the calash-第2章

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knife　in　hand；　at　the　composition　of　ragouts　and　jellies。　The　immense

quantity　of　long…necked　bottles；　mingled　with　shorter　ones；　holding

claret　and　madeira；　the　fine　summer　day；　the　wide…open　windows；　the

plates　piled　up　with　ice　on　the　table；　the　crumpled　shirt…fronts　of

the　gentlemen　in　plain　clothes；　and　a　brisk　and　noisy　conversation；

now　dominated　by　the　general's　voice；　and　now　besprinkled　with

champagne；　were　all　in　perfect　harmony。　The　guests　rose　from　the　table

with　a　pleasant　feeling　of　repletion；　and；　after　having　lit　their

pipes；　all　stepped　out；　coffee…cups　in　hand；　on　to　the　verandah。



〃We　can　see　her　now；〃　said　the　general。　〃Here；　my　dear　fellow；〃　added

he；　addressing　his　aide…de…camp；　an　active　well…made　young　officer；

〃have　the　bay　mare　brought　here。　You　shall　see　for　yourselves；

gentlemen。〃



At　these　words　the　general　took　a　long　pull　at　his　pipe。



〃She　is　not　quite　recovered　yet；　there　is　not　a　decent　stable　in　this

cursed　little　place。　But　she　is　not　bad　looking〃　puffpuff；　the

general　here　let　out　the　smoke　which　he　had　kept　in　his　mouth　till

then〃the　little　mare。〃



〃It　is　long　since　your　excellency〃　puffpuffpuff〃condescended

to　buy　her？〃　asked　Tchertokoutski。



Puffpuffpuffpuff。　〃Not　very　long；　I　had　her　from　the　breeding

establishment　two　years　ago。〃



〃And　did　your　excellency　condescend　to　take　her　ready　broken；　or　to

have　her　broken　in　here　yourself？〃



Puffpuffpuffpuff。　〃Here。〃



As　he　spoke　the　general　disappeared　behind　a　cloud　of　smoke。



At　that　moment　a　soldier　jumped　out　of　the　stable。　The　trampling　of　a

horse's　hoofs　was　heard；　and　another　soldier　with　immense　moustaches；

and　wearing　a　long　white　tunic；　appeared；　leading　by　the　bridle　the

terrified　and　quivering　mare；　which；　suddenly　rearing；　lifted　him　off

his　feet。



〃Come；　come；　Agrafena　Ivanovna；〃　said　he；　leading　her　towards　the

verandah。



The　mare's　name　was　Agrafena　Ivanovna。　Strong　and　bold　as　a　Southern

beauty；　she　suddenly　became　motionless。



The　general　began　to　look　at　her　with　evident　satisfaction；　and　left

off　smoking。　The　colonel　himself　went　down　the　steps　and　patted　her

neck。　The　major　ran　his　hand　down　her　legs；　and　all　the　other　officers

clicked　their　tongues　at　her。



Tchertokoutski　left　the　verandah　to　take　up　a　position　beside　the

mare。　The　soldier　who　held　her　bridle　drew　himself　up　and　stared

fixedly　at　the　guests。



〃She　is　very　fine；　very　fine；〃　said　Tchertokoutski；　〃a　very

well…shaped　beast。　Will　your　excellency　allow　me　to　ask　whether　she　is

a　good　goer？〃



〃She　goes　well；　but　that　idiot　of　a　doctor；　deuce　take　him；　has　given

her　some　balls　which　have　made　her　sneeze　for　the　last　two　days。〃



〃She　is　a　fine　beast；　a　very　fine　beast。　Has　your　excellency　a

turn…out　to　match　the　horse？〃



〃Turn…out！　but　she's　a　saddle　horse。〃



〃I　know。　I　put　the　question；　your　excellency；　to　know　if　you　have　an

equipage　worthy　of　your　other　horses？〃



〃No；　I　have　not　much　in　the　way　of　equipages；　I　must　admit　that；　for

some　time　past；　I　have　been　wanting　to　buy　a　calash；　such　as　they

build　now…a…days。　I　have　written　about　it　to　my　brother　who　is　now　at

St。　Petersburg；　but　I　do　not　know　whether　he　will　be　able　to　send　me

one。〃



〃It　seems　to　me；　your　excellency；〃　remarked　the　colonel；　〃that　there

are　no　better　calashes　than　those　of　Vienna。〃



〃You　are　right。〃　Puffpuffpuff。



〃I　have　an　excellent　calash；　your　excellency；　a　real　Viennese　calash；〃

said　Tchertokoutski。



〃That　in　which　you　came？〃



〃Oh　no；　I　make　use　of　that　for　ordinary　service；　but　the　other　is

something　extraordinary。　It　is　as　light　as　a　feather；　and　if　you　sit

in　it；　it　seems　as　if　your　nurse　was　rocking　you　in　a　cradle。〃



〃It　is　very　comfortable　then？〃



〃Extremely　comfortable；　the　cushions；　the　springs；　and　everything　else

are　perfect。〃



〃Ah！　that　is　good。〃



〃And　what　a　quantity　of　things　can　be　packed　away　in　it。　I　have　never

seen　anything　like　it；　your　excellency。　When　I　was　still　in　the

service　there　was　room　enough　in　the　body　to　stow　away　ten　bottles　of

rum；　twenty　pounds　of　tobacco；　six　uniforms；　and　two　pipes；　the

longest　pipes　imaginable；　your　excellency；　and　in　the　pockets　inside

you　could　stow　away　a　whole　bullock。〃



〃That　is　very　good。〃



〃It　cost　four　thousand　rubles；　your　excellency。〃



〃It　ought　to　be　good　at　that　price。　Did　you　buy　it　yourself？〃



〃No；　your　excellency；　I　had　it　by　chance。　It　was　bought　by　one　of　my

oldest　friends；　a　fine　fellow　with　whom　you　would　be　very　well

pleased。　We　are　very　intimate。　What　is　mine　is　his；　and　what　is　his　is

mine。　I　won　it　of　him　at　cards。　Would　your　excellency　have　the

kindness　to　honour　me　at　dinner　to…morrow？　You　could　see　my　calash。〃



〃I　don't　know　what　to　say。　Alone　I　could　notbut　if　you　would　allow

me　to　come　with　these　officers〃



〃I　beg　of　them　to　come　too。　I　shall　esteem　it　a　great　honour；

gentlemen；　to　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　at　my　house。〃



The　colonel；　the　major；　and　the　other　officers　thanked　Tchertokoutski。



〃I　am　of　opinion　myself；　your　excellency；　that　if　one　buys　anything　it

should　be　good；　it　is　not　worth　the　trouble　of　getting；　if　it　turns

out　bad。　If　you　do　me　the　honour　of　calling　on　me　to…morrow；　I　will

show　you　some　improvements　I　have　introduced　on　my　estate。〃



The　general　looked　at　him；　and　puffed　out　a　fresh　cloud　of　smoke。



Tchertokoutski　was　charmed　with　his　notion　of　inviting　the　officers；

and　mentally　ordered　in　advance　all　manner　of　dishes　for　their

entertainment。　He　smiled　at　these　gentlemen；　who　on　their　part

appeared　to　increase　their　show　of　attention　towards　him；　as　was

noticeable　from　the　expression　of　their　eyes　and　the　little　half…nods

they　bestowed　upon　him。　His　bearing　assumed　a　certain　ease；　and　his

voice　expressed　his　great　satisfaction。



〃Your　excellency　will　make　the　acquaintance　of　the　mistress　of　the

house。〃



〃That　will　be　most　agreeable　to　me；〃　said　the　general；　twirling　his

moustache。



Tchertokoutski　was　firmly　resolved　to　return　home　at　once　in　order　to

make　all　necessary　preparations　in　good　time。　He　had　already　taken　his

hat；　but　a　strange　fatality　caused　him　to　remain　for　some　time　at　the

general's。　The　card　tables　had　been　set　out；　and　all　the　company；

separating　into　groups　of　four；　scattered　itself　about　the　room。

Lights　were　brought　in。　Tchertokoutski　did　not　know　whether　he　ought

to　sit　down　to　whist。　But　as　the　officers　invited　him；　he　thought　that

the　rules　of　good　breeding　obliged　him　to　accept。　He　sat　down。　I　do

not　know　how　a　glass　of　punch　found　itself　at　his　elbow；　but　he　drank

it　off　without　thinking。　After　playing　two　rubbers；　he　found　another

glass　close　to　his　hand　which　he　drank　off　in　the　same　way；　though　not

without　remarking：



〃It　is　really　time　for　me　to　go；　gentlemen。〃



He　began　to　play　a　fresh　rubber。　However；　the　conversation　which　was

going　on　in　every　corner　of　the　room　took　an　especial　turn。　Those　who

were　playing　whist　were　quiet　enough；　but　the　others　talked　a　great

deal。　A　captain　had　taken　up　his　position　on　a　sofa；　and　leaning

against　a　cushion；　pipe　in　mouth；　he　captivated　the　attention　of　a

circle　of　guests　gathered　about　him　by　his　eloquent　narrative　of

amorous　adventures。　A　very　stout　gentleman　whose　arms　were　so　short

that　they　looked　like　two　potatoes　hanging　by　his　sides；　listened　to

him　with　a　very　satisfied　expression；　and　from　time　to　time　exerted

himself　to　pull　his　tobacco…pouch　out　of　his　coat…tail　pocket。　A

somewhat　brisk　discussion　on　cavalry　drill　had　arisen　in　another

corner；　and　Tchertokoutski；　who　had　twice　already　played　a　knave　for　a

king；　mingled　in　the　conversation　by　calling　out　from　his　place：　〃In

what　year？〃　or　〃What　regiment？〃　without　noticing　that　very　often　his

question　had　no　application　whatever。　At　length；　a　few　minutes　before

supper；　play　came　to　an　end。　Tchertokoutski　could　remember　that　he　had

won