登陆注册
4707700000096

第96章

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 Chichikov--who was, possibly, a trifle tipsy--calling 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 out--over 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 fortune--after this taste of the sorrows of life--he and his precious ten thousand roubles would have withdrawn to some peaceful corner in a provincial town, where, clad in a stuff dressing-gown, he could have sat and listened to the peasants quarrelling on festival days, or (for the sake of a breath of fresh air) have gone in person to the poulterer's to finger chickens for soup, and so have spent a quiet, but not wholly useless, existence; but nothing of the kind took place, and therein we must do justice to the strength of his character. In other words, although he had undergone what, to the majority of men, would have meant ruin and discouragement and a shattering of ideals, he still preserved his energy. True, downcast and angry, and full of resentment against the world in general, he felt furious with the injustice of fate, and dissatisfied with the dealings of men; yet he could not forbear courting additional experiences. In short, the patience which he displayed was such as to make the wooden persistency of the German--a persistency merely due to the slow, lethargic circulation of the Teuton's blood--seem nothing at all, seeing that by nature Chichikov's blood flowed strongly, and that he had to employ much force of will to curb within himself those elements which longed to burst forth and revel in freedom. He thought things over, and, as he did so, a certain spice of reason appeared in his reflections.

"How have I come to be what I am?" he said to himself. "Why has misfortune overtaken me in this way? Never have I wronged a poor person, or robbed a widow, or turned any one out of doors: I have always been careful only to take advantage of those who possess more than their share. Moreover, I have never gleaned anywhere but where every one else was gleaning; and, had I not done so, others would have gleaned in my place. Why, then, should those others be prospering, and I be sunk as low as a worm? What am I? What am I good for? How can I, in future, hope to look any honest father of a family in the face? How shall I escape being tortured with the thought that I am cumbering the ground? What, in the years to come, will my children say, save that 'our father was a brute, for he left us nothing to live upon?'"Here I may remark that we have seen how much thought Chichikov devoted to his future descendants. Indeed, had not there been constantly recurring to his mind the insistent question, "What will my children say?" he might not have plunged into the affair so deeply.

同类推荐
  • 九老图诗

    九老图诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 欧阳修集

    欧阳修集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Theologico-Political Treatise P2

    Theologico-Political Treatise P2

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 元洁莹禅师语录

    元洁莹禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说离垢施女经

    佛说离垢施女经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • The Rosary

    The Rosary

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 永远到底有多远

    永远到底有多远

    “我”和雪柔以及茹晗都是非常好的朋友,渐渐地产生情愫,但是她们两个人似乎都与“我”若即若离,正在“我”纠结于牵手还是分手的时候,突然“我”看到文学网站上的一部小说,发现她们竟然是一对互相爱慕的情人,我顿时奔溃……
  • 绯色暗夜

    绯色暗夜

    【十世轮回】+【异世女强】+【男强女强】=【绯色暗夜】她,云绯夜,阴险狡诈,绝色狂妄,冷酷腹黑,黑道尊称她为暗夜修罗。“她”,云绯夜,生性懦弱,废物体质,花痴黏人,空有一副好皮囊,生于东溪国世袭贵族云家,排行第七,世人称她为“废物七小姐。”当叱咤风云的她穿越到懦弱花痴的她.看她如何在这强者为尊的奥尔斯卡大陆上绽放光芒,展翅翱翔。看男主如何融化她那刻冰冷的心,追逐那飞翔的鸟儿.◇◆◇◆◇绯夜:“人不犯我,我不犯人,人若犯我,百倍还之。”她手执一把长剑,向他一步步地慢慢走来,宛如地狱的修罗。“哈哈哈......哈哈哈哈哈!地狱吗?有什么好怕的,我是一个连地狱都不敢要的人,你不知道吗?”她望着那搁在脖子上的剑,向那刀口上撞,眼看就要撞上了,那人却缩了缩,绯夜快速地把早已准备好的小刀一手插入那人的胸口,咧开嘴危险的笑了笑,“地狱欢迎你!”绯夜挽着那人的手,站在奥尔斯卡大陆的顶端,以前发生的一幕幕如同电影般,相遇,相识,相爱。嘴角挑起一丝暖暖的笑,望着身旁那人的侧脸,调皮地吻了上去。◆◇◆◇◆十生十世的守护,只换回你的回眸一笑。★生死不渝的爱情★坚贞不渝的友情★温暖感动的亲情★◆◇◆◇◆本文是绝对极品爽文。不纠结,不虐。然然简介无能,想要看腹黑文的请点,想要看一生一世一双人的请点,想要看玄幻魔法的请点,想要看穿越文的也点点。如前三章留不住你的脚步,那就请点点右上角红色的叉叉,近来物价上升,鸡蛋就不用砸给然然了~紧随然然的脚步,还你一个美妙的异世之旅。◆◇◆◇◆推荐榜:《妖主太腹黑》《老公,你太无赖》《-蜜爱傻妃-》《特工神尊》《女法师的崛起》《激战女神》《王牌逃妻》《狂尊》《邪破》《魅笑魔主》《紫降异世》《绝色魔尊》《优质妾儿》《妖凤邪皇》——这是倾听给绯色暗夜做得藏头诗:【绯】花一片减风光【色】柔金性瑞四方【暗】香疏影名千古【夜】宿花房春梦香
  • 盲弈

    盲弈

    袁会东神情专注地和我对弈的时候,橘黄色的阳光漫进了屋里。猛然间,一只呆头呆脑的小麻雀,扑棱棱地飞进来,发出啾啾的心无城府的欢叫。
  • 诸天技能面板

    诸天技能面板

    大梦之后,游戏中技能强化面板变成现实,剑术技能强化+1,拳法技能强化+1,大脑计算速度+1......一切从流星坠落后开始。
  • 创世轮回眼

    创世轮回眼

    主人公出生在第一次三界五族大战之后,各方势力粉墨登场,均想通过自己的方法一统江湖。其中一方更为隐蔽势力,早已在大战前埋下伏笔。主人公经过千辛万险方得解救苍生。三界五族的法术遵照五行相生相克,更掺杂花、毒等各种形式。细节描写详尽,打斗场景面面俱到。小说大纲俱已完成,结尾出乎读者意料,但又在情理之中。人物性格饱满,人物形象刻画入木三分,剧情跌宕起伏。主线明显,副线不失严谨,是2019年不可不看的玄幻小说之一。
  • 禁忌,指偶公主

    禁忌,指偶公主

    原本只是想分离出灵魂中懦弱的部分,好鼓起勇气向喜欢的人告白,甄优美喝下了灵魂分离魔药,没想到却出了差错,附身到了褚浩的指偶身上。于是在父亲研究出灵魂恢复药水前,她不得不一直待在褚浩身边,而且只要离开他超过五个小时,她就会逐渐衰竭,也就是说,他成了她某种意义上的“充电器”。虽然这样一来,她可以跟喜欢的人影形不离了,两人的感情也在一起迎接和战胜各种困难的过程中变得越来越深厚,但是,这毕竟不是真正的自己,所以她决定变回去,哪怕可能会因此遗忘这段日子创造的美好记忆……
  • 行尸杀人事件

    行尸杀人事件

    5月11日,凌晨12点半。在赤坂某个公寓静悄悄的大厅里,自由摄影师川崎幸男焦急地等着电梯。电梯的提示灯从八楼降到七楼、六楼、五楼……终于停在了一楼大厅。慢慢地,电梯门开了。幸男早已等得不耐烦,正要冲进去,可是突然吓了一跳,急忙把身子缩了回来。本以为空无一人的电梯里竟然还有乘客。那是个女人。她戴着样式夸张的黑白相间的帽子,帽檐很大,苗条的身躯穿着同样款式的连衣裙,样貌上看起来已是半老徐娘。黑色的墨镜很大,遮住了半边脸。这个人浓妆艳抹,鲜红的口红让人不寒而栗。从身材来看也算是美人,可即便如此,没有人愿意在深夜里突然碰上这样的人。
  • 显密圆通成佛心要集

    显密圆通成佛心要集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 面具鲜妻

    面具鲜妻

    “帮我!”被陷害撞进他的怀抱和他一夜纵情。未婚有孕,嫁入豪门,她变成抢妹妹未婚夫的小三!豪门暗斗,惊天换心,豪门媳妇,她步步维艰!儿子生病,他却守在情人的卧榻;结婚纪念,他领旧爱示威!如此渣男,果断踢之!只是既然踢了,他还缠上来做什么?