dead souls, imperial envoy

Chapter 28 Dead Souls (28)
"Oh, by the way, the name of Jerepin's servant is Vahrame. Think about it, Jerebin was so lucky: his aunt quarreled with his son because he married a serf girl, and ended up giving him all the property Yes. I think it would be nice to have such an aunt! Dude, what’s the matter with you, always avoiding everyone and not going anywhere? Of course, I think you are studying now and like reading (Why Nozdryov infers that we The hero of the book studies learning and likes to read, in fact, we can't tell, Chichikov even more so). Oh, brother Chichikov, if you see ... you will surely find food for your ironic mind ( It is impossible to know why Chichikov had a satirical mind). Look, man, it was so funny when everyone played Gorka at the merchant Likhachev! Pelepindev was next to me , said: 'If Chichikov was here, he'd be laughing so hard!...' (but Chichikov didn't know any Pelepindev.) You have to admit, man, that time you treated me Not very interesting, you remember, we played chess, I was supposed to win... But, man, you let me down so much. I, who knows what's going on, can't be angry anyway. Not long ago, civil affairs Director... oops! I should tell you, the whole city is talking about you; they think you are a counterfeit currency, they come to ask me, I will protect you, I told them that I was a classmate of you and knew you father. Well, nothing to say, I tricked them enough."

"I counterfeit money?" cried Chichikov, rising from his chair.

"But why did you frighten them?" asked Nozdryov, "they, God knows how, are all terrified: they think you're a robber, a spy... The prosecutor is frightened to death, Tomorrow's funeral. Won't you go? They, really, are afraid of the new governor, and what trouble you'll get into; that's how I see the governor: if he puts his nose up and puts on airs, the nobles won't buy it. The nobles demand It's generosity, isn't it? Of course, he could shut himself up in his office and not give a ball, but what would happen? He'd get nothing. But Chichikov, you're taking a risk. "

"What risk?" Chichikov asked hastily, "Abduct the governor's daughter. To be honest, I expected it. The first time I saw you at the ball, I thought, Chichikov There must be some intention... But your choice is not ideal, I don't see her good points... There is a girl—Bikusov's niece, that's called a girl! It can be said to be a wonderful piece of floral cloth! "

"What nonsense are you talking about? How could I marry the governor's daughter? What's the matter with you?" Chichikov stared angrily.

"Well, come on, man, don't hide it! Frankly, that's what I'm here for: I'd like to help. Let's do it this way: I'm going to hold your wedding wreath at church, here's I'll have the carriage and the replacement horses for the bridesmaid, but you'll have to lend me three thousand rubles. I'm in a hurry for the money, brother, I'm in a hurry!"

While Nozdryov was talking nonsense, Chichikov blinked a few times, trying to see if he was dreaming.Counterfeiting banknotes, kidnapping the governor's daughter, scaring the Attorney-General to death, a new Governor-General—everything surprised him.He thought: "It's come to this point, it's useless to stay here anymore, I have to leave quickly."

He sent Nozdryov away hastily, and called Serivan to get ready at dawn tomorrow, to be out of town at six o'clock in the morning, to check everything up, to oil the carriage, etc.Selifan replied: "Understood, Pavel Ivanovich!" But he stood motionless at the door for a long time.Immediately the master told Petrushka to pull out the suitcase, already covered with a thick layer of dust, from under the bed, and he filled it with socks, shirts, underwear—washed and unwashed—boot lasts, Calendar... don't bother to classify carefully, stuff what you catch.He thought: We must prepare well today, so as not to miss tomorrow's itinerary.Xie Lifan stood at the door for more than two minutes, then walked out slowly.As slowly as he could, he descended the stairs slowly, leaving wet footprints on the broken steps that turned down.He scratched the back of his head for a long time as he descended the stairs.What does it mean?What does scratching the back of the head usually indicate?Is it a pity that tomorrow's meeting with his brother who is wearing a dirty leather jacket and a bag around the waist in a tavern cannot take place?It is still in this place that I have met a good friend. Whenever the night falls, a young man in a red jacket plays the balalaika to the servants, and the common people who have worked all day are whispering. Beside the gate, holding her little white hand gracefully—but now she has to leave, and has to give up the joyful gatherings every evening?Otherwise, he probably just misses the warm fur-coated place near the fireplace in the servant's kitchen, and he doesn't want to give up the vegetable soup and the soft buns in the city and go for a long journey to the camping place?Who knows, it's impossible to guess.Russians scratching the back of their heads can have many different meanings.

Rumors on Eleventh Road

But Chichikov did not accomplish a single thing in his plan.First, he woke up earlier than expected.That's just the first unpleasantness.After getting up, he immediately asked people to see if the carriage was harnessed and everything was ready. The answer he got was that the carriage was not harnessed and nothing was ready.This is the second unpleasantness.He was so angry that he was even going to give our friend Serivan a good blow, while he waited impatiently to see what excuses Serivan could come up with.After a while, Selifan arrived at the door, and the master had the good fortune to hear the words that the servants often said at this juncture when they were about to set off on the road. "But, Pavel Ivanovich, the horse needs to be hung."

"Oh, you stupid pig! You bastard! Why didn't you say it earlier? Don't you have time?"

"There is time... oh, Pavel Ivanovich, and the wheels are out of order, and the rims have to be completely changed, because the roads are bad now, and there are potholes everywhere. Besides, if I say: the shaft The chair shakes so badly that it might break after two stops."

"You scoundrel!" Chichikov shouted, and walked towards him with his hands clasped. Selifan took a few steps back in fear of being "rewarded" by the master, and hid aside. "You mean to murder me? Huh? You mean to kill me with a knife? You mean to stab me with a knife in the highway, you bandit, rotten pig, sea-monster! Huh? Here Three weeks, huh? You don't say a word, useless thing, before you leave, you're in trouble! You don't make trouble until everything is ready to get in the car, right? Huh? Don't you know? Huh? Don't you know? Tell me. Don't you? Huh?"

"I know." Xie Lifan replied with his head down.

"Then why didn't you say it earlier, huh?"

Xie Lifan couldn't find any words to answer this question, but he buried his head, as if muttering to himself: "Look, how strange: I knew it a long time ago but didn't say it!"

"You go to a blacksmith and have everything done in two hours. You hear? Two hours! If you can't finish it, I'll twist you, twist you... into a rope and a button !"

Our hero is furious.Selifan was just about to turn to go out, but he stopped and said: "And, sir, that piebald must be sold. Because this horse, Pavel Ivanovich, is really bad; there is no need for such a horse." That’s fine, it’s only going to get in the way.”

"Okay! Wait until I go to the market to sell it!"

"Really, Pavel Ivanovitch, he's just beautiful, but he's actually the most cunning. Where's that horse..."

"Bastard! Whenever you want to sell, I will sell it. What are you talking about! Just wait and see: if you call the blacksmith immediately, if all the work is not done cleanly within two hours, I will slap you Beat you... so that you will never see yourself! Go! Get out!"

Shirifan is out.Chichikov was in such a terrible mood that he even threw his saber on the floor--this saber, which he carried with him on the journey, was a deterrent when necessary.It took him more than a quarter of an hour with the blacksmith to agree on the price: for the blacksmiths were, as usual, utter villains, and seeing that it was a matter of urgency, they demanded five times as much.He cursed them as liars, robbers, highwaymen, and mentioned the punishment of the end, but no matter how angry he was, the blacksmith didn't budge a bit: their ideas were very good-no price reduction was counted, and no price was paid. I finished the job in an hour, but dawdled for five and a half hours.During this time, he was fortunate enough to enjoy the pleasant time that every traveler is very familiar with: all the bags are packed, and there are only some ropes, pieces of paper and garbage left in the room. Waiting where he was, but standing at the window and watching the passers-by--who argued trivially as they walked, looked up at him now and then with foolish curiosity, and continued on their way, which made the poor traveler who hadn't yet traveled Bad mood is even worse.Everything, everything he could see--the little shop opposite the window, the head of the old woman who lived opposite as she approached the short-curtained window: everything repelled him; Willing to leave the window.He stood there, contemplating for a while, and looking indifferently at the moving and unmoving things in front of him for a while. At this time, a fly was also buzzing and making fun of the glass under his finger, and he gave it to him easily. Squeezed to death, the gloom in his heart could not be dispelled.Fortunately, everything will come to an end, and the long-awaited moment finally came: everything was ready, the shaft was repaired, new wheels were installed, the three horses were drunk and brought back, and the robbers and blacksmiths finished counting the banknotes they got. Congratulations on a smooth journey and left.In the end, the carriage was put on, and the two newly bought warm white breads were placed where they should be. Shelifan also put something in the pocket next to the driver's seat, and our protagonist was still wearing the same dress at the end. Under the waving hat of the waiter in the woolen coat shop, under the watchful eyes of the servants and coachmen who are from the shop and from outside, who are about to doze off as soon as other masters leave, the travel can cause all kinds of troubles. In accordance with the circumstances, he got into a carriage--the carriage of the bachelor, who had been in the city for so long and perhaps bored the reader, finally came out of the hotel gate.

"Thank God!" thought Chichikov, crossing himself.Selifan whipped the whip, and Petrushka stood on the footrest first, then sat down next to Selifan.Once our hero had settled himself on the Georgian rug, tucked a leather cushion into his back, and squeezed a couple of hot buns, the carriage began to jolt, for, as you should know, cobbled roads are inherently resilient.Our protagonist looks at the houses, walls, fences and streets outside the car with a blank mood. These houses, walls, fences and streets seem to be bouncing and slowly moving towards the back of the car. Who knows whether fate can still arrange him for the rest of his life see it all again.At a corner, the carriage had to stop, because the whole street was filled with endless mourners.Chichikov stuck out his head and asked Petrushka to inquire whose funeral it was, and it turned out that it was the funeral of the Prosecutor.He could feel the discomfort all over his body, and quickly hid in the corner of the carriage, and put down the leather veil.After the carriage stopped, Selifan and Petrushka took off their hats piously, carefully examined the identities, expressions, clothes, and carriages of the mourners, counted the number of mourners, and saw how many were on foot and how many were on carriages; The master told them not to reveal their identities, not to greet the familiar servants, and then secretly looked through the glass on the leather curtain: the officials all took off their hats and walked behind the coffin.He was a little worried, afraid that people would recognize his carriage, but people couldn't care less about it at this moment.They didn't even mention the family stories that are often discussed at funerals.They were all absorbed in their own thoughts: they were all wondering what the new governor would be like, how he would take office, how he would treat them.Behind the officials on foot were carriages in which some wives sat, and the wives wore mourning hats and poked their heads out from time to time to look around.It could be seen from their lips and gestures that they were having a lively conversation.Perhaps they were also talking about the arrival of the new governor, guessing about the grand ball that the new governor would hold, and now worrying about the teeth and ribbons that are always indispensable in clothes.After the ladies' carriage came several empty buggies.At last the funeral procession has passed, and our hero can set off.He opened the curtains, sighed, and said from the bottom of his heart: "Look at the Attorney General! Live, and then die! Newspapers will publish articles about a respectable citizen, a rare loving father and father." The model husband has passed away, and his subordinates and all mankind are deeply saddened by it, as well as all kinds of praises; maybe there will be a sentence that says that all the orphans and widows in this city are mourned and mourned; but they must be carefully divided. Come down, probably only those two thick eyebrows are real." After speaking, he told Xie Lifan to leave quickly, and then he thought, "It doesn't matter if you meet a funeral, people often say that you will have good luck when you meet a coffin."

At this time, the carriage had reached a relatively remote street, and soon there were only some continuous long fences left in front of him, which meant that he was about to leave the city.At last the paved road came to an end, and the poles and the city were left behind, and there was nothing left, and the carriage was on the road again.On the side of the road began to appear signposts, post stations, wells, wagons, gray and brown villages (you can see the samovars, peasant women, and the clever bearded shopkeeper running from the cart shop with oats in the village), Pedestrians who have walked eight hundred versts in their bark shoes, the small town with its shabby houses, its wooden shops and their displays of flour buckets, bark shoes, bread, and other things, the bridges being repaired, the mottled The road poles, the open and boundless fields on both sides of the road, the landowners' carriages, the soldiers on horseback transporting the shell boxes with the words "so-and-so artillery" written on them, the green, yellow and freshly plowed fields are flashing. The black land, the singing in the distance, the bells ringing from the top of the pine trees in the mist, the crows as dense as flies, the endless horizon... Oh Russia!Russia!I look at you, I look at you from this wonderful and strange distance 15: you are poor, desolate, disorganized and lonely; there is no beautiful scenery in your place decorated with amazing art, and there is no mosaic in the city In the high-rise buildings with dense windows on the cliffs, there are no ivy climbing the roofs, no beautiful trees and buildings; you can't see the mist from the waterfall, and you can't hear the thunderous roar of the waterfall; There are no tiers of craggy rocks high into the clouds to look up at; no arches covered with vines and ivy, adorned with thousands of wild roses; Piercing the distant mountains in the clear sky.Your desert is vast and unobstructed; there are no high-rise buildings in your city, which appear so small on the vast plain, like small dots or symbols; there is no scenery that is pleasing to the eye or heart.But what kind of incomprehensible mysterious power is attracting me, fascinated by you?

Why can I always hear the sad song floating in your vast land?
What is the meaning of this song?
What is crying, calling, worrying?What voices are painfully echoing in my ears, reaching the depths of my heart, lingering in my heart?Russia!What do you want from me?
What kind of inexplicable connection is hidden between you and me?

Why are you looking at me so much, why is everything in your place looking at me expectantly? ... When I was still standing there in a daze, my head was already covered with thick dark clouds containing wind and rain; facing your thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, I was contemplating.What does this vast country portend to me?How can it be impossible for you to produce broad and profound thoughts, because you are so generous and profound!How can you not produce warriors, because you have a stage for them to show their talents!Thy great bosom embraces me majestically, and a powerful influence grows in the depths of my soul; my eyes are illuminated by divine intent: O!What a splendid and wonderful place that is unknown to the world!Russia! ...

"Hold on, hold on, you bastard!" Chichikov called to Serivan. "I'll give you a knife!" A messenger with a beard more than a foot long was sitting in an oncoming carriage and shouted vigorously: "Damn it, didn't you see, this is an official car!"

The troika disappeared like a phantom with a roar and smoke.Road, what a strange and fascinating yearning is contained in this word!
(End of this chapter)