　to　hang　his　head　while　quietly　saying　to　himself：　〃See　how　well　I　have　managed　things！　I　knew　what　was　the　matter；　yet　I　did　not　say。〃

〃And　now；〃　continued　Chichikov；　〃go　you　at　once　and　fetch　a　blacksmith。　Tell　him　that　everything　must　be　put　right　within　two　hours　at　the　most。　Do　you　hear？　If　that　should　not　be　done；　I；　II　will　give　you　the　best　flogging　that　ever　you　had　in　your　life。〃　Truly　Chichikov　was　almost　beside　himself　with　fury。

Turning　towards　the　door；　as　though　for　the　purpose　of　going　and　carrying　out　his　orders；　Selifan　halted　and　added：

〃That　skewbald；　barinyou　might　think　it　well　to　sell　him；　seeing　that　he　is　nothing　but　a　rascal？　A　horse　like　that　is　more　of　a　hindrance　than　a　help。〃

〃What？　Do　you　expect　me　to　go　NOW　to　the　market…place　and　sell　him？〃

〃Well；　Paul　Ivanovitch；　he　is　good　for　nothing　but　show；　since　by　nature　he　is　a　most　cunning　beast。　Never　in　my　life　have　I　seen　such　a　horse。〃

〃Fool！　Whenever　I　may　wish　to　sell　him　I　SHALL　sell　him。　Meanwhile；　don't　you　trouble　your　head　about　what　doesn't　concern　you；　but　go　and　fetch　a　blacksmith；　and　see　that　everything　is　put　right　within　two　hours。　Otherwise　I　will　take　the　very　hair　off　your　head；　and　beat　you　till　you　haven't　a　face　left。　Be　off！　Hurry！〃

Selifan　departed；　and　Chichikov；　his　ill…humour　vented；　threw　down　upon　the　floor　the　poignard　which　he　always　took　with　him　as　a　means　of　instilling　respect　into　whomsoever　it　might　concern；　and　spent　the　next　quarter　of　an　hour　in　disputing　with　a　couple　of　blacksmithsmen　who；　as　usual；　were　rascals　of　the　type　which；　on　perceiving　that　something　is　wanted　in　a　hurry；　at　once　multiplies　its　terms　for　providing　the　same。　Indeed；　for　all　Chichikov's　storming　and　raging　as　he　dubbed　the　fellows　robbers　and　extortioners　and　thieves；　he　could　make　no　impression　upon　the　pair；　since；　true　to　their　character；　they　declined　to　abate　their　prices；　and；　even　when　they　had　begun　their　work；　spent　upon　it；　not　two　hours；　but　five　and　a　half。　Meanwhile　he　had　the　satisfaction　of　experiencing　that　delightful　time　with　which　all　travellers　are　familiarnamely；　the　time　during　which　one　sits　in　a　room　where；　except　for　a　litter　of　string；　waste　paper；　and　so　forth；　everything　else　has　been　packed。　But　to　all　things　there　comes　an　end；　and　there　arrived　also　the　long…awaited　moment　when　the　britchka　had　received　the　luggage；　the　faulty　wheel　had　been　fitted　with　a　new　tyre；　the　horses　had　been　re…shod；　and　the　predatory　blacksmiths　had　departed　with　their　gains。　〃Thank　God！〃　thought　Chichikov　as　the　britchka　rolled　out　of　the　gates　of　the　inn；　and　the　vehicle　began　to　jolt　over　the　cobblestones。　Yet　a　feeling　which　he　could　not　altogether　have　defined　filled　his　breast　as　he　gazed　upon　the　houses　and　the　streets　and　the　garden　walls　which　he　might　never　see　again。　Presently；　on　turning　a　corner；　the　britchka　was　brought　to　a　halt　through　the　fact　that　along　the　street　there　was　filing　a　seemingly　endless　funeral　procession。　Leaning　forward　in　his　britchka；　Chichikov　asked　Petrushka　whose　obsequies　the　procession　represented；　and　was　told　that　they　represented　those　of　the　Public　Prosecutor。　Disagreeably　shocked；　our　hero　hastened　to　raise　the　hood　of　the　vehicle；　to　draw　the　curtains　across　the　windows；　and　to　lean　back　into　a　corner。　While　the　britchka　remained　thus　halted　Selifan　and　Petrushka；　their　caps　doffed；　sat　watching　the　progress　of　the　cortege；　after　they　had　received　strict　instructions　not　to　greet　any　fellow…servant　whom　they　might　recognise。　Behind　the　hearse　walked　the　whole　body　of　tchinovniks；　bare…headed；　and　though；　for　a　moment　or　two；　Chichikov　feared　that　some　of　their　number　might　discern　him　in　his　britchka；　he　need　not　have　disturbed　himself；　since　their　attention　was　otherwise　engaged。　In　fact；　they　were　not　even　exchanging　the　small　talk　customary　among　members　of　such　processions；　but　thinking　exclusively　of　their　own　affairs；　of　the　advent　of　the　new　Governor…General；　and　of　the　probable　manner　in　which　he　would　take　up　the　reins　of　administration。　Next　came　a　number　of　carriages；　from　the　windows　of　which　peered　the　ladies　in　mourning　toilets。　Yet　the　movements　of　their　hands　and　lips　made　it　evident　that　they　were　indulging　in　animated　conversationprobably　about　the　Governor…General；　the　balls　which　he　might　be　expected　to　give；　and　their　own　eternal　fripperies　and　gewgaws。　Lastly　came　a　few　empty　drozhkis。　As　soon　as　the　latter　had　passed；　our　hero　was　able　to　continue　on　his　way。　Throwing　back　the　hood　of　the　britchka；　he　said　to　himself：

〃Ah；　good　friend；　you　have　lived　your　life；　and　now　it　is　over！　In　the　newspapers　they　will　say　of　you　that　you　died　regretted　not　only　by　your　subordinates；　but　also　by　humanity　at　large；　as　well　as　that；　a　respected　citizen；　a　kind　father；　and　a　husband　beyond　reproach；　you　went　to　your　grave　amid　the　tears　of　your　widow　and　orphans。　Yet；　should　those　journals　be　put　to　it　to　name　any　particular　circumstance　which　justified　this　eulogy　of　you；　they　would　be　forced　to　fall　back　upon　the　fact　that　you　grew　a　pair　of　exceptionally　thick　eyebrows！〃

With　that　Chichikov　bid　Selifan　quicken　his　pace；　and　concluded：　〃After　all；　it　is　as　well　that　I　encountered　the　procession；　for　they　say　that　to　meet　a　funeral　is　lucky。〃

Presently　the　britchka　turned　into　some　less　frequented　streets；　lines　of　wooden　fencing　of　the　kind　which　mark　the　outskirts　of　a　town　began　to　file　by；　the　cobblestones　came　to　an　end；　the　macadam　of　the　highroad　succeeded　to　them；　and　once　more　there　began　on　either　side　of　the　turnpike　a　procession　of　verst　stones；　road　menders；　and　grey　villages；　inns　with　samovars　and　peasant　women　and　landlords　who　came　running　out　of　yards　with　seivefuls　of　oats；　pedestrians　in　worn　shoes　which；　it　might　be；　had　covered　eight　hundred　versts；　little　towns；　bright　with　booths　for　the　sale　of　flour　in　barrels；　boots；　small　loaves；　and　other　trifles；　heaps　of　slag；　much　repaired　bridges；　expanses　of　field　to　right　and　to　left；　stout　landowners；　a　mounted　soldier　bearing　a　green；　iron…clamped　box　inscribed：　〃The　th　Battery　of　Artillery〃；　long　strips　of　freshly…tilled　earth　which　gleamed　green；　yellow；　and　black　on　the　face　of　the　countryside。　With　it　mingled　long…drawn　singing；　glimpses　of　elm…tops　amid　mist；　the　far…off　notes　of　bells；　endless　clouds　of　rocks；　and　the　illimitable　line　of　the　horizon。

Ah；　Russia；　Russia；　from　my　beautiful　home　in　a　strange　land　I　can　still　see　you！　In　you　everything　is　poor　and　disordered　and　unhomely；　in　you　the　eye　is　neither　cheered　nor　dismayed　by　temerities　of　nature　which　a　yet　more　temerarious　art　has　conquered；　in　you　one　beholds　no　cities　with　lofty；　many…windowed　mansions；　lofty　as　crags；　no　picturesque　trees；　no　ivy…clad　ruins；　no　waterfalls　with　their　everlasting　spray　and　roar；　no　beetling　precipices　which　confuse　the　brain　with　their　stony　immensity；　no　vistas　of　vines　and　ivy　and　millions　of　wild　roses　and　ageless　lines　of　blue　hills　which　look　almost　unreal　against　the　clear；　silvery　background　of　the　sky。　In　you　everything　is　flat　and　open；　your　towns　project　like　points　or　signals　from　smooth　levels　of　plain；　and　nothing　whatsoever　enchants　or　deludes　the　eye。　Yet　what　secret；　what　invincible　force　draws　me　to　you？　Why　does　there　ceaselessly　echo　and　re…echo　in　my　ears　the　sad　song　which　hovers　throughout　the　length　and　the　breadth　of　your　borders？　What　is　the　burden　of　that　song？　Why　does　it　wail　and　sob　and　catch　at　my　heart？　What　say　the　notes　which　thus　painfully　caress　and　embrace　my　soul；　and　flit；　uttering　their　lamentations；　around　me？　What　is　it　you　seek　of　me；　O　Russia？　What　is　the　hidden　bond　which　subsists　between　us？　Why　do　you　regard　me　as　you　do？　Why　does　everything　within　you　turn　upon　me　eyes　full　of　yearning？　Even　at　this　moment；　as　I　stand　dumbly；　fixedly；　perplexedly　contemplating　your　vastness；　a　menacing　cloud；　charged　with　gathering　rain；　seems　to　overshadow　my　head。　What　is　it　that　your　boundless　expanses　presage？　Do　they　not　presage　that　one　day　there　will　arise　in　you　ideas　as　boundless　as　yourself？　Do　they　not　presage　that　one　day　you　too　will　know　no　limits？　Do　they　not　presage　that　one　day；　when　again　you　shall　have　room　for　their　exploits；　there　will　spring　to　life　the　heroes　of　old？　How　the　power　of　your　immensity　enfolds　me；　and　reverberates　through　all　my　being　with　a　wild；　strange　spell；　and　flashes　in　my　eyes　with　an　almost　supernatural　radiance！　Yes；　a　strange；　brilliant；　unearthly　vista　indeed　do　you　disclose；　O　Russia；　country　of　mine！

〃Stop；　stop；　you　fool！〃　shouted　Chichikov　to　Selifan；　and　even　as　he　spoke　a　troika；　bound　on　Government　business；　came　chattering　by；　and　disappeared　in　a　cloud　of　dust。　To　Chichikov's　curses　at　Selifan　for　not　having　drawn　out　of　the　way　with　more　alacrity　a　rural　constable　with　moustaches　of　the　length　of　an　arshin　added　his　quota。

What　a　curious　and　attractive；　yet　also　what　an　unreal；　fascination　the　term　〃highway〃　connotes！　And　how　interesting　for　its　own　sake　is　a　highway！　Should　the　day　be　a　fine　one　（though　chilly）　in　mellowing　autumn；　press　closer　your　travelling　cloak；　and　draw　down　your　cap　over　your　ears；　and　snuggle　cosily；　comfortably　into　a　corner　of　the　britchka　before　a　last　shiver　shall　course　through　your　limbs；　and　the　ensuing　warmth　shall　put　to　flight　the　autumnal　cold　and　damp。　As　the　horses　gallop　on　their　way；　how　delightfully　will　drowsiness　come　stealing　upon　you；　and　make　your　eyelids　droop！　For　a　while；　through　your　somnolence；　you　will　continue　to　hear　the　hard　breathing　of　the　team　and　the　rumbling　of　the　wheels；　but　at　length；　sinking　back　into　your　corner；　you　will　relapse　into　the　stage　of　snoring。　And　when　you　awakebehold！　you　will　find　that　five　stages　have　slipped　away；　and　that　the　moon　is　shining；　and　that　you　have　reached　a　strange　town　of　churches　and　old　wooden　cupolas　and　blackened　spires　and　white；　half…timbered　houses！　And　as　the　moonlight　glints　hither　and　thither；　almost　you　will　believe　that　the　walls　and　the　streets　and　the　pavements　of　the　place　are　spread　with　sheetssheets　shot　with　coal…black　shadows　which　make　the　wooden　roofs　look　all　the　brighter　under　the　slanting　beams　of　the　pale　luminary。　Nowhere　is　a　soul　to　be　seen；　for　every　one　is　plunged　in　slumber。　Yet　no。　In　a　solitary　window　a　light　is　flickering　where　some　good　burgher　is　mending　his　boots；　or　a　baker　drawing　a　batch　of　dough。　O　night　and　powers　of　heaven；　how　perfect　is　the　blackness　of　your　infinite　vaulthow　lofty；　how　remote　its　inaccessible　depths　where　it　lies　spread　in　an　intangible；　yet　audible；　silence！　Freshly　does　the　lulling　breath　of　night　blow　in　your　face；　until　once　more　you　relapse　into　snoring　oblivion；　and　your　poor　neighbour　turns　angrily　in　his　corner　as　he　begins　to　be　conscious　of　your　weight。　Then　again　yo