dead souls(死魂灵)-第94章

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rsan　ensemble　in　which　the　devil　himself　would　not　have　known　him；　Samosvitov　then　made　for　the　gaol　where　Chichikov　was　confined；　and；　en　route；　impressed　into　the　service　the　first　street　woman　whom　he　encountered；　and　handed　her　over　to　the　care　of　two　young　fellows　of　like　sort　with　himself。　The　next　step　was　to　hurry　back　to　the　prison　where　the　original　woman　had　been　interned；　and　there　to　intimate　to　the　sentry　that　he；　Samosvitov　（with　whiskers　and　rifle　complete）；　had　been　sent　to　relieve　the　said　sentry　at　his　posta　proceeding　which；　of　course；　enabled　the　newly…arrived　relief　to　ensure；　while　performing　his　self…assumed　turn　of　duty；　that　for　the　woman　lying　under　arrest　there　should　be　substituted　the　woman　recently　recruited　to　the　plot；　and　that　the　former　should　then　be　conveyed　to　a　place　of　concealment　where　she　was　highly　unlikely　to　be　discovered。

Meanwhile；　Samosvitov's　feats　in　the　military　sphere　were　being　rivalled　by　the　wonders　worked　by　Chichikov's　lawyer　in　the　civilian　field　of　action。　As　a　first　step；　the　lawyer　caused　it　to　be　intimated　to　the　local　Governor　that　the　Public　Prosecutor　was　engaged　in　drawing　up　a　report　to　his；　the　local　Governor's；　detriment；　whereafter　the　lawyer　caused　it　to　be　intimated　also　to　the　Chief　of　Gendarmery　that　a　certain　confidential　official　was　engaged　in　doing　the　same　by　HIM；　whereafter；　again；　the　lawyer　confided　to　the　confidential　official　in　question　that；　owing　to　the　documentary　exertions　of　an　official　of　a　still　more　confidential　nature　than　the　first；　he　（the　confidential　official　first…mentioned）　was　in　a　fair　way　to　find　himself　in　the　same　boat　as　both　the　local　Governor　and　the　Chief　of　Gendarmery：　with　the　result　that　the　whole　trio　were　reduced　to　a　frame　of　mind　in　which　they　were　only　too　glad　to　turn　to　him　（Samosvitov）　for　advice。　The　ultimate　and　farcical　upshot　was　that　report　came　crowding　upon　report；　and　that　such　alleged　doings　were　brought　to　light　as　the　sun　had　never　before　beheld。　In　fact；　the　documents　in　question　employed　anything　and　everything　as　material；　even　to　announcing　that　such　and　such　an　individual　had　an　illegitimate　son；　that　such　and　such　another　kept　a　paid　mistress；　and　that　such　and　such　a　third　was　troubled　with　a　gadabout　wife；　whereby　there　became　interwoven　with　and　welded　into　Chichikov's　past　history　and　the　story　of　the　dead　souls　such　a　crop　of　scandals　and　innuendoes　that　by　no　manner　of　means　could　any　mortal　decide　to　which　of　these　rubbishy　romances　to　award　the　palm；　since　all　them　presented　an　equal　claim　to　that　honour。　Naturally；　when；　at　length；　the　dossier　reached　the　Governor…General　himself　it　simply　flabbergasted　the　poor　man；　and　even　the　exceptionally　clever　and　energetic　secretary　to　whom　he　deputed　the　making　of　an　abstract　of　the　same　very　nearly　lost　his　reason　with　the　strain　of　attempting　to　lay　hold　of　the　tangled　end　of　the　skein。　It　happened　that　just　at　that　time　the　Prince　had　several　other　important　affairs　on　hand；　and　affairs　of　a　very　unpleasant　nature。　That　is　to　say；　famine　had　made　its　appearance　in　one　portion　of　the　province；　and　the　tchinovniks　sent　to　distribute　food　to　the　people　had　done　their　work　badly；　in　another　portion　of　the　province　certain　Raskolniki＇2＇　were　in　a　state　of　ferment；　owing　to　the　spreading　of　a　report　than　an　Antichrist　had　arisen　who　would　not　even　let　the　dead　rest；　but　was　purchasing　them　wholesalewherefore　the　said　Raskolniki　were　summoning　folk　to　prayer　and　repentance；　and；　under　cover　of　capturing　the　Antichrist　in　question；　were　bludgeoning　non…Antichrists　in　batches；　lastly；　the　peasants　of　a　third　portion　of　the　province　had　risen　against　the　local　landowners　and　superintendents　of　police；　for　the　reason　that　certain　rascals　had　started　a　rumour　that　the　time　was　come　when　the　peasants　themselves　were　to　become　landowners；　and　to　wear　frockcoats；　while　the　landowners　in　being　were　about　to　revert　to　the　peasant　state；　and　to　take　their　own　wares　to　market；　wherefore　one　of　the　local　volosts＇3＇；　oblivious　of　the　fact　that　an　order　of　things　of　that　kind　would　lead　to　a　superfluity　alike　of　landowners　and　of　superintendents　of　police；　had　refused　to　pay　its　taxes；　and　necessitated　recourse　to　forcible　measures。　Hence　it　was　in　a　mood　of　the　greatest　possible　despondency　that　the　poor　Prince　was　sitting　plunged　when　word　was　brought　to　him　that　the　old　man　who　had　gone　bail　for　Chichikov　was　waiting　to　see　him。

＇2＇　Dissenters　or　Old　Believers：　i。e。　members　of　the　sect　which　　　　　refused　to　accept　the　revised　version　of　the　Church　Service　Books　　　　　promulgated　by　the　Patriarch　Nikon　in　1665。

＇3＇　Fiscal　districts。

〃Show　him　in；〃　said　the　Prince；　and　the　old　man　entered。

〃A　fine　fellow　your　Chichikov！〃　began　the　Prince　angrily。　〃You　defended　him；　and　went　bail　for　him；　even　though　he　had　been　up　to　business　which　even　the　lowest　thief　would　not　have　touched！〃

〃Pardon　me；　your　Highness；　I　do　not　understand　to　what　you　are　referring。〃

〃I　am　referring　to　the　matter　of　the　fraudulent　will。　The　fellow　ought　to　have　been　given　a　public　flogging　for　it。〃

〃Although　to　exculpate　Chichikov　is　not　my　intention；　might　I　ask　you　whether　you　do　not　think　the　case　is　non…proven？　At　all　events；　sufficient　evidence　against　him　is　still　lacking。〃

〃What？　We　have　as　chief　witness　the　woman　who　personated　the　deceased；　and　I　will　have　her　interrogated　in　your　presence。〃

Touching　a　bell；　the　Prince　ordered　her　to　be　sent　for。

〃It　is　a　most　disgraceful　affair；〃　he　went　on；　〃and；　ashamed　though　I　am　to　have　to　say　it；　some　of　our　leading　tchinovniks；　including　the　local　Governor　himself；　have　become　implicated　in　the　matter。　Yet　you　tell　me　that　this　Chichikov　ought　not　to　be　confined　among　thieves　and　rascals！〃　Clearly　the　Governor…General's　wrath　was　very　great　indeed。

〃Your　Highness；〃　said　Murazov；　〃the　Governor　of　the　town　is　one　of　the　heirs　under　the　will：　wherefore　he　has　a　certain　right　to　intervene。　Also；　the　fact　that　extraneous　persons　have　meddled　in　the　matter　is　only　what　is　to　be　expected　from　human　nature。　A　rich　woman　dies；　and　no　exact；　regular　disposition　of　her　property　is　made。　Hence　there　comes　flocking　from　every　side　a　cloud　of　fortune　hunters。　What　else　could　one　expect？　Such　is　human　nature。〃

〃Yes；　but　why　should　such　persons　go　and　commit　fraud？〃　asked　the　Prince　irritably。　〃I　feel　as　though　not　a　single　honest　tchinovnik　were　availableas　though　every　one　of　them　were　a　rogue。〃

〃Your　Highness；　which　of　us　is　altogether　beyond　reproach？　The　tchinovniks　of　our　town　are　human　beings；　and　no　more。　Some　of　them　are　men　of　worth；　and　nearly　all　of　them　men　skilled　in　businessthough　also；　unfortunately；　largely　inter…related。〃

〃Now；　tell　me　this；　Athanasi　Vassilievitch；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃for　you　are　about　the　only　honest　man　of　my　acquaintance。　What　has　inspired　in　you　such　a　penchant　for　defending　rascals？〃

〃This；〃　replied　Murazov。　〃Take　any　man　you　like　of　the　persons　whom　you　thus　term　rascals。　That　man　none　the　less　remains　a　human　being。　That　being　so；　how　can　one　refuse　to　defend　him　when　all　the　time　one　knows　that　half　his　errors　have　been　committed　through　ignorance　and　stupidity？　Each　of　us　commits　faults　with　every　step　that　we　take；　each　of　us　entails　unhappiness　upon　others　with　every　breath　that　we　drawand　that　although　we　may　have　no　evil　intention　whatever　in　our　minds。　Your　Highness　himself　has；　before　now；　committed　an　injustice　of　the　gravest　nature。〃

〃_I_　have？〃　cried　the　Prince；　taken　aback　by　this　unexpected　turn　given　to　the　conversation。

Murazov　remained　silent　for　a　moment；　as　though　he　were　debating　something　in　his　thoughts。　Then　he　said：

〃Nevertheless　it　is　as　I　say。　You　committed　the　injustice　in　the　case　of　the　lad　Dierpiennikov。〃

〃What；　Athanasi　Vassilievitch？　The　fellow　had　infringed　one　of　the　Fundamental　Laws！　He　had　been　found　guilty　of　treason！〃

〃I　am　not　seeking　to　justify　him；　I　am　only　asking　you　whether　you　think　it　right　that　an　inexperienced　youth　who　had　been　tempted　and　led　away　by　others　should　have　received　the　same　sentence　as　the　man　who　had　taken　the　chief　part　in　the　affair。　That　is　to　say；　although　Dierpiennikov　and　the　man　Voron…Drianni　rece