dead souls(死魂灵)-第63章

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　or　the　devil　knows　what！〃　But；　in　spite　of　his　distrust；　he　contented　himself　with　another　covert　scrutiny　of　Chichikov；　and　this　time　came　to　the　conclusion　that　there　was　no　fault　to　be　found　with　his　exterior）。

The　party　turned　to　the　right；　and　entered　the　gates　of　an　ancient　courtyard　attached　to　an　old…fashioned　house　of　a　type　no　longer　builtthe　type　which　has　huge　gables　supporting　a　high…pitched　roof。　In　the　centre　of　the　courtyard　two　great　lime　trees　covered　half　the　surrounding　space　with　shade；　while　beneath　them　were　ranged　a　number　of　wooden　benches；　and　the　whole　was　encircled　with　a　ring　of　blossoming　lilacs　and　cherry　trees　which；　like　a　beaded　necklace；　reinforced　the　wooden　fence；　and　almost　buried　it　beneath　their　clusters　of　leaves　and　flowers。　The　house；　too；　stood　almost　concealed　by　this　greenery；　except　that　the　front　door　and　the　windows　peered　pleasantly　through　the　foliage；　and　that　here　and　there　between　the　stems　of　the　trees　there　could　be　caught　glimpses　of　the　kitchen　regions；　the　storehouses；　and　the　cellar。　Lastly；　around　the　whole　stood　a　grove；　from　the　recesses　of　which　came　the　echoing　songs　of　nightingales。

Involuntarily　the　place　communicated　to　the　soul　a　sort　of　quiet；　restful　feeling；　so　eloquently　did　it　speak　of　that　care…free　period　when　every　one　lived　on　good　terms　with　his　neighbour；　and　all　was　simple　and　unsophisticated。　Vassili　invited　Chichikov　to　seat　himself；　and　the　party　approached；　for　that　purpose；　the　benches　under　the　lime　trees；　after　which　a　youth　of　about　seventeen；　and　clad　in　a　red　shirt；　brought　decanters　containing　various　kinds　of　kvass　（some　of　them　as　thick　as　syrup；　and　others　hissing　like　aerated　lemonade）；　deposited　the　same　upon　the　table；　and；　taking　up　a　spade　which　he　had　left　leaning　against　a　tree；　moved　away　towards　the　garden。　The　reason　of　this　was　that　in　the　brothers'　household；　as　in　that　of　Kostanzhoglo；　no　servants　were　kept；　since　the　whole　staff　were　rated　as　gardeners；　and　performed　that　duty　in　rotationVassili　holding　that　domestic　service　was　not　a　specialised　calling；　but　one　to　which　any　one　might　contribute　a　hand；　and　therefore　one　which　did　not　require　special　menials　to　be　kept　for　the　purpose。　Moreover；　he　held　that　the　average　Russian　peasant　remains　active　and　willing　（rather　than　lazy）　only　so　long　as　he　wears　a　shirt　and　a　peasant's　smock；　but　that　as　soon　as　ever　he　finds　himself　put　into　a　German　tailcoat；　he　becomes　awkward；　sluggish；　indolent；　disinclined　to　change　his　vest　or　take　a　bath；　fond　of　sleeping　in　his　clothes；　and　certain　to　breed　fleas　and　bugs　under　the　German　apparel。　And　it　may　be　that　Vassili　was　right。　At　all　events；　the　brothers'　peasantry　were　exceedingly　well　cladthe　women；　in　particular；　having　their　head…dresses　spangled　with　gold；　and　the　sleeves　of　their　blouses　embroidered　after　the　fashion　of　a　Turkish　shawl。

〃You　see　here　the　species　of　kvass　for　which　our　house　has　long　been　famous；〃　said　Vassili　to　Chichikov。　The　latter　poured　himself　out　a　glassful　from　the　first　decanter　which　he　lighted　upon；　and　found　the　contents　to　be　linden　honey　of　a　kind　never　tasted　by　him　even　in　Poland；　seeing　that　it　had　a　sparkle　like　that　of　champagne；　and　also　an　effervescence　which　sent　a　pleasant　spray　from　the　mouth　into　the　nose。

〃Nectar！〃　he　proclaimed。　Then　he　took　some　from　a　second　decanter。　It　proved　to　be　even　better　than　the　first。　〃A　beverage　of　beverages！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃At　your　respected　brother…in…law's　I　tasted　the　finest　syrup　which　has　ever　come　my　way；　but　here　I　have　tasted　the　very　finest　kvass。〃

〃Yet　the　recipe　for　the　syrup　also　came　from　here；〃　said　Vassili；　〃seeing　that　my　sister　took　it　with　her。　By　the　way；　to　what　part　of　the　country；　and　to　what　places；　are　you　thinking　of　travelling？〃

〃To　tell　the　truth；〃　replied　Chichikov；　rocking　himself　to　and　fro　on　the　bench；　and　smoothing　his　knee　with　his　hand；　and　gently　inclining　his　head；　〃I　am　travelling　less　on　my　own　affairs　than　on　the　affairs　of　others。　That　is　to　say；　General　Betristchev；　an　intimate　friend；　and；　I　might　add；　a　generous　benefactor　of　mine；　has　charged　me　with　commissions　to　some　of　his　relatives。　Nevertheless；　though　relatives　are　relatives；　I　may　say　that　I　am　travelling　on　my　own　account　as　well；　in　that；　in　addition　to　possible　benefit　to　my　health；　I　desire　to　see　the　world　and　the　whirligig　of　humanity；　which　constitute；　to　so　speak；　a　living　book；　a　second　course　of　education。〃

Vassili　took　thought。　〃The　man　speaks　floridly；〃　he　reflected；　〃yet　his　words　contain　a　certain　element　of　truth。〃　After　a　moment's　silence　he　added　to　Platon：　〃I　am　beginning　to　think　that　the　tour　might　help　you　to　bestir　yourself。　At　present　you　are　in　a　condition　of　mental　slumber。　You　have　fallen　asleep；　not　so　much　from　weariness　or　satiety；　as　through　a　lack　of　vivid　perceptions　and　impressions。　For　myself；　I　am　your　complete　antithesis。　I　should　be　only　too　glad　if　I　could　feel　less　acutely；　if　I　could　take　things　less　to　heart。〃

〃Emotion　has　become　a　disease　with　you；〃　said　Platon。　〃You　seek　your　own　troubles；　and　make　your　own　anxieties。〃

〃How　can　you　say　that　when　ready…made　anxieties　greet　one　at　every　step？〃　exclaimed　Vassili。　〃For　example；　have　you　heard　of　the　trick　which　Lienitsin　has　just　played　usof　his　seizing　the　piece　of　vacant　land　whither　our　peasants　resort　for　their　sports？　That　piece　I　would　not　sell　for　all　the　money　in　the　world。　It　has　long　been　our　peasants'　play…ground；　and　all　the　traditions　of　our　village　are　bound　up　with　it。　Moreover；　for　me；　old　custom　is　a　sacred　thing　for　which　I　would　gladly　sacrifice　everything　else。〃

〃Lienitsin　cannot　have　known　of　this；　or　he　would　not　have　seized　the　land；〃　said　Platon。　〃He　is　a　newcomer；　just　arrived　from　St。　Petersburg。　A　few　words　of　explanation　ought　to　meet　the　case。〃

〃But　he　DOES　know　of　what　I　have　stated；　he　DOES　know　of　it。　Purposely　I　sent　him　word　to　that　affect；　yet　he　has　returned　me　the　rudest　of　answers。〃

〃Then　go　yourself　and　explain　matters　to　him。〃

〃No；　I　will　not　do　that；　he　has　tried　to　carry　off　things　with　too　high　a　hand。　But　YOU　can　go　if　you　like。〃

〃I　would　certainly　go　were　it　not　that　I　scarcely　like　to　interfere。　Also；　I　am　a　man　whom　he　could　easily　hoodwink　and　outwit。〃

〃Would　it　help　you　if　_I_　were　to　go？〃　put　in　Chichikov。　〃Pray　enlighten　me　as　to　the　matter。〃

Vassili　glanced　at　the　speaker；　and　thought　to　himself：　〃What　a　passion　the　man　has　for　travelling！〃

〃Yes；　pray　give　me　an　idea　of　the　kind　of　fellow；〃　repeated　Chichikov；　〃and　also　outline　to　me　the　affair。〃

〃I　should　be　ashamed　to　trouble　you　with　such　an　unpleasant　commission；〃　replied　Vassili。　〃He　is　a　man　whom　I　take　to　be　an　utter　rascal。　Originally　a　member　of　a　family　of　plain　dvoriane　in　this　province；　he　entered　the　Civil　Service　in　St。　Petersburg；　then　married　some　one's　natural　daughter　in　that　city；　and　has　returned　to　lord　it　with　a　high　hand。　I　cannot　bear　the　tone　he　adopts。　Our　folk　are　by　no　means　fools。　They　do　not　look　upon　the　current　fashion　as　the　Tsar's　ukaz　any　more　than　they　look　upon　St。　Petersburg　as　the　Church。〃

〃Naturally；〃　said　Chichikov。　〃But　tell　me　more　of　the　particulars　of　the　quarrel。〃

〃They　are　these。　He　needs　additional　land　and；　had　he　not　acted　as　he　has　done；　I　would　have　given　him　some　land　elsewhere　for　nothing；　but；　as　it　is；　the　pestilent　fellow　has　taken　it　into　his　head　to〃

〃I　think　I　had　better　go　and　have　a　talk　with　him。　That　might　settle　the　affair。　Several　times　have　people　charged　me　with　similar　commissions；　and　never　have　they　repented　of　it。　General　Betristchev　is　an　example。〃

〃Nevertheless　I　am　ashamed　that　you　should　be　put　to　the　annoyance　of　having　to　converse　with　such　a　fellow。〃




〃And　above　all　things；　such　a　transaction　would　need　to　be　carried　through　in　secret；〃　said　Chichikov。　〃True；　the　law　does　not　forbid　such　things；　but　there　is　always　the　risk　of　a　scandal。〃

〃Quite　so；　quite　so；〃　said　Lienitsin　with　head　bent　down。

〃Then　we　agree！〃　exclaimed　Chichikov。　〃How　charming！　As　I　say；　my　business　is　both　legal　and　illegal。　Though　needing　to　effect　a　mortgage；　I　desire　to　put　no　one　to　the　risk　of　having　to　pay　the　two　roubles　on　each　living　soul；　wherefore　I　have　conceived　the　idea　of　relieving　landowners　of　that　distasteful　obligation　by　acquiring　dead　and　absconded　souls　who　have　failed　to　disappear　from　the　revision　list。　This　enables　me　at　once　to　perform　an　act　of　Christian　charity　and　to　remove　from　the　shoulders　of　our　more　impoverished　proprietors　the　burden　of　tax…payment　upon　souls　of　the　kind　specified。　Should　you　yourself　care　to　do　business　with　me；　we　will　draw　up　a　formal　purchase　agreement　as　though　the　souls　in　question　were　still　alive。〃

〃But　it　would　be　such　a　curious　arrangement；〃　muttered　Lienitsin；　moving　his　chair　and　himself　a　little　further　away。　〃It　would　be　an　arrangement　which；　erer〃

〃Would　involve　you　in　no　scandal　whatever；　seeing　that　the　affair　would　be　carried　through　in　secret。　Moreover；　between　friends　who　are　well…disposed　towards　one　another〃

〃Nevertheless〃

Chichikov　adopted　a　firmer　and　more　decided　tone。　〃I　repeat　that　there　would　be　no　scandal；〃　he　said。　〃The　transaction　would　take　place　as　between　good　friends；　and　as　between　friends　of　mature　age；　and　as　between　friends　of　good　status；　and　as　between　friends　who　know　how　to　keep　their　own　counsel。〃　And；　so　saying；　he　looked　his　interlocutor　frankly　and　generously　in　the　eyes。

Nevertheless　Lienitsin's　resourcefulness　and　acumen　in　business　matters　failed　to　relieve　his　mind　of　a　certain　perplexityand　the　less　so　since　he　had　contrived　to　become　caught　in　his　own　net。　Yet；　in　general；　he　possessed　neither　a　love　for　nor　a　talent　for　underhand　dealings；　and；　had　not　fate　and　circumstances　favoured　Chichikov　by　causing　Lienitsin's　wife　to　enter　the　room　at　that　moment；　things　might　have　turned　out　very　differently　from　what　they　did。　Madame　was　a　pale；　thin；　insignificant…looking　young　lady；　but　none　the　less　a　lady　who　wore　her　clothes　a　la　St。　Petersburg；　and　cultivated　the　society　of　persons　who　were　unimpeachably　comme　il　faut。　Behind　her；　borne　in　a　nurse's　arms；　came　the　first　fruits　of　the　love　of　husband　and　wife。　Adopting　his　most　telling　method　of　approach　（the　method　accompanied　with　a　sidelong　inclination　of　the　head　and　a　sort　of　hop）；　Chichikov　hastened　to　greet　the　lady　from　the　metropolis；　and　then　the　baby。　At　first　the　latter　started　to　bellow　disapproval；　but　the　words　〃Agoo；　agoo；　my　pet！〃　added　to　a　little　cracking　of　the　fingers　and　a　sight　of　a　beautiful　seal　on　a　watch　chain；　enabled　Chichikov　to　weedle　the　infant　into　his　arms；　after　which　he　fell　to　swinging　it　up　and　down　until　he　had　contrived　to　raise　a　smile　on　its　facea　circumstance　which　greatly　delighted　the　parents；　and　finally　inclined　the　father　in　his　visitor's　favour。　Suddenly；　howeverwhether　from　pleasure　or　from　some　other　causethe　infant　misbehaved　itself！〃

〃My　God！〃　cried　Madame。　〃He　has　gone　and　spoilt　your　frockcoat！〃

True　enough；　on　glancing　downwards；　Chichikov　saw　that　the　sleeve　of　his　brand…new　garment　had　indeed　suffered　a　hurt。　〃If　I　could　catch　you　alone；　you　little　devil；〃　he　muttered　to　himself；　〃I'd　shoot　you！〃

Host；　hostess　and　nu