dead souls(死魂灵)-第56章

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a　well…starched　dickey：　and　soon　the　scheme　began　to　work。　The　surly　Chief　Clerk　wavered　for　a　while；　then　ended　by　inviting　Chichikov　to　tea。　Nor　could　any　man　in　the　office　have　told　you　how　it　came　about　that　before　long　Chichikov　had　removed　to　the　Chief　Clerk's　house；　and　become　a　person　necessaryindeed　indispensableto　the　household；　seeing　that　he　bought　the　flour　and　the　sugar；　treated　the　daughter　as　his　betrothed；　called　the　Chief　Clerk　〃Papenka；〃　and　occasionally　kissed　〃Papenka's〃　hand。　In　fact；　every　one　at　the　office　supposed　that；　at　the　end　of　February　（i。e。　before　the　beginning　of　Lent）　there　would　take　place　a　wedding。　Nay；　the　surly　father　even　began　to　agitate　with　the　authorities　on　Chichikov's　behalf；　and　so　enabled　our　hero；　on　a　vacancy　occurring；　to　attain　the　stool　of　a　Chief　Clerk。　Apparently　this　marked　the　consummation　of　Chichikov's　relations　with　his　host；　for　he　hastened　stealthily　to　pack　his　trunk　and；　the　next　day；　figured　in　a　fresh　lodging。　Also；　he　ceased　to　call　the　Chief　Clerk　〃Papenka；〃　or　to　kiss　his　hand；　and　the　matter　of　the　wedding　came　to　as　abrupt　a　termination　as　though　it　had　never　been　mooted。　Yet　also　he　never　failed　to　press　his　late　host's　hand；　whenever　he　met　him；　and　to　invite　him　to　tea；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　for　all　his　immobility　and　dry　indifference；　the　Chief　Clerk　never　failed　to　shake　his　head　with　a　muttered；　〃Ah；　my　fine　fellow；　you　have　grown　too　proud；　you　have　grown　too　proud。〃

The　foregoing　constituted　the　most　difficult　step　that　our　hero　had　to　negotiate。　Thereafter　things　came　with　greater　ease　and　swifter　success。　Everywhere　he　attracted　notice；　for　he　developed　within　himself　everything　necessary　for　this　worldnamely；　charm　of　manner　and　bearing；　and　great　diligence　in　business　matters。　Armed　with　these　resources；　he　next　obtained　promotion　to　what　is　known　as　〃a　fat　post；〃　and　used　it　to　the　best　advantage；　and　even　though；　at　that　period；　strict　inquiry　had　begun　to　be　made　into　the　whole　subject　of　bribes；　such　inquiry　failed　to　alarm　himnay；　he　actually　turned　it　to　account　and　thereby　manifested　the　Russian　resourcefulness　which　never　fails　to　attain　its　zenith　where　extortion　is　concerned。　His　method　of　working　was　the　following。　As　soon　as　a　petitioner　or　a　suitor　put　his　hand　into　his　pocket；　to　extract　thence　the　necessary　letters　of　recommendation　for　signature；　Chichikov　would　smilingly　exclaim　as　he　detained　his　interlocutor's　hand：　〃No；　no！　Surely　you　do　not　think　that　I？　But　no；　no！　It　is　our　duty；　it　is　our　obligation；　and　we　do　not　require　rewards　for　doing　our　work　properly。　So　far　as　YOUR　matter　is　concerned；　you　may　rest　easy。　Everything　shall　be　carried　through　to…morrow。　But　may　I　have　your　address？　There　is　no　need　to　trouble　yourself；　seeing　that　the　documents　can　easily　be　brought　to　you　at　your　residence。〃　Upon　which　the　delighted　suitor　would　return　home　in　raptures；　thinking：　〃Here；　at　long　last；　is　the　sort　of　man　so　badly　needed。　A　man　of　that　kind　is　a　jewel　beyond　price。〃　Yet　for　a　day；　for　two　daysnay；　even　for　threethe　suitor　would　wait　in　vain　so　far　as　any　messengers　with　documents　were　concerned。　Then　he　would　repair　to　the　officeto　find　that　his　business　had　not　so　much　as　been　entered　upon！　Lastly；　he　would　confront　the　〃jewel　beyond　price。〃　〃Oh；　pardon　me；　pardon　me！〃　Chichikov　would　exclaim　in　the　politest　of　tones　as　he　seized　and　grasped　the　visitor's　hands。　〃The　truth　is　that　we　have　SUCH　a　quantity　of　business　on　hand！　But　the　matter　shall　be　put　through　to…morrow；　and　in　the　meanwhile　I　am　most　sorry　about　it。〃　And　with　this　would　go　the　most　fascinating　of　gestures。　Yet　neither　on　the　morrow；　nor　on　the　day　following；　nor　on　the　third　would　documents　arrive　at　the　suitor's　abode。　Upon　that　he　would　take　thought　as　to　whether　something　more　ought　not　to　have　been　done；　and；　sure　enough；　on　his　making　inquiry；　he　would　be　informed　that　〃something　will　have　to　be　given　to　the　copyists。〃　〃Well；　there　can　be　no　harm　in　that；〃　he　would　reply。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　have　ready　a　tchetvertak＇3＇　or　two。〃　〃Oh；　no；　no；〃　the　answer　would　come。　〃Not　a　tchetvertak　per　copyist；　but　a　rouble；　is　the　fee。〃　〃What？　A　rouble　per　copyist？〃　〃Certainly。　What　is　there　to　grumble　at　in　that？　Of　the　money　the　copyists　will　receive　a　tchetvertak　apiece；　and　the　rest　will　go　to　the　Government。〃　Upon　that　the　disillusioned　suitor　would　fly　out　upon　the　new　order　of　things　brought　about　by　the　inquiry　into　illicit　fees；　and　curse　both　the　tchinovniks　and　their　uppish；　insolent　behaviour。　〃Once　upon　a　time；〃　would　the　suitor　lament；　〃one　DID　know　what　to　do。　Once　one　had　tipped　the　Director　a　bank…note；　one's　affair　was；　so　to　speak；　in　the　hat。　But　now　one　has　to　pay　a　rouble　per　copyist　after　waiting　a　week　because　otherwise　it　was　impossible　to　guess　how　the　wind　might　set！　The　devil　fly　away　with　all　'disinterested'　and　'trustworthy'　tchinovniks！〃　And　certainly　the　aggrieved　suitor　had　reason　to　grumble；　seeing　that；　now　that　bribe…takers　had　ceased　to　exist；　and　Directors　had　uniformly　become　men　of　honour　and　integrity；　secretaries　and　clerks　ought　not　with　impunity　to　have　continued　their　thievish　ways。　In　time　there　opened　out　to　Chichikov　a　still　wider　field；　for　a　Commission　was　appointed　to　supervise　the　erection　of　a　Government　building；　and；　on　his　being　nominated　to　that　body；　he　proved　himself　one　of　its　most　active　members。　The　Commission　got　to　work　without　delay；　but　for　a　space　of　six　years　had　some　trouble　with　the　building　in　question。　Either　the　climate　hindered　operations　or　the　materials　used　were　of　the　kind　which　prevents　official　edifices　from　ever　rising　higher　than　the　basement。　But；　meanwhile；　OTHER　quarters　of　the　town　saw　arise；　for　each　member　of　the　Commission；　a　handsome　house　of　the　NON…official　style　of　architecture。　Clearly　the　foundation　afforded　by　the　soil　of　those　parts　was　better　than　that　where　the　Government　building　was　still　engaged　in　hanging　fire！　Likewise　the　members　of　the　Commission　began　to　look　exceedingly　prosperous；　and　to　blossom　out　into　family　life；　and；　for　the　first　time　in　his　existence；　even　Chichikov　also　departed　from　the　iron　laws　of　his　self…imposed　restraint　and　inexorable　self…denial；　and　so　far　mitigated　his　heretofore　asceticism　as　to　show　himself　a　man　not　averse　to　those　amenities　which；　during　his　youth；　he　had　been　capable　of　renouncing。　That　is　to　say；　certain　superfluities　began　to　make　their　appearance　in　his　establishment。　He　engaged　a　good　cook；　took　to　wearing　linen　shirts；　bought　for　himself　cloth　of　a　pattern　worn　by　no　one　else　in　the　province；　figured　in　checks　shot　with　the　brightest　of　reds　and　browns；　fitted　himself　out　with　two　splendid　horses　（which　he　drove　with　a　single　pair　of　reins；　added　to　a　ring　attachment　for　the　trace　horse）；　developed　a　habit　of　washing　with　a　sponge　dipped　in　eau…de…Cologne；　and　invested　in　soaps　of　the　most　expensive　quality；　in　order　to　communicate　to　his　skin　a　more　elegant　polish。

＇3＇　A　silver　quarter　rouble。

But　suddenly　there　appeared　upon　the　scene　a　new　Directora　military　man；　and　a　martinet　as　regarded　his　hostility　to　bribe…takers　and　anything　which　might　be　called　irregular。　On　the　very　day　after　his　arrival　he　struck　fear　into　every　breast　by　calling　for　accounts；　discovering　hosts　of　deficits　and　missing　sums；　and　directing　his　attention　to　the　aforesaid　fine　houses　of　civilian　architecture。　Upon　that　there　ensued　a　complete　reshuffling。　Tchinovniks　were　retired　wholesale；　and　the　houses　were　sequestrated　to　the　Government；　or　else　converted　into　various　pious　institutions　and　schools　for　soldiers'　children。　Thus　the　whole　fabric；　and　especially　Chichikov；　came　crashing　to　the　ground。　Particularly　did　our　hero's　agreeable　face　displease　the　new　Director。　Why　that　was　so　it　is　impossible　to　say；　but　frequently；　in　cases　of　the　kind；　no　reason　exists。　However；　the　Director　conceived　a　mortal　dislike　to　him；　and　also　extended　that　enmity　to　the　whole　of　Chichikov's　colleagues。　But　inasmuch　as　the　said　Director　was　a　military　man；　he　was　not　fully　acquainted　with　the　myriad　subtleties　of　the　civilian　mind；　wherefore　it　was　not　long　before；　by　dint　of　maintaining　a　discreet　exterior；　added　to　a　faculty　for　hum