dead souls(死魂灵)-第16部分

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　at　least　he　is　as　promising；　even　though　he　has　lost　so　much　at　play。　But　he　has　a　head　on　his　shoulders；　and　therefore　I　must　go　carefully　if　I　am　to　tackle　him　concerning　my　scheme。〃

With　that　he　added　aloud：　〃Very　well；　I　WILL　come　with　you；　but　do　not　let　us　be　long；　for　my　time　is　very　precious。〃

〃That's　right；　that's　right！〃　cried　Nozdrev。　〃Splendid；　splendid！　Let　me　embrace　you！〃　And　he　fell　upon　Chichikov's　neck。　〃All　three　of　us　will　go。〃

〃No；　no；〃　put　in　the　flaxen…haired　man。　〃You　must　excuse　me；　for　I　must　be　off　home。〃

〃Rubbish；　rubbish！　I　am　NOT　going　to　excuse　you。〃

〃But　my　wife　will　be　furious　with　me。　You　and　Monsieur　Chichikov　must　change　into　the　other　britchka。〃

〃Come；　come！　The　thing　is　not　to　be　thought　of。〃

The　flaxen…haired　man　was　one　of　those　people　in　whose　character；　at　first　sight；　there　seems　to　lurk　a　certain　grain　of　stubbornnessso　much　so　that；　almost　before　one　has　begun　to　speak；　they　are　ready　to　dispute　one's　words；　and　to　disagree　with　anything　that　may　be　opposed　to　their　peculiar　form　of　opinion。　For　instance；　they　will　decline　to　have　folly　called　wisdom；　or　any　tune　danced　to　but　their　own。　Always；　however；　will　there　become　manifest　in　their　character　a　soft　spot；　and　in　the　end　they　will　accept　what　hitherto　they　have　denied；　and　call　what　is　foolish　sensible；　and　even　danceyes；　better　than　any　one　else　will　doto　a　tune　set　by　some　one　else。　In　short；　they　generally　begin　well；　but　always　end　badly。

〃Rubbish！〃　said　Nozdrev　in　answer　to　a　further　objection　on　his　brother…in…law's　part。　And；　sure　enough；　no　sooner　had　Nozdrev　clapped　his　cap　upon　his　head　than　the　flaxen…haired　man　started　to　follow　him　and　his　companion。

〃But　the　gentleman　has　not　paid　for　the　vodka？〃　put　in　the　old　woman。

〃All　right；　all　right；　good　mother。　Look　here；　brother…in…law。　Pay　her；　will　you；　for　I　have　not　a　kopeck　left。〃

〃How　much？〃　inquired　the　brother…in…law。

〃What；　sir？　Eighty　kopecks；　if　you　please；〃　replied　the　old　woman。

〃A　lie！　Give　her　half　a　rouble。　That　will　be　quite　enough。〃

〃No；　it　will　NOT；　barin；〃　protested　the　old　woman。　However；　she　took　the　money　gratefully；　and　even　ran　to　the　door　to　open　it　for　the　gentlemen。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　she　had　lost　nothing　by　the　transaction；　since　she　had　demanded　fully　a　quarter　more　than　the　vodka　was　worth。

The　travellers　then　took　their　seats；　and　since　Chichikov's　britchka　kept　alongside　the　britchka　wherein　Nozdrev　and　his　brother…in…law　were　seated；　it　was　possible　for　all　three　men　to　converse　together　as　they　proceeded。　Behind　them　came　Nozdrev's　smaller　buggy；　with　its　team　of　lean　stage　horses　and　Porphyri　and　the　puppy。　But　inasmuch　as　the　conversation　which　the　travellers　maintained　was　not　of　a　kind　likely　to　interest　the　reader；　I　might　do　worse　than　say　something　concerning　Nozdrev　himself；　seeing　that　he　is　destined　to　play　no　small　role　in　our　story。

Nozdrev's　face　will　be　familiar　to　the　reader；　seeing　that　every　one　must　have　encountered　many　such。　Fellows　of　the　kind　are　known　as　〃gay　young　sparks；〃　and；　even　in　their　boyhood　and　school　days；　earn　a　reputation　for　being　bons　camarades　（though　with　it　all　they　come　in　for　some　hard　knocks）　for　the　reason　that　their　faces　evince　an　element　of　frankness；　directness；　and　enterprise　which　enables　them　soon　to　make　friends；　and；　almost　before　you　have　had　time　to　look　around；　to　start　addressing　you　in　the　second　person　singular。　Yet；　while　cementing　such　friendships　for　all　eternity；　almost　always　they　begin　quarrelling　the　same　evening；　since；　throughout；　they　are　a　loquacious；　dissipated；　high…spirited；　over…showy　tribe。　Indeed；　at　thirty…five　Nozdrev　was　just　what　he　had　been　an　eighteen　and　twentyhe　was　just　such　a　lover　of　fast　living。　Nor　had　his　marriage　in　any　way　changed　him；　and　the　less　so　since　his　wife　had　soon　departed　to　another　world；　and　left　behind　her　two　children；　whom　he　did　not　want；　and　who　were　therefore　placed　in　the　charge　of　a　good…looking　nursemaid。　Never　at　any　time　could　he　remain　at　home　for　more　than　a　single　day；　for　his　keen　scent　could　range　over　scores　and　scores　of　versts；　and　detect　any　fair　which　promised　balls　and　crowds。　Consequently　in　a　trice　he　would　be　therequarrelling；　and　creating　disturbances　over　the　gaming…table　（like　all　men　of　his　type；　he　had　a　perfect　passion　for　cards）　yet　playing　neither　a　faultless　nor　an　over…clean　game；　since　he　was　both　a　blunderer　and　able　to　indulge　in　a　large　number　of　illicit　cuts　and　other　devices。　The　result　was　that　the　game　often　ended　in　another　kind　of　sport　altogether。　That　is　to　say；　either　he　received　a　good　kicking；　or　he　had　his　thick　and　very　handsome　whiskers　pulled；　with　the　result　that　on　certain　occasions　he　returned　home　with　one　of　those　appendages　looking　decidedly　ragged。　Yet　his　plump；　healthy…looking　cheeks　were　so　robustly　constituted；　and　contained　such　an　abundance　of　recreative　vigour；　that　a　new　whisker　soon　sprouted　in　place　of　the　old　one；　and　even　surpassed　its　predecessor。　Again　（and　the　following　is　a　phenomenon　peculiar　to　Russia）　a　very　short　time　would　have　elapsed　before　once　more　he　would　be　consorting　with　the　very　cronies　who　had　recently　cuffed　himand　consorting　with　them　as　though　nothing　whatsoever　had　happenedno　reference　to　the　subject　being　made　by　him；　and　they　too　holding　their　tongues。

In　short；　Nozdrev　was；　as　it　were；　a　man　of　incident。　Never　was　he　present　at　any　gathering　without　some　sort　of　a　fracas　occurring　thereat。　Either　he　would　require　to　be　expelled　from　the　room　by　gendarmes；　or　his　friends　would　have　to　kick　him　out　into　the　street。　At　all　events；　should　neither　of　those　occurrences　take　place；　at　least　he　did　something　of　a　nature　which　would　not　otherwise　have　been　witnessed。　That　is　to　say；　should　he　not　play　the　fool　in　a　buffet　to　such　an　extent　as　to　make　very　one　smile；　you　may　be　sure　that　he　was　engaged　in　lying　to　a　degree　which　at　times　abashed　even　himself。　Moreover；　the　man　lied　without　reason。　For　instance；　he　would　begin　telling　a　story　to　the　effect　that　he　possessed　a　blue…coated　or　a　red…coated　horse；　until；　in　the　end；　his　listeners　would　be　forced　to　leave　him　with　the　remark；　〃You　are　giving　us　some　fine　stuff；　old　fellow！〃　Also；　men　like　Nozdrev　have　a　passion　for　insulting　their　neighbours　without　the　least　excuse　afforded。　（For　that　matter；　even　a　man　of　good　standing　and　of　respectable　exteriora　man　with　a　star　on　his　breastmay　unexpectedly　press　your　hand　one　day；　and　begin　talking　to　you　on　subjects　of　a　nature　to　give　food　for　serious　thought。　Yet　just　as　unexpectedly　may　that　man　start　abusing　you　to　your　faceand　do　so　in　a　manner　worthy　of　a　collegiate　registrar　rather　than　of　a　man　who　wears　a　star　on　his　breast　and　aspires　to　converse　on　subjects　which　merit　reflection。　All　that　one　can　do　in　such　a　case　is　to　stand　shrugging　one's　shoulders　in　amazement。）　Well；　Nozdrev　had　just　such　a　weakness。　The　more　he　became　friendly　with　a　man；　the　sooner　would　he　insult　him；　and　be　ready　to　spread　calumnies　as　to　his　reputation。　Yet　all　the　while　he　would　consider　himself　the　insulted　one's　friend；　and；　should　he　meet　him　again；　would　greet　him　in　the　most　amicable　style　possible；　and　say；　〃You　rascal；　why　have　you　given　up　coming　to　see　me。〃　Thus；　taken　all　round；　Nozdrev　was　a　person　of　many　aspects　and　numerous　potentialities。　In　one　and　the　same　breath　would　he　propose　to　go　with　you　whithersoever　you　might　choose　（even　to　the　very　ends　of　the　world　should　you　so　require）　or　to　enter　upon　any　sort　of　an　enterprise　with　you；　or　to　exchange　any　commodity　for　any　other　commodity　which　you　might　care　to　name。　Guns；　horses；　dogs；　all　were　subjects　for　barterthough　not　for　profit　so　far　as　YOU　were　concerned。　Such　traits　are　mostly　the　outcome　of　a　boisterous　temperament；　as　is　additionally　exemplified　by　the　fact　that　if　at　a　fair　he　chanced　to　fall　in　with　a　simpleton　and　to　fleece　him；　he　would　then　proceed　to　buy　a　quantity　of　the　very　first　articles　which　came　to　handhorse…collars；　cigar…lighters；　dresses　for　his　nursemaid；　foals；　raisins；　silver　ewers；　lengths　of　holland；　wheatmeal；　tobacco；　revolvers；　dried　herrings；　pictures；　whetstones；　crockery；　boots；　and　so　forth；　until　every　atom　of　his　money　was　exhausted。　Yet　seldom　were　these　articles　conveyed　home；　since；　as　a　rule；　the　same　day　saw　them　lost　to　some　more　skilful　gambler；　in　addition　to　his　pipe；　his　tobacco…pouch；　his　mouthpiece；　his　four…horsed　turn…out；　and　his　coachman：　with　the　result　that；　stripped　to　his　very　shirt；　he　would　be　forced　to　beg　the　loan　of　a　vehicle　from　a　friend。

Such　was　Nozdrev。　Some　may　say　that　characters　of　his　type　have　become　extinct；　that　Nozdrevs　no　longer　exist。　Alas！　such　as　say　this　will　be　wrong；　for　many　a　day　must　pass　before　the　Nozdrevs　will　have　disappeared　from　our　ken。　Everywhere　they　are　to　be　seen　in　our　midstthe　only　difference　between　the　new　and　the　old　being　a　difference　of　garments。　Persons　of　superficial　observation　are　apt　to　consider　that　a　man　clad　in　a　different　coat　is　quite　a　different　person　from　what　he　used　to　be。

To　continue。　The　three　vehicles　bowled　up　to　the　steps　of　Nozdrev's　house；　and　their　occupants　alighted。　But　no　preparations　whatsoever　had　been　made　for　the　guest's　reception；　for　on　some　wooden　trestles　in　the　centre　of　the　dining…room　a　couple　of　peasants　were　engaged　in　whitewashing　the　ceiling　and　drawling　out　an　endless　song　as　they　splashed　their　stuff　about　the　floor。　Hastily　bidding　peasants　and　trestles　to　be　gone；　Nozdrev　departed　to　another　room　with　further　instructions。　Indeed；　so　audible　was　the　sound　of　his　voice　as　he　ordered　dinner　that　Chichikovwho　was　beginning　to　feel　hungry　once　morewas　enabled　to　gather　that　it　would　be　at　least　five　o'clock　before　a　meal　of　any　kind　would　be　available。　On　his　return；　Nozdrev　invited　his　companions　to　inspect　his　establishmenteven　though　as　early　as　two　o'clock　he　had　to　announce　that　nothing　more　was　to　be　seen。

The　tour　began　with　a　view　of　the　stables；　where　the　party　saw　two　mares　（the　one　a　grey；　and　the　other　a　roan）　and　a　colt；　which　latter　animal；　though　far　from　showy；　Nozdrev　declared　to　have　cost　him　ten　thousand　roubles。

〃You　NEVER　paid　ten　thousand　roubles　for　the　brute！〃　exclaim