dead souls(死魂灵)-第27部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


esident　of　the　Council。　Even　in　my　old　age　he　has　once　or　twice　come　to　visit　me；　for　he　and　I　used　to　be　schoolfellows；　and　to　go　climbing　walls　together。　Yes；　him　I　do　know。　Shall　I　write　him　a　letter？〃

〃By　all　means。〃

〃Yes；　him　I　know　well；　for　we　were　friends　together　at　school。〃

Over　Plushkin's　wooden　features　there　had　gleamed　a　ray　of　warmtha　ray　which　expressed；　if　not　feeling；　at　all　events　feeling's　pale　reflection。　Just　such　a　phenomenon　may　be　witnessed　when；　for　a　brief　moment；　a　drowning　man　makes　a　last　re…appearance　on　the　surface　of　a　river；　and　there　rises　from　the　crowd　lining　the　banks　a　cry　of　hope　that　even　yet　the　exhausted　hands　may　clutch　the　rope　which　has　been　thrown　himmay　clutch　it　before　the　surface　of　the　unstable　element　shall　have　resumed　for　ever　its　calm；　dread　vacuity。　But　the　hope　is　short…lived；　and　the　hands　disappear。　Even　so　did　Plushkin's　face；　after　its　momentary　manifestation　of　feeling；　become　meaner　and　more　insensible　than　ever。

〃There　used　to　be　a　sheet　of　clean　writing　paper　lying　on　the　table；〃　he　went　on。　〃But　where　it　is　now　I　cannot　think。　That　comes　of　my　servants　being　such　rascals。〃

Whit　that　he　fell　to　looking　also　under　the　table；　as　well　as　to　hurrying　about　with　cries　of　〃Mavra；　Mavra！〃　At　length　the　call　was　answered　by　a　woman　with　a　plateful　of　the　sugar　of　which　mention　has　been　made；　whereupon　there　ensued　the　following　conversation。

〃What　have　you　done　with　my　piece　of　writing　paper；　you　pilferer？〃

〃I　swear　that　I　have　seen　no　paper　except　the　bit　with　which　you　covered　the　glass。〃

〃Your　very　face　tells　me　that　you　have　made　off　with　it。〃

〃Why　should　I　make　off　with　it？　'Twould　be　of　no　use　to　me；　for　I　can　neither　read　nor　write。〃

〃You　lie！　You　have　taken　it　away　for　the　sexton　to　scribble　upon。〃

〃Well；　if　the　sexton　wanted　paper　he　could　get　some　for　himself。　Neither　he　nor　I　have　set　eyes　upon　your　piece。〃

〃Ah！　Wait　a　bit；　for　on　the　Judgment　Day　you　will　be　roasted　by　devils　on　iron　spits。　Just　see　if　you　are　not！〃

〃But　why　should　I　be　roasted　when　I　have　never　even　TOUCHED　the　paper？　You　might　accuse　me　of　any　other　fault　than　theft。〃

〃Nay；　devils　shall　roast　you；　sure　enough。　They　will　say　to　you；　'Bad　woman；　we　are　doing　this　because　you　robbed　your　master；'　and　then　stoke　up　the　fire　still　hotter。〃

〃Nevertheless　_I_　shall　continue　to　say；　'You　are　roasting　me　for　nothing；　for　I　never　stole　anything　at　all。'　Why；　THERE　it　is；　lying　on　the　table！　You　have　been　accusing　me　for　no　reason　whatever！〃

And；　sure　enough；　the　sheet　of　paper　was　lying　before　Plushkin's　very　eyes。　For　a　moment　or　two　he　chewed　silently。　Then　he　went　on：

〃Well；　and　what　are　you　making　such　a　noise　about？　If　one　says　a　single　word　to　you；　you　answer　back　with　ten。　Go　and　fetch　me　a　candle　to　seal　a　letter　with。　And　mind　you　bring　a　TALLOW　candle；　for　it　will　not　cost　so　much　as　the　other　sort。　And　bring　me　a　match　too。〃

Mavra　departed；　and　Plushkin；　seating　himself；　and　taking　up　a　pen；　sat　turning　the　sheet　of　paper　over　and　over；　as　though　in　doubt　whether　to　tear　from　it　yet　another　morsel。　At　length　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　impossible　to　do　so；　and　therefore；　dipping　the　pen　into　the　mixture　of　mouldy　fluid　and　dead　flies　which　the　ink　bottle　contained；　started　to　indite　the　letter　in　characters　as　bold　as　the　notes　of　a　music　score；　while　momentarily　checking　the　speed　of　his　hand；　lest　it　should　meander　too　much　over　the　paper；　and　crawling　from　line　to　line　as　though　he　regretted　that　there　was　so　little　vacant　space　left　on　the　sheet。

〃And　do　you　happen　to　know　any　one　to　whom　a　few　runaway　serfs　would　be　of　use？〃　he　asked　as　subsequently　he　folded　the　letter。

〃What？　You　have　some　runaways　as　well？〃　exclaimed　Chichikov；　again　greatly　interested。

〃Certainly　I　have。　My　son…in…law　has　laid　the　necessary　information　against　them；　but　says　that　their　tracks　have　grown　cold。　However；　he　is　only　a　military　manthat　is　to　say；　good　at　clinking　a　pair　of　spurs；　but　of　no　use　for　laying　a　plea　before　a　court。〃

〃And　how　many　runaways　have　you？〃

〃About　seventy。〃

〃Surely　not？〃

〃Alas；　yes。　Never　does　a　year　pass　without　a　certain　number　of　them　making　off。　Yet　so　gluttonous　and　idle　are　my　serfs　that　they　are　simply　bursting　with　food；　whereas　I　scarcely　get　enough　to　eat。　I　will　take　any　price　for　them　that　you　may　care　to　offer。　Tell　your　friends　about　it；　and；　should　they　find　even　a　score　of　the　runaways；　it　will　repay　them　handsomely；　seeing　that　a　living　serf　on　the　census　list　is　at　present　worth　five　hundred　roubles。〃

〃Perhaps　so；　but　I　am　not　going　to　let　any　one　but　myself　have　a　finger　in　this；〃　thought　Chichikov　to　himself；　after　which　he　explained　to　Plushkin　that　a　friend　of　the　kind　mentioned　would　be　impossible　to　discover；　since　the　legal　expenses　of　the　enterprise　would　lead　to　the　said　friend　having　to　cut　the　very　tail　from　his　coat　before　he　would　get　clear　of　the　lawyers。

〃Nevertheless；〃　added　Chichikov；　〃seeing　that　you　are　so　hard　pressed　for　money；　and　that　I　am　so　interested　in　the　matter；　I　feel　moved　to　advance　youwell；　to　advance　you　such　a　trifle　as　would　scarcely　be　worth　mentioning。〃

〃But　how　much　is　it？〃　asked　Plushkin　eagerly；　and　with　his　hands　trembling　like　quicksilver。

〃Twenty…five　kopecks　per　soul。〃

〃What？　In　ready　money？〃

〃Yesin　money　down。〃

〃Nevertheless；　consider　my　poverty；　dear　friend；　and　make　it　FORTY　kopecks　per　soul。〃

〃Venerable　sir；　would　that　I　could　pay　you　not　merely　forty　kopecks；　but　five　hundred　roubles。　I　should　be　only　too　delighted　if　that　were　possible；　since　I　perceive　that　you；　an　aged　and　respected　gentleman；　are　suffering　for　your　own　goodness　of　heart。〃

〃By　God；　that　is　true；　that　is　true。〃　Plushkin　hung　his　head；　and　wagged　it　feebly　from　side　to　side。　〃Yes；　all　that　I　have　done　I　have　done　purely　out　of　kindness。〃

〃See　how　instantaneously　I　have　divined　your　nature！　By　now　it　will　have　become　clear　to　you　why　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　pay　you　five　hundred　roubles　per　runaway　soul：　for　by　now　you　will　have　gathered　the　fact　that　I　am　not　sufficiently　rich。　Nevertheless；　I　am　ready　to　add　another　five　kopecks；　and　so　to　make　it　that　each　runaway　serf　shall　cost　me；　in　all；　thirty　kopecks。〃

〃As　you　please；　dear　sir。　Yet　stretch　another　point；　and　throw　in　another　two　kopecks。〃

〃Pardon　me；　but　I　cannot。　How　many　runaway　serfs　did　you　say　that　you　possess？　Seventy？〃

〃No；　seventy…eight。〃

〃Seventy…eight　souls　at　thirty　kopecks　each　will　amount　toto〃　only　for　a　moment　did　our　hero　halt；　since　he　was　strong　in　his　arithmetic；　〃will　amount　to　twenty…four　roubles；　ninety…six　kopecks。〃＇1＇

＇1＇　Nevertheless　Chichikov　would　appear　to　have　erred；　since　most　　　　　people　would　make　the　sum　amount　to　twenty…three　roubles；　forty　　　　　kopecks。　If　so；　Chichikov　cheated　himself　of　one　rouble；　fifty…six　　　　　kopecks。

With　that　he　requested　Plushkin　to　make　out　the　receipt；　and　then　handed　him　the　money。　Plushkin　took　it　in　both　hands；　bore　it　to　a　bureau　with　as　much　caution　as　though　he　were　carrying　a　liquid　which　might　at　any　moment　splash　him　in　the　face；　and；　arrived　at　the　bureau；　and　glancing　round　once　more；　carefully　packed　the　cash　in　one　of　his　money　bags；　where；　doubtless；　it　was　destined　to　lie　buried　until；　to　the　intense　joy　of　his　daughters　and　his　son…in…law　（and；　perhaps；　of　the　captain　who　claimed　kinship　with　him）；　he　should　himself　receive　burial　at　the　hands　of　Fathers　Carp　and　Polycarp；　the　two　priests　attached　to　his　village。　Lastly；　the　money　concealed；　Plushkin　re…seated　himself　in　the　armchair；　and　seemed　at　a　loss　for　further　material　for　conversation。

〃Are　you　thinking　of　starting？〃　at　length　he　inquired；　on　seeing　Chichikov　making　a　trifling　movement；　though　the　movement　was　only　to　extract　from　his　pocket　a　handkerchief。　Nevertheless　the　question　reminded　Chichikov　that　there　was　no　further　excuse　for　lingering。

〃Yes；　I　must　be　going；〃　he　said　as　he　took　his　hat。

〃Then　what　about　the　tea？〃

〃Thank　you；　I　will　have　some　on　my　next　visit。〃

〃What？　Even　though　I　have　just　ordered　the　samovar　to　be　got　ready？　Well；　well！　I　myself　do　not　greatly　care　for　tea；　for　I　think　it　an　expensive　beverage。　Moreover；　the　price　of　sugar　has　risen　terribly。〃

〃Proshka！〃　he　then　shouted。　〃The　samovar　will　not　be　needed。　Return　the　sugar　to　Mavra；　and　tell　her　to　put　it　back　again。　But　no。　Bring　the　sugar　here；　and　_I_　will　put　it　back。〃

〃Good…bye；　dear　sir；〃　finally　he　added　to　Chichikov。　〃May　the　Lord　bless　you！　Hand　that　letter　to　the　President　of　the　Council；　and　let　him　read　it。　Yes；　he　is　an　old　friend　of　mine。　We　knew　one　another　as　schoolfellows。〃

With　that　this　strange　phenomenon；　this　withered　old　man；　escorted　his　guest　to　the　gates　of　the　courtyard；　and；　after　the　guest　had　departed；　ordered　the　gates　to　be　closed；　made　the　round　of　the　outbuildings　for　the　purpose　of　ascertaining　whether　the　numerous　watchmen　were　at　their　posts；　peered　into　the　kitchen　（where；　under　the　pretence　of　seeing　whether　his　servants　were　being　properly　fed；　he　made　a　light　meal　of　cabbage　soup　and　gruel）；　rated　the　said　servants　soundly　for　their　thievishness　and　general　bad　behaviour；　and　then　returned　to　his　room。　Meditating　in　solitude；　he　fell　to　thinking　how　best　he　could　contrive　to　recompense　his　guest　for　the　latter's　measureless　benevolence。　〃I　will　present　him；〃　he　thought　to　himself；　〃with　a　watch。　It　is　a　good　silver　articlenot　one　of　those　cheap　metal　affairs；　and　though　it　has　suffered　some　damage；　he　can　easily　get　that　put　right。　A　young　man　always　needs　to　give　a　watch　to　his　betrothed。〃

〃No；〃　he　added　after　further　thought。　〃I　will　leave　him　the　watch　in　my　will；　as　a　keepsake。〃

Meanwhile　our　hero　was　bowling　along　in　high　spirit。　Such　an　unexpected　acquisition　both　of　dead　souls　and　of　runaway　serfs　had　come　as　a　windfall。　Even　before　reaching　Plushkin's　village　he　had　had　a　presentiment　that　he　would　do　successful　business　there；　but　not　business　of　such　pre…eminent　profitableness　as　had　actually　resulted。　As　he　proceeded　he　whistled；　hummed　with　hand　placed　trumpetwise　to　his　mouth；　and　ended　by　bursting　into　a　burst　of　melody　so　striking　that　Selifan；　after　listening　for　a　while；　nodde