dead souls(死魂灵)-第69章

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himself　to　his　new　position。　To　begin　with；　he　encouraged　his　host　in　his　philosophical　inertia　by　saying　that　the　latter　would　help　Tientietnikov　to　become　a　centenarian。　Next；　in　the　matter　of　a　life　of　isolation；　he　hit　things　off　exactly　by　remarking　that　such　a　life　bred　in　a　man　a　capacity　for　high　thinking。　Lastly；　as　he　inspected　the　library　and　dilated　on　books　in　general；　he　contrived　an　opportunity　to　observe　that　literature　safeguarded　a　man　from　a　tendency　to　waste　his　time。　In　short；　the　few　words　of　which　he　delivered　himself　were　brief；　but　invariably　to　the　point。　And　this　discretion　of　speech　was　outdone　by　his　discretion　of　conduct。　That　is　to　say；　whether　entering　or　leaving　the　room；　he　never　wearied　his　host　with　a　question　if　Tientietnikov　had　the　air　of　being　disinclined　to　talk；　and　with　equal　satisfaction　the　guest　could　either　play　chess　or　hold　his　tongue。　Consequently　Tientietnikov　said　to　himself：

〃For　the　first　time　in　my　life　I　have　met　with　a　man　with　whom　it　is　possible　to　live。　In　general；　not　many　of　the　type　exist　in　Russia；　and；　though　clever；　good…humoured；　well…educated　men　abound；　one　would　be　hard　put　to　it　to　find　an　individual　of　equable　temperament　with　whom　one　could　share　a　roof　for　centuries　without　a　quarrel　arising。　Anyway；　Chichikov　is　the　first　of　his　sort　that　I　have　met。〃

For　his　part；　Chichikov　was　only　too　delighted　to　reside　with　a　person　so　quiet　and　agreeable　as　his　host。　Of　a　wandering　life　he　was　temporarily　weary；　and　to　rest；　even　for　a　month；　in　such　a　beautiful　spot；　and　in　sight　of　green　fields　and　the　slow　flowering　of　spring；　was　likely　to　benefit　him　also　from　the　hygienic　point　of　view。　And；　indeed；　a　more　delightful　retreat　in　which　to　recuperate　could　not　possibly　have　been　found。　The　spring；　long　retarded　by　previous　cold；　had　now　begun　in　all　its　comeliness；　and　life　was　rampant。　Already；　over　the　first　emerald　of　the　grass；　the　dandelion　was　showing　yellow；　and　the　red…pink　anemone　was　hanging　its　tender　head；　while　the　surface　of　every　pond　was　a　swarm　of　dancing　gnats　and　midges；　and　the　water…spider　was　being　joined　in　their　pursuit　by　birds　which　gathered　from　every　quarter　to　the　vantage…ground　of　the　dry　reeds。　Every　species　of　creature　also　seemed　to　be　assembling　in　concourse；　and　taking　stock　of　one　another。　Suddenly　the　earth　became　populous；　the　forest　had　opened　its　eyes；　and　the　meadows　were　lifting　up　their　voice　in　song。　In　the　same　way　had　choral　dances　begun　to　be　weaved　in　the　village；　and　everywhere　that　the　eye　turned　there　was　merriment。　What　brightness　in　the　green　of　nature；　what　freshness　in　the　air；　what　singing　of　birds　in　the　gardens　of　the　mansion；　what　general　joy　and　rapture　and　exaltation！　Particularly　in　the　village　might　the　shouting　and　singing　have　been　in　honour　of　a　wedding！

Chichikov　walked　hither；　thither；　and　everywherea　pursuit　for　which　there　was　ample　choice　and　facility。　At　one　time　he　would　direct　his　steps　along　the　edge　of　the　flat　tableland；　and　contemplate　the　depths　below；　where　still　there　lay　sheets　of　water　left　by　the　floods　of　winter；　and　where　the　island…like　patches　of　forest　showed　leafless　boughs；　while　at　another　time　he　would　plunge　into　the　thicket　and　ravine　country；　where　nests　of　birds　weighted　branches　almost　to　the　ground；　and　the　sky　was　darkened　with　the　criss…cross　flight　of　cawing　rooks。　Again；　the　drier　portions　of　the　meadows　could　be　crossed　to　the　river　wharves；　whence　the　first　barges　were　just　beginning　to　set　forth　with　pea…meal　and　barley　and　wheat；　while　at　the　same　time　one's　ear　would　be　caught　with　the　sound　of　some　mill　resuming　its　functions　as　once　more　the　water　turned　the　wheel。　Chichikov　would　also　walk　afield　to　watch　the　early　tillage　operations　of　the　season；　and　observe　how　the　blackness　of　a　new　furrow　would　make　its　way　across　the　expanse　of　green；　and　how　the　sower；　rhythmically　striking　his　hand　against　the　pannier　slung　across　his　breast；　would　scatter　his　fistfuls　of　seed　with　equal　distribution；　apportioning　not　a　grain　too　much　to　one　side　or　to　the　other。

In　fact；　Chichikov　went　everywhere。　He　chatted　and　talked；　now　with　the　bailiff；　now　with　a　peasant；　now　with　a　miller；　and　inquired　into　the　manner　and　nature　of　everything；　and　sought　information　as　to　how　an　estate　was　managed；　and　at　what　price　corn　was　selling；　and　what　species　of　grain　was　best　for　spring　and　autumn　grinding；　and　what　was　the　name　of　each　peasant；　and　who　were　his　kinsfolk；　and　where　he　had　bought　his　cow；　and　what　he　fed　his　pigs　on。　Chichikov　also　made　inquiry　concerning　the　number　of　peasants　who　had　lately　died：　but　of　these　there　appeared　to　be　few。　And　suddenly　his　quick　eye　discerned　that　Tientietnikov's　estate　was　not　being　worked　as　it　might　have　beenthat　much　neglect　and　listlessness　and　pilfering　and　drunkenness　was　abroad；　and　on　perceiving　this；　he　thought　to　himself：　〃What　a　fool　is　that　Tientietnikov！　To　think　of　letting　a　property　like　this　decay　when　he　might　be　drawing　from　it　an　income　of　fifty　thousand　roubles　a　year！〃

Also；　more　than　once；　while　taking　these　walks；　our　hero　pondered　the　idea　of　himself　becoming　a　landownernot　now；　of　course；　but　later；　when　his　chief　aim　should　have　been　achieved；　and　he　had　got　into　his　hands　the　necessary　means　for　living　the　quiet　life　of　the　proprietor　of　an　estate。　Yes；　and　at　these　times　there　would　include　itself　in　his　castle…building　the　figure　of　a　young；　fresh；　fair…faced　maiden　of　the　mercantile　or　other　rich　grade　of　society；　a　woman　who　could　both　play　and　sing。　He　also　dreamed　of　little　descendants　who　should　perpetuate　the　name　of　Chichikov；　perhaps　a　frolicsome　little　boy　and　a　fair　young　daughter；　or　possibly；　two　boys　and　quite　two　or　three　daughters；　so　that　all　should　know　that　he　had　really　lived　and　had　his　being；　that　he　had　not　merely　roamed　the　world　like　a　spectre　or　a　shadow；　so　that　for　him　and　his　the　country　should　never　be　put　to　shame。　And　from　that　he　would　go　on　to　fancy　that　a　title　appended　to　his　rank　would　not　be　a　bad　thingthe　title　of　State　Councillor；　for　instance；　which　was　deserving　of　all　honour　and　respect。　Ah；　it　is　a　common　thing　for　a　man　who　is　taking　a　solitary　walk　so　to　detach　himself　from　the　irksome　realities　of　the　present　that　he　is　able　to　stir　and　to　excite　and　to　provoke　his　imagination　to　the　conception　of　things　he　knows　can　never　really　come　to　pass！

Chichikov's　servants　also　found　the　mansion　to　their　taste；　and；　like　their　master；　speedily　made　themselves　at　home　in　it。　In　particular　did　Petrushka　make　friends　with　Grigory　the　butler；　although　at　first　the　pair　showed　a　tendency　to　outbrag　one　anotherPetrushka　beginning　by　throwing　dust　in　Grigory's　eyes　on　the　score　of　his　（Petrushka's）　travels；　and　Grigory　taking　him　down　a　peg　or　two　by　referring　to　St。　Petersburg　（a　city　which　Petrushka　had　never　visited）；　and　Petrushka　seeking　to　recover　lost　ground　by　dilating　on　towns　which　he　HAD　visited；　and　Grigory　capping　this　by　naming　some　town　which　is　not　to　be　found　on　any　map　in　existence；　and　then　estimating　the　journey　thither　as　at　least　thirty　thousand　verstsa　statement　which　would　so　completely　flabbergast　the　henchman　of　Chichikov's　suite　that　he　would　be　left　staring　open…mouthed；　amid　the　general　laughter　of　the　domestic　staff。　However；　as　I　say；　the　pair　ended　by　swearing　eternal　friendship　with　one　another；　and　making　a　practice　of　resorting　to　the　village　tavern　in　company。

For　Selifan；　however；　the　place　had　a　charm　of　a　different　kind。　That　is　to　say；　each　evening　there　would　take　place　in　the　village　a　singing　of　songs　and　a　weaving　of　country　dances；　and　so　shapely　and　buxom　were　the　maidensmaidens　of　a　type　hard　to　find　in　our　present…day　villages　on　large　estatesthat　he　would　stand　for　hours　wondering　which　of　them　was　the　best。　White…necked　and　white…bosomed；　all　had　great　roving　eyes；　the　gait　of　peacocks；　and　hair　reaching　to　the　waist。　And　as；　with　his　hands　clasping　theirs；　he　glided　hither　and　thither　in　the　dance；　or　retired　backwards　towards　a　wall　with　a　row　of　other　young　fellows；　and　then；　with　them；　returned　to　meet　the　damselsall　singing　in　chorus　（and　laughing　as　they　sang　it）；　〃Boyars；　show　me　my　bridegroom！〃　and　dusk