Of course, and in some degree the imperial employés might in many respects be excused, for they really were in one of the most unpleasant and embarrassing positions, as regarded their character and reputation. The drowning man, it is said, catches even at a straw, because at the time of his danger he has not the faculty11 of judging that a fly only could perhaps save its life on a straw, and that, as for himself, he weighed at least his twelve to sixteen stone, if not more; however, this reflection seems not to occur to the drowning man, and for that reason he catches at a straw.
Thus it was also with our gentlemen assembled; they at last resolved on catching12 at Nosdrieff. The Commissioner13 of Police dropped him a line instantly, inviting14 him to pass the evening with them, and his assistant courier in his long top-boots and rosy15 cheeks, rushed immediately out into the street, to take the message to Nosdrieff. Nosdrieff was engaged on very important business; for four consecutive16 days he had not left his room; he permitted no one to quit the house, and received his dinner through the window; in a word, he had grown feeble and emaciated17.
His business demanded the most persevering18 attention; it consisted in the selection of from more than ten dozen packs of cards, of one select pack, upon which he might be able to depend as upon his most intimate friend. The work he had before him was sufficient to last him yet for two weeks longer; for the course o this time, Porphir had received instructions to take particular care of the young dog, and to wash him three times a day with a peculiar19 brush and plenty of soap.
Nosdrieff was very angry indeed that any one should have come to disturb his solitude20; at first he refused to listen at all to the Commissioner's messenger, but when he read the P.S. which informed him, that it was more than likely that the evening party would be attended by a novice21, and that there would be a little gambling22, he dressed himself immediately, and left his solitude to comply with the invitation.
The appearance, testimony23, and suppositions of Nosdrieff presented such contradictory24 evidence that the gentlemen of the council were completely thrown out of their latest conclusion on the subject of their important investigations25. Nosdrieff was one of those men for whom suppositions and doubts did not exist, and whatever extent of indecision and timidity was perceptible in their conjectures26, it was met by him with as much perseverance27 and conviction, and he answered every one of their inquiries28 without stammering29 even once, nor feeling in the least embarrassed.
He affirmed that Tchichikoff had bought dead serfs for a considerable amount, and that he himself had sold him some, because he could not see any harm in doing so. Upon the question, whether he did not believe him to be a spy sent from St. Petersburgh to collect secret information regarding the administration of Smolensk, Nosdrieff answered, that he was confident that his friend Tchichikoff was a spy in the pay of the government, because, said he, when we were school-fellows we used to call him the fiscal30, but at the same time, he got many a sound thrashing for it from us, and from myself in particular.
"I now remember a circumstance when we had so very much ill-used him that he was obliged to go home, and have immediately two hundred and forty leeches31 applied32 to his temples"—that is to say, he intended to make it forty, but the two hundred additional slipped from his tongue in spite of himself.
When he was asked whether he did not think that Tchichikoff was the manufacturer of false bank notes, he answered in the affirmative, and at the same time told them an anecdote33 of the great cleverness of Tchichikoff, saying, that it once so happened that he, Tchichikoff, being positively34 traced as the imitator of bank notes, and that he had about two millions worth in his possession, his house was immediately surrounded by a detachment of soldiers, each of the doors being sealed and guarded by two men, but during the same night Tchichikoff managed to change the two millions worth of spurious notes into genuine imperial bank bills.
To the direct question, whether Tchichikoff had really the intention of carrying out his elopement with the Governor-General's daughter, and whether it was true that he had undertaken to assist them in their flight, Nosdrieff replied, that he must confess, that he had particularly helped and assisted him, and that without him, they would not have had the least chance of success.
Here he perceived, but too late, that he had compromised himself by this statement, without, however, being able to stop the fluency35 of the tongue. However, it was also difficult to stop his talkativeness, because the subject in itself was one that presented so many interesting incidents, and he could not resist the temptation of inventing them; he even gave the name of the particular village, where the church stood on a hill surrounded by a small wood, through which they had to pass in order to proceed to the nuptial36 ceremony, the name of the pope who had to wed37 them before the altar, was father Sidor; for his services and discretion38 he was to receive a hundred roubles, but he at first declined to accede39 to their request, but that he, Nosdrieff, reminded the holy father that he had married lately his peasant Michael to his cousin, Katinka, and which was an act contrary to the laws of the Greek church, and that if he refused to marry his friend and his lovely bride, he would at once inform against him, that he had put at their disposal his own carriage and horses, and that he had gone on horseback, from station to station to provide re-lay horses for the fugitives40. He went even so far in his particulars as regarded the elopement, that he begun to call out the names of every one of the jamtchicks who drove the carriage.
The Imperial men remained now in a worse position than they were in the beginning of their investigations, and the meeting was broken up, after they had fully41 agreed upon the fact, it was impossible to them to discover who Tchichikoff was.
All these reports, conjectures and gossips on account of Tchichikoff had, for some incomprehensible reasons, had the most fatal effect upon the constitution of the poor Imperial Procurator. They had acted upon him to such a degree, that he, on his return home from the meeting, from some cause or another fell down and was found to be dead. Whether it was a paralytic42 stroke or any other that put a term to his existence is difficult to say, but the fact is, that when he sat down upon his chair, he had done so to rise no more.
But this is incredible, altogether inconsistent! it is impossible that the Imperial employés could so foolishly alarm themselves; imagine all such nonsense, thus deviate43 from the truth, when even a child could comprehend the matter. Thus will many of our readers think and reproach us with having advanced an incredible occurrence, or call the imperial employés stupid fellows, because men are liberal in words like, fool and ass10, and are ready and willing to apply them even twenty times a day, if their fellow creatures give them but a chance.
It is very easy for a reader to pass a judgment44, considering that he has the whole plot before him, and is seated in his snug45 corner, occupying thus a perfectly independent position, from which he has the whole horizon at a glance before him, and sees, as it were, what is going on below him, where the creeping men see but that which is close before them.
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1
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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steadfastly
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| adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝 | |
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5
itches
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| n.痒( itch的名词复数 )；渴望，热望v.发痒( itch的第三人称单数 ) | |
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6
consistencies
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| 一致性( consistency的名词复数 )； 连贯性； 坚实度； 浓度 | |
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7
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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8
humbug
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| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
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9
charlatan
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| n.骗子；江湖医生；假内行 | |
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10
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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11
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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14
inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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consecutive
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| adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的 | |
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emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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contradictory
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| adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立 | |
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investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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stammering
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 ) | |
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30
fiscal
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| adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的 | |
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31
leeches
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| n.水蛭( leech的名词复数 )；蚂蟥；榨取他人脂膏者；医生 | |
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32
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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fluency
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| n.流畅，雄辩，善辩 | |
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nuptial
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| adj.婚姻的，婚礼的 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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39
accede
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| v.应允，同意 | |
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40
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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41
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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42
paralytic
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| adj. 瘫痪的 n. 瘫痪病人 | |
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43
deviate
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| v.(from)背离，偏离 | |
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44
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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45
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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