dead souls(死魂灵)-第23节

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cended　both　a　babel　of　cries　from　the　ladies　inside　and　a　storm　of　curses　and　abuse　from　the　coachman。　〃Ah；　you　damned　fool！〃　he　vociferated。　〃I　shouted　to　you　loud　enough！　Draw　out；　you　old　raven；　and　keep　to　the　right！　Are　you　drunk？〃　Selifan　himself　felt　conscious　that　he　had　been　careless；　but　since　a　Russian　does　not　care　to　admit　a　fault　in　the　presence　of　strangers；　he　retorted　with　dignity：　〃Why　have　you　run　into　US？　Did　you　leave　your　eyes　behind　you　at　the　last　tavern　that　you　stopped　at？〃　With　that　he　started　to　back　the　britchka；　in　the　hope　that　it　might　get　clear　of　the　other's　harness；　but　this　would　not　do；　for　the　pair　were　too　hopelessly　intertwined。　Meanwhile　the　skewbald　snuffed　curiously　at　his　new　acquaintances　as　they　stood　planted　on　either　side　of　him；　while　the　ladies　in　the　vehicle　regarded　the　scene　with　an　expression　of　terror。　One　of　them　was　an　old　woman；　and　the　other　a　damsel　of　about　sixteen。　A　mass　of　golden　hair　fell　daintily　from　a　small　head；　and　the　oval　of　her　comely　face　was　as　shapely　as　an　egg；　and　white　with　the　transparent　whiteness　seen　when　the　hands　of　a　housewife　hold　a　new…laid　egg　to　the　light　to　let　the　sun's　rays　filter　through　its　shell。　The　same　tint　marked　the　maiden's　ears　where　they　glowed　in　the　sunshine；　and；　in　short；　what　with　the　tears　in　her　wide…open；　arresting　eyes；　she　presented　so　attractive　a　picture　that　our　hero　bestowed　upon　it　more　than　a　passing　glance　before　he　turned　his　attention　to　the　hubbub　which　was　being　raised　among　the　horses　and　the　coachmen。

〃Back　out；　you　rook　of　Nizhni　Novgorod！〃　the　strangers'　coachman　shouted。　Selifan　tightened　his　reins；　and　the　other　driver　did　the　same。　The　horses　stepped　back　a　little；　and　then　came　together　againthis　time　getting　a　leg　or　two　over　the　traces。　In　fact；　so　pleased　did　the　skewbald　seem　with　his　new　friends　that　he　refused　to　stir　from　the　melee　into　which　an　unforeseen　chance　had　plunged　him。　Laying　his　muzzle　lovingly　upon　the　neck　of　one　of　his　recently…acquired　acquaintances；　he　seemed　to　be　whispering　something　in　that　acquaintance's　earand　whispering　pretty　nonsense；　too；　to　judge　from　the　way　in　which　that　confidant　kept　shaking　his　ears。

At　length　peasants　from　a　village　which　happened　to　be　near　the　scene　of　the　accident　tackled　the　mess；　and　since　a　spectacle　of　that　kind　is　to　the　Russian　muzhik　what　a　newspaper　or　a　club…meeting　is　to　the　German；　the　vehicles　soon　became　the　centre　of　a　crowd；　and　the　village　denuded　even　of　its　old　women　and　children。　The　traces　were　disentangled；　and　a　few　slaps　on　the　nose　forced　the　skewbald　to　draw　back　a　little；　after　which　the　teams　were　straightened　out　and　separated。　Nevertheless；　either　sheer　obstinacy　or　vexation　at　being　parted　from　their　new　friends　caused　the　strange　team　absolutely　to　refuse　to　move　a　leg。　Their　driver　laid　the　whip　about　them；　but　still　they　stood　as　though　rooted　to　the　spot。　At　length　the　participatory　efforts　of　the　peasants　rose　to　an　unprecedented　degree　of　enthusiasm；　and　they　shouted　in　an　intermittent　chorus　the　advice；　〃Do　you；　Andrusha；　take　the　head　of　the　trace　horse　on　the　right；　while　Uncle　Mitai　mounts　the　shaft　horse。　Get　up；　Uncle　Mitai。〃　Upon　that　the　lean；　long；　and　red…bearded　Uncle　Mitai　mounted　the　shaft　horse；　in　which　position　he　looked　like　a　village　steeple　or　the　winder　which　is　used　to　raise　water　from　wells。　The　coachman　whipped　up　his　steeds　afresh；　but　nothing　came　of　it；　and　Uncle　Mitai　had　proved　useless。　〃Hold　on；　hold　on！〃　shouted　the　peasants　again。　〃Do　you；　Uncle　Mitai；　mount　the　trace　horse；　while　Uncle　Minai　mounts　the　shaft　horse。〃　Whereupon　Uncle　Minaia　peasant　with　a　pair　of　broad　shoulders；　a　beard　as　black　as　charcoal；　and　a　belly　like　the　huge　samovar　in　which　sbiten　is　brewed　for　all　attending　a　local　markethastened　to　seat　himself　upon　the　shaft　horse；　which　almost　sank　to　the　ground　beneath　his　weight。　〃NOW　they　will　go　all　right！〃　the　muzhiks　exclaimed。　〃Lay　it　on　hot；　lay　it　on　hot！　Give　that　sorrel　horse　the　whip；　and　make　him　squirm　like　a　koramora＇1＇。〃　Nevertheless；　the　affair　in　no　way　progressed；　wherefore；　seeing　that　flogging　was　of　no　use；　Uncles　Mitai　and　Minai　BOTH　mounted　the　sorrel；　while　Andrusha　seated　himself　upon　the　trace　horse。　Then　the　coachman　himself　lost　patience；　and　sent　the　two　Uncles　about　their　businessand　not　before　it　was　time；　seeing　that　the　horses　were　steaming　in　a　way　that　made　it　clear　that；　unless　they　were　first　winded；　they　would　never　reach　the　next　posthouse。　So　they　were　given　a　moment's　rest。　That　done；　they　moved　off　of　their　own　accord！

＇1＇　A　kind　of　large　gnat。

Throughout；　Chichikov　had　been　gazing　at　the　young　unknown　with　great　attention；　and　had　even　made　one　or　two　attempts　to　enter　into　conversation　with　her：　but　without　success。　Indeed；　when　the　ladies　departed；　it　was　as　in　a　dream　that　he　saw　the　girl's　comely　presence；　the　delicate　features　of　her　face；　and　the　slender　outline　of　her　form　vanish　from　his　sight；　it　was　as　in　a　dream　that　once　more　he　saw　only　the　road；　the　britchka；　the　three　horses；　Selifan；　and　the　bare；　empty　fields。　Everywhere　in　lifeyes；　even　in　the　plainest；　the　dingiest　ranks　of　society；　as　much　as　in　those　which　are　uniformly　bright　and　presentablea　man　may　happen　upon　some　phenomenon　which　is　so　entirely　different　from　those　which　have　hitherto　fallen　to　his　lot。　Everywhere　through　the　web　of　sorrow　of　which　our　lives　are　woven　there　may　suddenly　break　a　clear；　radiant　thread　of　joy；　even　as　suddenly　along　the　street　of　some　poor；　poverty…stricken　village　which；　ordinarily；　sees　nought　but　a　farm　waggon　there　may　came　bowling　a　gorgeous　coach　with　plated　harness；　picturesque　horses；　and　a　glitter　of　glass；　so　that　the　peasants　stand　gaping；　and　do　not　resume　their　caps　until　long　after　the　strange　equipage　has　become　lost　to　sight。　Thus　the　golden…haired　maiden　makes　a　sudden；　unexpected　appearance　in　our　story；　and　as　suddenly；　as　unexpectedly；　disappears。　Indeed；　had　it　not　been　that　the　person　concerned　was　Chichikov；　and　not　some　youth　of　twenty　summersa　hussar　or　a　student　or；　in　general；　a　man　standing　on　the　threshold　of　lifewhat　thoughts　would　not　have　sprung　to　birth；　and　stirred　and　spoken；　within　him；　for　what　a　length　of　time　would　he　not　have　stood　entranced　as　he　stared　into　the　distance　and　forgot　alike　his　journey；　the　business　still　to　be　done；　the　possibility　of　incurring　loss　through　lingeringhimself；　his　vocation；　the　world；　and　everything　else　that　the　world　contains！

But　in　the　present　case　the　hero　was　a　man　of　middle…age；　and　of　cautious　and　frigid　temperament。　True；　he　pondered　over　the　incident；　but　in　more　deliberate　fashion　than　a　younger　man　would　have　done。　That　is　to　say；　his　reflections　were　not　so　irresponsible　and　unsteady。　〃She　was　a　comely　damsel；〃　he　said　to　himself　as　he　opened　his　snuff…box　and　took　a　pinch。　〃But　the　important　point　is：　Is　she　also　a　NICE　DAMSEL？　One　thing　she　has　in　her　favourand　that　is　that　she　appears　only　just　to　have　left　school；　and　not　to　have　had　time　to　become　womanly　in　the　worser　sense。　At　present；　therefore；　she　is　like　a　child。　Everything　in　her　is　simple；　and　she　says　just　what　she　thinks；　and　laughs　merely　when　she　feels　inclined。　Such　a　damsel　might　be　made　into　anythingor　she　might　be　turned　into　worthless　rubbish。　The　latter；　I　surmise；　for　trudging　after　her　she　will　have　a　fond　mother　and　a　bevy　of　aunts；　and　so　forthpersons　who；　within　a　year；　will　have　filled　her　with　womanishness　to　the　point　where　her　own　father　wouldn't　know　her。　And　to　that　there　will　be　added　pride　and　affectation；　and　she　will　begin　to　observe　established　rules；　and　to　rack　her　brains　as　to　how；　and　how　much；　she　ought　to　talk；　and　to　whom；　and　where；　and　so　forth。　Every　moment　will　see　her　growing　timorous　and　confused　lest　she　be　saying　too　much。　Finally；　she　will　develop　into　a　confirmed　prevaricator；　and　end　by　marrying　the　devil　knows　whom！〃　Chichikov　paused　awhile。　Then　he　went　on：　〃Yet　I　should　like　to　know　who　she　is；　and　who　her　father　is；　and　whether　he　is　a　rich　landowner　of　good　standing；　or　merely　a　respectable　man　who　has　acquired　a　fortune　in　the　service　of　the　Government。　Should　he　allow　her；　on　marriage；　a　dowry　of；　say；　two　hundred　thousand　roubles；　she　will　be　a　very　nice　catch　indeed。　She　might　even；　so　to　speak；　make　a　man　of　good　breeding　happy。〃

Indeed；　so　attractively　did　the　idea　of　the　two　hundred　thousand　roubles　begin　to　dance　before　his　imagination　that　he　felt　a　twinge　of　self…reproach　because；　during　the　hubbub；　he　had　not　inquired　of　the　postillion　or　the　coachman　who　the　travellers　might　be。　But　soon　the　sight　of　Sobakevitch's　country　house　dissipated　his　thoughts；　and　forced　him　to　return　to　his　stock　subject　of　reflection。

Sobakevitch's　country　house　and　estate　were　of　very　fair　size；　and　on　each　side　of　the　mansion　were　expanses　of　birch　and　pine　forest　in　two　shades　of　green。　The　wooden　edifice　itself　had　dark…grey　walls　and　a　red…gabled　roof；　for　it　was　a　mansion　of　the　kind　which　Russia　builds　for　her　military　settlers　and　for　German　colonists。　A　noticeable　circumstance　was　the　fact　that　the　taste　of　the　architect　had　differed　from　that　of　the　proprietorthe　former　having　manifestly　been　a　pedant　and　de