dead souls(死魂灵)-第48章

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he　stone　manorial　outbuildings；　and　of　the　glittering　pinnacles　of　the　church；　and　felt　his　heart　beating；　and　knew；　without　being　told　by　any　one；　whither　he　had　at　length　arrivedwell；　then　the　feeling　which　had　been　growing　within　his　soul　burst　forth；　and　he　cried　in　ecstasy：

〃Why　have　I　been　a　fool　so　long？　Why；　seeing　that　fate　has　appointed　me　to　be　ruler　of　an　earthly　paradise；　did　I　prefer　to　bind　myself　in　servitude　as　a　scribe　of　lifeless　documents？　To　think　that；　after　I　had　been　nurtured　and　schooled　and　stored　with　all　the　knowledge　necessary　for　the　diffusion　of　good　among　those　under　me；　and　for　the　improvement　of　my　domain；　and　for　the　fulfilment　of　the　manifold　duties　of　a　landowner　who　is　at　once　judge；　administrator；　and　constable　of　his　people；　I　should　have　entrusted　my　estate　to　an　ignorant　bailiff；　and　sought　to　maintain　an　absentee　guardianship　over　the　affairs　of　serfs　whom　I　have　never　met；　and　of　whose　capabilities　and　characters　I　am　yet　ignorant！　To　think　that　I　should　have　deemed　true　estate…management　inferior　to　a　documentary；　fantastical　management　of　provinces　which　lie　a　thousand　versts　away；　and　which　my　foot　has　never　trod；　and　where　I　could　never　have　effected　aught　but　blunders　and　irregularities！〃

Meanwhile　another　spectacle　was　being　prepared　for　him。　On　learning　that　the　barin　was　approaching　the　mansion；　the　muzhiks　collected　on　the　verandah　in　very　variety　of　picturesque　dress　and　tonsure；　and　when　these　good　folk　surrounded　him；　and　there　arose　a　resounding　shout　of　〃Here　is　our　Foster　Father！　He　has　remembered　us！〃　and；　in　spite　of　themselves；　some　of　the　older　men　and　women　began　weeping　as　they　recalled　his　grandfather　and　great…grandfather；　he　himself　could　not　restrain　his　tears；　but　reflected：　〃How　much　affection！　And　in　return　for　what？　In　return　for　my　never　having　come　to　see　themin　return　for　my　never　having　taken　the　least　interest　in　their　affairs！〃　And　then　and　there　he　registered　a　mental　vow　to　share　their　every　task　and　occupation。

So　he　applied　himself　to　supervising　and　administering。　He　reduced　the　amount　of　the　barstchina＇1＇；　he　decreased　the　number　of　working…days　for　the　owner；　and　he　augmented　the　sum　of　the　peasants'　leisure…time。　He　also　dismissed　the　fool　of　a　bailiff；　and　took　to　bearing　a　personal　hand　in　everythingto　being　present　in　the　fields；　at　the　threshing…floor；　at　the　kilns；　at　the　wharf；　at　the　freighting　of　barges　and　rafts；　and　at　their　conveyance　down　the　river：　wherefore　even　the　lazy　hands　began　to　look　to　themselves。　But　this　did　not　last　long。　The　peasant　is　an　observant　individual；　and　Tientietnikov's　muzhiks　soon　scented　the　fact　that；　though　energetic　and　desirous　of　doing　much；　the　barin　had　no　notion　how　to　do　it；　nor　even　how　to　set　about　itthat；　in　short；　he　spoke　by　the　book　rather　than　out　of　his　personal　knowledge。　Consequently　things　resulted；　not　in　master　and　men　failing　to　understand　one　another；　but　in　their　not　singing　together；　in　their　not　producing　the　very　same　note。

＇1＇　In　the　days　of　serfdom；　the　rate　of　forced　labourso　many　hours　　　　　or　so　many　days　per　weekwhich　the　serf　had　to　perform　for　his　　　　　proprietor。

That　is　to　say；　it　was　not　long　before　Tientietnikov　noticed　that　on　the　manorial　lands；　nothing　prospered　to　the　extent　that　it　did　on　the　peasants'。　The　manorial　crops　were　sown　in　good　time；　and　came　up　well；　and　every　one　appeared　to　work　his　best；　so　much　so　that　Tientietnikov；　who　supervised　the　whole；　frequently　ordered　mugs　of　vodka　to　be　served　out　as　a　reward　for　the　excellence　of　the　labour　performed。　Yet　the　rye　on　the　peasants'　land　had　formed　into　ear；　and　the　oats　had　begun　to　shoot　their　grain；　and　the　millet　had　filled　before；　on　the　manorial　lands；　the　corn　had　so　much　as　grown　to　stalk；　or　the　ears　had　sprouted　in　embryo。　In　short；　gradually　the　barin　realised　that；　in　spite　of　favours　conferred；　the　peasants　were　playing　the　rogue　with　him。　Next　he　resorted　to　remonstrance；　but　was　met　with　the　reply；　〃How　could　we　not　do　our　best　for　our　barin？　You　yourself　saw　how　well　we　laboured　at　the　ploughing　and　the　sowing；　for　you　gave　us　mugs　of　vodka　for　our　pains。〃

〃Then　why　have　things　turned　out　so　badly？〃　the　barin　persisted。

〃Who　can　say？　It　must　be　that　a　grub　has　eaten　the　crop　from　below。　Besides；　what　a　summer　has　it　beennever　a　drop　of　rain！〃

Nevertheless；　the　barin　noted　that　no　grub　had　eaten　the　PEASANTS'　crops；　as　well　as　that　the　rain　had　fallen　in　the　most　curious　fashionnamely；　in　patches。　It　had　obliged　the　muzhiks；　but　had　shed　a　mere　sprinkling　for　the　barin。

Still　more　difficult　did　he　find　it　to　deal　with　the　peasant　women。　Ever　and　anon　they　would　beg　to　be　excused　from　work；　or　start　making　complaints　of　the　severity　of　the　barstchina。　Indeed；　they　were　terrible　folk！　However；　Tientietnikov　abolished　the　majority　of　the　tithes　of　linen；　hedge　fruit；　mushrooms；　and　nuts；　and　also　reduced　by　one…half　other　tasks　proper　to　the　women；　in　the　hope　that　they　would　devote　their　spare　time　to　their　own　domestic　concernsnamely；　to　sewing　and　mending；　and　to　making　clothes　for　their　husbands；　and　to　increasing　the　area　of　their　kitchen　gardens。　Yet　no　such　result　came　about。　On　the　contrary；　such　a　pitch　did　the　idleness；　the　quarrelsomeness；　and　the　intriguing　and　caballing　of　the　fair　sex　attain　that　their　helpmeets　were　for　ever　coming　to　the　barin　with　a　request　that　he　would　rid　one　or　another　of　his　wife；　since　she　had　become　a　nuisance；　and　to　live　with　her　was　impossible。

Next；　hardening　his　heart；　the　barin　attempted　severity。　But　of　what　avail　was　severity？　The　peasant　woman　remained　always　the　peasant　woman；　and　would　come　and　whine　that　she　was　sick　and　ailing；　and　keep　pitifully　hugging　to　herself　the　mean　and　filthy　rags　which　she　had　donned　for　the　occasion。　And　when　poor　Tientietnikov　found　himself　unable　to　say　more　to　her　than　just；　〃Get　out　of　my　sight；　and　may　the　Lord　go　with　you！〃　the　next　item　in　the　comedy　would　be　that　he　would　see　her；　even　as　she　was　leaving　his　gates；　fall　to　contending　with　a　neighbour　for；　say；　the　possession　of　a　turnip；　and　dealing　out　slaps　in　the　face　such　as　even　a　strong；　healthy　man　could　scarcely　have　compassed！

Again；　amongst　other　things；　Tientietnikov　conceived　the　idea　of　establishing　a　school　for　his　people；　but　the　scheme　resulted　in　a　farce　which　left　him　in　sackcloth　and　ashes。　In　the　same　way　he　found　that；　when　it　came　to　a　question　of　dispensing　justice　and　of　adjusting　disputes；　the　host　of　juridical　subtleties　with　which　the　professors　had　provided　him　proved　absolutely　useless。　That　is　to　say；　the　one　party　lied；　and　the　other　party　lied；　and　only　the　devil　could　have　decided　between　them。　Consequently　he　himself　perceived　that　a　knowledge　of　mankind　would　have　availed　him　more　than　all　the　legal　refinements　and　philosophical　maxims　in　the　world　could　do。　He　lacked　something；　and　though　he　could　not　divine　what　it　was；　the　situation　brought　about　was　the　common　one　of　the　barin　failing　to　understand　the　peasant；　and　the　peasant　failing　to　understand　the　barin；　and　both　becoming　disaffected。　In　the　end；　these　difficulties　so　chilled　Tientietnikov's　enthusiasm　that　he　took　to　supervising　the　labours　of　the　field　with　greatly　diminished　attention。　That　is　to　say；　no　matter　whether　the　scythes　were　softly　swishing　through　the　grass；　or　ricks　were　being　built；　or　rafts　were　being　loaded；　he　would　allow　his　eyes　to　wander　from　his　men；　and　to　fall　to　gazing　at；　say；　a　red…billed；　red…legged　heron　which；　after　strutting　along　the　bank　of　a　stream；　would　have　caught　a　fish　in　its　beak；　and　be　holding　it　awhile；　as　though　in　doubt　whether　to　swallow　it。　Next　he　would　glance　towards　the　spot　where　a　similar　bird；　but　one　not　yet　in　possession　of　a　fish；　was　engaged　in　watching　the　doings　of　its　mate。　Lastly；　with　eyebrows　knitted；　and　face　turned　to　scan　the　zenith；　he　would　drink　in　the　smell　of　the　fields；　and　fall　to　listening　to　the　winged　population　of　the　air　as　from　earth　and　sky　alike　the　manifold　music　of　winged　creatures　combined　in　a　single　harmonious　chorus。　In　the　rye　the　quail　would　be　calling；　and；　in　the　grass；　the　corncrake；　and　over　them　would　be　wheeling　flocks　of　twittering　linnets。　Also；　the　jacksnipe　would　be　uttering　its　croak；　and　the　lark　executing　its　roulades　where　it　had　become　lost　in　the　sunshine；　and　cranes　sending　forth　their　trumpet…like　challenge　as　they　deployed　towards　the　zenith　in　triangle…shaped　flocks。　In　fact；　the　neighbourhood　would　seem　to　have　become　converted　into　one　great　concert　of　melody。　O　Creator；　how　fair　is　Thy　world　where；　in　remote；　rural　seclusion；　it　lies　apart　from　cities　and　from　highways！

But　soon　even　this　began　to　pall　upon　Tientietnikov；　and　he　ceased　altogether　to　visit　his　fields；　or　to　do　aught　but　shut　himself　up　in　his　rooms；　where　he　refused　to　receive　even　the　bailiff　when　that　functionary　called　with　his　reports。　Again；　although；　until　now；　he　had　to　a　certain　extent　associated　with　a　retired　colonel　of　hussarsa　man　saturated　with　tobacco　smokeand　also　with　a　student　of　pronounced；　but　immature；　opinions　who　culled　the　bulk　of　his　wisdom　from　contemporary　newspapers　and　pamphlets；　he　found；　as　time　went　on；　that　these　companions　proved　as　tedious　as　the　rest；　and　came　to　think　their　conversation　superficial；　and　their　European　method　of　comporting　themselvesthat　is　to　say；　the　method　of　conversing　with　much　slapping　of　knees　and　a　great　deal　of　bowing　and　gesticulationtoo　direct　and　unadorned。　So　these　and　every　one　else　he　decided　to　〃drop；〃　and　carried　this　resolution　into　effect　with　a　certain　amount　of　rudeness。　On　the　next　occasion　that　Varvar　Nikolaievitch　Vishnepokromov　called　to　indulge　in　a　free…and…easy　symposium　on　politics；　philosophy；　literature；　morals；　and　the　state　of　financial　affairs　in　England　（he　was；　in　all　matters　which　admit　of　superficial　discussion；　the　pleasantest　fellow　alive；　seeing　that　he　was　a　typical　representative　both　of　the　retired　fire…eater　and　of　the　school　of　thought　which　is　now　becoming　the　rage）when；　I　say；　this　next　happened；　Tientietnikov　merely　sent　out　to　say　that　he　was　not　at　home；　and　then　carefully　showed　himself　at　the　window。　Host　and　guest　exchanged　glances；　and；　while　the　one　muttered　through　his　teeth　〃The　cur！〃　the　other　relieved　his　feelings　with　a　remark　or　two　on　swine。　Thus　the　acquaintance　came　to　an　abrupt　end；　and　from　that　time　forth　no　visitor　called　at　the　mansion。

Tientietnikov　in　no　way　regretted　this；　for　he　could　now　devote　himself　wholly　to　the　projection　of　a　great　work　on　Russia。　Of　the　scale　on　which　this　composition　was　conceived　the　reader　is　already　aware。　The　reader　also　knows　how　strange；　how　unsystematic；　was　the　system　employed　in　it。　Yet　to　say　that　Tientietnikov　never　awoke　from　his　lethargy　would　not　be　altogether　true。　On　the　contrary；　when　the　post　brought　him　newspapers　and　reviews；　and　he　saw　in　their　printed　pages；　perhaps；　the　well…known　name　of　some　former　comrade　who　had　succeeded　in　the　great　field　of　Public　Service；　or　had　conferred　upon　science　and　the　world's　work　some　notable　contribution；　he　would　succumb　to　secret　and　suppressed　grief；　and　involuntarily　there　would　burst　from　his　soul　an　expression　of　aching；　voiceless　regret　that　he　himse