dead souls(死魂灵)-第43部分

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oned；　had　left　manifest　traces　upon　the　features　of　every　one　present。　More　than　one　frockcoat　had　come　to　look　too　large　for　its　wearer；　and　more　than　one　frame　had　fallen　away；　including　the　frames　of　the　President　of　the　Council；　the　Director　of　the　Medical　Department；　and　the　Public　Prosecutor。　Even　a　certain　Semen　Ivanovitch；　who；　for　some　reason　or　another；　was　never　alluded　to　by　his　family　name；　but　who　wore　on　his　index　finger　a　ring　with　which　he　was　accustomed　to　dazzle　his　lady　friends；　had　diminished　in　bulk。　Yet；　as　always　happens　at　such　junctures；　there　were　also　present　a　score　of　brazen　individuals　who　had　succeeded　in　NOT　losing　their　presence　of　mind；　even　though　they　constituted　a　mere　sprinkling。　Of　them　the　Postmaster　formed　one；　since　he　was　a　man　of　equable　temperament　who　could　always　say：　〃WE　know　you；　Governor…Generals！　We　have　seen　three　or　four　of　you　come　and　go；　whereas　WE　have　been　sitting　on　the　same　stools　these　thirty　years。〃　Nevertheless　a　prominent　feature　of　the　gathering　was　the　total　absence　of　what　is　vulgarly　known　as　〃common　sense。〃　In　general；　we　Russians　do　not　make　a　good　show　at　representative　assemblies；　for　the　reason　that；　unless　there　be　in　authority　a　leading　spirit　to　control　the　rest；　the　affair　always　develops　into　confusion。　Why　this　should　be　so　one　could　hardly　say；　but　at　all　events　a　success　is　scored　only　by　such　gatherings　as　have　for　their　object　dining　and　festivityto　wit；　gatherings　at　clubs　or　in　German…run　restaurants。　However；　on　the　present　occasion；　the　meeting　was　NOT　one　of　this　kind；　it　was　a　meeting　convoked　of　necessity；　and　likely　in　view　of　the　threatened　calamity　to　affect　every　tchinovnik　in　the　place。　Also；　in　addition　to　the　great　divergency　of　views　expressed　thereat；　there　was　visible　in　all　the　speakers　an　invincible　tendency　to　indecision　which　led　them　at　one　moment　to　make　assertions；　and　at　the　next　to　contradict　the　same。　But　on　at　least　one　point　all　seemed　to　agreenamely；　that　Chichikov's　appearance　and　conversation　were　too　respectable　for　him　to　be　a　forger　or　a　disguised　brigand。　That　is　to　say；　all　SEEMED　to　agree　on　the　point；　until　a　sudden　shout　arose　from　the　direction　of　the　Postmaster；　who　for　some　time　past　had　been　sitting　plunged　in　thought。

〃_I_　can　tell　you；〃　he　cried；　〃who　Chichikov　is！〃

〃Who；　then？〃　replied　the　crowd　in　great　excitement。

〃He　is　none　other　than　Captain　Kopeikin。〃

〃And　who　may　Captain　Kopeikin　be？〃

Taking　a　pinch　of　snuff　（which　he　did　with　the　lid　of　his　snuff…box　half…open；　lest　some　extraneous　person　should　contrive　to　insert　a　not　over…clean　finger　into　the　stuff）；　the　Postmaster　related　the　following　story＇1＇。

＇1＇　To　reproduce　this　story　with　a　raciness　worthy　of　the　Russian　　　　　original　is　practically　impossible。　The　translator　has　not　　　　　attempted　the　task。

〃After　fighting　in　the　campaign　of　1812；　there　was　sent　home；　wounded；　a　certain　Captain　Kopeikina　headstrong；　lively　blade　who；　whether　on　duty　or　under　arrest；　made　things　lively　for　everybody。　Now；　since　at　Krasni　or　at　Leipzig　（it　matters　not　which）　he　had　lost　an　arm　and　a　leg；　and　in　those　days　no　provision　was　made　for　wounded　soldiers；　and　he　could　not　work　with　his　left　arm　alone；　he　set　out　to　see　his　father。　Unfortunately　his　father　could　only　just　support　himself；　and　was　forced　to　tell　his　son　so；　wherefore　the　Captain　decided　to　go　and　apply　for　help　in　St。　Petersburg；　seeing　that　he　had　risked　his　life　for　his　country；　and　had　lost　much　blood　in　its　service。　You　can　imagine　him　arriving　in　the　capital　on　a　baggage　waggonin　the　capital　which　is　like　no　other　city　in　the　world！　Before　him　there　lay　spread　out　the　whole　field　of　life；　like　a　sort　of　Arabian　Nightsa　picture　made　up　of　the　Nevski　Prospect；　Gorokhovaia　Street；　countless　tapering　spires；　and　a　number　of　bridges　apparently　supported　on　nothingin　fact；　a　regular　second　Nineveh。　Well；　he　made　shift　to　hire　a　lodging；　but　found　everything　so　wonderfully　furnished　with　blinds　and　Persian　carpets　and　so　forth　that　he　saw　it　would　mean　throwing　away　a　lot　of　money。　True；　as　one　walks　the　streets　of　St。　Petersburg　one　seems　to　smell　money　by　the　thousand　roubles；　but　our　friend　Kopeikin's　bank　was　limited　to　a　few　score　coppers　and　a　little　silvernot　enough　to　buy　a　village　with！　At　length；　at　the　price　of　a　rouble　a　day；　he　obtained　a　lodging　in　the　sort　of　tavern　where　the　daily　ration　is　a　bowl　of　cabbage　soup　and　a　crust　of　bread；　and　as　he　felt　that　he　could　not　manage　to　live　very　long　on　fare　of　that　kind　he　asked　folk　what　he　had　better　do。　'What　you　had　better　do？'　they　said。　'Well　the　Government　is　not　hereit　is　in　Paris；　and　the　troops　have　not　yet　returned　from　the　war；　but　there　is　a　TEMPORARY　Commission　sitting；　and　you　had　better　go　and　see　what　IT　can　do　for　you。'　'All　right！'　he　said。　'I　will　go　and　tell　the　Commission　that　I　have　shed　my　blood；　and　sacrificed　my　life；　for　my　country。'　And　he　got　up　early　one　morning；　and　shaved　himself　with　his　left　hand　（since　the　expense　of　a　barber　was　not　worth　while）；　and　set　out；　wooden　leg　and　all；　to　see　the　President　of　the　Commission。　But　first　he　asked　where　the　President　lived；　and　was　told　that　his　house　was　in　Naberezhnaia　Street。　And　you　may　be　sure　that　it　was　no　peasant's　hut；　with　its　glazed　windows　and　great　mirrors　and　statues　and　lacqueys　and　brass　door　handles！　Rather；　it　was　the　sort　of　place　which　you　would　enter　only　after　you　had　bought　a　cheap　cake　of　soap　and　indulged　in　a　two　hours'　wash。　Also；　at　the　entrance　there　was　posted　a　grand　Swiss　footman　with　a　baton　and　an　embroidered　collara　fellow　looking　like　a　fat；　over…fed　pug　dog。　However；　friend　Kopeikin　managed　to　get　himself　and　his　wooden　leg　into　the　reception　room；　and　there　squeezed　himself　away　into　a　corner；　for　fear　lest　he　should　knock　down　the　gilded　china　with　his　elbow。　And　he　stood　waiting　in　great　satisfaction　at　having　arrived　before　the　President　had　so　much　as　left　his　bed　and　been　served　with　his　silver　wash…basin。　Nevertheless；　it　was　only　when　Kopeikin　had　been　waiting　four　hours　that　a　breakfast　waiter　entered　to　say；　'The　President　will　soon　be　here。'　By　now　the　room　was　as　full　of　people　as　a　plate　is　of　beans；　and　when　the　President　left　the　breakfast…room　he　brought　with　him；　oh；　such　dignity　and　refinement；　and　such　an　air　of　the　metropolis！　First　he　walked　up　to　one　person；　and　then　up　to　another；　saying：　'What　do　YOU　want？　And　what　do　YOU　want？　What　can　I　do　for　YOU？　What　is　YOUR　business？'　And　at　length　he　stopped　before　Kopeikin；　and　Kopeikin　said　to　him：　'I　have　shed　my　blood；　and　lost　both　an　arm　and　a　leg；　for　my　country；　and　am　unable　to　work。　Might　I　therefore　dare　to　ask　you　for　a　little　help；　if　the　regulations　should　permit　of　it；　or　for　a　gratuity；　or　for　a　pension；　or　something　of　the　kind？'　Then　the　President　looked　at　him；　and　saw　that　one　of　his　legs　was　indeed　a　wooden　one；　and　that　an　empty　right　sleeve　was　pinned　to　his　uniform。　'Very　well；'　he　said。　'Come　to　me　again　in　a　few　days'　time。'　Upon　this　friend　Kopeikin　felt　delighted。　'NOW　I　have　done　my　job！'　he　thought　to　himself；　and　you　may　imagine　how　gaily　he　trotted　along　the　pavement；　and　how　he　dropped　into　a　tavern　for　a　glass　of　vodka；　and　how　he　ordered　a　cutlet　and　some　caper　sauce　and　some　other　things　for　luncheon；　and　how　he　called　for　a　bottle　of　wine；　and　how　he　went　to　the　theatre　in　the　evening！　In　short；　he　did　himself　thoroughly　well。　Next；　he　saw　in　the　street　a　young　English　lady；　as　graceful　as　a　swan；　and　set　off　after　her　on　his　wooden　leg。　'But　no；'　he　thought　to　himself。　'To　the　devil　with　that　sort　of　thing　just　now！　I　will　wait　until　I　have　drawn　my　pension。　For　the　present　I　have　spent　enough。'　（And　I　may　tell　you　that　by　now　he　had　got　through　fully　half　his　money。）　Two　or　three　days　later　he　went　to　see　the　President　of　the　Commission　again。　'I　should　be　glad　to　know；'　he　said；　'whether　by　now　you　can　do　anything　for　me　in　return　for　my　having　shed　my　blood　and　suffered　sickness　and　wounds　on　military　service。'　'First　of　all；'　said　the　President；　'I　must　tell　you　that　nothing　can　be　decided　in　your　case　without　the　authority　of　the　Supreme　Government。　Without　that　sanction　we　cannot　move　in　the　matter。　Surely　you　see　how　things　stand　until　the　army　shall　have　returned　from　the　war？　All　that　I　can　advise　you　to　do　is　wait　for　the　Minister　to　return；　and；　in　the　meanwhile；　to　have　patience。　Rest　assured　that　then　you　will　not　be　overlooked。　And　if　for　the　moment　you　have　nothing　to　live　upon；　this　is　the　best　that　I　can　do　for　you。'　With　that　he　handed　Kopeikin　a　trifle　until　his　case　should　have　been　decided。　However；　that　was　not　what　Kopeikin　wanted。　He　had　supposed　that　he　would　be　given　a　gratuity　of　a　thousand　roubles　straight　away；　whereas；　instead　of　　'Drink　and　be　merry；'　it　was　'Wait；　for　the　time　is　not　yet。'　Thus；　though　his　head　had　been　full　of　soup　plates　and　cutlets　and　English　girls；　he　now　descended　the　steps　with　his　ears　and　his　tail　downlooking；　in　fact；　like　a　poodle　over　which　the　cook　has　poured　a　bucketful　of　water。　You　see；　St。　Petersburg　life　had　changed　him　not　a　little　since　first　he　had　got　a　taste　of　it；　and；　now　that　the　devil　only　knew　how　he　was　going　to　live；　it　came　all　the　hard