dead souls(死魂灵)-第62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！


ions　were　in　progress；　and　the　alleys　were　choked　with　heaps　of　lime；　bricks；　and　beams　of　wood。　Also；　some　of　the　huts　were　arranged　to　resemble　offices；　and　superscribed　in　gilt　letters　〃Depot　for　Agricultural　Implements；〃　〃Chief　Office　of　Accounts；〃　〃Estate　Works　Committee；〃　〃Normal　School　for　the　Education　of　Colonists；〃　and　so　forth。

Chichikov　found　the　Colonel　posted　behind　a　desk　and　holding　a　pen　between　his　teeth。　Without　an　instant's　delay　the　master　of　the　establishmentwho　seemed　a　kindly；　approachable　man；　and　accorded　to　his　visitor　a　very　civil　welcomeplunged　into　a　recital　of　the　labour　which　it　had　cost　him　to　bring　the　property　to　its　present　condition　of　affluence。　Then　he　went　on　to　lament　the　fact　that　he　could　not　make　his　peasantry　understand　the　incentives　to　labour　which　the　riches　of　science　and　art　provide；　for　instance；　he　had　failed　to　induce　his　female　serfs　to　wear　corsets；　whereas　in　Germany；　where　he　had　resided　for　fourteen　years；　every　humble　miller's　daughter　could　play　the　piano。　None　the　less；　he　said；　he　meant　to　peg　away　until　every　peasant　on　the　estate　should；　as　he　walked　behind　the　plough；　indulge　in　a　regular　course　of　reading　Franklin's　Notes　on　Electricity；　Virgil's　Georgics；　or　some　work　on　the　chemical　properties　of　soil。

〃Good　gracious！〃　mentally　exclaimed　Chichikov。　〃Why；　I　myself　have　not　had　time　to　finish　that　book　by　the　Duchesse　de　la　Valliere！〃

Much　else　the　Colonel　said。　In　particular　did　he　aver　that；　provided　the　Russian　peasant　could　be　induced　to　array　himself　in　German　costume；　science　would　progress；　trade　increase；　and　the　Golden　Age　dawn　in　Russia。

For　a　while　Chichikov　listened　with　distended　eyes。　Then　he　felt　constrained　to　intimate　that　with　all　that　he　had　nothing　to　do；　seeing　that　his　business　was　merely　to　acquire　a　few　souls；　and　thereafter　to　have　their　purchase　confirmed。

〃If　I　understand　you　aright；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃you　wish　to　present　a　Statement　of　Plea？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　so。〃

〃Then　kindly　put　it　into　writing；　and　it　shall　be　forwarded　to　the　Office　for　the　Reception　of　Reports　and　Returns。　Thereafter　that　Office　will　consider　it；　and　return　it　to　me；　who　will；　in　turn；　dispatch　it　to　the　Estate　Works　Committee；　who　will；　in　turn；　revise　it；　and　present　it　to　the　Administrator；　who；　jointly　with　the　Secretary；　will〃

〃Pardon　me；〃　expostulated　Chichikov；　〃but　that　procedure　will　take　up　a　great　deal　of　time。　Why　need　I　put　the　matter　into　writing　at　all？　It　is　simply　this。　I　want　a　few　souls　which　arewell；　which　are；　so　to　speak；　dead。〃

〃Very　good；〃　commented　the　Colonel。　〃Do　you　write　down　in　your　Statement　of　Plea　that　the　souls　which　you　desire　are；　'so　to　speak；　dead。'〃

〃But　what　would　be　the　use　of　my　doing　so？　Though　the　souls　are　dead；　my　purpose　requires　that　they　should　be　represented　as　alive。〃

〃Very　good；〃　again　commented　the　Colonel。　〃Do　you　write　down　in　your　Statement　that　'it　is　necessary'　（or；　should　you　prefer　an　alternative　phrase；　'it　is　requested；'　or　'it　is　desiderated；'　or　'it　is　prayed；'）　'that　the　souls　be　represented　as　alive。'　At　all　events；　WITHOUT　documentary　process　of　that　kind；　the　matter　cannot　possibly　be　carried　through。　Also；　I　will　appoint　a　Commissioner　to　guide　you　round　the　various　Offices。〃

And　he　sounded　a　bell；　whereupon　there　presented　himself　a　man　whom；　addressing　as　〃Secretary；〃　the　Colonel　instructed　to　summon　the　〃Commissioner。〃　The　latter；　on　appearing；　was　seen　to　have　the　air；　half　of　a　peasant；　half　of　an　official。

〃This　man；〃　the　Colonel　said　to　Chichikov；　〃will　act　as　your　escort。〃

What　could　be　done　with　a　lunatic　like　Koshkarev？　In　the　end；　curiosity　moved　Chichikov　to　accompany　the　Commissioner。　The　Committee　for　the　Reception　of　Reports　and　Returns　was　discovered　to　have　put　up　its　shutters；　and　to　have　locked　its　doors；　for　the　reason　that　the　Director　of　the　Committee　had　been　transferred　to　the　newly…formed　Committee　of　Estate　Management；　and　his　successor　had　been　annexed　by　the　same　Committee。　Next；　Chichikov　and　his　escort　rapped　at　the　doors　of　the　Department　of　Estate　Affairs；　but　that　Department's　quarters　happened　to　be　in　a　state　of　repair；　and　no　one　could　be　made　to　answer　the　summons　save　a　drunken　peasant　from　whom　not　a　word　of　sense　was　to　be　extracted。　At　length　the　escort　felt　himself　removed　to　remark：

〃There　is　a　deal　of　foolishness　going　on　here。　Fellows　like　that　drunkard　lead　the　barin　by　the　nose；　and　everything　is　ruled　by　the　Committee　of　Management；　which　takes　men　from　their　proper　work；　and　sets　them　to　do　any　other　it　likes。　Indeed；　only　through　the　Committee　does　ANYTHING　get　done。〃

By　this　time　Chichikov　felt　that　he　had　seen　enough；　wherefore　he　returned　to　the　Colonel；　and　informed　him　that　the　Office　for　the　Reception　of　Reports　and　Returns　had　ceased　to　exist。　At　once　the　Colonel　flamed　to　noble　rage。　Pressing　Chichikov's　hand　in　token　of　gratitude　for　the　information　which　the　guest　had　furnished；　he　took　paper　and　pen；　and　noted　eight　searching　questions　under　three　separate　headings：　（1）　〃Why　has　the　Committee　of　Management　presumed　to　issue　orders　to　officials　not　under　its　jurisdiction？〃　（2）　〃Why　has　the　Chief　Manager　permitted　his　predecessor；　though　still　in　retention　of　his　post；　to　follow　him　to　another　Department？〃　and　（3）　〃Why　has　the　Committee　of　Estate　Affairs　suffered　the　Office　for　the　Reception　of　Reports　and　Returns　to　lapse？〃

〃Now　for　a　row！〃　thought　Chichikov　to　himself；　and　turned　to　depart；　but　his　host　stopped　him；　saying：

〃I　cannot　let　you　go；　for；　in　addition　to　my　honour　having　become　involved；　it　behoves　me　to　show　my　people　how　the　regular；　the　organised；　administration　of　an　estate　may　be　conducted。　Herewith　I　will　hand　over　the　conduct　of　your　affair　to　a　man　who　is　worth　all　the　rest　of　the　staff　put　together；　and　has　had　a　university　education。　Also；　the　better　to　lose　no　time；　may　I　humbly　beg　you　to　step　into　my　library；　where　you　will　find　notebooks；　paper；　pens；　and　everything　else　that　you　may　require。　Of　these　articles　pray　make　full　use；　for　you　are　a　gentleman　of　letters；　and　it　is　your　and　my　joint　duty　to　bring　enlightenment　to　all。〃

So　saying；　he　ushered　his　guest　into　a　large　room　lined　from　floor　to　ceiling　with　books　and　stuffed　specimens。　The　books　in　question　were　divided　into　sectionsa　section　on　forestry；　a　section　on　cattle…breeding；　a　section　on　the　raising　of　swine；　and　a　section　on　horticulture；　together　with　special　journals　of　the　type　circulated　merely　for　the　purposes　of　reference；　and　not　for　general　reading。　Perceiving　that　these　works　were　scarcely　of　a　kind　calculated　to　while　away　an　idle　hour；　Chichikov　turned　to　a　second　bookcase。　But　to　do　so　was　to　fall　out　of　the　frying…pan　into　the　fire；　for　the　contents　of　the　second　bookcase　proved　to　be　works　on　philosophy；　while；　in　particular；　six　huge　volumes　confronted　him　under　a　label　inscribed　〃A　Preparatory　Course　to　the　Province　of　Thought；　with　the　Theory　of　Community　of　Effort；　Co…operation；　and　Subsistence；　in　its　Application　to　a　Right　Understanding　of　the　Organic　Principles　of　a　Mutual　Division　of　Social　Productivity。〃　Indeed；　wheresoever　Chichikov　looked；　every　page　presented　to　his　vision　some　such　words　as　〃phenomenon；〃　〃development；〃　〃abstract；〃　〃contents；〃　and　〃synopsis。〃　〃This　is　not　the　sort　of　thing　for　me；〃　he　murmured；　and　turned　his　attention　to　a　third　bookcase；　which　contained　books　on　the　Arts。　Extracting　a　huge　tome　in　which　some　by　no　means　reticent　mythological　illustrations　were　contained；　he　set　himself　to　examine　these　pictures。　They　were　of　the　kind　which　pleases　mostly　middle…aged　bachelors　and　old　men　who　are　accustomed　to　seek　in　the　ballet　and　similar　frivolities　a　further　spur　to　their　waning　passions。　Having　concluded　his　examination；　Chichikov　had　just　extracted　another　volume　of　the　same　species　when　Colonel　Koshkarev　returned　with　a　document　of　some　sort　and　a　radiant　countenance。

〃Everything　has　been　carried　through　in　due　form！〃　he　cried。　〃The　man　whom　I　mentioned　is　a　genius　indeed；　and　I　intend　not　only　to　promote　him　over　the　rest；　but　also　to　create　for　him　a　special　Department。　Herewith　shall　you　hear　what　a　splendid　intellect　is　his；　and　how　in　a　few　minutes　he　has　put　the　whole　affair　in　order。〃

〃May　the　Lord　be　thanked　for　that！〃　thought　Chichikov。　Then　he　settled　himself　while　the　Colonel　read　aloud：

〃'After　giving　full　consideration　to　the　Reference　which　your　Excellency　has　entrusted　to　me；　I　have　the　honour　to　report　as　follows：

〃'（1）　In　the　Statement　of　Plea　presented　by　one　Paul　Ivanovitch　Chichikov；　Gentleman；　Chevalier；　and　Collegiate　Councillor；　there　lurks　an　error；　in　that　an　oversight　has　led　the　Petitioner　to　apply　to　Revisional　Souls　the　term　〃Dead。〃　Now；　from　the　context　it　would　appear　that　by　this　term　the　Petitioner　desires　to　signify　Souls　Approaching　Death　rather　than　Souls　Actually　Deceased：　wherefore　the　term　employed　betrays　such　an　empirical　instruction　in　letters　as　must；　beyond　doubt；　have　been　confined　to　the　Village　School；　seeing　that　in　truth　the　Soul　is　Deathless。'

〃The　rascal！〃　Koshkarev　broke　off　to　exclaim　delightedly。　〃He　has　got　you　there；　Monsieur　Chichikov。　And　you　will　admit　that　he　has　a　sufficiently　incisive　pen？

〃'（2）　On　this　Estate　there　exist　no　Unmortgaged　Souls　whatsoever；　whether　Approaching　Death　or　Otherwise；　for　the　reason　that　all　Souls　thereon　have　been　pledged　not　only　under　a　First　Deed　of　Mortgage；　but　also　（for　the　sum　of　One　Hundred　and　Fifty　Roubles　per　Soul）　under　a　Second；the　village　of　Gurmailovka　alone　excepted；　in　that；　in　consequence　of　a　Suit　having　been　brought　against　Landowner　Priadistchev；　and　of　a　caveat　having　been　pronounced　by　the　Land　Court；　and　of　such　caveat　having　been　published　in　No。　42　of　the　Gazette　of　Moscow；　the　said　Village　has　come　within　the　Jurisdiction　of　the　Court　Above…Mentioned。〃

〃Why　did　you　not　tell　me　all　this　before？〃　cried　Chichikov　furiously。　〃Why　you　have　kept　me　dancing　about　for　nothing？〃

〃Because　it　was　absolutely　necessary　that　you　should　view　the　matter　through　forms　of　documentary　process。　This　is　no　jest　on　my　part。　The　inexperienced　may　see　things　subconsciously；　yet　is　imperative　that　he　should　also　see　them　CONSCIOUSLY。〃

But　to　C