dead souls(死魂灵)-第53节

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ewell；　not　a　few　kopecks。　Of　course　there　are　difficulties；　and；　to　avoid　creating　a　scandal；　I　should　need　to　employ　plenty　of　finesse；　but　man　was　given　his　brain　to　USE；　not　to　neglect。　One　good　point　about　the　scheme　is　that　it　will　seem　so　improbable　that　in　case　of　an　accident；　no　one　in　the　world　will　believe　in　it。　True；　it　is　illegal　to　buy　or　mortgage　peasants　without　land；　but　I　can　easily　pretend　to　be　buying　them　only　for　transferment　elsewhere。　Land　is　to　be　acquired　in　the　provinces　of　Taurida　and　Kherson　almost　for　nothing；　provided　that　one　undertakes　subsequently　to　colonise　it；　so　to　Kherson　I　will　'transfer'　them；　and　long　may　they　live　there！　And　the　removal　of　my　dead　souls　shall　be　carried　out　in　the　strictest　legal　form；　and　if　the　authorities　should　want　confirmation　by　testimony；　I　shall　produce　a　letter　signed　by　my　own　superintendent　of　the　Khersonian　rural　policethat　is　to　say；　by　myself。　Lastly；　the　supposed　village　in　Kherson　shall　be　called　Chichikovoebetter　still　Pavlovskoe；　according　to　my　Christian　name。〃

In　this　fashion　there　germinated　in　our　hero's　brain　that　strange　scheme　for　which　the　reader　may　or　may　not　be　grateful；　but　for　which　the　author　certainly　is　so；　seeing　that；　had　it　never　occurred　to　Chichikov；　this　story　would　never　have　seen　the　light。

After　crossing　himself；　according　to　the　Russian　custom；　Chichikov　set　about　carrying　out　his　enterprise。　On　pretence　of　selecting　a　place　wherein　to　settle；　he　started　forth　to　inspect　various　corners　of　the　Russian　Empire；　but　more　especially　those　which　had　suffered　from　such　unfortunate　accidents　as　failures　of　the　harvest；　a　high　rate　of　mortality；　or　whatsoever　else　might　enable　him　to　purchase　souls　at　the　lowest　possible　rate。　But　he　did　not　tackle　his　landowners　haphazard：　he　rather　selected　such　of　them　as　seemed　more　particularly　suited　to　his　taste；　or　with　whom　he　might　with　the　least　possible　trouble　conclude　identical　agreements；　though；　in　the　first　instance；　he　always　tried；　by　getting　on　terms　of　acquaintanceshipbetter　still；　of　friendshipwith　them；　to　acquire　the　souls　for　nothing；　and　so　to　avoid　purchase　at　all。　In　passing；　my　readers　must　not　blame　me　if　the　characters　whom　they　have　encountered　in　these　pages　have　not　been　altogether　to　their　liking。　The　fault　is　Chichikov's　rather　than　mine；　for　he　is　the　master；　and　where　he　leads　we　must　follow。　Also；　should　my　readers　gird　at　me　for　a　certain　dimness　and　want　of　clarity　in　my　principal　characters　and　actors；　that　will　be　tantamount　to　saying　that　never　do　the　broad　tendency　and　the　general　scope　of　a　work　become　immediately　apparent。　Similarly　does　the　entry　to　every　townthe　entry　even　to　the　Capital　itselfconvey　to　the　traveller　such　an　impression　of　vagueness　that　at　first　everything　looks　grey　and　monotonous；　and　the　lines　of　smoky　factories　and　workshops　seem　never　to　be　coming　to　an　end；　but　in　time　there　will　begin　also　to　stand　out　the　outlines　of　six…storied　mansions；　and　of　shops　and　balconies；　and　wide　perspectives　of　streets；　and　a　medley　of　steeples；　columns；　statues；　and　turretsthe　whole　framed　in　rattle　and　roar　and　the　infinite　wonders　which　the　hand　and　the　brain　of　men　have　conceived。　Of　the　manner　in　which　Chichikov's　first　purchases　were　made　the　reader　is　aware。　Subsequently　he　will　see　also　how　the　affair　progressed；　and　with　what　success　or　failure　our　hero　met；　and　how　Chichikov　was　called　upon　to　decide　and　to　overcome　even　more　difficult　problems　than　the　foregoing；　and　by　what　colossal　forces　the　levers　of　his　far…flung　tale　are　moved；　and　how　eventually　the　horizon　will　become　extended　until　everything　assumes　a　grandiose　and　a　lyrical　tendency。　Yes；　many　a　verst　of　road　remains　to　be　travelled　by　a　party　made　up　of　an　elderly　gentleman；　a　britchka　of　the　kind　affected　by　bachelors；　a　valet　named　Petrushka；　a　coachman　named　Selifan；　and　three　horses　which；　from　the　Assessor　to　the　skewbald；　are　known　to　us　individually　by　name。　Again；　although　I　have　given　a　full　description　of　our　hero's　exterior　（such　as　it　is）；　I　may　yet　be　asked　for　an　inclusive　definition　also　of　his　moral　personality。　That　he　is　no　hero　compounded　of　virtues　and　perfections　must　be　already　clear。　Then　WHAT　is　he？　A　villain？　Why　should　we　call　him　a　villain？　Why　should　we　be　so　hard　upon　a　fellow　man？　In　these　days　our　villains　have　ceased　to　exist。　Rather　it　would　be　fairer　to　call　him　an　ACQUIRER。　The　love　of　acquisition；　the　love　of　gain；　is　a　fault　common　to　many；　and　gives　rise　to　many　and　many　a　transaction　of　the　kind　generally　known　as　〃not　strictly　honourable。〃　True；　such　a　character　contains　an　element　of　ugliness；　and　the　same　reader　who；　on　his　journey　through　life；　would　sit　at　the　board　of　a　character　of　this　kind；　and　spend　a　most　agreeable　time　with　him；　would　be　the　first　to　look　at　him　askance　if　he　should　appear　in　the　guise　of　the　hero　of　a　novel　or　a　play。　But　wise　is　the　reader　who；　on　meeting　such　a　character；　scans　him　carefully；　and；　instead　of　shrinking　from　him　with　distaste；　probes　him　to　the　springs　of　his　being。　The　human　personality　contains　nothing　which　may　not；　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　become　altogether　changednothing　in　which；　before　you　can　look　round；　there　may　not　spring　to　birth　some　cankerous　worm　which　is　destined　to　suck　thence　the　essential　juice。　Yes；　it　is　a　common　thing　to　see　not　only　an　overmastering　passion；　but　also　a　passion　of　the　most　petty　order；　arise　in　a　man　who　was　born　to　better　things；　and　lead　him　both　to　forget　his　greatest　and　most　sacred　obligations；　and　to　see　only　in　the　veriest　trifles　the　Great　and　the　Holy。　For　human　passions　are　as　numberless　as　is　the　sand　of　the　seashore；　and　go　on　to　become　his　most　insistent　of　masters。　Happy；　therefore；　the　man　who　may　choose　from　among　the　gamut　of　human　passions　one　which　is　noble！　Hour　by　hour　will　that　instinct　grow　and　multiply　in　its　measureless　beneficence；　hour　by　hour　will　it　sink　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　infinite　paradise　of　his　soul。　But　there　are　passions　of　which　a　man　cannot　rid　himself；　seeing　that　they　are　born　with　him　at　his　birth；　and　he　has　no　power　to　abjure　them。　Higher　powers　govern　those　passions；　and　in　them　is　something　which　will　call　to　him；　and　refuse　to　be　silenced；　to　the　end　of　his　life。　Yes；　whether　in　a　guise　of　darkness；　or　whether　in　a　guise　which　will　become　converted　into　a　light　to　lighten　the　world；　they　will　and　must　attain　their　consummation　on　life's　field：　and　in　either　case　they　have　been　evoked　for　man's　good。　In　the　same　way　may　the　passion　which　drew　our　Chichikov　onwards　have　been　one　that　was　independent　of　himself；　in　the　same　way　may　there　have　lurked　even　in　his　cold　essence　something　which　will　one　day　cause　men　to　humble　themselves　in　the　dust　before　the　infinite　wisdom　of　God。

Yet　that　folk　should　be　dissatisfied　with　my　hero　matters　nothing。　What　matters　is　the　fact　that；　under　different　circumstances；　their　approval　could　have　been　taken　as　a　foregone　conclusion。　That　is　to　say；　had　not　the　author　pried　over…deeply　into　Chichikov's　soul；　nor　stirred　up　in　its　depths　what　shunned　and　lay　hidden　from　the　light；　nor　disclosed　those　of　his　hero's　thoughts　which　that　hero　would　have　not　have　disclosed　even　to　his　most　intimate　friend；　had　the　author；　indeed；　exhibited　Chichikov　just　as　he　exhibited　himself　to　the　townsmen　of　N。　and　Manilov　and　the　rest；　well；　then　we　may　rest　assured　that　every　reader　would　have　been　delighted　with　him；　and　have　voted　him　a　most　interesting　person。　For　it　is　not　nearly　so　necessary　that　Chichikov　should　figure　before　the　reader　as　though　his　form　and　person　were　actually　present　to　the　eye　as　that；　on　concluding　a　perusal　of　this　work；　the　reader　should　be　able　to　return；　unharrowed　in　soul；　to　that　cult　of　the　card…table　which　is　the　solace　and　delight　of　all　good　Russians。　Yes；　readers　of　this　book；　none　of　you　really　care　to　see　humanity　revealed　in　its　nakedness。　〃Why　should　we　do　so？〃　you　say。　〃What　would　be　the　use　of　it？　Do　we　not　know　for　ourselves　that　human　life　contains　much　that　is　gross　and　contemptible？　Do　we　not　with　our　own　eyes　have　to　look　upon　much　that　is　anything　but　comforting？　Far　better　would　it　be　if　you　would　put　before　us　what　is　comely　and　attractive；　so　that　we　might　forget　ourselves　a　little。〃　In　the　same　fashion　does　a　landowner　say　to　his　bailiff：　〃Why　do　you　come　and　tell　me　that　the　affairs　of　my　estate　are　in　a　bad　way？　I　know　that　without　YOUR　help。　Have　you　nothing　else　to　tell　me？　Kindly　allow　me　to　forget　the　fact；　or　else　to　remain　in　ignorance　of　it；　and　I　shall　be　much　obliged　to　you。〃　Whereafter　the　said　landowner　probably　proceeds　to　spend　on　his　diversion　the　money　which　ought　to　have　gone　towards　the　rehabilitation　of　his　affairs。

Possibly　the　author　may　also　incur　censure　at　the　hands　of　those　so…called　〃patriots〃　who　sit　quietly　in　corners；　and　become　capitalists　through　making　fortunes　at　the　expense　of　others。　Yes；　let　but　something　which　they　conceive　to　be　derogatory　to　their　country　occurfor　instance；　let　there　be　published　some　book　which　voices　the　bitter　truthand　out　they　will　come　from　their　hiding…places　like　a　spider　which　perceives　a　fly　to　be　caught　in　its　web。　〃Is　it　well　to　proclaim　this　to　the　world；　and