dead souls(死魂灵)-第4部分

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　ability　so　to　keep　a　rein　upon　himself　that　never　did　his　utterances　become　too　loud　or　too　soft；　or　transcend　what　was　perfectly　befitting。　In　a　word；　he　was　always　a　gentleman　of　excellent　manners；　and　every　official　in　the　place　felt　pleased　when　he　saw　him　enter　the　door。　Thus　the　Governor　gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　Chichikov　was　a　man　of　excellent　intentions；　the　Public　Prosecutor；　that　he　was　a　good　man　of　business；　the　Chief　of　Gendarmery；　that　he　was　a　man　of　education；　the　President　of　the　Local　Council；　that　he　was　a　man　of　breeding　and　refinement；　and　the　wife　of　the　Chief　of　Gendarmery；　that　his　politeness　of　behaviour　was　equalled　only　by　his　affability　of　bearing。　Nay；　even　Sobakevitchwho　as　a　rule　never　spoke　well　of　ANY　ONEsaid　to　his　lanky　wife　when；　on　returning　late　from　the　town；　he　undressed　and　betook　himself　to　bed　by　her　side：　〃My　dear；　this　evening；　after　dining　with　the　Chief　of　Police；　I　went　on　to　the　Governor's；　and　met　there；　among　others；　a　certain　Paul　Ivanovitch　Chichikov；　who　is　a　Collegiate　Councillor　and　a　very　pleasant　fellow。〃　To　this　his　spouse　replied　〃Hm！〃　and　then　dealt　him　a　hearty　kick　in　the　ribs。

Such　were　the　flattering　opinions　earned　by　the　newcomer　to　the　town；　and　these　opinions　he　retained　until　the　time　when　a　certain　speciality　of　his；　a　certain　scheme　of　his　（the　reader　will　learn　presently　what　it　was）；　plunged　the　majority　of　the　townsfolk　into　a　sea　of　perplexity。



CHAPTER　II

For　more　than　two　weeks　the　visitor　lived　amid　a　round　of　evening　parties　and　dinners；　wherefore　he　spent　（as　the　saying　goes）　a　very　pleasant　time。　Finally　he　decided　to　extend　his　visits　beyond　the　urban　boundaries　by　going　and　calling　upon　landowners　Manilov　and　Sobakevitch；　seeing　that　he　had　promised　on　his　honour　to　do　so。　Yet　what　really　incited　him　to　this　may　have　been　a　more　essential　cause；　a　matter　of　greater　gravity；　a　purpose　which　stood　nearer　to　his　heart；　than　the　motive　which　I　have　just　given；　and　of　that　purpose　the　reader　will　learn　if　only　he　will　have　the　patience　to　read　this　prefatory　narrative　（which；　lengthy　though　it　be；　may　yet　develop　and　expand　in　proportion　as　we　approach　the　denouement　with　which　the　present　work　is　destined　to　be　crowned）。

One　evening；　therefore；　Selifan　the　coachman　received　orders　to　have　the　horses　harnessed　in　good　time　next　morning；　while　Petrushka　received　orders　to　remain　behind；　for　the　purpose　of　looking　after　the　portmanteau　and　the　room。　In　passing；　the　reader　may　care　to　become　more　fully　acquainted　with　the　two　serving…men　of　whom　I　have　spoken。　Naturally；　they　were　not　persons　of　much　note；　but　merely　what　folk　call　characters　of　secondary；　or　even　of　tertiary；　importance。　Yet；　despite　the　fact　that　the　springs　and　the　thread　of　this　romance　will　not　DEPEND　upon　them；　but　only　touch　upon　them；　and　occasionally　include　them；　the　author　has　a　passion　for　circumstantiality；　and；　like　the　average　Russian；　such　a　desire　for　accuracy　as　even　a　German　could　not　rival。　To　what　the　reader　already　knows　concerning　the　personages　in　hand　it　is　therefore　necessary　to　add　that　Petrushka　usually　wore　a　cast…off　brown　jacket　of　a　size　too　large　for　him；　as　also　that　he　had　（according　to　the　custom　of　individuals　of　his　calling）　a　pair　of　thick　lips　and　a　very　prominent　nose。　In　temperament　he　was　taciturn　rather　than　loquacious；　and　he　cherished　a　yearning　for　self…education。　That　is　to　say；　he　loved　to　read　books；　even　though　their　contents　came　alike　to　him　whether　they　were　books　of　heroic　adventure　or　mere　grammars　or　liturgical　compendia。　As　I　say；　he　perused　every　book　with　an　equal　amount　of　attention；　and；　had　he　been　offered　a　work　on　chemistry；　would　have　accepted　that　also。　Not　the　words　which　he　read；　but　the　mere　solace　derived　from　the　act　of　reading；　was　what　especially　pleased　his　mind；　even　though　at　any　moment　there　might　launch　itself　from　the　page　some　devil…sent　word　whereof　he　could　make　neither　head　nor　tail。　For　the　most　part；　his　task　of　reading　was　performed　in　a　recumbent　position　in　the　anteroom；　which　circumstance　ended　by　causing　his　mattress　to　become　as　ragged　and　as　thin　as　a　wafer。　In　addition　to　his　love　of　poring　over　books；　he　could　boast　of　two　habits　which　constituted　two　other　essential　features　of　his　characternamely；　a　habit　of　retiring　to　rest　in　his　clothes　（that　is　to　say；　in　the　brown　jacket　above…mentioned）　and　a　habit　of　everywhere　bearing　with　him　his　own　peculiar　atmosphere；　his　own　peculiar　smella　smell　which　filled　any　lodging　with　such　subtlety　that　he　needed　but　to　make　up　his　bed　anywhere；　even　in　a　room　hitherto　untenanted；　and　to　drag　thither　his　greatcoat　and　other　impedimenta；　for　that　room　at　once　to　assume　an　air　of　having　been　lived　in　during　the　past　ten　years。　Nevertheless；　though　a　fastidious；　and　even　an　irritable；　man；　Chichikov　would　merely　frown　when　his　nose　caught　this　smell　amid　the　freshness　of　the　morning；　and　exclaim　with　a　toss　of　his　head：　〃The　devil　only　knows　what　is　up　with　you！　Surely　you　sweat　a　good　deal；　do　you　not？　The　best　thing　you　can　do　is　to　go　and　take　a　bath。〃　To　this　Petrushka　would　make　no　reply；　but；　approaching；　brush　in　hand；　the　spot　where　his　master's　coat　would　be　pendent；　or　starting　to　arrange　one　and　another　article　in　order；　would　strive　to　seem　wholly　immersed　in　his　work。　Yet　of　what　was　he　thinking　as　he　remained　thus　silent？　Perhaps　he　was　saying　to　himself：　〃My　master　is　a　good　fellow；　but　for　him　to　keep　on　saying　the　same　thing　forty　times　over　is　a　little　wearisome。〃　Only　God　knows　and　sees　all　things；　wherefore　for　a　mere　human　being　to　know　what　is　in　the　mind　of　a　servant　while　his　master　is　scolding　him　is　wholly　impossible。　However；　no　more　need　be　said　about　Petrushka。　On　the　other　hand；　Coachman　Selifan

But　here　let　me　remark　that　I　do　not　like　engaging　the　reader's　attention　in　connection　with　persons　of　a　lower　class　than　himself；　for　experience　has　taught　me　that　we　do　not　willingly　familiarise　ourselves　with　the　lower　ordersthat　it　is　the　custom　of　the　average　Russian　to　yearn　exclusively　for　information　concerning　persons　on　the　higher　rungs　of　the　social　ladder。　In　fact；　even　a　bowing　acquaintance　with　a　prince　or　a　lord　counts；　in　his　eyes；　for　more　than　do　the　most　intimate　of　relations　with　ordinary　folk。　For　the　same　reason　the　author　feels　apprehensive　on　his　hero's　account；　seeing　that　he　has　made　that　hero　a　mere　Collegiate　Councillora　mere　person　with　whom　Aulic　Councillors　might　consort；　but　upon　whom　persons　of　the　grade　of　full　General＇1＇　would　probably　bestow　one　of　those　glances　proper　to　a　man　who　is　cringing　at　their　august　feet。　Worse　still；　such　persons　of　the　grade　of　General　are　likely　to　treat　Chichikov　with　studied　negligenceand　to　an　author　studied　negligence　spells　death。

＇1＇　In　this　case　the　term　General　refers　to　a　civil　grade　equivalent　　　　　to　the　military　rank　of　the　same　title。

However；　in　spite　of　the　distressfulness　of　the　foregoing　possibilities；　it　is　time　that　I　returned　to　my　hero。　After　issuing；　overnight；　the　necessary　orders；　he　awoke　early；　washed　himself；　rubbed　himself　from　head　to　foot　with　a　wet　sponge　（a　performance　executed　only　on　Sundaysand　the　day　in　question　happened　to　be　a　Sunday）；　shaved　his　face　with　such　care　that　his　cheeks　issued　of　absolutely　satin…like　smoothness　and　polish；　donned　first　his　bilberry…coloured；　spotted　frockcoat；　and　then　his　bearskin　overcoat；　descended　the　staircase　（attended；　throughout；　by　the　waiter）　and　entered　his　britchka。　With　a　loud　rattle　the　vehicle　left　the　inn…yard；　and　issued　into　the　street。　A　passing　priest　doffed　his　cap；　and　a　few　urchins　in　grimy　shirts　shouted；　〃Gentleman；　please　give　a　poor　orphan　a　trifle！〃　Presently　the　driver　noticed　that　a　sturdy　young　rascal　was　on　the　point　of　climbing　onto　the　splashboard；　wherefore　he　cracked　his　whip　and　the　britchka　leapt　forward　with　increased　speed　over　the　cobblestones。　At　last；　with　a　feeling　of　relief；　the　travellers　caught　sight　of　macadam　ahead；　which　promised　an　end　both　to　the　cobblestones　and　to　sundry　other　annoyances。　And；　sure　enough；　after　his　head　had　been　bumped　a　few　more　times　against　the　boot　of　the　conveyance；　Chichikov　found　himself　bowling　over　softer　ground。　On　the　town　receding　into　the　distance；　the　sides　of　the　road　began　to　be　varied　with　the　usual　hillocks；　fir　trees；　clumps　of　young　pine；　trees　with　old；　scarred　trunks；　bushes　of　wild　juniper；　and　so　forth；　Presently　there　came　into　view　also　strings　of　country　villas　which；　with　their　carved　supports　and　grey　roofs　（the　latter　looking　like　pendent；　embroidered　tablecloths）；　resembled；　rather；　bundles　of　old　faggots。　Likewise　the　customary　peasants；　dressed　in　sheepskin　jackets；　could　be　seen　yawning　on　benches　before　their　huts；　while　their　womenfolk；　fat　of　feature　and　swathed　of　bosom；　gazed　out　of　upper　windows；　and　the　windows　below　displayed；　here　a　peering　calf；　and　there　the　unsightly　jaws　of　a　pig。　In　short；　the　view　was　one　of　the　familiar　type。　After　passing　the　fifteenth　verst…stone　Chichikov　suddenly　recollected　that；　according　to　Manilov；　fifteen　versts　was　the　exact　distance　between　his　country　house　and　the　town；　but　the　sixteenth　verst　stone　flew　by；　and　the　said　country　house　was　still　nowhere　to　be　seen。　In　fact；　but　for　the　circumstance　that　the　travellers　happened　to　encounter　a　couple　of　peasants；　they　would　have　come　on　their　errand　in　vain。　To　a　query　as　to　whether　the　country　house　known　as　Zamanilovka　was　anywhere　in　the　neighbourhood　the　peasants　replied　by　doffing　their　caps；　after　which　one　of　them　who　seemed　to　boast　of　a　little　more　intelligence　than　his　companion；　and　who　wore　a　wedge…shaped　beard；　made　answer：

〃Perhaps　you　mean　Manilovkanot　ZAmanilovka？〃

〃Yes；　yesManilovka。〃

〃Manilovka；　eh？　Well；　you　must　continue　for　another　verst；　and　then　you　will　see　it　straight　before　you；　on　the　right。〃

〃On　the　right？〃　re…echoed　the　coachman。

〃Yes；　on　the　right；〃　affirmed　the　peasant。　〃You　are　on　the　proper　road　for　Manilovka；　but　ZAmanilovkawell；　there　is　no　such　place。　The　house　you　mean　is　called　Manilovka　because　Manilovka　is　its　name；　but　no　house　at　all　is　called　ZAmanilovka。　The　house　you　mean　stands　there；　on　that　hill；　and　is　a　stone　house　in　which　a　gentle