This readiness considerably2 tranquillized Pluschkin. It was obvious that he was trying to remember or do something, and really, after a few moments of reflection and hesitation3, he approached his cupboard, produced a bunch of keys, and opened the glass doors of it, he was a considerable time in removing a number of decanters, wine glasses, and cups, and at last exclaimed: "It is impossible for me to find it now, I had some sweet liquors of cream, provided my servants have not drunk it! they are so disobedient! Ah, should this perhaps be it?"
Tchichikoff now beheld4 a small decanter in his hands, which was thickly covered by a coat of dust. "This was distilled5 by my late and much lamented6 wife," continued Pluschkin; "my roguish housekeeper7 seems to have completely mislaid it, and has not even put the cork8 in, the negligent9 old wretch10! Cobwebs, spiders, and dies have fallen into the bottle, however, I have removed them, and will now pour out some for you, a nice and dean glass full."
But Tchichikoff respectfully declined to taste any of such liquor, saying that he had already been eating and drinking.
"You have already been eating and drinking;" said Pluschkin. "Yes, truly, a well-bred man may be recognised by the smallest trifles; he does not eat, and yet is fed; but when some of those hungry and dishonest run-abouts come, you may feed them as long as you like. The Captain for instance—who visits me by far too often; 'dear uncle,' he is accustomed to say, 'pray let me have first something to eat!' and after all, I am as dear an uncle to him as he is a nephew to me. I have not the least doubt, but the young fellow has nothing to eat at home, and of course keeps annoying me, and running about everywhere. But, by the bye, I think you will require a list of all these idlers? To be sure, whenever one of them died, I made it a point to note down his name, so as to have them ready for being scratched off at the approaching census11."
Pluschkin while saying this, put on a pair of wretched spectacles, and began to stir about in a heap of papers. In untying12 various packages, he treated his guest to such a cloud of dust, that he made him sneeze. At last he produced a slip of paper, written upon on every available space. The names of the dead serfs covered it as thickly as mushrooms. There were Christian13 and family names of every kind and length, such as Ponomareff, Pimenoff, Semenoff, and Panteleimonoff, and even the long name of Gregory Dogeschainedogedish; in all more than a hundred-and-twenty different names.
Tchichikoff smiled with inward satisfaction at the sight of such a number. Securing this curious document, and putting it in his pocket, he made the observation to Pluschkin, that he would have to come to town in order to conclude, in a legal manner, the contract of sale of these dead serfs.
"Go to town, but how? how am I to leave my house? my servants are one and all either thieves or scoundrels, in a day they would be capable of robbing me so well, that on my return I should not be able even to find a nail to bang my coat upon."
"In that case, you have perhaps a friend in town?"
"Yes, to be sure, a friend, but to whom? All my acquaintances have died, or have forgotten me; but stop, my good Sir! I now remember one, how should I not have a friend, to be sure I have one!" exclaimed the old man suddenly. "I am on friendly terms with the President, he used to visit me often in bygone years, how should I not know him, or he me! we were like wheels of the same carriage, always together, up to any mischief14! how should we not know one another? he is my best friend! would you advise me to entrust15 him with this business?"
"I advise you most certainly to do so," replied Tchichikoff.
"Then I will write to him, because he is a very intimate friend of mine! indeed, now I remember it, our friendship dates from our childhood, we were intimate school-fellows."
And suddenly over this wooden parchment-like face a warm flush passed, but it did not express feelings of a pleasant recollection, no, only something like a faint shadow of real feeling, an apparition17 similar to the unexpected appearance of a drowning man above the surface of the water, who causes a shout of joy among the crowd gathered along the shores. But unavailingly do his suddenly rejoiced brothers and sisters throw out cords and ropes to his assistance, hoping to see once more his head, or outstretched hands, trying to seize it—alas! it was his last re-appearance. All is silent, and the now silent and smooth element becomes but more ominous18 and terrifying. Something analogous19 was also visible in the expression of Pluschkin's features, after a momentary20 flush of sensibility, the expression of his face became but more unfeeling and repulsive21.
"There was a sheet of note-paper lying on the table," he said, "but I wonder what has become of it; you have no idea how impudent22 my servants are!"
Hereupon he began anxiously to look about, under the table, upon the table, stirring about everything, but at last, not being able to find it, he shouted as loud as he could:
"Mavra! halloa, Mavra!"
Upon this call, a woman servant entered the room, holding a plate in her hands, upon which lay the well-known Easter-cake of his daughter Alexandra. The following conversation took place between them:
"You magpie23! tell me immediately where you have put the sheet of note-paper, that was lying here upon my table?"
"Good Heavens, Sir, do not be alarmed, but I really have not seen it, excepting a small piece with which you covered a wine-glass the other day."
"I see clearly by your eyes and countenance24 that it is you who have surely taken it."
"For what purpose should I have done so? It could have been no use whatever to me, for I cannot read nor write."
"Tis a falsehood, you have taken it and carried it to your cousin, Karpuschka, the carpenter, I know him to be a scribbler and of course you have given it to him."
"That I have not, and besides if my cousin wanted some paper, he has the means to buy it,-for he is a good workman and can earn sufficient to pay for it. No, it is not he who has your paper."
"Mind what you are saying and doing, for on the day of judgment25 the demons26 will torment27 you, yes it is with iron rods that they will scourge28 you! you may depend upon it they will punish you for your wickedness in this world!"
"But why should they scourge me, when I never even touched your slip of paper? I may, perhaps, like other women, have my faults, but I have never been accused of theft before."
"The demons are sure to scourge you, and say besides: 'that is what you deserve you wicked woman for betraying and deceiving your lawful29 master, yes, it is with red-hot iron rods that they will torment you!'"
"And I shall proclaim my innocence30;" added the poor woman crying, "I shall invoke31 Heaven and declare that I did not touch or take any of your property. And here it lies upon the table. You always scold and accuse us though we are innocent!"
Pluschkin now really beheld the note-paper before him, and for a moment he stopped short, whilst chewing with his lips, then he added:
"Well, why are you so excited? what a talkative woman you are to be sure! Scarcely have I spoken a word to you, when you are ready with ten answers! Go and fetch me a light to seal my letters with. But no, stop, you are sure to lay hold of a tallow candle, grease melts: it will be a loss; bring me a pine-torch."
Mavra left the room, Pluschkin seated himself in an arm-chair and taking a pen up, he kept turning the sheet of note-paper for a considerable time in his hand, thinking at the time, could it not be possible to save the half or a portion of the paper, but at last he felt convinced that it was an impossibility; he therefore dipped his pen into the ink-stand and into a mouldy fluid, at the bottom of which there were numerous dead flies, he began to write; his letters were very much like music-notes, he was obliged to stop at each pen stroke, for his hand shook and trembled violently over the paper, and the progress of his writing and increase of lines was very slow indeed, for he could not help thinking and regretting, that much of the paper before him would have to remain unwritten upon.
And to such a degree of meanness and degradation33 could a well-born man degenerate34! undergo such a change! But is this like truth, like reality? All approaches truth and reality, for a human being is liable to undergo incredible changes. The youth of this day would start back horrified35 if the portrait of his old age could be shown to him. Oh! gather on our way—as you leave your downy pillow to start and enter into harsh and hardening manhood—gather up all the tender impressions of human nature, do not leave them behind you—do not pick them up later! Harsh and frightful36 is such old age when looming37 in the future, for it indemnifies for nothing! The grave is more merciful, upon a tombstone may be written: here lies a man! but you can read nothing upon the cold, unfeeling features of pitiless age.
"Do you perhaps know any one among your friends—" said Pluschkin, whilst folding up his letter, "who might stand in want of a few run-away serfs?"
"Ah, you have even some run-away men?" demanded Tchichikoff eagerly, but composing himself again quickly.
"Yes, unfortunately, I have some. My son-in-law has been hunting after them, but he assured me, that he has lost the trace of them notwithstanding his diligence and perseverance38, however, he is a military man, accustomed to do business on horseback, if he had taken the trouble to apply to the various courts and—"
"Pardon me for interrupting you, but how many are they in number?"
"Well, as near as I can guess about seventy."
"No, is it possible?"
"By Heavens, it is as I tell you! With every new year I find that more and more of my men run away. My people are one and all awful gluttons39, from good living and easy tasks they are apt to burst like the frog in the fable40, whilst I have scarcely sufficient to eat myself. Really, I should feel disposed to accept any reasonable offer for them. Pray, speak to your friend about them: let us suppose he only recaptures ten of them, and his trouble will be amply rewarded. And you must not forget to tell him that our census serfs are worth five hundred silver roubles a-piece everywhere."
"No, my good old man, don't you believe it; this piece of news my friend shall not even be allowed to dream of," thought Tchichikoff to himself; and then he added aloud, "That it was a perfect impossibility to find such a friend; that the trouble and expense of recapturing run-away serfs would exceed by far their collective value; because it would be madness to apply to any court of law for assistance, for it is well known that if a man enters a court of justice in Russia, he generally has to leave, if not his own liberty behind him, at least his property, without the exception of the very coat on his back; but if he was really embarrassed for a little money, he would do himself pleasure by proving him his sincere sympathy, and that he was ready to make an offer; but as it was a mere41 trifle, it would be really idle even to mention a word about it."
"Pray, and how much could you offer me?" demanded Pluschkin, with the anxiety and eagerness of a real Shylock, his hands trembling like quicksilver.
"I could afford to pay you at the rate of twenty-five copeks in silver for each of your run-aways."
"And how do you propose purchasing them—will you pay ready money?"
"Yes, I am prepared to pay immediately."
"My good and dear Sir, pray don't be hard with an old man; be generous and just; pay me at least forty copeks a head."
"Most estimable man!" exclaimed Tchichikoff, "I would not only have paid you forty copeks, but even would have been glad to pay you five hundred roubles for each run-away vagabond. It would have been a gratification to me to offer you such a sum, because I see it plainly now, that you, my worthy42 and excellent old Sir, are suffering from the effects of your own misplaced benevolence43."
"By Heavens, it is so! By Heavens, you spoke32 the truth!" exclaimed Pluschkin, bending down his head and shaking it sorrowfully. "All from benevolence!"
"You will agree with me, my excellent old man, that I at once knew how to appreciate your character. And why should I, therefore, not give you five hundred roubles for each of these serfs? but, the fact is, I am not possessed44 of a large fortune; however, to be agreeable to you, I am ready to make an addition of five copeks, so that, in this manner, every serf will cost me the round sum of thirty silver copeks."
"Make another effort, for the power lays in your hands; give me but two copeks more above the thirty."
"So I will, if you wish it, I'll give you two copeks more. How many have you of those run-away rascals45? You told me, I believe, seventy in all?"
"There are a few more. In all, they number seventy-eight."
"Seventy-eight! Let me see, seventy-eight and thirty-two copeks a head, that makes—" Hereupon our hero only took one moment for consideration, and then continued deliberately46: "That makes a total of twenty-four roubles ninety-six copeks." He was a clever arithmetician.
After this clever calculation, he made Pluschkin write out a receipt in form, and paid him the receipt in full upon the table, which the other took up in both hands, and carried towards his desk, with as much anxious precaution as if he was carrying some precious liquid, fearing every moment lest he might spill some of it.
When he had arrived before his desk, he once more covered his money with an ardent47 look, and then he laid it as carefully into one of his secret drawers, where, no doubt, it was destined48 to lie buried until Father Carp and Father Policarp, two worthy popes of his village, would come and have to bury the wretched man himself, to the indescribable joy of his daughter and son-in-law, and perhaps, also, to to the great satisfaction of the always hungry Captain, who had succeeded in establishing a relationship with the old miser.
After having hidden his treasure, Pluschkin returned to his arm-chair and sat down; it seemed that he now was completely at a loss of a subject for conversation.
"Do you already intend to leave me?" said he, as he happened to perceive a slight movement which Tchichikoff made, and which was only for the purpose of taking his pocket-handkerchief from his pocket.
This question reminded our hero that really there was no reason or inducement for him to stay any longer with the old miser.
"Yes, it is high time for me to depart," said he, whilst taking up his hat.
"Won't you really stay and take a cup of tea?"
"No, thank you; I think we had better leave it till the next time I have the pleasure of seeing you."
"Why, I have given orders for the tea-urn to be heated. For my own part, I must confess, I am not at all partial to tea-drinking, like the rest of our countrymen; the beverage49 is very dear, and besides, sugar has risen to a most unmerciful price. Froschka! I don't want the samovar; take the cake back again to Mavra, mind you understand me rightly; tell her to put it on the same shelf where she took it from; but no, stop—leave it on the table; I think I shall take it back again myself."
"Farewell, then, my dear Sir, the Almighty50 bless and keep you. As for the letter to the President, do not forget to give it him immediately on your return to Smolensk, as well as my kindest regards. Yes, let my dear old friend read it; I know he will be pleased to hear from me. How should he not recollect16 me? we used to live together, like two wheels of the same carriage."
After this, that ancient apparition, the worn-out old miser, led his guest the same road back on which he had entered his house, and saw him into the court-yard, and safe into his carriage, but as soon as the britchka had passed the gates, he ordered them to be closed immediately; he then made a turn of inspection51 around his extensive premises52, with the view of convincing himself that the watchmen were all on their guard, for he had posted sentinels at every available corner; these poor fellows kept thumping53 with a large wooden spoon against the bottom of small empty casks, instead of upon iron plates.
Being satisfied that every one was doing his duty, he entered the kitchen, under the pretence54 that he came there to convince himself that the food of his servants was good and eatable, and thus tasting of everything, he stuffed himself with cabbage and porridge to his heart's content; he then scolded them all, down to the scullery-maid, reproached them with bad conduct, and, after having done this, he quietly returned to his own room.
When he found himself alone, he began to think how he could manage to mark his sense of gratitude55 to his amiable56 guest for an act of such unheard-of generosity57.
"I think I shall present him," thought he to himself, "with my watch. It is a good one, a silver lever one, not one of those common Geneva or pinchbeck watches. I remember it is rather a little out of repair; but what does that matter? he can get it repaired himself. He seems a young man yet, and of course he wants a watch—it will help to please his sweetheart.
"But no," added he, after musing58 for a while, "I think I shall leave him the watch as a legacy59 after I am dead; then he will be sure to remember me."
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1
miser
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| n.守财奴，吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly) | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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distilled
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| adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华 | |
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6
lamented
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| adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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negligent
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| adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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census
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| n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查 | |
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12
untying
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| untie的现在分词 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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entrust
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| v.信赖，信托，交托 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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analogous
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| adj.相似的；类似的 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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magpie
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| n.喜欢收藏物品的人，喜鹊，饶舌者 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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scourge
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| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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invoke
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| v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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degenerate
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| v.退步，堕落；adj.退步的，堕落的；n.堕落者 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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gluttons
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| 贪食者( glutton的名词复数 )； 贪图者； 酷爱…的人； 狼獾 | |
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fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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49
beverage
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| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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50
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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51
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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54
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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55
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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56
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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57
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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58
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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59
legacy
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| n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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