dead souls(死魂灵)-第57章

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rs；　and　it　is　your　and　my　joint　duty　to　bring　enlightenment　to　all。〃

So　saying；　he　ushered　his　guest　into　a　large　room　lined　from　floor　to　ceiling　with　books　and　stuffed　specimens。　The　books　in　question　were　divided　into　sectionsa　section　on　forestry；　a　section　on　cattle…breeding；　a　section　on　the　raising　of　swine；　and　a　section　on　horticulture；　together　with　special　journals　of　the　type　circulated　merely　for　the　purposes　of　reference；　and　not　for　general　reading。　Perceiving　that　these　works　were　scarcely　of　a　kind　calculated　to　while　away　an　idle　hour；　Chichikov　turned　to　a　second　bookcase。　But　to　do　so　was　to　fall　out　of　the　frying…pan　into　the　fire；　for　the　contents　of　the　second　bookcase　proved　to　be　works　on　philosophy；　while；　in　particular；　six　huge　volumes　confronted　him　under　a　label　inscribed　〃A　Preparatory　Course　to　the　Province　of　Thought；　with　the　Theory　of　Community　of　Effort；　Co…operation；　and　Subsistence；　in　its　Application　to　a　Right　Understanding　of　the　Organic　Principles　of　a　Mutual　Division　of　Social　Productivity。〃　Indeed；　wheresoever　Chichikov　looked；　every　page　presented　to　his　vision　some　such　words　as　〃phenomenon；〃　〃development；〃　〃abstract；〃　〃contents；〃　and　〃synopsis。〃　〃This　is　not　the　sort　of　thing　for　me；〃　he　murmured；　and　turned　his　attention　to　a　third　bookcase；　which　contained　books　on　the　Arts。　Extracting　a　huge　tome　in　which　some　by　no　means　reticent　mythological　illustrations　were　contained；　he　set　himself　to　examine　these　pictures。　They　were　of　the　kind　which　pleases　mostly　middle…aged　bachelors　and　old　men　who　are　accustomed　to　seek　in　the　ballet　and　similar　frivolities　a　further　spur　to　their　waning　passions。　Having　concluded　his　examination；　Chichikov　had　just　extracted　another　volume　of　the　same　species　when　Colonel　Koshkarev　returned　with　a　document　of　some　sort　and　a　radiant　countenance。

〃Everything　has　been　carried　through　in　due　form！〃　he　cried。　〃The　man　whom　I　mentioned　is　a　genius　indeed；　and　I　intend　not　only　to　promote　him　over　the　rest；　but　also　to　create　for　him　a　special　Department。　Herewith　shall　you　hear　what　a　splendid　intellect　is　his；　and　how　in　a　few　minutes　he　has　put　the　whole　affair　in　order。〃

〃May　the　Lord　be　thanked　for　that！〃　thought　Chichikov。　Then　he　settled　himself　while　the　Colonel　read　aloud：

〃'After　giving　full　consideration　to　the　Reference　which　your　Excellency　has　entrusted　to　me；　I　have　the　honour　to　report　as　follows：

〃'（1）　In　the　Statement　of　Plea　presented　by　one　Paul　Ivanovitch　Chichikov；　Gentleman；　Chevalier；　and　Collegiate　Councillor；　there　lurks　an　error；　in　that　an　oversight　has　led　the　Petitioner　to　apply　to　Revisional　Souls　the　term　〃Dead。〃　Now；　from　the　context　it　would　appear　that　by　this　term　the　Petitioner　desires　to　signify　Souls　Approaching　Death　rather　than　Souls　Actually　Deceased：　wherefore　the　term　employed　betrays　such　an　empirical　instruction　in　letters　as　must；　beyond　doubt；　have　been　confined　to　the　Village　School；　seeing　that　in　truth　the　Soul　is　Deathless。'

〃The　rascal！〃　Koshkarev　broke　off　to　exclaim　delightedly。　〃He　has　got　you　there；　Monsieur　Chichikov。　And　you　will　admit　that　he　has　a　sufficiently　incisive　pen？

〃'（2）　On　this　Estate　there　exist　no　Unmortgaged　Souls　whatsoever；　whether　Approaching　Death　or　Otherwise；　for　the　reason　that　all　Souls　thereon　have　been　pledged　not　only　under　a　First　Deed　of　Mortgage；　but　also　（for　the　sum　of　One　Hundred　and　Fifty　Roubles　per　Soul）　under　a　Second；the　village　of　Gurmailovka　alone　excepted；　in　that；　in　consequence　of　a　Suit　having　been　brought　against　Landowner　Priadistchev；　and　of　a　caveat　having　been　pronounced　by　the　Land　Court；　and　of　such　caveat　having　been　published　in　No。　42　of　the　Gazette　of　Moscow；　the　said　Village　has　come　within　the　Jurisdiction　of　the　Court　Above…Mentioned。〃

〃Why　did　you　not　tell　me　all　this　before？〃　cried　Chichikov　furiously。　〃Why　you　have　kept　me　dancing　about　for　nothing？〃

〃Because　it　was　absolutely　necessary　that　you　should　view　the　matter　through　forms　of　documentary　process。　This　is　no　jest　on　my　part。　The　inexperienced　may　see　things　subconsciously；　yet　is　imperative　that　he　should　also　see　them　CONSCIOUSLY。〃

But　to　Chichikov's　patience　an　end　had　come。　Seizing　his　cap；　and　casting　all　ceremony　to　the　winds；　he　fled　from　the　house；　and　rushed　through　the　courtyard。　As　it　happened；　the　man　who　had　driven　him　thither　had；　warned　by　experience；　not　troubled　even　to　take　out　the　horses；　since　he　knew　that　such　a　proceeding　would　have　entailed　not　only　the　presentation　of　a　Statement　of　Plea　for　fodder；　but　also　a　delay　of　twenty…four　hours　until　the　Resolution　granting　the　same　should　have　been　passed。　Nevertheless　the　Colonel　pursued　his　guest　to　the　gates；　and　pressed　his　hand　warmly　as　he　thanked　him　for　having　enabled　him　（the　Colonel）　thus　to　exhibit　in　operation　the　proper　management　of　an　estate。　Also；　he　begged　to　state　that；　under　the　circumstances；　it　was　absolutely　necessary　to　keep　things　moving　and　circulating；　since；　otherwise；　slackness　was　apt　to　supervene；　and　the　working　of　the　machine　to　grow　rusty　and　feeble；　but　that；　in　spite　of　all；　the　present　occasion　had　inspired　him　with　a　happy　ideanamely；　the　idea　of　instituting　a　Committee　which　should　be　entitled　〃The　Committee　of　Supervision　of　the　Committee　of　Management；〃　and　which　should　have　for　its　function　the　detection　of　backsliders　among　the　body　first　mentioned。

It　was　late　when；　tired　and　dissatisfied；　Chichikov　regained　Kostanzhoglo's　mansion。　Indeed；　the　candles　had　long　been　lit。

〃What　has　delayed　you？〃　asked　the　master　of　the　house　as　Chichikov　entered　the　drawing…room。

〃Yes；　what　has　kept　you　and　the　Colonel　so　long　in　conversation　together？〃　added　Platon。

〃Thisthe　fact　that　never　in　my　life　have　I　come　across　such　an　imbecile；〃　was　Chichikov's　reply。

〃Never　mind；〃　said　Kostanzhoglo。　〃Koshkarev　is　a　most　reassuring　phenomenon。　He　is　necessary　in　that　in　him　we　see　expressed　in　caricature　all　the　more　crying　follies　of　our　intellectualsof　the　intellectuals　who；　without　first　troubling　to　make　themselves　acquainted　with　their　own　country；　borrow　silliness　from　abroad。　Yet　that　is　how　certain　of　our　landowners　are　now　carrying　on。　They　have　set　up　'offices'　and　factories　and　schools　and　'commissions；'　and　the　devil　knows　what　else　besides。　A　fine　lot　of　wiseacres！　After　the　French　War　in　1812　they　had　to　reconstruct　their　affairs：　and　see　how　they　have　done　it！　Yet　so　much　worse　have　they　done　it　than　a　Frenchman　would　have　done　that　any　fool　of　a　Peter　Petrovitch　Pietukh　now　ranks　as　a　good　landowner！〃

〃But　he　has　mortgaged　the　whole　of　his　estate？〃　remarked　Chichikov。

〃Yes；　nowadays　everything　is　being　mortgaged；　or　is　going　to　be。〃　This　said；　Kostanzhoglo's　temper　rose　still　further。　〃Out　upon　your　factories　of　hats　and　candles！〃　he　cried。　〃Out　upon　procuring　candle…makers　from　London；　and　then　turning　landowners　into　hucksters！　To　think　of　a　Russian　pomiestchik＇9＇；　a　member　of　the　noblest　of　callings；　conducting　workshops　and　cotton　mills！　Why；　it　is　for　the　wenches　of　towns　to　handle　looms　for　muslin　and　lace。〃

＇9＇　Landowner。

〃But　you　yourself　maintain　workshops？〃　remarked　Platon。

〃I　do；　but　who　established　them？　They　established　themselves。　For　instance；　wool　had　accumulated；　and　since　I　had　nowhere　to　store　it；　I　began　to　weave　it　into　clothbut；　mark　you；　only　into　good；　plain　cloth　of　which　I　can　dispose　at　a　cheap　rate　in　the　local　markets；　and　which　is　needed　by　peasants；　including　my　own。　Again；　for　six　years　on　end　did　the　fish　factories　keep　dumping　their　offal　on　my　bank　of　the　river；　wherefore；　at　last；　as　there　was　nothing　to　be　done　with　it；　I　took　to　boiling　it　into　glue；　and　cleared　forty　thousand　roubles　by　the　process。〃

〃The　devil！〃　thought　Chichikov　to　himself　as　he　stared　at　his　host。　〃What　a　fist　this　man　has　for　making　money！〃

〃Another　reason　why　I　started　those　factories；〃　continued　Kostanzhoglo；　〃is　that　they　might　give　employment　to　many　peasants　who　would　otherwise　have　starved。　You　see；　the　year　happened　to　have　been　a　lean　onethanks　to　those　same　industry…mongering　landowners；　in　that　they　had　neglected　to　sow　their　crops；　and　now　my　factories　keep　growing　at　the　rate　of　a　factory　a　year；　owing　to　the　circumstance　that　such　quantities　of　remnants　and　cuttings　become　so　accumulated　that；　if　a　man　looks　carefully　to　his　management；　he　will　find　every　sort　of　rubbish　to　be　capable　of　bringing　in　a　returnyes；　to　the　point　of　his　having　to　reject　money　on　the　plea　that　he　has　no　need　of　it。　Yet　I　do　not　find　that　to　do　all　this　I　require　to　build　a　mansion　with　facades　and　pillars！〃

〃Marvellous！〃　exclaimed　Chichikov。　〃Beyond　all　things　does　it　surprise　me　that　refuse　can　be　so　utilised。〃

〃Yes；　and　that　is　what　can　be　done　by　SIMPLE　methods。　But　nowadays　every　one　is　a　mechanic；　and　wants　to　open　that　money　chest　with　an　instrument　instead　of　simply。　For　that　purpose　he　hies　him　to　England。　Yes；　THAT　is　the　thing　to　do。　What　folly！〃　Kostanzhoglo　spat　and　added：　〃Yet　when　he　returns　from　abroad　he　is　a　hundred　times　more　ignorant　than　when　he　went。〃

〃Ah；　Constantine；〃　put　in　his　wife　anxiously；　〃you　know　how　bad　for　you　it　is　to　talk　like　this。〃

〃Yes；　but　how　am　I　to　help　losing　my　temper？　The　thing　touches　me　too　closely；　it　vexes　me　too　deeply　to　think　that　the　Russian　character　should　be　degenerating。　For　in　that　character　there　has　dawned　a　sort　of　Quixotism　which　never　used　to　be　there。　Yes；　no　sooner　does　a　man　get　a　little　education　into　his　head　than　he　becomes　a　Don　Quixote；　and　establishes　schools　on　his　estate　such　as　even　a　madman　would　never　have　dreamed　of。　And　from　that　school　there　issues　a　workman　who　is　good　for　nothing；　whether　in　the　country　or　in　the　towna　fellow　who　drinks　and　is　for　ever　standing　on　his　dignity。　Yet　still　our　landowners　keep　taking　to　philanthropy；　to　converting　themselves　into　philanthropic　knights…errant；　and　spending　millions　upon　senseless　hospitals　and　institutions；　and　so　ruining　themselves　and　turning　their　families　adrift。　Yes；　that　is　all　that　comes　of　philanthropy。〃

Chichikov's　business　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　spread　of　enlightenment；　he　was　but　seeking　an　opportunity　to　inquire　further　concerning　the　putting　of　refuse　to　lucrative　uses；　but　Kostanzhoglo　would　not　let　him　get　a　word　in　edgeways；　so　irresistibly　did　the　flow　of　sarcastic　comment　pour　from　the　speaker's　lips。

〃Yes；〃　went　on　Kostanzhoglo；　〃folk　are　always　scheming　to　educate　the　peasant。　But　first　make　him　well…off　and　a　good　farmer。　THEN　he　will　educate　himself　fast　enough。　As　things　are　now；　the　world　has　grown　stupid　to　a　degree　that　passes　belief。　Look　at　the　stuff　our　present…day　scribblers　write！　Let　any　sort　of　a　book　be　published；　and　at　once　you　will　see　every　one　making　a　rush　for　it。　Similarly　will　you　find　folk　saying：　'The　peasant　leads　an　over…simple　life。　He　ought　to　be　familiarised　with　luxuries；　and　so　led　to　yearn　for　things　above　his　station。'　And　the　result　of　such　luxuries　will　be　that　the　peasant　will　become　a　rag　rather　than　a　man；　and　suffer　from　the　devil　only　knows　what　diseases；　until　there　will　remain　in　the　land　not　a　boy　of　eighteen　who　will　not　have　experienced　the　whole　gamut　of　them；　and　found　himself　left　with　not　a　tooth　in　his　jaws　or　a　hair　on