dead souls(死魂灵)-第75节

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This　was　too　much　for　Platon's　conscience。

〃Now；　now；　Paul　Ivanovitch！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Take　the　property　at　the　price　named；　and　have　done　with　it。　The　estate　is　worth　at　least　that　amountso　much　so　that；　should　you　not　be　willing　to　give　it；　my　brother…in…law　and　I　will　club　together　to　effect　the　purchase。〃

〃That　being　so；〃　said　Chichikov；　taken　aback；　〃I　beg　to　agree　to　the　price　in　question。　At　the　same　time；　I　must　ask　you　to　allow　me　to　defer　payment　of　one…half　of　the　purchase　money　until　a　year　from　now。〃

〃No；　no；　Paul　Ivanovitch。　Under　no　circumstances　could　I　do　that。　Pay　me　half　now；　and　the　rest　in　。　。　。＇1＇　You　see；　I　need　the　money　for　the　redemption　of　the　mortgage。〃

＇1＇　Here；　in　the　original；　a　word　is　missing。

〃That　places　me　in　a　difficulty；〃　remarked　Chichikov。　〃Ten　thousand　roubles　is　all　that　at　the　moment　I　have　available。〃　As　a　matter　of　fact；　this　was　not　true；　seeing　that；　counting　also　the　money　which　he　had　borrowed　of　Kostanzhoglo；　he　had　at　his　disposal　TWENTY　thousand。　His　real　reason　for　hesitating　was　that　he　disliked　the　idea　of　making　so　large　a　payment　in　a　lump　sum。

〃I　must　repeat　my　request；　Paul　Ivanovitch；〃　said　Khlobuev；　〃namely；　that　you　pay　me　at　least　fifteen　thousand　immediately。〃

〃The　odd　five　thousand　_I_　will　lend　you；〃　put　in　Platon　to　Chichikov。

〃Indeed？〃　exclaimed　Chichikov　as　he　reflected：　〃So　he　also　lends　money！〃

In　the　end　Chichikov's　dispatch…box　was　brought　from　the　koliaska；　and　Khlobuev　received　thence　ten　thousand　roubles；　together　with　a　promise　that　the　remaining　five　thousand　should　be　forthcoming　on　the　morrow；　though　the　promise　was　given　only　after　Chichikov　had　first　proposed　that　THREE　thousand　should　be　brought　on　the　day　named；　and　the　rest　be　left　over　for　two　or　three　days　longer；　if　not　for　a　still　more　protracted　period。　The　truth　was　that　Paul　Ivanovitch　hated　parting　with　money。　No　matter　how　urgent　a　situation　might　have　been；　he　would　still　have　preferred　to　pay　a　sum　to…morrow　rather　than　to…day。　In　other　words；　he　acted　as　we　all　do；　for　we　all　like　keeping　a　petitioner　waiting。　〃Let　him　rub　his　back　in　the　hall　for　a　while；〃　we　say。　〃Surely　he　can　bide　his　time　a　little？〃　Yet　of　the　fact　that　every　hour　may　be　precious　to　the　poor　wretch；　and　that　his　business　may　suffer　from　the　delay；　we　take　no　account。　〃Good　sir；〃　we　say；　〃pray　come　again　to…morrow。　To…day　I　have　no　time　to　spare　you。〃

〃Where　do　you　intend　henceforth　to　live？〃　inquired　Platon。　〃Have　you　any　other　property　to　which　you　can　retire？〃

〃No；〃　replied　Khlobuev。　〃I　shall　remove　to　the　town；　where　I　possess　a　small　villa。　That　would　have　been　necessary；　in　any　case；　for　the　children's　sake。　You　see；　they　must　have　instruction　in　God's　word；　and　also　lessons　in　music　and　dancing；　and　not　for　love　or　money　can　these　things　be　procured　in　the　country。

〃Nothing　to　eat；　yet　dancing　lessons　for　his　children！〃　reflected　Chichikov。

〃An　extraordinary　man！〃　was　Platon's　unspoken　comment。

〃However；　we　must　contrive　to　wet　our　bargain　somehow；〃　continued　Khlobuev。　〃Hi；　Kirushka！　Bring　that　bottle　of　champagne。〃

〃Nothing　to　eat；　yet　champagne　to　drink！〃　reflected　Chichikov。　As　for　Platon；　he　did　not　know　WHAT　to　think。

In　Khlobuev's　eyes　it　was　de　rigueur　that　he　should　provide　a　guest　with　champagne；　but；　though　he　had　sent　to　the　town　for　some；　he　had　been　met　with　a　blank　refusal　to　forward　even　a　bottle　of　kvass　on　credit。　Only　the　discovery　of　a　French　dealer　who　had　recently　transferred　his　business　from　St。　Petersburg；　and　opened　a　connection　on　a　system　of　general　credit；　saved　the　situation　by　placing　Khlobuev　under　the　obligation　of　patronising　him。

The　company　drank　three　glassfuls　apiece；　and　so　grew　more　cheerful。　In　particular　did　Khlobuev　expand；　and　wax　full　of　civility　and　friendliness；　and　scatter　witticisms　and　anecdotes　to　right　and　left。　What　knowledge　of　men　and　the　world　did　his　utterances　display！　How　well　and　accurately　could　he　divine　things！　With　what　appositeness　did　he　sketch　the　neighbouring　landowners！　How　clearly　he　exposed　their　faults　and　failings！　How　thoroughly　he　knew　the　story　of　certain　ruined　gentrythe　story　of　how；　why；　and　through　what　cause　they　had　fallen　upon　evil　days！　With　what　comic　originality　could　he　describe　their　little　habits　and　customs！

In　short；　his　guests　found　themselves　charmed　with　his　discourse；　and　felt　inclined　to　vote　him　a　man　of　first…rate　intellect。

〃What　most　surprises　me；〃　said　Chichikov；　〃is　how；　in　view　of　your　ability；　you　come　to　be　so　destitute　of　means　or　resources。〃

〃But　I　have　plenty　of　both；〃　said　Khlobuev；　and　with　that　went　on　to　deliver　himself　of　a　perfect　avalanche　of　projects。　Yet　those　projects　proved　to　be　so　uncouth；　so　clumsy；　so　little　the　outcome　of　a　knowledge　of　men　and　things；　that　his　hearers　could　only　shrug　their　shoulders　and　mentally　exclaim：　〃Good　Lord！　What　a　difference　between　worldly　wisdom　and　the　capacity　to　use　it！〃　In　every　case　the　projects　in　question　were　based　upon　the　imperative　necessity　of　at　once　procuring　from　somewhere　two　hundredor　at　least　one　hundredthousand　roubles。　That　done　（so　Khlobuev　averred）；　everything　would　fall　into　its　proper　place；　the　holes　in　his　pockets　would　become　stopped；　his　income　would　be　quadrupled；　and　he　would　find　himself　in　a　position　to　liquidate　his　debts　in　full。　Nevertheless　he　ended　by　saying：　〃What　would　you　advise　me　to　do？　I　fear　that　the　philanthropist　who　would　lend　me　two　hundred　thousand　roubles　or　even　a　hundred　thousand；　does　not　exist。　It　is　not　God's　will　that　he　should。〃

〃Good　gracious！〃　inwardly　ejaculated　Chichikov。　〃To　suppose　that　God　would　send　such　a　fool　two　hundred　thousand　roubles！〃

〃However；〃　went　on　Khlobuev；　〃I　possess　an　aunt　worth　three　millionsa　pious　old　woman　who　gives　freely　to　churches　and　monasteries；　but　finds　a　difficulty　in　helping　her　neighbour。　At　the　same　time；　she　is　a　lady　of　the　old　school；　and　worth　having　a　peep　at。　Her　canaries　alone　number　four　hundred；　and；　in　addition；　there　is　an　army　of　pug…dogs；　hangers…on；　and　servants。　Even　the　youngest　of　the　servants　is　sixty；　but　she　calls　them　all　'young　fellows；'　and　if　a　guest　happens　to　offend　her　during　dinner；　she　orders　them　to　leave　him　out　when　handing　out　the　dishes。　THERE'S　a　woman　for　you！〃

Platon　laughed。

〃And　what　may　her　family　name　be？〃　asked　Chichikov。　〃And　where　does　she　live？〃

〃She　lives　in　the　county　town；　and　her　name　is　Alexandra　Ivanovna　Khanasarov。〃

〃Then　why　do　you　not　apply　to　her？〃　asked　Platon　earnestly。　〃It　seems　to　me　that；　once　she　realised　the　position　of　your　family；　she　could　not　possibly　refuse　you。〃

〃Alas！　nothing　is　to　be　looked　for　from　that　quarter；〃　replied　Khlobuev。　〃My　aunt　is　of　a　very　stubborn　dispositiona　perfect　stone　of　a　woman。　Moreover；　she　has　around　her　a　sufficient　band　of　favourites　already。　In　particular　is　there　a　fellow　who　is　aiming　for　a　Governorship；　and　to　that　end　has　managed　to　insinuate　himself　into　the　circle　of　her　kinsfolk。　By　the　way；〃　the　speaker　added；　turning　to　Platon；　〃would　you　do　me　a　favour？　Next　week　I　am　giving　a　dinner　to　the　associated　guilds　of　the　town。〃

Platon　stared。　He　had　been　unaware　that　both　in　our　capitals　and　in　our　provincial　towns　there　exists　a　class　of　men　whose　lives　are　an　enigmamen　who；　though　they　will　seem　to　have　exhausted　their　substance；　and　to　have　become　enmeshed　in　debt；　will　suddenly　be　reported　as　in　funds；　and　on　the　point　of　giving　a　dinner！　And　though；　at　this　dinner；　the　guests　will　declare　that　the　festival　is　bound　to　be　their　host's　last　fling；　and　that　for　a　certainty　he　will　be　haled　to　prison　on　the　morrow；　ten　years　or　more　will　elapse；　and　the　rascal　will　still　be　at　liberty；　even　though；　in　the　meanwhile；　his　debts　will　have　increased！

In　the　same　way　did　the　conduct　of　Khlobuev's　menage　afford　a　curious　phenomenon；　for　one　day　the　house　would　be　the　scene　of　a　solemn　Te　Deum；　performed　by　a　priest　in　vestments；　and　the　next　of　a　stage　play　performed　by　a　troupe　of　French　actors　in　theatrical　costume。　Again；　one　day　would　see　not　a　morsel　of　bread　in　the　house；　and　the　next　day　a　banquet　and　generous　largesse　given　to　a　party　of　artists　and　sculptors。　During　these　seasons　of　scarcity　（sufficiently　severe　to　have　led　any　one　but　Khlobuev　to　seek　suicide　by　hanging　or　shooting）；　the　master　of　the　house　would　be　preserved　from　rash　action　by　his　strongly　religious　disposition；　which；　contriving　in　some　curious　way　to　conform　with　his　irregular　mode　of　life；　enabled　him　to　fall　back　upon　reading　the　lives　of　saints；　ascetics；　and　others　of　the　type　which　has　risen　superior　to　its　misfortunes。　And　at　such　times　his　spirit　would　become　softened；　his　thoughts　full　of　gentleness；　and　his　eyes　wet　with　tears；　he　would　fall　to　saying　his　prayers；　and　invariably　some　strange　coincidence　would　bring　an　answer　thereto　in　the　shape　of　an　unexpected　measure　of　assistance。　That　is　to　say；　some　former　friend　of　his　would　remember　him；　and　send　him　a　trifle　in　the　way　of　money；　or　else　some　female　visitor　would　be　moved　by　his　story　to　let　her　impulsive；　generous　heart　proffer　him　a　handsome　gift；　or　else　a　suit　whereof　tidings　had　never　even　reached　his　ears　would　end　by　being　decided　in