dead souls(死魂灵)-第63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！


　see　things　subconsciously；　yet　is　imperative　that　he　should　also　see　them　CONSCIOUSLY。〃

But　to　Chichikov's　patience　an　end　had　come。　Seizing　his　cap；　and　casting　all　ceremony　to　the　winds；　he　fled　from　the　house；　and　rushed　through　the　courtyard。　As　it　happened；　the　man　who　had　driven　him　thither　had；　warned　by　experience；　not　troubled　even　to　take　out　the　horses；　since　he　knew　that　such　a　proceeding　would　have　entailed　not　only　the　presentation　of　a　Statement　of　Plea　for　fodder；　but　also　a　delay　of　twenty…four　hours　until　the　Resolution　granting　the　same　should　have　been　passed。　Nevertheless　the　Colonel　pursued　his　guest　to　the　gates；　and　pressed　his　hand　warmly　as　he　thanked　him　for　having　enabled　him　（the　Colonel）　thus　to　exhibit　in　operation　the　proper　management　of　an　estate。　Also；　he　begged　to　state　that；　under　the　circumstances；　it　was　absolutely　necessary　to　keep　things　moving　and　circulating；　since；　otherwise；　slackness　was　apt　to　supervene；　and　the　working　of　the　machine　to　grow　rusty　and　feeble；　but　that；　in　spite　of　all；　the　present　occasion　had　inspired　him　with　a　happy　ideanamely；　the　idea　of　instituting　a　Committee　which　should　be　entitled　〃The　Committee　of　Supervision　of　the　Committee　of　Management；〃　and　which　should　have　for　its　function　the　detection　of　backsliders　among　the　body　first　mentioned。

It　was　late　when；　tired　and　dissatisfied；　Chichikov　regained　Kostanzhoglo's　mansion。　Indeed；　the　candles　had　long　been　lit。

〃What　has　delayed　you？〃　asked　the　master　of　the　house　as　Chichikov　entered　the　drawing…room。

〃Yes；　what　has　kept　you　and　the　Colonel　so　long　in　conversation　together？〃　added　Platon。

〃Thisthe　fact　that　never　in　my　life　have　I　come　across　such　an　imbecile；〃　was　Chichikov's　reply。

〃Never　mind；〃　said　Kostanzhoglo。　〃Koshkarev　is　a　most　reassuring　phenomenon。　He　is　necessary　in　that　in　him　we　see　expressed　in　caricature　all　the　more　crying　follies　of　our　intellectualsof　the　intellectuals　who；　without　first　troubling　to　make　themselves　acquainted　with　their　own　country；　borrow　silliness　from　abroad。　Yet　that　is　how　certain　of　our　landowners　are　now　carrying　on。　They　have　set　up　'offices'　and　factories　and　schools　and　'commissions；'　and　the　devil　knows　what　else　besides。　A　fine　lot　of　wiseacres！　After　the　French　War　in　1812　they　had　to　reconstruct　their　affairs：　and　see　how　they　have　done　it！　Yet　so　much　worse　have　they　done　it　than　a　Frenchman　would　have　done　that　any　fool　of　a　Peter　Petrovitch　Pietukh　now　ranks　as　a　good　landowner！〃

〃But　he　has　mortgaged　the　whole　of　his　estate？〃　remarked　Chichikov。

〃Yes；　nowadays　everything　is　being　mortgaged；　or　is　going　to　be。〃　This　said；　Kostanzhoglo's　temper　rose　still　further。　〃Out　upon　your　factories　of　hats　and　candles！〃　he　cried。　〃Out　upon　procuring　candle…makers　from　London；　and　then　turning　landowners　into　hucksters！　To　think　of　a　Russian　pomiestchik＇9＇；　a　member　of　the　noblest　of　callings；　conducting　workshops　and　cotton　mills！　Why；　it　is　for　the　wenches　of　towns　to　handle　looms　for　muslin　and　lace。〃

＇9＇　Landowner。

〃But　you　yourself　maintain　workshops？〃　remarked　Platon。

〃I　do；　but　who　established　them？　They　established　themselves。　For　instance；　wool　had　accumulated；　and　since　I　had　nowhere　to　store　it；　I　began　to　weave　it　into　clothbut；　mark　you；　only　into　good；　plain　cloth　of　which　I　can　dispose　at　a　cheap　rate　in　the　local　markets；　and　which　is　needed　by　peasants；　including　my　own。　Again；　for　six　years　on　end　did　the　fish　factories　keep　dumping　their　offal　on　my　bank　of　the　river；　wherefore；　at　last；　as　there　was　nothing　to　be　done　with　it；　I　took　to　boiling　it　into　glue；　and　cleared　forty　thousand　roubles　by　the　process。〃

〃The　devil！〃　thought　Chichikov　to　himself　as　he　stared　at　his　host。　〃What　a　fist　this　man　has　for　making　money！〃

〃Another　reason　why　I　started　those　factories；〃　continued　Kostanzhoglo；　〃is　that　they　might　give　employment　to　many　peasants　who　would　otherwise　have　starved。　You　see；　the　year　happened　to　have　been　a　lean　onethanks　to　those　same　industry…mongering　landowners；　in　that　they　had　neglected　to　sow　their　crops；　and　now　my　factories　keep　growing　at　the　rate　of　a　factory　a　year；　owing　to　the　circumstance　that　such　quantities　of　remnants　and　cuttings　become　so　accumulated　that；　if　a　man　looks　carefully　to　his　management；　he　will　find　every　sort　of　rubbish　to　be　capable　of　bringing　in　a　returnyes；　to　the　point　of　his　having　to　reject　money　on　the　plea　that　he　has　no　need　of　it。　Yet　I　do　not　find　that　to　do　all　this　I　require　to　build　a　mansion　with　facades　and　pillars！〃

〃Marvellous！〃　exclaimed　Chichikov。　〃Beyond　all　things　does　it　surprise　me　that　refuse　can　be　so　utilised。〃

〃Yes；　and　that　is　what　can　be　done　by　SIMPLE　methods。　But　nowadays　every　one　is　a　mechanic；　and　wants　to　open　that　money　chest　with　an　instrument　instead　of　simply。　For　that　purpose　he　hies　him　to　England。　Yes；　THAT　is　the　thing　to　do。　What　folly！〃　Kostanzhoglo　spat　and　added：　〃Yet　when　he　returns　from　abroad　he　is　a　hundred　times　more　ignorant　than　when　he　went。〃

〃Ah；　Constantine；〃　put　in　his　wife　anxiously；　〃you　know　how　bad　for　you　it　is　to　talk　like　this。〃

〃Yes；　but　how　am　I　to　help　losing　my　temper？　The　thing　touches　me　too　closely；　it　vexes　me　too　deeply　to　think　that　the　Russian　character　should　be　degenerating。　For　in　that　character　there　has　dawned　a　sort　of　Quixotism　which　never　used　to　be　there。　Yes；　no　sooner　does　a　man　get　a　little　education　into　his　head　than　he　becomes　a　Don　Quixote；　and　establishes　schools　on　his　estate　such　as　even　a　madman　would　never　have　dreamed　of。　And　from　that　school　there　issues　a　workman　who　is　good　for　nothing；　whether　in　the　country　or　in　the　towna　fellow　who　drinks　and　is　for　ever　standing　on　his　dignity。　Yet　still　our　landowners　keep　taking　to　philanthropy；　to　converting　themselves　into　philanthropic　knights…errant；　and　spending　millions　upon　senseless　hospitals　and　institutions；　and　so　ruining　themselves　and　turning　their　families　adrift。　Yes；　that　is　all　that　comes　of　philanthropy。〃

Chichikov's　business　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　spread　of　enlightenment；　he　was　but　seeking　an　opportunity　to　inquire　further　concerning　the　putting　of　refuse　to　lucrative　uses；　but　Kostanzhoglo　would　not　let　him　get　a　word　in　edgeways；　so　irresistibly　did　the　flow　of　sarcastic　comment　pour　from　the　speaker's　lips。

〃Yes；〃　went　on　Kostanzhoglo；　〃folk　are　always　scheming　to　educate　the　peasant。　But　first　make　him　well…off　and　a　good　farmer。　THEN　he　will　educate　himself　fast　enough。　As　things　are　now；　the　world　has　grown　stupid　to　a　degree　that　passes　belief。　Look　at　the　stuff　our　present…day　scribblers　write！　Let　any　sort　of　a　book　be　published；　and　at　once　you　will　see　every　one　making　a　rush　for　it。　Similarly　will　you　find　folk　saying：　'The　peasant　leads　an　over…simple　life。　He　ought　to　be　familiarised　with　luxuries；　and　so　led　to　yearn　for　things　above　his　station。'　And　the　result　of　such　luxuries　will　be　that　the　peasant　will　become　a　rag　rather　than　a　man；　and　suffer　from　the　devil　only　knows　what　diseases；　until　there　will　remain　in　the　land　not　a　boy　of　eighteen　who　will　not　have　experienced　the　whole　gamut　of　them；　and　found　himself　left　with　not　a　tooth　in　his　jaws　or　a　hair　on　his　pate。　Yes；　that　is　what　will　come　of　infecting　the　peasant　with　such　rubbish。　But；　thank　God；　there　is　still　one　healthy　class　left　to　usa　class　which　has　never　taken　up　with　the　'advantages'　of　which　I　speak。　For　that　we　ought　to　be　grateful。　And　since；　even　yet；　the　Russian　agriculturist　remains　the　most　respect…worthy　man　in　the　land；　why　should　he　be　touched？　Would　to　God　every　one　were　an　agriculturist！〃

〃Then　you　believe　agriculture　to　be　the　most　profitable　of　occupations？〃　said　Chichikov。

〃The　best；　at　all　eventsif　not　the　most　profitable。　'In　the　sweat　of　thy　brow　shalt　thou　till　the　land。'　To　quote　that　requires　no　great　wisdom；　for　the　experience　of　ages　has　shown　us　that；　in　the　agricultural　calling；　man　has　ever　remained　more　moral；　more　pure；　more　noble　than　in　any　other。　Of　course　I　do　not　mean　to　imply　that　no　other　calling　ought　to　be　practised：　simply　that　the　calling　in　question　lies　at　the　root　of　all　the　rest。　However　much　factories　may　be　established　privately　or　by　the　law；　there　will　still　lie　ready　to　man's　hand　all　that　he　needshe　will　still　require　none　of　those　amenities　which　are　sapping　the　vitality　of　our　present…day　folk；　nor　any　of　those　industrial　establishments　which　make　their　profit；　and　keep　themselves　going；　by　causing　foolish　measures　to　be　adopted　which；　in　the　end；　are　bound　to　deprave　and　corrupt　our　unfortunate　masses。　I　myself　am　determined　never　to　establish　any　manufacture；　however　profitable；　which　will　give　rise　to　a　demand　for　'higher　things；'　such　as　sugar　and　tobaccono　not　if　I　lose　a　million　by　my　refusing　to　do　so。　If　corruption　MUST　overtake　the　MIR；　it　shall　not　be　through　my　hands。　And　I　think　that　God　will　justify　me　in　my　resolve。　Twenty　years　have　I　lived　among　the　common　folk；　and　I　know　what　will　inevitably　come　of　such　things。〃

〃But　what　surprises　me　most；〃　persisted　Chichikov；　〃is　that　from　refuse　it　should　be　possible；　with　good　management；　to　make　such　an　immensity　of　profit。〃

〃And　as　for　political　economy；〃　continued　Kostanzhoglo；　without　noticing　him；　and　with　his　face　charged　with　bilious　sarcasm；　〃as　for　political　economy；　it　is　a　fine　thing　indeed。　Just　one　fool　sitting　on　another　fool's　back；　and　flogging　him　along；　even　though　the　rider　can　see　no　further　than　his　own　nose！　Yet　into　the　saddle　will　that　fool　climbspectacles　and　all！　Oh；　the　folly；　the　folly　of　such　things！〃　And　the　speaker　spat　derisively。

〃That　may　be　true；〃　said　his　wife。　〃Yet　you　must　not　get　angry　about　it。　Surely　one　can　speak　on　such　subjects　without　losing　one's　temper？〃

〃As　I　listen　to　you；　most　worthy　Constantine　Thedorovitch；〃　Chichikov　hastened　to　remark；　〃it　becomes　plain　to　me　that　you　have　penetrated　into　the　meaning　of　life；　and　laid　your　finger　upon　the　essential　root　of　the　matter。　Yet　supposing；　for　a　moment；　we　leave　the　affairs　of　humanity　in　general；　and　turn　our　attention　to　a　purely　individual　affair；　might　I　ask　you　how；　in　the　case　of　a　man　becoming　a　landowner；　and　having　a　mind　to　grow　wealthy　as　quickly　as　possible　（in　order　tha