dead souls(死魂灵)-第50部分

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　the　eye　to　discern　their　details。　Indeed；　only　when　the　sunlight　touches　a　steeple　to　gold　does　one　realise　that　each　such　patch　is　a　human　settlement。　Finally；　all　is　wrapped　in　an　immensity　of　silence　which　even　the　far；　faint　echoes　of　persons　singing　in　the　void　of　the　plain　cannot　shatter。

Even　after　gazing　at　the　spectacle　for　a　couple　of　hours　or　so；　the　visitor　would　still　find　nothing　to　say；　save：　〃Lord　of　Heaven；　but　what　a　prospect！〃　Then　who　is　the　dweller　in；　the　proprietor　of；　this　manora　manor　to　which；　as　to　an　impregnable　fortress；　entrance　cannot　be　gained　from　the　side　where　we　have　been　standing；　but　only　from　the　other　approach；　where　a　few　scattered　oaks　offer　hospitable　welcome　to　the　visitor；　and　then；　spreading　above　him　their　spacious　branches　（as　in　friendly　embrace）；　accompany　him　to　the　facade　of　the　mansion　whose　top　we　have　been　regarding　from　the　reverse　aspect；　but　which　now　stands　frontwise　on　to　us；　and　has；　on　one　side　of　it；　a　row　of　peasants'　huts　with　red　tiles　and　carved　gables；　and；　on　the　other；　the　village　church；　with　those　glittering　golden　crosses　and　gilded　open…work　charms　which　seem　to　hang　suspended　in　the　air？　Yes；　indeed！to　what　fortunate　individual　does　this　corner　of　the　world　belong？　It　belongs　to　Andrei　Ivanovitch　Tientietnikov；　landowner　of　the　canton　of　Tremalakhan；　and；　withal；　a　bachelor　of　about　thirty。

Should　my　lady　readers　ask　of　me　what　manner　of　man　is　Tientietnikov；　and　what　are　his　attributes　and　peculiarities；　I　should　refer　them　to　his　neighbours。　Of　these；　a　member　of　the　almost　extinct　tribe　of　intelligent　staff　officers　on　the　retired　list　once　summed　up　Tientietnikov　in　the　phrase；　〃He　is　an　absolute　blockhead；〃　while　a　General　who　resided　ten　versts　away　was　heard　to　remark　that　〃he　is　a　young　man　who；　though　not　exactly　a　fool；　has　at　least　too　much　crowded　into　his　head。　I　myself　might　have　been　of　use　to　him；　for　not　only　do　I　maintain　certain　connections　with　St。　Petersburg；　but　also〃　And　the　General　left　his　sentence　unfinished。　Thirdly；　a　captain…superintendent　of　rural　police　happened　to　remark　in　the　course　of　conversation：　〃To…morrow　I　must　go　and　see　Tientietnikov　about　his　arrears。〃　Lastly；　a　peasant　of　Tientietnikov's　own　village；　when　asked　what　his　barin　was　like；　returned　no　answer　at　all。　All　of　which　would　appear　to　show　that　Tientietnikov　was　not　exactly　looked　upon　with　favour。

To　speak　dispassionately；　however；　he　was　not　a　bad　sort　of　fellowmerely　a　star…gazer；　and　since　the　world　contains　many　watchers　of　the　skies；　why　should　Tientietnikov　not　have　been　one　of　them？　However；　let　me　describe　in　detail　a　specimen　day　of　his　existenceone　that　will　closely　resemble　the　rest；　and　then　the　reader　will　be　enabled　to　judge　of　Tientietnikov's　character；　and　how　far　his　life　corresponded　to　the　beauties　of　nature　with　which　he　lived　surrounded。

On　the　morning　of　the　specimen　day　in　question　he　awoke　very　late；　and；　raising　himself　to　a　sitting　posture；　rubbed　his　eyes。　And　since　those　eyes　were　small；　the　process　of　rubbing　them　occupied　a　very　long　time；　and　throughout　its　continuance　there　stood　waiting　by　the　door　his　valet；　Mikhailo；　armed　with　a　towel　and　basin。　For　one　hour；　for　two　hours；　did　poor　Mikhailo　stand　there：　then　he　departed　to　the　kitchen；　and　returned　to　find　his　master　still　rubbing　his　eyes　as　he　sat　on　the　bed。　At　length；　however；　Tientietnikov　rose；　washed　himself；　donned　a　dressing…gown；　and　moved　into　the　drawing…room　for　morning　tea；　coffee；　cocoa；　and　warm　milk；　of　all　of　which　he　partook　but　sparingly；　while　munching　a　piece　of　bread；　and　scattering　tobacco　ash　with　complete　insouciance。　Two　hours　did　he　sit　over　this　meal；　then　poured　himself　out　another　cup　of　the　rapidly　cooling　tea；　and　walked　to　the　window。　This　faced　the　courtyard；　and　outside　it；　as　usual；　there　took　place　the　following　daily　altercation　between　a　serf　named　Grigory　（who　purported　to　act　as　butler）　and　the　housekeeper；　Perfilievna。

Grigory。　Ah；　you　nuisance；　you　good…for…nothing；　you　had　better　hold　your　stupid　tongue。

Perfilievna。　Yes；　and　don't　you　wish　that　I　would？

Grigory。　What？　You　so　thick　with　that　bailiff　of　yours；　you　housekeeping　jade！

Perfilievna。　Nay；　he　is　as　big　a　thief　as　you　are。　Do　you　think　the　barin　doesn't　know　you？　And　there　he　is！　He　must　have　heard　everything！

Grigory。　Where？

Perfilievna。　Theresitting　by　the　window；　and　looking　at　us！

Next；　to　complete　the　hubbub；　a　serf　child　which　had　been　clouted　by　its　mother　broke　out　into　a　bawl；　while　a　borzoi　puppy　which　had　happened　to　get　splashed　with　boiling　water　by　the　cook　fell　to　yelping　vociferously。　In　short；　the　place　soon　became　a　babel　of　shouts　and　squeals；　and；　after　watching　and　listening　for　a　time；　the　barin　found　it　so　impossible　to　concentrate　his　mind　upon　anything　that　he　sent　out　word　that　the　noise　would　have　to　be　abated。

The　next　item　was　that；　a　couple　of　hours　before　luncheon　time；　he　withdrew　to　his　study；　to　set　about　employing　himself　upon　a　weighty　work　which　was　to　consider　Russia　from　every　point　of　view：　from　the　political；　from　the　philosophical；　and　from　the　religious；　as　well　as　to　resolve　various　problems　which　had　arisen　to　confront　the　Empire；　and　to　define　clearly　the　great　future　to　which　the　country　stood　ordained。　In　short；　it　was　to　be　the　species　of　compilation　in　which　the　man　of　the　day　so　much　delights。　Yet　the　colossal　undertaking　had　progressed　but　little　beyond　the　sphere　of　projection；　since；　after　a　pen　had　been　gnawed　awhile；　and　a　few　strokes　had　been　committed　to　paper；　the　whole　would　be　laid　aside　in　favour　of　the　reading　of　some　book；　and　that　reading　would　continue　also　during　luncheon　and　be　followed　by　the　lighting　of　a　pipe；　the　playing　of　a　solitary　game　of　chess；　and　the　doing　of　more　or　less　nothing　for　the　rest　of　the　day。

The　foregoing　will　give　the　reader　a　pretty　clear　idea　of　the　manner　in　which　it　was　possible　for　this　man　of　thirty…three　to　waste　his　time。　Clad　constantly　in　slippers　and　a　dressing…gown；　Tientietnikov　never　went　out；　never　indulged　in　any　form　of　dissipation；　and　never　walked　upstairs。　Nothing　did　he　care　for　fresh　air；　and　would　bestow　not　a　passing　glance　upon　all　those　beauties　of　the　countryside　which　moved　visitors　to　such　ecstatic　admiration。　From　this　the　reader　will　see　that　Andrei　Ivanovitch　Tientietnikov　belonged　to　that　band　of　sluggards　whom　we　always　have　with　us；　and　who；　whatever　be　their　present　appellation；　used　to　be　known　by　the　nicknames　of　〃lollopers；〃　〃bed　pressers；〃　and　〃marmots。〃　Whether　the　type　is　a　type　originating　at　birth；　or　a　type　resulting　from　untoward　circumstances　in　later　life；　it　is　impossible　to　say。　A　better　course　than　to　attempt　to　answer　that　question　would　be　to　recount　the　story　of　Tientietnikov's　boyhood　and　upbringing。

Everything　connected　with　the　latter　seemed　to　promise　success；　for　at　twelve　years　of　age　the　boykeen…witted；　but　dreamy　of　temperament；　and　inclined　to　delicacywas　sent　to　an　educational　establishment　presided　over　by　an　exceptional　type　of　master。　The　idol　of　his　pupils；　and　the　admiration　of　his　assistants；　Alexander　Petrovitch　was　gifted　with　an　extraordinary　measure　of　good　sense。　How　thoroughly　he　knew　the　peculiarities　of　the　Russian　of　his　day！　How　well　he　understood　boys！　How　capable　he　was　of　drawing　them　out！　Not　a　practical　joker　in　the　school　but；　after　perpetrating　a　prank；　would　voluntarily　approach　his　preceptor　and　make　to　him　free　confession。　True；　the　preceptor　would　put　a　stern　face　upon　the　matter；　yet　the　culprit　would　depart　with　head　held　higher；　not　lower；　than　before；　since　in　Alexander　Petrovitch　there　was　something　which　heartenedsomething　which　seemed　to　say　to　a　delinquent：　〃Forward　you！　Rise　to　your　feet　again；　even　though　you　have　fallen！〃　Not　lectures　on　good　behaviour　was　it；　therefore；　that　fell　from　his　lips；　but　rather　the　injunction；　〃I　want　to　see　intelligence；　and　nothing　else。　The　boy　who　devotes　his　attention　to　becoming　clever　will　never　play　the　fool；　for　under　such　circumstances；　folly　disappears　of　itself。〃　And　so　folly　did；　for　the　boy　who　failed　to　strive　in　the　desired　direction　incurred　the　contempt　of　all　his　comrades；　and　even　dunces　and　fools　of　senior　standing　did　not　dare　to　raise　a　finger　when　saluted　by　their　juniors　with　opprobrious　epithets。　Yet　〃This　is　too　much；〃　certain　folk　would　say　to　Alexander。　〃The　result　will　be　that　your　students　will　turn　out　prigs。〃　〃But　no；〃　he　would　reply。　〃Not　at　all。　You　see；　I　make　it　my　principle　to　keep　the　incapables　for　a　single　term　only；　since　that　is　enough　for　them；　but　to　the　clever　ones　I　allot　a　double　course　of　instruction。〃　And；　true　enough；　any　lad　of　brains　was　retained　for　this　finishing　course。　Yet　he　did　not　repress　all　boyish　playfulness；　since　he　declared　it　to　be　as　necessary　as　a　rash　to　a　doctor；　inasmuch　as　it　enabled　him　to　diagnose　what　lay　hidden　within。

Consequently；　how　the　boys　loved　him！　Never　was　there　such　an　attachment　between　master　and　pupils。　And　even　later；　during　the　foolish　years；　when　foolish　things　attract；　the　measure　of　affection　which　Alexander　Petrovitch　retained　was　extraordinary。　In　fact；　to　the　day　of　his　death；　every　former　pupil　would　celebrate　the　birthday　of　his　late　master　by　raising　his　glass　in　gratitude　to　the　mentor　dead　and　buriedthen　close　his　eyelids　upon　the　tears　which　would　come　trickling　through　them。　Even　the　slightest　word　of　encouragement　from　Alexander　Petrovitch　could　throw　a　lad　into　a　transport　of　tremulous　joy；　and　arouse　in　him　an　honourable　emulation　of　his　fellows。　Boys　of　small　capacity　he　did　not　long　retain　in　his　establishment；　whereas　those　who　possessed　exceptional　talent　he　put　through　an　extra　course　of　schooling。　This　senior　classa　class　composed　of　specially…selected　pupilswas　a　very　different　affair　from　what　usually　obtains　in　other　colleges。　Only　when　a　boy　had　attained　its　ranks　did　Alexander　demand　of　him　what　other　masters　indiscreetly　require　of　mere　infantsnamely　the　superior　frame　of　mind　which；　while　never　indulging　in　mockery；　can　itself　bear　ridicule；　and　disregard　the　fool；　and　keep　its　temper；　and　repress　itself；　and　eschew　revenge；　and　calmly；　proudly　retain　its　tranquillity　of　soul。　In　short；　whatever