the mysterious portrait-第5章

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〃Well；　I　will　pay　him　to…day。〃



〃Well；　and　why　wouldn't　you　pay　before；　instead　of　giving　trouble　to

your　landlord；　and　bothering　the　police　to　boot？〃



〃Because　I　did　not　want　to　touch　this　money。　I　will　pay　him　in　full

this　evening；　and　leave　the　rooms　to…morrow。　I　will　not　stay　with　such

a　landlord。〃



〃Well；　Ivan　Ivanovitch；　he　will　pay　you；〃　said　the　constable；　turning

to　the　landlord。　〃But　in　case　you　are　not　satisfied　in　every　respect

this　evening；　then　you　must　excuse　me；　Mr。　Painter。〃　So　saying；　he　put

on　his　three…cornered　hat；　and　went　into　the　ante…room；　followed　by

the　landlord　hanging　his　head；　and　apparently　engaged　in　meditation。



〃Thank　God；　Satan　has　carried　them　off！〃　said　Tchartkoff；　as　he　heard

the　outer　door　of　the　ante…room　close。　He　looked　out　into　the

ante…room；　sent　Nikita　off　on　some　errand；　in　order　to　be　quite　alone；

fastened　the　door　behind　him；　and；　returning　to　his　room；　began　with

wildly　beating　heart　to　undo　the　roll。



In　it　were　ducats；　all　new；　and　bright　as　fire。　Almost　beside　himself；

he　sat　down　beside　the　pile　of　gold；　still　asking　himself；　〃Is　not

this　all　a　dream？〃　There　were　just　a　thousand　in　the　roll；　the

exterior　of　which　was　precisely　like　what　he　had　seen　in　his　dream。　He

turned　them　over；　and　looked　at　them　for　some　minutes。　His　imagination

recalled　up　all　the　tales　he　had　heard　of　hidden　hoards；　cabinets　with

secret　drawers；　left　by　ancestors　for　their　spendthrift　descendants；

with　firm　belief　in　the　extravagance　of　their　life。　He　pondered　this：

〃Did　not　some　grandfather；　in　the　present　instance；　leave　a　gift　for

his　grandchild；　shut　up　in　the　frame　of　a　family　portrait？〃　Filled

with　romantic　fancies；　he　began　to　think　whether　this　had　not　some

secret　connection　with　his　fate？　whether　the　existence　of　the　portrait

was　not　bound　up　with　his　own；　and　whether　his　acquisition　of　it　was

not　due　to　a　kind　of　predestination？



He　began　to　examine　the　frame　with　curiosity。　On　one　side　a　cavity　was

hollowed　out；　but　concealed　so　skilfully　and　neatly　by　a　little　board；

that；　if　the　massive　hand　of　the　constable　had　not　effected　a　breach；

the　ducats　might　have　remained　hidden　to　the　end　of　time。　On　examining

the　portrait；　he　marvelled　again　at　the　exquisite　workmanship；　the

extraordinary　treatment　of　the　eyes。　They　no　longer　appeared　terrible

to　him；　but；　nevertheless；　each　time　he　looked　at　them　a　disagreeable

feeling　involuntarily　lingered　in　his　mind。



〃No；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃no　matter　whose　grandfather　you　were；　I'll

put　a　glass　over　you；　and　get　you　a　gilt　frame。〃　Then　he　laid　his　hand

on　the　golden　pile　before　him；　and　his　heart　beat　faster　at　the　touch。

〃What　shall　I　do　with　them？〃　he　said；　fixing　his　eyes　on　them。　〃Now　I

am　independent　for　at　least　three　years：　I　can　shut　myself　up　in　my

room　and　work。　I　have　money　for　colours　now；　for　food　and　lodgingno

one　will　annoy　and　disturb　me　now。　I　will　buy　myself　a　first…class　lay

figure；　I　will　order　a　plaster　torso；　and　some　model　feet；　I　will　have

a　Venus。　I　will　buy　engravings　of　the　best　pictures。　And　if　I　work

three　years　to　satisfy　myself；　without　haste　or　with　the　idea　of

selling；　I　shall　surpass　all；　and　may　become　a　distinguished　artist。〃



Thus　he　spoke　in　solitude；　with　his　good　judgment　prompting　him；　but

louder　and　more　distinct　sounded　another　voice　within　him。　As　he

glanced　once　more　at　the　gold；　it　was　not　thus　that　his　twenty…two

years　and　fiery　youth　reasoned。　Now　everything　was　within　his　power　on

which　he　had　hitherto　gazed　with　envious　eyes；　had　viewed　from　afar

with　longing。　How　his　heart　beat　when　he　thought　of　it！　To　wear　a

fashionable　coat；　to　feast　after　long　abstinence；　to　hire　handsome

apartments；　to　go　at　once　to　the　theatre；　to　the　confectioner's；

to　。　。　。　other　places；　and　seizing　his　money；　he　was　in　the　street　in

a　moment。



First　of　all　he　went　to　the　tailor；　was　clothed　anew　from　head　to

foot；　and　began　to　look　at　himself　like　a　child。　He　purchased　perfumes

and　pomades；　hired　the　first　elegant　suite　of　apartments　with　mirrors

and　plateglass　windows　which　he　came　across　in　the　Nevsky　Prospect；

without　haggling　about　the　price；　bought；　on　the　impulse　of　the

moment；　a　costly　eye…glass；　bought；　also　on　the　impulse；　a　number　of

neckties　of　every　description；　many　more　than　he　needed；　had　his　hair

curled　at　the　hairdresser's；　rode　through　the　city　twice　without　any

object　whatever；　ate　an　immense　quantity　of　sweetmeats　at　the

confectioner's；　and　went　to　the　French　Restaurant；　of　which　he　had

heard　rumours　as　indistinct　as　though　they　had　concerned　the　Empire　of

China。　There　he　dined；　casting　proud　glances　at　the　other　visitors；

and　continually　arranging　his　curls　in　the　glass。　There　he　drank　a

bottle　of　champagne；　which　had　been　known　to　him　hitherto　only　by

hearsay。　The　wine　rather　affected　his　head；　and　he　emerged　into　the

street；　lively；　pugnacious；　and　ready　to　raise　the　Devil；　according　to

the　Russian　expression。　He　strutted　along　the　pavement；　levelling　his

eye…glass　at　everybody。　On　the　bridge　he　caught　sight　of　his　former

professor；　and　slipped　past　him　neatly；　as　if　he　did　not　see　him；　so

that　the　astounded　professor　stood　stock…still　on　the　bridge　for　a

long　time；　with　a　face　suggestive　of　a　note　of　interrogation。



All　his　goods　and　chattels；　everything　he　owned；　easels；　canvas；

pictures；　were　transported　that　same　evening　to　his　elegant　quarters。

He　arranged　the　best　of　them　in　conspicuous　places；　threw　the　worst

into　a　corner；　and　promenaded　up　and　down　the　handsome　rooms；　glancing

constantly　in　the　mirrors。　An　unconquerable　desire　to　take　the　bull　by

the　horns；　and　show　himself　to　the　world　at　once；　had　arisen　in　his

mind。　He　already　heard　the　shouts；　〃Tchartkoff！　Tchartkoff！　Tchartkoff

paints！　What　talent　Tchartkoff　has！〃　He　paced　the　room　in　a　state　of

rapture。



The　next　day　he　took　ten　ducats；　and　went　to　the　editor　of　a　popular

journal　asking　his　charitable　assistance。　He　was　joyfully　received　by

the　journalist；　who　called　him　on　the　spot；　〃Most　respected　sir；〃

squeezed　both　his　hands；　and　made　minute　inquiries　as　to　his　name；

birthplace；　residence。　The　next　day　there　appeared　in　the　journal；

below　a　notice　of　some　newly　invented　tallow　candles；　an　article　with

the　following　heading：



〃TCHARTKOFF'S　IMMENSE　TALENT



〃We　hasten　to　delight　the　cultivated　inhabitants　of　the　capital　with　a

discovery　which　we　may　call　splendid　in　every　respect。　All　are　agreed

that　there　are　among　us　many　very　handsome　faces；　but　hitherto　there

has　been　no　means　of　committing　them　to　canvas　for　transmission　to

posterity。　This　want　has　now　been　supplied：　an　artist　has　been　found

who　unites　in　himself　all　desirable　qualities。　The　beauty　can　now　feel

assured　that　she　will　be　depicted　with　all　the　grace　of　her　charms；

airy；　fascinating；　butterfly…like；　flitting　among　the　flowers　of

spring。　The　stately　father　of　a　family　can　see　himself　surrounded　by

his　family。　Merchant；　warrior；　citizen；　statesmanhasten　one　and　all；

wherever　you　may　be。　The　artist's　magnificent　establishment　＇Nevsky

Prospect；　such　and　such　a　number＇　is　hung　with　portraits　from　his

brush；　worthy　of　Van　Dyck　or　Titian。　We　do　not　know　which　to　admire

most；　their　truth　and　likeness　to　the　originals；　or　the　wonderful

brilliancy　and　freshness　of　the　colouring。　Hail　to　you；　artist！　you

have　drawn　a　lucky　number　in　the　lottery。　Long　live　Andrei

Petrovitch！〃　（The　journalist　evidently　liked　familiarity。）　〃Glorify

yourself　and　us。　We　know　how　to　prize　you。　Universal　popularity；　and

with　it　wealth；　will　be　your　meed；　though　some　of　our　brother

journalists　may　rise　against　you。〃



The　artist　read　this　article　with　secret　satisfaction；　his　face

beamed。　He　was　mentioned　in　print；　it　was　a　novelty　to　him：　he　read

the　lines　over　several　times。　The　comparison　with　Van　Dyck　and　Titian

flattered　him　extremely。　The　praise；　〃Long　live　Andrei　Petrovitch；〃

also　pleased　him　greatly：　t