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第3部分

the calash-第3部分

小说: the calash 字数: 每页4000字

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She gave a cry; clasped her hands; and ran straight across the

flower…beds to her bedroom; where her husband was still sleeping

soundly。



〃Get up! get up! get up at once;〃 she cried; pulling him by the arm。



〃Whatwhat's the matter?〃 murmured Tchertokoutski; stretching his

limbs without opening his eyes。



〃Get up; get up。 Visitors have come; do you hear? visitors。〃



〃Visitors; what visitors?〃 After saying these words he uttered a

little plaintive grunt like that of a sucking calf: 〃M…m…m。 Let me

kiss you。〃



〃My dear; get up at once; for heaven's sake。 The general has come with

all his officers。 Ah! goodness; you have got a thistle in your

moustache。〃



〃The general! Has he come already? But why the deuce did not they wake

me? And the dinner; is the dinner ready?〃



〃What dinner?〃



〃But haven't I ordered a dinner?〃



〃A dinner! You got home at four o'clock in the morning and you did not

answer a single word to all my questions。 I did not wake you; since

you had so little sleep。〃



Tchertokoutski; his eyes staring out of his head; remained motionless

for some moments as though a thunderbolt had struck him。 All at once

he jumped out of bed in his shirt。



〃Idiot that I am;〃 he exclaimed; clasping his hand to his forehead; 〃I

had invited them to dinner。 What is to be done? are they far off?〃



〃They will be here in a moment。〃



〃My dear; hide yourself。 Ho there; somebody。 Hi there; you girl。 Come

here; you fool; what are you afraid of? The officers are coming here;

tell them I am not at home; that I went out early this morning; that I

am not coming back。 Do you understand? Go and repeat it to all the

servants。 Be off; quick。〃



Having uttered these words; he hurriedly slipped on his dressing…gown;

and ran off to shut himself up in the coach…house; which he thought

the safest hiding…place。 But he fancied that he might be noticed in

the corner in which he had taken refuge。



〃This will be better;〃 said he to himself; letting down the steps of

the nearest vehicle; which happened to be the calash。 He jumped

inside; closed the door; and; as a further precaution; covered himself

with the leather apron。 There he remained; wrapped in his

dressing…gown; in a doubled…up position。



During this time the equipages had drawn up before the porch。 The

general got out of his carriage and shook himself; followed by the

colonel; arranging the feathers in his hat。 After him came the stout

major; his sabre under his arm; and the slim lieutenants; whilst the

mounted officers also alighted。



〃The master is not at home;〃 said a servant appearing at the top of a

flight of steps。



〃What! not at home; but he is coming home for dinner; is he not?〃



〃No; he is not; he has gone out for the day and will not be back till

this time to…morrow。〃



〃Bless me;〃 said the general; 〃but what the deuce〃



〃What a joke;〃 said the colonel laughing。



〃No; no; such things are inconceivable;〃 said the general angrily。 〃If

he could not receive us; why did he invite us?〃



〃I cannot understand; your excellency; how it is possible to act in

such a manner;〃 observed a young officer。



〃What?〃 said the general; who always made an officer under the rank of

captain repeat his remarks twice over。



〃I wondered; your excellency; how any one could do such a thing。〃



〃Quite so; if anything has happened he ought to have let us know。〃



〃There is nothing to be done; your excellency; we had better go back

home;〃 said the colonel。



〃Certainly; there is nothing to be done。 However; we can see the

calash without him; probably he has not taken it with him。 Come here;

my man。〃



〃What does your excellency want?〃



〃Show us your master's new calash。〃



〃Have the kindness to step this way to the coach…house。〃



The general entered the coach…house followed by his officers。



〃Let me pull it a little forward; your excellency;〃 said the servant;

〃it is rather dark here。〃



〃That will do。〃



The general and his officers walked around the calash; carefully

inspecting the wheels and springs。



〃There is nothing remarkable about it;〃 said the general; 〃it is a

very ordinary calash。〃



〃Nothing to look at;〃 added the colonel; 〃there is absolutely nothing

good about it。〃



〃It seems to me; your excellency; that it is not worth four thousand

rubles;〃 remarked a young officer。



〃What?〃



〃I said; your excellency; that I do not think that it is worth four

thousand rubles。〃



〃Four thousand! It is not worth two。 Perhaps; however; the inside is

well fitted。 Unbutton the apron。〃



And Tchertokoutski appeared before the officers' eyes; clad in his

dressing…gown and doubled up in a singular fashion。



〃Hullo; there you are;〃 said the astonished general。



Then he covered Tchertokoutski up again and went off with his

officers。











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