dead souls(死魂灵)-第83节

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〃I　myself　can　feel　but　little；〃　he　reflected；　〃but　I　intend　to　use　my　every　faculty　to　help　others　to　feel。　I　myself　am　but　bad　and　worthless；　but　I　intend　to　do　my　utmost　to　set　others　on　the　right　road。　I　myself　am　but　an　indifferent　Christian；　but　I　intend　to　strive　never　to　yield　to　temptation；　but　to　work　hard；　and　to　till　my　land　with　the　sweat　of　my　brow；　and　to　engage　only　in　honourable　pursuits；　and　to　influence　my　fellows　in　the　same　direction。　For；　after　all；　am　I　so　very　useless？　At　least　I　could　maintain　a　household；　for　I　am　frugal　and　active　and　intelligent　and　steadfast。　The　only　thing　is　to　make　up　my　mind　to　it。〃

Thus　Chichikov　pondered；　and　as　he　did　so　his　half…awakened　energies　of　soul　touched　upon　something。　That　is　to　say；　dimly　his　instinct　divined　that　every　man　has　a　duty　to　perform；　and　that　that　duty　may　be　performed　here；　there；　and　everywhere；　and　no　matter　what　the　circumstances　and　the　emotions　and　the　difficulties　which　compass　a　man　about。　And　with　such　clearness　did　Chichikov　mentally　picture　to　himself　the　life　of　grateful　toil　which　lies　removed　from　the　bustle　of　towns　and　the　temptations　which　man；　forgetful　of　the　obligation　of　labour；　has　invented　to　beguile　an　hour　of　idleness　that　almost　our　hero　forgot　his　unpleasant　position；　and　even　felt　ready　to　thank　Providence　for　the　calamity　which　had　befallen　him；　provided　that　it　should　end　in　his　being　released；　and　in　his　receiving　back　a　portion　of　his　property。

Presently　the　massive　door　of　the　cell　opened　to　admit　a　tchinovnik　named　Samosvitov；　a　robust；　sensual　individual　who　was　reputed　by　his　comrades　to　be　something　of　a　rake。　Had　he　served　in　the　army；　he　would　have　done　wonders；　for　he　would　have　stormed　any　point；　however　dangerous　and　inaccessible；　and　captured　cannon　under　the　very　noses　of　the　foe；　but；　as　it　was；　the　lack　of　a　more　warlike　field　for　his　energies　caused　him　to　devote　the　latter　principally　to　dissipation。　Nevertheless　he　enjoyed　great　popularity；　for　he　was　loyal　to　the　point　that；　once　his　word　had　been　given；　nothing　would　ever　make　him　break　it。　At　the　same　time；　some　reason　or　another　led　him　to　regard　his　superiors　in　the　light　of　a　hostile　battery　which；　come　what　might；　he　must　breach　at　any　weak　or　unguarded　spot　or　gap　which　might　be　capable　of　being　utilised　for　the　purpose。

〃We　have　all　heard　of　your　plight；〃　he　began　as　soon　as　the　door　had　been　safely　closed　behind　him。　〃Yes；　every　one　has　heard　of　it。　But　never　mind。　Things　will　yet　come　right。　We　will　do　our　very　best　for　you；　and　act　as　your　humble　servants　in　everything。　Thirty　thousand　roubles　is　our　priceno　more。〃

〃Indeed？〃　said　Chichikov。　〃And；　for　that；　shall　I　be　completely　exonerated？〃

〃Yes；　completely；　and　also　given　some　compensation　for　your　loss　of　time。〃

〃And　how　much　am　I　to　pay　in　return；　you　say？〃

〃Thirty　thousand　roubles；　to　be　divided　among　ourselves；　the　Governor…General's　staff；　and　the　Governor…General's　secretary。〃

〃But　how　is　even　that　to　be　managed；　for　all　my　effects；　including　my　dispatch…box；　will　have　been　sealed　up　and　taken　away　for　examination？〃

〃In　an　hour's　time　they　will　be　within　your　hands　again；〃　said　Samosvitov。　〃Shall　we　shake　hands　over　the　bargain？〃

Chichikov　did　so　with　a　beating　heart；　for　he　could　scarcely　believe　his　ears。

〃For　the　present；　then；　farewell；〃　concluded　Samosvitov。　〃I　have　instructed　a　certain　mutual　friend　that　the　important　points　are　silence　and　presence　of　mind。〃

〃Hm！〃　thought　Chichikov。　〃It　is　to　my　lawyer　that　he　is　referring。〃

Even　when　Samosvitov　had　departed　the　prisoner　found　it　difficult　to　credit　all　that　had　been　said。　Yet　not　an　hour　had　elapsed　before　a　messenger　arrived　with　his　dispatch…box　and　the　papers　and　money　therein　practically　undisturbed　and　intact！　Later　it　came　out　that　Samosvitov　had　assumed　complete　authority　in　the　matter。　First；　he　had　rebuked　the　gendarmes　guarding　Chichikov's　effects　for　lack　of　vigilance；　and　then　sent　word　to　the　Superintendent　that　additional　men　were　required　for　the　purpose；　after　which　he　had　taken　the　dispatch…box　into　his　own　charge；　removed　from　it　every　paper　which　could　possibly　compromise　Chichikov；　sealed　up　the　rest　in　a　packet；　and　ordered　a　gendarme　to　convey　the　whole　to　their　owner　on　the　pretence　of　forwarding　him　sundry　garments　necessary　for　the　night。　In　the　result　Chichikov　received　not　only　his　papers；　but　also　some　warm　clothing　for　his　hypersensitive　limbs。　Such　a　swift　recovery　of　his　treasures　delighted　him　beyond　expression；　and；　gathering　new　hope；　he　began　once　more　to　dream　of　such　allurements　as　theatre…going　and　the　ballet　girl　after　whom　he　had　for　some　time　past　been　dangling。　Gradually　did　the　country　estate　and　the　simple　life　begin　to　recede　into　the　distance：　gradually　did　the　town　house　and　the　life　of　gaiety　begin　to　loom　larger　and　larger　in　the　foreground。　Oh；　life；　life！

Meanwhile　in　Government　offices　and　chancellories　there　had　been　set　on　foot　a　boundless　volume　of　work。　Clerical　pens　slaved；　and　brains　skilled　in　legal　casus　toiled；　for　each　official　had　the　artist's　liking　for　the　curved　line　in　preference　to　the　straight。　And　all　the　while；　like　a　hidden　magician；　Chichikov's　lawyer　imparted　driving　power　to　that　machine　which　caught　up　a　man　into　its　mechanism　before　he　could　even　look　round。　And　the　complexity　of　it　increased　and　increased；　for　Samosvitov　surpassed　himself　in　importance　and　daring。　On　learning　of　the　place　of　confinement　of　the　woman　who　had　been　arrested；　he　presented　himself　at　the　doors；　and　passed　so　well　for　a　smart　young　officer　of　gendarmery　that　the　sentry　saluted　and　sprang　to　attention。

〃Have　you　been　on　duty　long？〃　asked　Samosvitov。

〃Since　this　morning；　your　Excellency。〃

〃And　shall　you　soon　be　relieved？〃

〃In　three　hours　from　now；　your　Excellency。〃

〃Presently　I　shall　want　you；　so　I　will　instruct　your　officer　to　have　you　relieved　at　once。〃

〃Very　good；　your　Excellency。〃

Hastening　home；　thereafter；　at　top　speed；　and　donning　the　uniform　of　a　gendarme；　with　a　false　moustache　and　a　pair　of　false　whiskersan　ensemble　in　which　the　devil　himself　would　not　have　known　him；　Samosvitov　then　made　for　the　gaol　where　Chichikov　was　confined；　and；　en　route；　impressed　into　the　service　the　first　street　woman　whom　he　encountered；　and　handed　her　over　to　the　care　of　two　young　fellows　of　like　sort　with　himself。　The　next　step　was　to　hurry　back　to　the　prison　where　the　original　woman　had　been　interned；　and　there　to　intimate　to　the　sentry　that　he；　Samosvitov　（with　whiskers　and　rifle　complete）；　had　been　sent　to　relieve　the　said　sentry　at　his　posta　proceeding　which；　of　course；　enabled　the　newly…arrived　relief　to　ensure；　while　performing　his　self…assumed　turn　of　duty；　that　for　the　woman　lying　under　arrest　there　should　be　substituted　the　woman　recently　recruited　to　the　plot；　and　that　the　former　should　then　be　conveyed　to　a　place　of　concealment　where　she　was　highly　unlikely　to　be　discovered。

Meanwhile；　Samosvitov's　feats　in　the　military　sphere　were　being　rivalled　by　the　wonders　worked　by　Chichikov's　lawyer　in　the　civilian　field　of　action。　As　a　first　step；　the　lawyer　caused　it　to　be　intimated　to　the　local　Governor　that　the　Public　Prosecutor　was　engaged　in　drawing　up　a　report　to　his；　the　local　Governor's；　detriment；　whereafter　the　lawyer　caused　it　to　be　intimated　also　to　the　Chief　of　Gendarmery　that　a　certain　confidential　official　was　engaged　in　doing　the　same　by　HIM；　whereafter；　again；　the　lawyer　confided　to　the　confidential　official　in　question　that；　owing　to　the　documentary　exertions　of　an　official　of　a　still　more　confidential　nature　than　the　first；　he　（the　confidential　official　first…mentioned）　was　in　a　fair　way　to　find　himself　in　the　same　boat　as　both　the　local　Governor　and　the　Chief　of　Gendarmery：　with　the　result　that　the　whole　trio　were　reduced　to　a　frame　of　mind　in　which　they　were　only　too　glad　to　turn　to　him　（Samosvitov）　for　advice。　The　ultimate　and　farcical　upshot　was　that　report　came　crowding　upon　report；　and　that　such　alleged　doings　were　brought　to　light　as　the　sun　had　never　before　beheld。　In　fact；　the　documents　in　question　employed　anything　and　everything　as　material；　even　to　announcing　that　such　and　such　an　individual　had　an　illegitimate　son；　that　such　and　such　another　kept　a　paid　mistress；　and　that　such　and　such　a　third　was　troubled　with　a　gadabout　wife；　whereby　there　became　interwoven　with　and　welded　into　Chichikov's　past　history　and　the　story　of　the　dead　souls　such　a　crop　of　scandals　and　innuendoes　that　by　no　manner　of　means　could　any　mortal　decide　to　which　of　these　rubbishy　romances　to　award　the　palm；　since　all　them　presented　an　equal　claim　to　that　honour。　Naturally；　when；　at　length；　the　dossier　reached　the　Governor…General　himself　it　simply　flabbergasted　the　poor　man；　and　even　the　exceptionally　clever　and　energetic　secretary　to　whom　he　deputed　the　making　of　an　abstract　of　the　same　very　nearly　lost　his　reason　with　the　strain　of　attempting　to　lay　hold　of　the　tangled　end　of　the　skein。　It　happened　that　just　at　that　time　the　Prince　had　several　other　important　affairs　on　hand；　and　affairs　of　a　very　unpleasant　nature。　That　is　to　say；　famine　had　made　its　appearance　in　one　portion　of　the　province；　and　the　tchinovniks　sent　to　dis