dead souls(死魂灵)-第51部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　to　arm　himself　with　the　weapons　of　patience　and　self…denial。　The　better　to　effect　this；　he　had；　of　course　to　remove　to　another　town。　Yet　somehow；　for　a　while；　things　miscarried。　More　than　once　he　found　himself　forced　to　exchange　one　post　for　another；　and　at　the　briefest　of　notice；　and　all　of　them　were　posts　of　the　meanest；　the　most　wretched；　order。　Yet；　being　a　man　of　the　utmost　nicety　of　feeling；　the　fact　that　he　found　himself　rubbing　shoulders　with　anything　but　nice　companions　did　not　prevent　him　from　preserving　intact　his　innate　love　of　what　was　decent　and　seemly；　or　from　cherishing　the　instinct　which　led　him　to　hanker　after　office　fittings　of　lacquered　wood；　with　neatness　and　orderliness　everywhere。　Nor　did　he　at　any　time　permit　a　foul　word　to　creep　into　his　speech；　and　would　feel　hurt　even　if　in　the　speech　of　others　there　occurred　a　scornful　reference　to　anything　which　pertained　to　rank　and　dignity。　Also；　the　reader　will　be　pleased　to　know　that　our　hero　changed　his　linen　every　other　day；　and　in　summer；　when　the　weather　was　very　hot；　EVERY　day；　seeing　that　the　very　faintest　suspicion　of　an　unpleasant　odour　offended　his　fastidiousness。　For　the　same　reason　it　was　his　custom；　before　being　valeted　by　Petrushka；　always　to　plug　his　nostrils　with　a　couple　of　cloves。　In　short；　there　were　many　occasions　when　his　nerves　suffered　rackings　as　cruel　as　a　young　girl's；　and　so　helped　to　increase　his　disgust　at　having　once　more　to　associate　with　men　who　set　no　store　by　the　decencies　of　life。　Yet；　though　he　braced　himself　to　the　task；　this　period　of　adversity　told　upon　his　health；　and　he　even　grew　a　trifle　shabby。　More　than　once；　on　happening　to　catch　sight　of　himself　in　the　mirror；　he　could　not　forbear　exclaiming：　〃Holy　Mother　of　God；　but　what　a　nasty…looking　brute　I　have　become！〃　and　for　a　long　while　afterwards　could　not　with　anything　like　sang…froid　contemplate　his　reflection。　Yet　throughout　he　bore　up　stoutly　and　patientlyand　ended　by　being　transferred　to　the　Customs　Department。　It　may　be　said　that　the　department　had　long　constituted　the　secret　goal　of　his　ambition；　for　he　had　noted　the　foreign　elegancies　with　which　its　officials　always　contrived　to　provide　themselves；　and　had　also　observed　that　invariably　they　were　able　to　send　presents　of　china　and　cambric　to　their　sisters　and　auntswell；　to　their　lady　friends　generally。　Yes；　more　than　once　he　had　said　to　himself　with　a　sigh：　〃THAT　is　the　department　to　which　I　ought　to　belong；　for；　given　a　town　near　the　frontier；　and　a　sensible　set　of　colleagues；　I　might　be　able　to　fit　myself　out　with　excellent　linen　shirts。〃　Also；　it　may　be　said　that　most　frequently　of　all　had　his　thoughts　turned　towards　a　certain　quality　of　French　soap　which　imparted　a　peculiar　whiteness　to　the　skin　and　a　peerless　freshness　to　the　cheeks。　Its　name　is　known　to　God　alone；　but　at　least　it　was　to　be　procured　only　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　the　frontier。　So；　as　I　say；　Chichikov　had　long　felt　a　leaning　towards　the　Customs；　but　for　a　time　had　been　restrained　from　applying　for　the　same　by　the　various　current　advantages　of　the　Building　Commission；　since　rightly　he　had　adjudged　the　latter　to　constitute　a　bird　in　the　hand；　and　the　former　to　constitute　only　a　bird　in　the　bush。　But　now　he　decided　that；　come　what　might；　into　the　Customs　he　must　make　his　way。　And　that　way　he　made；　and　then　applied　himself　to　his　new　duties　with　a　zeal　born　of　the　fact　that　he　realised　that　fortune　had　specially　marked　him　out　for　a　Customs　officer。　Indeed；　such　activity；　perspicuity；　and　ubiquity　as　his　had　never　been　seen　or　thought　of。　Within　four　weeks　at　the　most　he　had　so　thoroughly　got　his　hand　in　that　he　was　conversant　with　Customs　procedure　in　every　detail。　Not　only　could　he　weigh　and　measure；　but　also　he　could　divine　from　an　invoice　how　many　arshins　of　cloth　or　other　material　a　given　piece　contained；　and　then；　taking　a　roll　of　the　latter　in　his　hand；　could　specify　at　once　the　number　of　pounds　at　which　it　would　tip　the　scale。　As　for　searchings；　well；　even　his　colleagues　had　to　admit　that　he　possessed　the　nose　of　a　veritable　bloodhound；　and　that　it　was　impossible　not　to　marvel　at　the　patience　wherewith　he　would　try　every　button　of　the　suspected　person；　yet　preserve；　throughout；　a　deadly　politeness　and　an　icy　sang…froid　which　surpass　belief。　And　while　the　searched　were　raging；　and　foaming　at　the　mouth；　and　feeling　that　they　would　give　worlds　to　alter　his　smiling　exterior　with　a　good；　resounding　slap；　he　would　move　not　a　muscle　of　his　face；　nor　abate　by　a　jot　the　urbanity　of　his　demeanour；　as　he　murmured；　〃Do　you　mind　so　far　incommoding　yourself　as　to　stand　up？〃　or　〃Pray　step　into　the　next　room；　madam；　where　the　wife　of　one　of　our　staff　will　attend　you；〃　or　〃Pray　allow　me　to　slip　this　penknife　of　mine　into　the　lining　of　your　coat〃　（after　which　he　would　extract　thence　shawls　and　towels　with　as　much　nonchalance　as　he　would　have　done　from　his　own　travelling…trunk）。　Even　his　superiors　acknowledged　him　to　be　a　devil　at　the　job；　rather　than　a　human　being；　so　perfect　was　his　instinct　for　looking　into　cart…wheels；　carriage…poles；　horses'　ears；　and　places　whither　an　author　ought　not　to　penetrate　even　in　thoughtplaces　whither　only　a　Customs　official　is　permitted　to　go。　The　result　was　that　the　wretched　traveller　who　had　just　crossed　the　frontier　would；　within　a　few　minutes；　become　wholly　at　sea；　and；　wiping　away　the　perspiration；　and　breaking　out　into　body　flushes；　would　be　reduced　to　crossing　himself　and　muttering；　〃Well；　well；　well！〃　In　fact；　such　a　traveller　would　feel　in　the　position　of　a　schoolboy　who；　having　been　summoned　to　the　presence　of　the　headmaster　for　the　ostensible　purpose　of　being　give　an　order；　has　found　that　he　receives；　instead；　a　sound　flogging。　In　short；　for　some　time　Chichikov　made　it　impossible　for　smugglers　to　earn　a　living。　In　particular；　he　reduced　Polish　Jewry　almost　to　despair；　so　invincible；　so　almost　unnatural；　was　the　rectitude；　the　incorruptibility　which　led　him　to　refrain　from　converting　himself　into　a　small　capitalist　with　the　aid　of　confiscated　goods　and　articles　which；　〃to　save　excessive　clerical　labour；〃　had　failed　to　be　handed　over　to　the　Government。　Also；　without　saying　it　goes　that　such　phenomenally　zealous　and　disinterested　service　attracted　general　astonishment；　and；　eventually；　the　notice　of　the　authorities；　whereupon　he　received　promotion；　and　followed　that　up　by　mooting　a　scheme　for　the　infallible　detection　of　contrabandists；　provided　that　he　could　be　furnished　with　the　necessary　authority　for　carrying　out　the　same。　At　once　such　authority　was　accorded　him；　as　also　unlimited　power　to　conduct　every　species　of　search　and　investigation。　And　that　was　all　he　wanted。　It　happened　that　previously　there　had　been　formed　a　well…found　association　for　smuggling　on　regular；　carefully　prepared　lines；　and　that　this　daring　scheme　seemed　to　promise　profit　to　the　extent　of　some　millions　of　money：　yet；　though　he　had　long　had　knowledge　of　it；　Chichikov　had　said　to　the　association's　emissaries；　when　sent　to　buy　him　over；　〃The　time　is　not　yet。〃　But　now　that　he　had　got　all　the　reins　into　his　hands；　he　sent　word　of　the　fact　to　the　gang；　and　with　it　the　remark；　〃The　time　is　NOW。〃　Nor　was　he　wrong　in　his　calculations；　for；　within　the　space　of　a　year；　he　had　acquired　what　he　could　not　have　made　during　twenty　years　of　non…fraudulent　service。　With　similar　sagacity　he　had；　during　his　early　days　in　the　department；　declined　altogether　to　enter　into　relations　with　the　association；　for　the　reason　that　he　had　then　been　a　mere　cipher；　and　would　have　come　in　for　nothing　large　in　the　way　of　takings；　but　nowwell；　now　it　was　another　matter　altogether；　and　he　could　dictate　what　terms　he　liked。　Moreover；　that　the　affair　might　progress　the　more　smoothly；　he　suborned　a　fellow　tchinovnik　of　the　type　which；　in　spite　of　grey　hairs；　stands　powerless　against　temptation；　and；　the　contract　concluded；　the　association　duly　proceeded　to　business。　Certainly　business　began　brilliantly。　But　probably　most　of　my　readers　are　familiar　with　the　oft…repeated　story　of　the　passage　of　Spanish　sheep　across　the　frontier　in　double　fleeces　which　carried　between　their　outer　layers　and　their　inner　enough　lace　of　Brabant　to　sell　to　the　tune　of　millions　of　roubles；　wherefore　I　will　not　recount　the　story　again　beyond　saying　that　those　journeys　took　place　just　when　Chichikov　had　become　head　of　the　Customs；　and　that；　had　he　not　a　hand　in　the　enterprise；　not　all　the　Jews　in　the　world　could　have　brought　it　to　success。　By　the　time　that　three　or　four　of　these　ovine　invasions　had　taken　place；　Chichikov　and　his　accomplice　had　come　to　be　the　possessors　of　four　hundred　thousand　roubles　apiece；　while　some　even　aver　that　the　former's　gains　totalled　half　a　million；　owing　to　the　greater　industry　which　he　had　displayed　in　the　matter。　Nor　can　any　one　but　God　say　to　what　a　figure　the　fortunes　of　the　pair　might　not　eventually　have　attained；　had　not　an　awkward　contretemps　cut　right　across　their　arrangements。　That　is　to　say；　for　some　reason　or　another　the　devil　so　far　deprived　these　tchinovnik…conspirators　of　sense　as　to　make　them　come　to　words　with　one　another；　and　then　to　engage　in　a　quarrel。　Beginning　with　a　heated　argument；　this　quarrel　reached　the　point　of　Chichikovwho　was；　possibly；　a　trifle　tipsycall