dead souls(死魂灵)-第42章

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elf…same　position。　Shortly　afterwards　there　arrived　a　card　of　invitation　to　the　Governor's　ball　already　referred　to。　In　passing；　it　may　be　said　that　such　festivities　are　not　infrequent　phenomena　in　county　towns；　for　the　reason　that　where　Governors　exist　there　must　take　place　balls　if　from　the　local　gentry　there　is　to　be　evoked　that　respectful　affection　which　is　every　Governor's　due。

Thenceforth　all　extraneous　thoughts　and　considerations　were　laid　aside　in　favour　of　preparing　for　the　coming　function。　Indeed；　this　conjunction　of　exciting　and　provocative　motives　led　to　Chichikov　devoting　to　his　toilet　an　amount　of　time　never　witnessed　since　the　creation　of　the　world。　Merely　in　the　contemplation　of　his　features　in　the　mirror；　as　he　tried　to　communicate　to　them　a　succession　of　varying　expressions；　was　an　hour　spent。　First　of　all　he　strove　to　make　his　features　assume　an　air　of　dignity　and　importance；　and　then　an　air　of　humble；　but　faintly　satirical；　respect；　and　then　an　air　of　respect　guiltless　of　any　alloy　whatsoever。　Next；　he　practised　performing　a　series　of　bows　to　his　reflection；　accompanied　with　certain　murmurs　intended　to　bear　a　resemblance　to　a　French　phrase　（though　Chichikov　knew　not　a　single　word　of　the　Gallic　tongue）。　Lastly　came　the　performing　of　a　series　of　what　I　might　call　〃agreeable　surprises；〃　in　the　shape　of　twitchings　of　the　brow　and　lips　and　certain　motions　of　the　tongue。　In　short；　he　did　all　that　a　man　is　apt　to　do　when　he　is　not　only　alone；　but　also　certain　that　he　is　handsome　and　that　no　one　is　regarding　him　through　a　chink。　Finally　he　tapped　himself　lightly　on　the　chin；　and　said；　〃Ah；　good　old　face！〃　In　the　same　way；　when　he　started　to　dress　himself　for　the　ceremony；　the　level　of　his　high　spirits　remained　unimpaired　throughout　the　process。　That　is　to　say；　while　adjusting　his　braces　and　tying　his　tie；　he　shuffled　his　feet　in　what　was　not　exactly　a　dance；　but　might　be　called　the　entr'acte　of　a　dance：　which　performance　had　the　not　very　serious　result　of　setting　a　wardrobe　a…rattle；　and　causing　a　brush　to　slide　from　the　table　to　the　floor。

Later；　his　entry　into　the　ballroom　produced　an　extraordinary　effect。　Every　one　present　came　forward　to　meet　him；　some　with　cards　in　their　hands；　and　one　man　even　breaking　off　a　conversation　at　the　most　interesting　pointnamely；　the　point　that　〃the　Inferior　Land　Court　must　be　made　responsible　for　everything。〃　Yes；　in　spite　of　the　responsibility　of　the　Inferior　Land　Court；　the　speaker　cast　all　thoughts　of　it　to　the　winds　as　he　hurried　to　greet　our　hero。　From　every　side　resounded　acclamations　of　welcome；　and　Chichikov　felt　himself　engulfed　in　a　sea　of　embraces。　Thus；　scarcely　had　he　extricated　himself　from　the　arms　of　the　President　of　the　Local　Council　when　he　found　himself　just　as　firmly　clasped　in　the　arms　of　the　Chief　of　Police；　who；　in　turn；　surrendered　him　to　the　Inspector　of　the　Medical　Department；　who；　in　turn；　handed　him　over　to　the　Commissioner　of　Taxes；　who；　again；　committed　him　to　the　charge　of　the　Town　Architect。　Even　the　Governor；　who　hitherto　had　been　standing　among　his　womenfolk　with　a　box　of　sweets　in　one　hand　and　a　lap…dog　in　the　other；　now　threw　down　both　sweets　and　lap…dog　（the　lap…dog　giving　vent　to　a　yelp　as　he　did　so）　and　added　his　greeting　to　those　of　the　rest　of　the　company。　Indeed；　not　a　face　was　there　to　be　seen　on　which　ecstatic　delightor；　at　all　events；　the　reflection　of　other　people's　ecstatic　delightwas　not　painted。　The　same　expression　may　be　discerned　on　the　faces　of　subordinate　officials　when；　the　newly　arrived　Director　having　made　his　inspection；　the　said　officials　are　beginning　to　get　over　their　first　sense　of　awe　on　perceiving　that　he　has　found　much　to　commend；　and　that　he　can　even　go　so　far　as　to　jest　and　utter　a　few　words　of　smiling　approval。　Thereupon　every　tchinovnik　responds　with　a　smile　of　double　strength；　and　those　who　（it　may　be）　have　not　heard　a　single　word　of　the　Director's　speech　smile　out　of　sympathy　with　the　rest；　and　even　the　gendarme　who　is　posted　at　the　distant　doora　man；　perhaps；　who　has　never　before　compassed　a　smile；　but　is　more　accustomed　to　dealing　out　blows　to　the　populacesummons　up　a　kind　of　grin；　even　though　the　grin　resembles　the　grimace　of　a　man　who　is　about　to　sneeze　after　inadvertently　taking　an　over…large　pinch　of　snuff。　To　all　and　sundry　Chichikov　responded　with　a　bow；　and　felt　extraordinarily　at　his　ease　as　he　did　so。　To　right　and　left　did　he　incline　his　head　in　the　sidelong；　yet　unconstrained；　manner　that　was　his　wont　and　never　failed　to　charm　the　beholder。　As　for　the　ladies；　they　clustered　around　him　in　a　shining　bevy　that　was　redolent　of　every　species　of　perfumeof　roses；　of　spring　violets；　and　of　mignonette；　so　much　so　that　instinctively　Chichikov　raised　his　nose　to　snuff　the　air。　Likewise　the　ladies'　dresses　displayed　an　endless　profusion　of　taste　and　variety；　and　though　the　majority　of　their　wearers　evinced　a　tendency　to　embonpoint；　those　wearers　knew　how　to　call　upon　art　for　the　concealment　of　the　fact。　Confronting　them；　Chichikov　thought　to　himself：　〃Which　of　these　beauties　is　the　writer　of　the　letter？〃　Then　again　he　snuffed　the　air。　When　the　ladies　had；　to　a　certain　extent；　returned　to　their　seats；　he　resumed　his　attempts　to　discern　（from　glances　and　expressions）　which　of　them　could　possibly　be　the　unknown　authoress。　Yet；　though　those　glances　and　expressions　were　too　subtle；　too　insufficiently　open；　the　difficulty　in　no　way　diminished　his　high　spirits。　Easily　and　gracefully　did　he　exchange　agreeable　bandinage　with　one　lady；　and　then　approach　another　one　with　the　short；　mincing　steps　usually　affected　by　young…old　dandies　who　are　fluttering　around　the　fair。　As　he　turned；　not　without　dexterity；　to　right　and　left；　he　kept　one　leg　slightly　dragging　behind　the　other；　like　a　short　tail　or　comma。　This　trick　the　ladies　particularly　admired。　In　short；　they　not　only　discovered　in　him　a　host　of　recommendations　and　attractions；　but　also　began　to　see　in　his　face　a　sort　of　grand；　Mars…like；　military　expressiona　thing　which；　as　we　know；　never　fails　to　please　the　feminine　eye。　Certain　of　the　ladies　even　took　to　bickering　over　him；　and；　on　perceiving　that　he　spent　most　of　his　time　standing　near　the　door；　some　of　their　number　hastened　to　occupy　chairs　nearer　to　his　post　of　vantage。　In　fact；　when　a　certain　dame　chanced　to　have　the　good　fortune　to　anticipate　a　hated　rival　in　the　race　there　very　nearly　ensued　a　most　lamentable　scenewhich；　to　many　of　those　who　had　been　desirous　of　doing　exactly　the　same　thing；　seemed　a　peculiarly　horrible　instance　of　brazen…faced　audacity。

So　deeply　did　Chichikov　become　plunged　in　conversation　with　his　fair　pursuersor　rather；　so　deeply　did　those　fair　pursuers　enmesh　him　in　the　toils　of　small　talk　（which　they　accomplished　through　the　expedient　of　asking　him　endless　subtle　riddles　which　brought　the　sweat　to　his　brow　in　his　attempts　to　guess　them）that　he　forgot　the　claims　of　courtesy　which　required　him　first　of　all　to　greet　his　hostess。　In　fact；　he　remembered　those　claims　only　on　hearing　the　Governor's　wife　herself　addressing　him。　She　had　been　standing　before　him　for　several　minutes；　and　now　greeted　him　with　suave　expressement　and　the　words；　〃So　HERE　you　are；　Paul　Ivanovitch！〃　But　what　she　said　next　I　am　not　in　a　position　to　report；　for　she　spoke　in　the　ultra…refined　tone　and　vein　wherein　ladies　and　gentlemen　customarily　express　themselves　in　high…class　novels　which　have　been　written　by　experts　more　qualified　than　I　am　to　describe　salons；　and　able　to　boast　of　some　acquaintance　with　good　society。　In　effect；　what　the　Governor's　wife　said　was　that　she　hopedshe　greatly　hopedthat　Monsieur　Chichikov's　heart　still　contained　a　cornereven　the　smallest　possible　cornerfor　those　whom　he　had　so　cruelly　forgotten。　Upon　that　Chichikov　turned　to　her；　and　was　on　the　point　of　returning　a　reply　at　least　no　worse　than　that　which　would　have　been　returned；　under　similar　circumstances；　by　the　hero　of　a　fashionable　novelette；　when　he　stopped　short；　as　though　thunderstruck。

Before　him　there　was　standing　not　only　Madame；　but　also　a　young　girl　whom　she　was　holding　by　the　hand。　The　golden　hair；　the　fine…drawn；　delicate　contours；　the　face　with　its　bewitching　ovala　face　which　might　have　served　as　a　model　for　the　countenance　of