the mysterious portrait-第10章

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the　secret　connection　between　the　visions　of　his　fancy　and　the

occurrences　of　his　life；　but　without　the　slightest　success。　The　sick

man　understood　nothing；　felt　nothing；　save　his　own　tortures；　and　gave

utterance　only　to　frightful　yells　and　unintelligible　gibberish。　At

last　his　life　ended　in　a　final　attack　of　unutterable　suffering。

Nothing　could　be　found　of　all　his　great　wealth；　but　when　they　beheld

the　mutilated　fragments　of　grand　works　of　art；　the　value　of　which

exceeded　a　million；　they　understood　the　terrible　use　which　had　been

made　of　it。







PART　II



A　THRONG　of　carriages　and　other　vehicles　stood　at　the　entrance　of　a

house　in　which　an　auction　was　going　on　of　the　effects　of　one　of　those

wealthy　art…lovers　who　have　innocently　passed　for　Maecenases；　and　in　a

simple…minded　fashion　expended；　to　that　end；　the　millions　amassed　by

their　thrifty　fathers；　and　frequently　even　by　their　own　early　labours。

The　long　saloon　was　filled　with　the　most　motley　throng　of　visitors；

collected　like　birds　of　prey　swooping　down　upon　an　unburied　corpse。

There　was　a　whole　squadron　of　Russian　shop…keepers　from　the　Gostinnui

Dvor；　and　from　the　old…clothes　mart；　in　blue　coats　of　foreign　make。

Their　faces　and　expressions　were　a　little　more　natural　here；　and　did

not　display　that　fictitious　desire　to　be　subservient　which　is　so

marked　in　the　Russian　shop…keeper　when　he　stands　before　a　customer　in

his　shop。　Here　they　stood　upon　no　ceremony；　although　the　saloons　were

full　of　those　very　aristocrats　before　whom；　in　any　other　place；　they

would　have　been　ready　to　sweep；　with　reverence；　the　dust　brought　in　by

their　feet。　They　were　quite　at　their　ease；　handling　pictures　and　books

without　ceremony；　when　desirous　of　ascertaining　the　value　of　the

goods；　and　boldly　upsetting　bargains　mentally　secured　in　advance　by

noble　connoisseurs。　There　were　many　of　those　infallible　attendants　of

auctions　who　make　it　a　point　to　go　to　one　every　day　as　regularly　as　to

take　their　breakfast；　aristocratic　connoisseurs　who　look　upon　it　as

their　duty　not　to　miss　any　opportunity　of　adding　to　their　collections；

and　who　have　no　other　occupation　between　twelve　o'clock　and　one；　and

noble　gentlemen；　with　garments　very　threadbare；　who　make　their　daily

appearance　without　any　selfish　object　in　view；　but　merely　to　see　how

it　all　goes　off。



A　quantity　of　pictures　were　lying　about　in　disorder：　with　them　were

mingled　furniture；　and　books　with　the　cipher　of　the　former　owner；　who

never　was　moved　by　any　laudable　desire　to　glance　into　them。　Chinese

vases；　marble　slabs　for　tables；　old　and　new　furniture　with　curving

lines；　with　griffins；　sphinxes；　and　lions'　paws；　gilded　and　ungilded；

chandeliers；　sconces；　all　were　heaped　together　in　a　perfect　chaos　of

art。



The　auction　appeared　to　be　at　its　height。



The　surging　throng　was　competing　for　a　portrait　which　could　not　but

arrest　the　attention　of　all　who　possessed　any　knowledge　of　art。　The

skilled　hand　of　an　artist　was　plainly　visible　in　it。　The　portrait；

which　had　apparently　been　several　times　restored　and　renovated；

represented　the　dark　features　of　an　Asiatic　in　flowing　garments；　and

with　a　strange　and　remarkable　expression　of　countenance；　but　what

struck　the　buyers　more　than　anything　else　was　the　peculiar　liveliness

of　the　eyes。　The　more　they　were　looked　at；　the　more　did　they　seem　to

penetrate　into　the　gazer's　heart。　This　peculiarity；　this　strange

illusion　achieved　by　the　artist；　attracted　the　attention　of　nearly

all。　Many　who　had　been　bidding　gradually　withdrew；　for　the　price

offered　had　risen　to　an　incredible　sum。　There　remained　only　two

well…known　aristocrats；　amateurs　of　painting；　who　were　unwilling　to

forego　such　an　acquisition。　They　grew　warm；　and　would　probably　have

run　the　bidding　up　to　an　impossible　sum；　had　not　one　of　the　onlookers

suddenly　exclaimed；　〃Permit　me　to　interrupt　your　competition　for　a

while：　I；　perhaps；　more　than　any　other；　have　a　right　to　this

portrait。〃



These　words　at　once　drew　the　attention　of　all　to　him。　He　was　a　tall

man　of　thirty…five；　with　long　black　curls。　His　pleasant　face；　full　of

a　certain　bright　nonchalance；　indicated　a　mind　free　from　all

wearisome；　worldly　excitement；　his　garments　had　no　pretence　to

fashion：　all　about　him　indicated　the　artist。　He　was；　in　fact；　B。　the

painter；　a　man　personally　well　known　to　many　of　those　present。



〃However　strange　my　words　may　seem　to　you；〃　he　continued；　perceiving

that　the　general　attention　was　directed　to　him；　〃if　you　will　listen　to

a　short　story；　you　may　possibly　see　that　I　was　right　in　uttering　them。

Everything　assures　me　that　this　is　the　portrait　which　I　am　looking

for。〃



A　natural　curiosity　illuminated　the　faces　of　nearly　all　present；　and

even　the　auctioneer　paused　as　he　was　opening　his　mouth；　and　with

hammer　uplifted　in　the　air；　prepared　to　listen。　At　the　beginning　of

the　story；　many　glanced　involuntarily　towards　the　portrait；　but　later

on；　all　bent　their　attention　solely　on　the　narrator；　as　his　tale　grew

gradually　more　absorbing。



〃You　know　that　portion　of　the　city　which　is　called　Kolomna；〃　he　began。

〃There　everything　is　unlike　anything　else　in　St。　Petersburg。　Retired

officials　remove　thither　to　live；　widows；　people　not　very　well　off；

who　have　acquaintances　in　the　senate；　and　therefore　condemn　themselves

to　this　for　nearly　the　whole　of　their　lives；　and；　in　short；　that　whole

list　of　people　who　can　be　described　by　the　words　ash…colouredpeople

whose　garments；　faces；　hair；　eyes；　have　a　sort　of　ashy　surface；　like　a

day　when　there　is　in　the　sky　neither　cloud　nor　sun。　Among　them　may　be

retired　actors；　retired　titular　councillors；　retired　sons　of　Mars；

with　ruined　eyes　and　swollen　lips。



〃Life　in　Kolomna　is　terribly　dull：　rarely　does　a　carriage　appear；

except；　perhaps；　one　containing　an　actor；　which　disturbs　the　universal

stillness　by　its　rumble；　noise；　and　jingling。　You　can　get　lodgings　for

five　rubles　a　month；　coffee　in　the　morning　included。　Widows　with

pensions　are　the　most　aristocratic　families　there；　they　conduct

themselves　well；　sweep　their　rooms　often；　chatter　with　their　friends

about　the　dearness　of　beef　and　cabbage；　and　frequently　have　a　young

daughter；　a　taciturn；　quiet；　sometimes　pretty　creature；　an　ugly　dog；

and　wall…clocks　which　strike　in　a　melancholy　fashion。　Then　come　the

actors　whose　salaries　do　not　permit　them　to　desert　Kolomna；　an

independent　folk；　living；　like　all　artists；　for　pleasure。　They　sit　in

their　dressing…gowns；　cleaning　their　pistols；　gluing　together　all

sorts　of　things　out　of　cardboard；　playing　draughts　and　cards　with　any

friend　who　chances　to　drop　in；　and　so　pass　away　the　morning；　doing

pretty　nearly　the　same　in　the　evening；　with　the　addition　of　punch　now

and　then。　After　these　great　people　and　aristocracy　of　Kolomna；　come

the　rank　and　file。　It　is　as　difficult　to　put　a　name　to　them　as　to

remember　the　multitude　of　insects　which　breed　in　stale　vinegar。　There

are　old　women　who　get　drunk；　who　make　a　living　by　incomprehensible

means；　like　ants；　dragging　old　clothes　and　rags　from　the　Kalinkin

Bridge　to　the　old　clothes…mart；　in　order　to　sell　them　for　fifteen

kopeksin　short；　the　very　dregs　of　mankind；　whose　conditions　no

beneficent；　political　economist　has　devised　any　means　of　ameliorating。



〃I　have　mentioned　them　in　order　to　point　out　how　often　such　people

find　themselves　under　the　necessity　of　seeking　immediate　temporary

assistance　and　having　recourse　to　borrowing。　Hence　there　settles　among

them　a　peculiar　race　of　money…lenders　who　lend　small　sums　on　security

at　an　enormous　percentage。　Among　these　usurers　was　a　certain　。　。　。　but

I　must　not　omit　to　mention　that　the　occurrence　which　I　have　undertaken

to　relate　occurred　the　last　century；　in　the　reign　of　our　late　Empress

Catherine　the　Second。　So；　among　the　usurers；　at　that　epoch；　was　a

certain　personan　extraordinary　being　in　every　respect；　who　had

settled　in　that　quarter　of　the　city　long　before。　He　went　about　in

flowing　Asiatic　garb；