He flew into a violent passion, and had first, the intention of treating our friend Selifan to something in the Russian fashion, for the disregard thus shown to his orders, however he preferred waiting impatiently to hear first what excuse he would come to offer. Soon after, Selifan made his appearance in the room, and his lord and master had the gratification of listening to the same language which is usually spoken by servants on similar occasions, when their masters are in a hurry to start on their journey without delay.
"Your glory, I must inform you that the horses will require to be shod."
"Oh, you pig! you stupid blockhead! and why have you hot told me of this before? Had you no time to do it?"
"As for time, I cannot complain of—But allow me also to tell you, Pavel Ivanovitch, that one of the wheels wants a new tyre very sadly indeed, the roads have become very bad during these last few rainy days. And will your glory allow me also to observe, that the driving-box of the britchka is altogether out of repair and shaky, so much so that I fear it will not hold together for more than two or three stations."
"You rascal4, you!" shouted Tchichikoff, raising his arms, and clapping his hands together, and approaching Selifan so closely, that he, prompted by fear of receiving an unpleasant treat, stepped hastily backwards5, and remained at a respectful distance.
"Do you want to kill me? aye? do you wish to cut my throat? Have you formed a conspiracy6 to slaughter7 me on the high road? you robber, you infernal pig you, you marine8 monster, you! For three weeks and more you have been sitting here at your ease, but the thought could never come into your blockhead to think of this before? ah? but now at the eleventh hour you put your nose at last upon it! how am I now to get in and drive off? eh? such is always the case with you, you rascal, and now you have let me again in a mess! ah? ah? But you ought to have known all this before? didn't you know it? ah? eh? Answer me. Did you know it? ah? eh?"
"I knew it, your glory," answered Selifan, bending down his head.
"And why didn't you tell me of it before? ah? eh?"
To this question Selifan gave no answer at all, but bending down his head still lower, he seemed to say to himself: "Look here, how strangely all this has happened, to be sure: I knew all about it but said nothing!"
"And now, Sir, you go instantly, bring me a blacksmith, and mind that everything requisite9 is done and attended to in two hours. Do you hear and understand me? absolutely in two hours, and if you are not ready, then you know what the result will be. I shall drive you into a bull's horn, and tie you up with a knot." Our hero's anger had risen to a considerable pitch.
Selifan turned round to the door, as if with the intention of leaving the room, and executing his master's instructions; however, he stopped short, and said:
"I have forgotten to mention to your glory, that it would be a good plan to sell the tiger-spotted horse, because he is—I can assure you, Pavel Ivanovitch, the greatest idler and rascal I ever had to do with, he is such a horse, as I would pray Heaven to deliver me from."
"Well, I'm sure! you don't mean to say, Sir, that I am going to run to the marketplace, and sell a horse to please you?"
"I invoke10 my patron saint as a witness, Pavel Ivanovitch, but that horse has only the appearance of a good horse, but at work he is the greatest rogue11 and idler. Such a horse—"
"Stupid donkey, I shall sell my horses when I choose. Do not presume to argue with me, but mind what I am telling you now; if you don't go instantly to fetch me a blacksmith, and if everything is not ready within two hours, you may depend upon such a combing—such a combing that you will have every difficulty in recognizing your own face again! Leave me! be off!"
Selifan left the room.
Tchichikoff had now lost even the slightest vestige12 of good temper, and kept thumping13 his old rusty14 sword on the ground, which travelled with him wherever he went, for the purpose of inspiring with due respect all those whom it concerned. He spent more than a quarter of an hour with the blacksmith before he could agree as to the terms for his job, because the blacksmith as is customary with them, was an impudent15 fellow, who perceiving that the gentleman was in a hurry, demanded of him six times his due.
It was of no use for Tchichikoff to reason with the man, to call him a scoundrel, robber, preying16 upon the unwary traveller, notwithstanding even his allusion18 to the day of judgment19, he could produce no impression upon the hardened blacksmith; he maintained his iron character to the last; he not only insisted upon his own price, but even continued to job about his work exactly five hours and a half, instead of two hours.
During the whole of this time, Tchichikoff had the advantage of experiencing all the pleasant sensations, so very familiar to every traveller who has his portmanteaus ready packed, and useless papers and strings20 lying strewn about in the room, when a man does not yet deserve to be called a traveller, and when he also may not be called a fixed21 resident; in such a position let us imagine him standing17 before the window in his room, looking down into the street, where he beholds22 a busy crowd passing along, talking of their grievances23, and with a meaningless curiosity lifting their eyes to look upon him, and then again continuing their conversation, and passing on their way, which still more annoys the disappointed, not yet journeying traveller. Whatever it may be, and whatever he may see, whether a little shop on the other side of the street, or the head of an old woman living in the opposite house, as she approaches the window, ornamented24 with old fashioned curtains, the sight of all this displeases25 and annoys him considerably, but still, and for all that, he will not leave his position. He continues to stand there fixedly26, soon forgetting, then again looking steadfastly27 at everything before him, whether animate28 or inanimate; and out of pure vexation kills a poor fly, which had been already for some time buzzing and beating against the window pane29.
However, there is an end to everything, and the long wished for moment has at last arrived; all was ready, the driving seat of the britchka was repaired most carefully, a new iron tyre fixed around the wheel, the horses led forward from their draining cup, and the impudent blacksmith, after receiving his pay, and counting the silver roubles, wished smilingly a pleasant journey to the traveller he had so shamelessly provoked.
At last the britchka was ready to start, and two hot cakes just brought were immediately placed into it by Petruschka, whilst Selifan stocked the leather pockets of his seat with similar eatables, at last our hero himself escorted, and received by the flourish of numerous caps, and the ever attentive30 head waiter, in the same demi-cotton jacket and napkin across his shoulder, made his appearance before his travelling carriage, where he was greeted by a number of waiters, coachmen and idlers, who like to be always present on similar occasions; the gentleman traveller took possession of his high seat, and the britchka, that particular travelling carriage, to which bachelors and retired31 Stabz-capit?ns give the preference, and which had been standing under a shed for so long a time in the town of Smolensk; and whose inactivity may have already begun to fatigue32 our reader, at last drove out through the gates of the inn.
"I praise thee, O Lord!" said Tchichikoff to himself, while making a devout33 sign of the cross, which is customary among the faithful believers in the Greek church. Selifan made his whip crack, and used it immediately upon all three horses in succession; Petruschka kept running for awhile dose to the carriage, and then jumping cleverly upon the wheel step, he took his seat next to his brother servant; and our hero, seating himself still more comfortably upon his small Persian carpet, and carefully placing a leather cushion behind his back, unconsciously flattened34 the two hot cakes, and the light carriage began to roll and shake again quickly over the wretched pavement, which had the effect of tossing the occupant considerably about.
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1
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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7
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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invoke
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| v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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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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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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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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preying
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| v.掠食( prey的现在分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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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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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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beholds
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| v.看，注视( behold的第三人称单数 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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displeases
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| 冒犯，使生气，使不愉快( displease的第三人称单数 ) | |
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fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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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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animate
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| v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的 | |
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pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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30
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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