dead souls(死魂灵)-第41节

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〃The　man　who　has　built　the　Archpriest　a　poultry…run？〃

〃Oh　dear　no！　Had　that　been　all；　it　would　have　been　nothing。　No。　Listen　to　what　Father　Cyril's　wife　had　to　tell　me。　She　said　that；　last　night；　a　lady　landowner　named　Madame　Korobotchka　arrived　at　the　Archpriest's　housearrived　all　pale　and　tremblingand　told　her；　oh；　such　things！　They　sound　like　a　piece　out　of　a　book。　That　is　to　say；　at　dead　of　night；　just　when　every　one　had　retired　to　rest；　there　came　the　most　dreadful　knocking　imaginable；　and　some　one　screamed　out；　'Open　the　gates；　or　we　will　break　them　down！'　Just　think！　After　this；　how　any　one　can　say　that　the　man　is　charming　I　cannot　imagine。〃

〃Well；　what　of　Madame　Korobotchka？　Is　she　a　young　woman　or　good　looking？〃

〃Oh　dear　no！　Quite　an　old　woman。〃

〃Splendid　indeed！　So　he　is　actually　engaged　to　a　person　like　that？　One　may　heartily　commend　the　taste　of　our　ladies　for　having　fallen　in　love　with　him！〃

〃Nevertheless；　it　is　not　as　you　suppose。　Think；　now！　Armed　with　weapons　from　head　to　foot；　he　called　upon　this　old　woman；　and　said：　'Sell　me　any　souls　of　yours　which　have　lately　died。'　Of　course；　Madame　Korobotchka　answered；　reasonably　enough：　'I　cannot　sell　you　those　souls；　seeing　that　they　have　departed　this　world；'　but　he　replied：　'No；　no！　They　are　NOT　dead。　'Tis　I　who　tell　you　thatI　who　ought　to　know　the　truth　of　the　matter。　I　swear　that　they　are　still　alive。'　In　short；　he　made　such　a　scene　that　the　whole　village　came　running　to　the　house；　and　children　screamed；　and　men　shouted；　and　no　one　could　tell　what　it　was　all　about。　The　affair　seemed　to　me　so　horrible；　so　utterly　horrible；　that　I　trembled　beyond　belief　as　I　listened　to　the　story。　'My　dearest　madam；'　said　my　maid；　Mashka；　'pray　look　at　yourself　in　the　mirror；　and　see　how　white　you　are。'　'But　I　have　no　time　for　that；'　I　replied；　'as　I　must　be　off　to　tell　my　friend；　Anna　Grigorievna；　the　news。'　Nor　did　I　lose　a　moment　in　ordering　the　koliaska。　Yet　when　my　coachman；　Andrusha；　asked　me　for　directions　I　could　not　get　a　word　outI　just　stood　staring　at　him　like　a　fool；　until　I　thought　he　must　think　me　mad。　Oh；　Anna　Grigorievna；　if　you　but　knew　how　upset　I　am！〃

〃What　a　strange　affair！〃　commented　the　hostess。　〃What　on　earth　can　the　man　have　meant　by　'dead　souls'？　I　confess　that　the　words　pass　my　understanding。　Curiously　enough；　this　is　the　second　time　I　have　heard　speak　of　those　souls。　True；　my　husband　avers　that　Nozdrev　was　lying；　yet　in　his　lies　there　seems　to　have　been　a　grain　of　truth。〃

〃Well；　just　think　of　my　state　when　I　heard　all　this！　'And　now；'　apparently　said　Korobotchka　to　the　Archpriest's　wife；　'I　am　altogether　at　a　loss　what　to　do；　for；　throwing　me　fifteen　roubles；　the　man　forced　me　to　sign　a　worthless　paperyes；　me；　an　inexperienced；　defenceless　widow　who　knows　nothing　of　business。'　That　such　things　should　happen！　TRY　and　imagine　my　feelings！〃

〃In　my　opinion；　there　is　in　this　more　than　the　dead　souls　which　meet　the　eye。〃

〃I　think　so　too；〃　agreed　the　other。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　her　friend's　remark　had　struck　her　with　complete　surprise；　as　well　as　filled　her　with　curiosity　to　know　what　the　word　〃more〃　might　possibly　signify。　In　fact；　she　felt　driven　to　inquire：　〃What　do　YOU　suppose　to　be　hidden　beneath　it　all？〃

〃No；　tell　me　what　YOU　suppose？〃

〃What　_I_　suppose？　I　am　at　a　loss　to　conjecture。〃

〃Yes；　but　tell　me　what　is　in　your　mind？〃

Upon　this　the　visitor　had　to　confess　herself　nonplussed；　for；　though　capable　of　growing　hysterical；　she　was　incapable　of　propounding　any　rational　theory。　Consequently　she　felt　the　more　that　she　needed　tender　comfort　and　advice。

〃Then　THIS　is　what　I　think　about　the　dead　souls；〃　said　the　hostess。　Instantly　the　guest　pricked　up　her　ears　（or；　rather；　they　pricked　themselves　up）　and　straightened　herself　and　became；　somehow；　more　modish；　and；　despite　her　not　inconsiderable　weight；　posed　herself　to　look　like　a　piece　of　thistledown　floating　on　the　breeze。

〃The　dead　souls；〃　began　the　hostess。

〃Are　what；　are　what？〃　inquired　the　guest　in　great　excitement。

〃Are；　are〃

〃Tell　me；　tell　me；　for　heaven's　sake！〃

〃They　are　an　invention　to　conceal　something　else。　The　man's　real　object　is；　isTO　ABDUCT　THE　GOVERNOR'S　DAUGHTER。〃

So　startling　and　unexpected　was　this　conclusion　that　the　guest　sat　reduced　to　a　state　of　pale；　petrified；　genuine　amazement。

〃My　God！〃　she　cried；　clapping　her　hands；　〃I　should　NEVER　have　guessed　it！〃

〃Well；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　I　guessed　it　as　soon　as　ever　you　opened　your　mouth。〃

〃So　much；　then；　for　educating　girls　like　the　Governor's　daughter　at　school！　Just　see　what　comes　of　it！〃

〃Yes；　indeed！　And　they　tell　me　that　she　says　things　which　I　hesitate　even　to　repeat。〃

〃Truly　it　wrings　one's　heart　to　see　to　what　lengths　immorality　has　come。〃

〃Some　of　the　men　have　quite　lost　their　heads　about　her；　but　for　my　part　I　think　her　not　worth　noticing。〃

〃Of　course。　And　her　manners　are　unbearable。　But　what　puzzles　me　most　is　how　a　travelled　man　like　Chichikov　could　come　to　let　himself　in　for　such　an　affair。　Surely　he　must　have　accomplices？〃

〃Yes；　and　I　should　say　that　one　of　those　accomplices　is　Nozdrev。〃

〃Surely　not？〃

〃CERTAINLY　I　should　say　so。　Why；　I　have　known　him　even　try　to　sell　his　own　father！　At　all　events　he　staked　him　at　cards。〃

〃Indeed？　You　interest　me。　I　should　never　had　thought　him　capable　of　such　things。〃

〃I　always　guessed　him　to　be　so。〃

The　two　ladies　were　still　discussing　the　matter　with　acumen　and　success　when　there　walked　into　the　room　the　Public　Prosecutorbushy　eyebrows；　motionless　features；　blinking　eyes；　and　all。　At　once　the　ladies　hastened　to　inform　him　of　the　events　related；　adducing　therewith　full　details　both　as　to　the　purchase　of　dead　souls　and　as　to　the　scheme　to　abduct　the　Governor's　daughter；　after　which　they　departed　in　different　directions；　for　the　purpose　of　raising　the　rest　of　the　town。　For　the　execution　of　this　undertaking　not　more　than　half　an　hour　was　required。　So　thoroughly　did　they　succeed　in　throwing　dust　in　the　public's　eyes　that　for　a　while　every　onemore　especially　the　army　of　public　officialswas　placed　in　the　position　of　a　schoolboy　who；　while　still　asleep；　has　had　a　bag　of　pepper　thrown　in　his　face　by　a　party　of　more　early…rising　comrades。　The　questions　now　to　be　debated　resolved　themselves　into　twonamely；　the　question　of　the　dead　souls　and　the　question　of　the　Governor's　daughter。　To　this　end　two　parties　were　formedthe　men's　party　and　the　feminine　section。　The　men's　partythe　more　absolutely　senseless　of　the　twodevoted　its　attention　to　the　dead　souls：　the　women's　party　occupied　itself　exclusively　with　the　alleged　abduction　of　the　Governor's　daughter。　And　here　it　may　be　said　（to　the　ladies'　credit）　that　the　women's　party　displayed　far　more　method　and　caution　than　did　its　rival　faction；　probably　because　the　function　in　life　of　its　members　had　always　been　that　of　managing　and　administering　a　household。　With　the　ladies；　therefore；　matters　soon　assumed　vivid　and　definite　shape；　they　became　clearly　and　irrefutably　materialised；　they　stood　stripped　of　all　doubt　and　other　impedimenta。　Said　some　of　the　ladies　in　question；　Chichikov　had　long　been　in　love　with　the　maiden；　and　the　pair　had　kept　tryst　by　the　light　of　the　moon；　while　the　Governor　would　have　given　his　consent　（seeing　that　Chichikov　was　as　rich　as　a　Jew）　but　for　the　obstacle　that　Chichikov　had　deserted　a　wife　already　（how　the　worthy　dames　came　to　know　that　he　was　married　remains　a　mystery）；　and　the　said　deserted　wife；　pining　with　love　for　her　faithless　husband；　had　sent　the　Governor　a　letter　of　the　most　touching　kind；　so　that　Chichikov；　on　perceiving　that　the　father　and　mother　would　never　give　their　consent；　had　decided　to　abduct　the　girl。　In　other　circles　the　matter　was　stated　in　a　different　way。　That　is　to　say；　this　section　averred　that　Chichikov　did　NOT　possess　a　wife；　but　that；　as　a　man　of　subtlety　and　experience；　he　had　bethought　him　of　obtaining　the　daughter's　hand　through　the　expedient　of　first　tackling　the　mother　and　carrying　on　with　her　an　ardent　liaison；　and　that；　thereafter；　he　had　made　an　application　for　the　desired　hand；　but　that　the　mother；　fearing　to　commit　a　sin　against　religion；　and　feeling　in　her　heart　certain　gnawings　of　conscience；　had　returned　a　blank　refusal　to　Chichikov's　request；　whereupon　Chichikov　had　decided　to　carry　out　the　abduction　alleged。　To　the　foregoing；　of　course；　there　became　appended　various　additional　proofs　and　items　of　evidence；　in　proportion　as　the　sensation　spread　to　more　remote　corners　of　the　town。　At　length；　with　these　perfectings；　the　affair　reached　the　ears　of　the　Governor's　wife　herself。　Naturally；　as　the　mother　of　a　family；　and　as　the　first　lady　in　the　town；　and　as　a　matron　who　had　never　before　been　suspected　of　things　of　the　kind；　she　was　highly　offended　when　she　heard　the　stories；　and　very　justly　so：　with　the　result　that　her　poor　young　daughter；　though　innocent；　had　to　endure　about　as　unpleasant　a　tete…a…tete　as　ever　befell　a　maiden　of　sixteen；　while；　for　his　part；　the　Swiss　footman　received　orders　never　at　any　time　to　admit　Chichikov　to　the　house。

Having　done　their　business　with　the　Governor's　wife；　the　ladies'　party　descended　upon　the　male　section；　with　a　view　to　influencing　it　to　their　own　side　by　asserting　that