the mysterious portrait-第4节

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who　own　houses　anywhere　in　the　Vasilievsky　Ostroff；　on　the　St。

Petersburg　side；　or　in　the　distant　regions　of　Kolomnaindividuals

whose　character　is　as　difficult　to　define　as　the　colour　of　a

threadbare　surtout。　In　his　youth　he　had　been　a　captain　and　a　braggart；

a　master　in　the　art　of　flogging；　skilful；　foppish；　and　stupid；　but　in

his　old　age　he　combined　all　these　various　qualities　into　a　kind　of　dim

indefiniteness。　He　was　a　widower；　already　on　the　retired　list；　no

longer　boasted；　nor　was　dandified；　nor　quarrelled；　but　only　cared　to

drink　tea　and　talk　all　sorts　of　nonsense　over　it。　He　walked　about　his

room；　and　arranged　the　ends　of　the　tallow　candles；　called　punctually

at　the　end　of　each　month　upon　his　lodgers　for　money；　went　out　into　the

street；　with　the　key　in　his　hand；　to　look　at　the　roof　of　his　house；

and　sometimes　chased　the　porter　out　of　his　den；　where　he　had　hidden

himself　to　sleep。　In　short；　he　was　a　man　on　the　retired　list；　who；

after　the　turmoils　and　wildness　of　his　life；　had　only　his

old…fashioned　habits　left。



〃Please　to　see　for　yourself；　Varukh　Kusmitch；〃　said　the　landlord；

turning　to　the　officer；　and　throwing　out　his　hands；　〃this　man　does　not

pay　his　rent；　he　does　not　pay。〃



〃How　can　I　when　I　have　no　money？　Wait；　and　I　will　pay。〃



〃I　can't　wait；　my　good　fellow；〃　said　the　landlord　angrily；　making　a

gesture　with　the　key　which　he　held　in　his　hand。　〃Lieutenant…Colonel

Potogonkin　has　lived　with　me　seven　years；　seven　years　already；　Anna

Petrovna　Buchmisteroff　rents　the　coach…house　and　stable；　with　the

exception　of　two　stalls；　and　has　three　household　servants：　that　is　the

kind　of　lodgers　I　have。　I　say　to　you　frankly；　that　this　is　not　an

establishment　where　people　do　not　pay　their　rent。　Pay　your　money　at

once；　please；　or　else　clear　out。〃



〃Yes；　if　you　rented　the　rooms；　please　to　pay；〃　said　the　constable；

with　a　slight　shake　of　the　head；　as　he　laid　his　finger　on　one　of　the

buttons　of　his　uniform。



〃Well；　what　am　I　to　pay　with？　that's　the　question。　I　haven't　a

groschen　just　at　present。〃



〃In　that　case；　satisfy　the　claims　of　Ivan　Ivanovitch　with　the　fruits

of　your　profession；〃　said　the　officer：　〃perhaps　he　will　consent　to

take　pictures。〃



〃No；　thank　you；　my　good　fellow；　no　pictures。　Pictures　of　holy

subjects；　such　as　one　could　hang　upon　the　walls；　would　be　well　enough；

or　some　general　with　a　star；　or　Prince　Kutusoff's　portrait。　But　this

fellow　has　painted　that　muzhik；　that　muzhik　in　his　blouse；　his　servant

who　grinds　his　colours！　The　idea　of　painting　his　portrait；　the　hog！

I'll　thrash　him　well：　he　took　all　the　nails　out　of　my　bolts；　the

scoundrel！　Just　see　what　subjects！　Here　he　has　drawn　his　room。　It

would　have　been　well　enough　had　he　taken　a　clean；　well…furnished　room；

but　he　has　gone　and　drawn　this　one；　with　all　the　dirt　and　rubbish　he

has　collected。　Just　see　how　he　has　defaced　my　room！　Look　for　yourself。

Yes；　and　my　lodgers　have　been　with　me　seven　years；　the

lieutenant…colonel；　Anna　Petrovna　Buchmisteroff。　No；　I　tell　you；　there

is　no　worse　lodger　than　a　painter：　he　lives　like　a　pigGod　have

mercy！〃



The　poor　artist　had　to　listen　patiently　to　all　this。　Meanwhile　the

officer　had　occupied　himself　with　examining　the　pictures　and　studies；

and　showed　that　his　mind　was　more　advanced　than　the　landlord's；　and

that　he　was　not　insensible　to　artistic　impressions。



〃Heh！〃　said　he；　tapping　one　canvas；　on　which　was　depicted　a　naked

woman；　〃this　subject　islively。　But　why　so　much　black　under　her　nose？

did　she　take　snuff？〃



〃Shadow；〃　answered　Tchartkoff　gruffly；　without　looking　at　him。



〃But　it　might　have　been　put　in　some　other　place：　it　is　too　conspicuous

under　the　nose；〃　observed　the　officer。　〃And　whose　likeness　is　this？〃

he　continued；　approaching　the　old　man's　portrait。　〃It　is　too　terrible。

Was　he　really　so　dreadful？　Ah！　why；　he　actually　looks　at　one！　What　a

thunder…cloud！　From　whom　did　you　paint　it？〃



〃Ah！　it　is　from　a〃　said　Tchartkoff；　but　did　not　finish　his　sentence：

he　heard　a　crack。　It　seems　that　the　officer　had　pressed　too　hard　on

the　frame　of　the　portrait；　thanks　to　the　weight　of　his　constable's

hands。　The　small　boards　at　the　side　caved　in；　one　fell　on　the　floor；

and　with　it　fell；　with　a　heavy　crash；　a　roll　of　blue　paper。　The

inscription　caught　Tchartkoff's　eye〃1000　ducats。〃　Like　a　madman；　he

sprang　to　pick　it　up；　grasped　the　roll；　and　gripped　it　convulsively　in

his　hand；　which　sank　with　the　weight。



〃Wasn't　there　a　sound　of　money？〃　inquired　the　officer；　hearing　the

noise　of　something　falling　on　the　floor；　and　not　catching　sight　of　it；

owing　to　the　rapidity　with　which　Tchartkoff　had　hastened　to　pick　it

up。



〃What　business　is　it　of　yours　what　is　in　my　room？〃



〃It's　my　business　because　you　ought　to　pay　your　rent　to　the　landlord

at　once；　because　you　have　money；　and　won't　pay；　that's　why　it's　my

business。〃



〃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　p