dead souls(死魂灵)-第66章

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ars；　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　tipsycalling　his　colleague　a　priest's　son；　and　though　that　description　of　the　person　so　addressed　was　perfectly　accurate；　he　chose　to　take　offence；　and　to　answer　Chichikov　with　the　words　（loudly　and　incisively　uttered）；　〃It　is　YOU　who　have　a　priest　for　your　father；〃　and　to　add　to　that　（the　more　to　incense　his　companion）；　〃Yes；　mark　you！　THAT　is　how　it　is。〃　Yet；　though　he　had　thus　turned　the　tables　upon　Chichikov　with　a　tu　quoque；　and　then　capped　that　exploit　with　the　words　last　quoted；　the　offended　tchinovnik　could　not　remain　satisfied；　but　went　on　to　send　in　an　anonymous　document　to　the　authorities。　On　the　other　hand；　some　aver　that　it　was　over　a　woman　that　the　pair　fell　outover　a　woman　who；　to　quote　the　phrase　then　current　among　the　staff　of　the　Customs　Department；　was　〃as　fresh　and　as　strong　as　the　pulp　of　a　turnip；〃　and　that　night…birds　were　hired　to　assault　our　hero　in　a　dark　alley；　and　that　the　scheme　miscarried；　and　that　in　any　case　both　Chichikov　and　his　friend　had　been　deceived；　seeing　that　the　person　to　whom　the　lady　had　really　accorded　her　favours　was　a　certain　staff…captain　named　Shamsharev。　However；　only　God　knows　the　truth　of　the　matter。　Let　the　inquisitive　reader　ferret　it　out　for　himself。　The　fact　remains　that　a　complete　exposure　of　the　dealings　with　the　contrabandists　followed；　and　that　the　two　tchinovniks　were　put　to　the　question；　deprived　of　their　property；　and　made　to　formulate　in　writing　all　that　they　had　done。　Against　this　thunderbolt　of　fortune　the　State　Councillor　could　make　no　headway；　and　in　some　retired　spot　or　another　sank　into　oblivion；　but　Chichikov　put　a　brave　face　upon　the　matter；　for；　in　spite　of　the　authorities'　best　efforts　to　smell　out　his　gains；　he　had　contrived　to　conceal　a　portion　of　them；　and　also　resorted　to　every　subtle　trick　of　intellect　which　could　possibly　be　employed　by　an　experienced　man　of　the　world　who　has　a　wide　knowledge　of　his　fellows。　Nothing　which　could　be　effected　by　pleasantness　of　demeanour；　by　moving　oratory；　by　clouds　of　flattery；　and　by　the　occasional　insertion　of　a　coin　into　a　palm　did　he　leave　undone；　with　the　result　that　he　was　retired　with　less　ignominy　than　was　his　companion；　and　escaped　actual　trial　on　a　criminal　charge。　Yet　he　issued　stripped　of　all　his　capital；　stripped　of　his　imported　effects；　stripped　of　everything。　That　is　to　say；　all　that　remained　to　him　consisted　of　ten　thousand　roubles　which　he　had　stored　against　a　rainy　day；　two　dozen　linen　shirts；　a　small　britchka　of　the　type　used　by　bachelors；　and　two　serving…men　named　Selifan　and　Petrushka。　Yes；　and　an　impulse　of　kindness　moved　the　tchinovniks　of　the　Customs　also　to　set　aside　for　him　a　few　cakes　of　the　soap　which　he　had　found　so　excellent　for　the　freshness　of　the　cheeks。　Thus　once　more　our　hero　found　himself　stranded。　And　what　an　accumulation　of　misfortunes　had　descended　upon　his　head！though；　true；　he　termed　them　〃suffering　in　the　Service　in　the　cause　of　Truth。〃　Certainly　one　would　have　thought　that；　after　these　buffetings　and　trials　and　changes　of　fortuneafter　this　taste　of　the　sorrows　of　lifehe　an