dead souls(死魂灵)-第87章

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〃No；　I　will　not　do　that；　he　has　tried　to　carry　off　things　with　too　high　a　hand。　But　YOU　can　go　if　you　like。〃

〃I　would　certainly　go　were　it　not　that　I　scarcely　like　to　interfere。　Also；　I　am　a　man　whom　he　could　easily　hoodwink　and　outwit。〃

〃Would　it　help　you　if　_I_　were　to　go？〃　put　in　Chichikov。　〃Pray　enlighten　me　as　to　the　matter。〃

Vassili　glanced　at　the　speaker；　and　thought　to　himself：　〃What　a　passion　the　man　has　for　travelling！〃

〃Yes；　pray　give　me　an　idea　of　the　kind　of　fellow；〃　repeated　Chichikov；　〃and　also　outline　to　me　the　affair。〃

〃I　should　be　ashamed　to　trouble　you　with　such　an　unpleasant　commission；〃　replied　Vassili。　〃He　is　a　man　whom　I　take　to　be　an　utter　rascal。　Originally　a　member　of　a　family　of　plain　dvoriane　in　this　province；　he　entered　the　Civil　Service　in　St。　Petersburg；　then　married　some　one's　natural　daughter　in　that　city；　and　has　returned　to　lord　it　with　a　high　hand。　I　cannot　bear　the　tone　he　adopts。　Our　folk　are　by　no　means　fools。　They　do　not　look　upon　the　current　fashion　as　the　Tsar's　ukaz　any　more　than　they　look　upon　St。　Petersburg　as　the　Church。〃

〃Naturally；〃　said　Chichikov。　〃But　tell　me　more　of　the　particulars　of　the　quarrel。〃

〃They　are　these。　He　needs　additional　land　and；　had　he　not　acted　as　he　has　done；　I　would　have　given　him　some　land　elsewhere　for　nothing；　but；　as　it　is；　the　pestilent　fellow　has　taken　it　into　his　head　to〃

〃I　think　I　had　better　go　and　have　a　talk　with　him。　That　might　settle　the　affair。　Several　times　have　people　charged　me　with　similar　commissions；　and　never　have　they　repented　of　it。　General　Betristchev　is　an　example。〃

〃Nevertheless　I　am　ashamed　that　you　should　be　put　to　the　annoyance　of　having　to　converse　with　such　a　fellow。〃




〃And　above　all　things；　such　a　transaction　would　need　to　be　carried　through　in　secret；〃　said　Chichikov。　〃True；　the　law　does　not　forbid　such　things；　but　there　is　always　the　risk　of　a　scandal。〃

〃Quite　so；　quite　so；〃　said　Lienitsin　with　head　bent　down。

〃Then　we　agree！〃　exclaimed　Chichikov。　〃How　charming！　As　I　say；　my　business　is　both　legal　and　illegal。　Though　needing　to　effect　a　mortgage；　I　desire　to　put　no　one　to　the　risk　of　having　to　pay　the　two　roubles　on　each　living　soul；　wherefore　I　have　conceived　the　idea　of　relieving　landowners　of　that　distasteful　obligation　by　acquiring　dead　and　absconded　souls　who　have　failed　to　disappear　from　the　revision　list。　This　enables　me　at　once　to　perform　an　act　of　Christian　charity　and　to　remove　from　the　shoulders　of　our　more　impoverished　proprietors　the　burden　of　tax…payment　upon　souls　of　the　kind　specified。　Should　you　yourself　care　to　do　business　with　me；　we　will　draw　up　a　formal　purchase　agreement　as　though　the　souls　in　question　were　still　alive。〃

〃But　it　would　be　such　a　curious　arrangement；〃　muttered　Lienitsin；　moving　his　chair　and　himself　a　little　further　away。　〃It　would　be　an　arrangement　which；　erer〃

〃Would　involve　you　in　no　scandal　whatever；　seeing　that　the　affair　would　be　carried　through　in　secret。　Moreover；　between　friends　who　are　well…disposed　towards　one　another〃

〃Nevertheless〃

Chichikov　adopted　a　firmer　and　more　decided　tone。　〃I　repeat　that　there　would　be　no　scandal；〃　he　said。　〃The　transaction　would　take　place　as　between　good　friends；　and　as　between　friends　of　mature　age；　and　as　between　friends　of　good　status；　and　as　between　friends　who　know　how　to　keep　their　own　counsel。〃　And；　so　saying；　he　looked　his　interlocutor　frankly　and　generously　in　the　eyes。

Nevertheless　Lienitsin's　resourcefulness　and　acumen　in　business　matters　failed　to　relieve　his　mind　of　a　certain　perplexityand　the　less　so　since　he　had　contrived　to　become　caught　in　his　own　net。　Yet；　in　general；　he　possessed　neither　a　love　for　nor　a　talent　for　underhand　dealings；　and；　had　not　fate　and　circumstances　favoured　Chichikov　by　causing　Lienitsin's　wife　to　enter　the　room　at　that　moment；　things　might　have　turned　out　very　differently　from　what　they　did。　Madame　was　a　pale；　thin；　insignificant…looking　young　lady；　but　none　the　less　a　lady　who　wore　her　clothes　a　la　St。　Petersburg；　and　cultivated　the　society　of　persons　who　were　unimpeachably　comme　il　faut。　Behind　her；　borne　in　a　nurse's　arms；　came　the　first　fruits　of　the　love　of　husband　and　wife。　Adopting　his　most　telling　method　of　approach　（the　method　accompanied　with　a　sidelong　inclination　of　the　head　and　a　sort　of　hop）；　Chichikov　hastened　to　greet　the　lady　from　the　metropolis；　and　then　the　baby。　At　first　the　latter　started　to　bellow　disapproval；　but　the　words　〃Agoo；　agoo；　my　pet！〃　added　to　a　little　cracking　of　the　fingers　and　a　sight　of　a　beautiful　seal　on　a　watch　chain；　enabled　Chichikov　to　weedle　the　infant　into　his　arms；　after　which　he　fell　to　swinging　it　up　and　down　until　he　had　contrived　to　raise　a　smile　on　its　facea　circumstance　which　greatly　delighted　the　parents；　and　finally　inclined　the　father　in　his　visitor's　favour。　Suddenly；　howeverwhether　from　pleasure　or　from　some　other　causethe　infant　misbehaved　itself！〃

〃My　God！〃　cried　Madame。　〃He　has　gone　and　spoilt　your　frockcoat！〃

True　enough；　on　glancing　downwards；　Chichikov　saw　that　the　sleeve　of　his　brand…new　garment　had　indeed　suffered　a　hurt。　〃If　I　could　catch　you　alone；　you　little　devil；〃　he　muttered　to　himself；　〃I'd　shoot　you！〃

Host；　hostess　and　nurse　all　ran　for　eau…de…Cologne；　and　from　three　sides　set　themselves　to　rub　the　spot　affected。

〃Never　mind；　never　mind；　it　is　nothing；〃　said　Chichikov　as　he　strove　to　communicate　to　his　features　as　cheerful　an　expression　as　possible。　〃What　does　it　matter　what　a　child　may　spoil　during　the　golden　age　of　its　infancy？〃

To　himself　he　remarked：　〃The　little　brute！　Would　it　could　be　devoured　by　wolves。　It　has　made　only　too　good　a　shot；　the　cussed　young　ragamuffin！〃

How；　after　thisafter　the　guest　had　shown　such　innocent　affection　for　the　little　one；　and　magnanimously　paid　for　his　so　doing　with　a　brand…new　suitcould　the　father　remain　obdurate？　Nevertheless；　to　avoid　setting　a　bad　example　to　the　countryside；　he　and　Chichikov　agreed　to　carry　through　the　transaction　PRIVATELY；　lest；　otherwise；　a　scandal　should　arise。

〃In　return；〃　said　Chichikov；　〃would　you　mind　doing　me　the　following　favour？　I　desire　to　mediate　in　the　matter　of　your　difference　with　the　Brothers　Platonov。　I　believe　that　you　wish　to　acquire　some　additional　land？　Is　not　that　so？〃





Everything　in　life　fulfils　its　function；　and　Chichikov's　tour　in　search　of　a　fortune　was　carried　out　so　successfully　that　not　a　little　money　passed　into　his　pockets。　The　system　employed　was　a　good　one：　he　did　not　steal；　he　merely　used。　And　every　one　of　us　at　times　does　the　same：　one　man　with　regard　to　Government　timber；　and　another　with　regard　to　a　sum　belonging　to　his　employer；　while　a　third　defrauds　his　children　for　the　sake　of　an　actress；　and　a　fourth　robs　his　peasantry　for　the　sake　of　smart　furniture　or　a　carriage。　What　can　one　do　when　one　is　surrounded　on　every　side　with　roguery；　and　everywhere　there　are　insanely　expensive　restaurants；　masked　balls；　and　dances　to　the　music　of　gipsy　bands？　To　abstain　when　every　one　else　is　indulging　in　these　things；　and　fashion　commands；　is　difficult　indeed！

Chichikov　was　for　setting　forth　again；　but　the　roads　had　now　got　into　a　bad　state；　and；　in　addition；　there　was　in　preparation　a　second　fairone　for　the　dvoriane　only。　The　former　fair　had　been　held　for　the　sale　of　horses；　cattle；　cheese；　and　other　peasant　produce；　and　the　buyers　had　been　merely　cattle…jobbers　and　kulaks；　but　this　time　the　function　was　to　be　one　for　the　sale　of　manorial　produce　which　had　been　bought　up　by　wholesale　dealers　at　Nizhni　Novgorod；　and　then　transferred　hither。　To　the　fair；　of　course；　came　those　ravishers　of　the　Russian　purse　who；　in　the　shape　of　Frenchmen　with　pomades　and　Frenchwomen　with　hats；　make　away　with　money　earned　by　blood　and　hard　work；　and；　like　the　locusts　of　Egypt　（to　use　Kostanzhoglo's　term）　not　only　devour　their　prey；　but　also　dig　holes　in　the　ground　and　leave　behind　their　eggs。

Although；　unfortunately；　the　occurrence　of　a　bad　harvest　retained　many　landowners　at　their　country　houses；　the　local　tchinovniks　（whom　the　failure　of　the　harvest　did　NOT　touch）　proceeded　to　let　themselves　goas　also；　to　their　undoing；　did　their　wives。　The　reading　of　books　of　the　type　diffused；　in　these　mo