登陆注册
5382300000084

第84章 CHAPTER XII(7)

It is worthy of remark that the merchants recognise no aristocracy but that of official rank. Many merchants would willingly give twenty pounds for the presence of an "actual State Councillor" who perhaps never heard of his grandfather, but who can show a grand cordon; whilst they would not give twenty pence for the presence of an undecorated Prince without official rank, though he might be able to trace his pedigree up to the half-mythical Rurik. Of the latter they would probably say, "Kto ikh znact?" (Who knows what sort of a fellow he is?) The former, on the contrary, whoever his father and grandfather may have been, possesses unmistakable marks of the Tsar's favour, which, in the merchant's opinion, is infinitely more important than any rights or pretensions founded on hereditary titles or long pedigrees.

Some marks of Imperial favour the old-fashioned merchants strive to obtain for themselves. They do not dream of grand cordons--that is far beyond their most sanguine expectations--but they do all in their power to obtain those lesser decorations which are granted to the mercantile class. For this purpose the most common expedient is a liberal subscription to some benevolent institution, and occasionally a regular bargain is made. I know of at least one instance where the kind of decoration was expressly stipulated.

The affair illustrates so well the commercial character of these transactions that I venture to state the facts as related to me by the official chiefly concerned. A merchant subscribed to a society which enjoyed the patronage of a Grand Duchess a considerable sum of money, under the express condition that he should receive in return a St. Vladimir Cross. Instead of the desired decoration, which was considered too much for the sum subscribed, a cross of St. Stanislas was granted; but the donor was dissatisfied with the latter and demanded that his money should be returned to him. The demand had to be complied with, and, as an Imperial gift cannot be retracted, the merchant had his Stanislas Cross for nothing.

This traffic in decorations has had its natural result. Like paper money issued in too large quantities, the decorations have fallen in value. The gold medals which were formerly much coveted and worn with pride by the rich merchants--suspended by a ribbon round the neck--are now little sought after. In like manner the inordinate respect for official personages has considerably diminished. Fifty years ago the provincial merchants vied with each other in their desire to entertain any great dignitary who honoured their town with a visit, but now they seek rather to avoid this expensive and barren honour. When they do accept the honour, they fulfil the duties of hospitality in a most liberal spirit. I

have sometimes, when living as an honoured guest in a rich merchant's house, found it difficult to obtain anything simpler than sterlet, sturgeon, and champagne.

The two great blemishes on the character of the Russian merchants as a class are, according to general opinion, their ignorance and their dishonesty. As to the former of these there cannot possibly be any difference of opinion. Many of them can neither read nor write, and are forced to keep their accounts in their memory, or by means of ingenious hieroglyphics, intelligible only to the inventor. Others can decipher the calendar and the lives of the saints, can sign their names with tolerable facility, and can make the simpler arithmetical calculations with the help of the stchety, a little calculating instrument, composed of wooden balls strung on brass wires, which resembles the "abaca" of the old Romans, and is universally used in Russia. It is only the minority who understand the mysteries of regular book-keeping, and of these very few can make any pretensions to being educated men.

All this, however, is rapidly undergoing a radical change.

Children are now much better educated than their parents, and the next generation will doubtless make further progress, so that the old-fashioned type above described is destined to disappear.

Already there are not a few of the younger generation--especially among the wealthy manufacturers of Moscow--who have been educated abroad, who may be described as tout a fait civilises, and whose mode of life differs little from that of the richer nobles; but they remain outside fashionable society, and constitute a "set" of their own.

同类推荐
  • 爝火录

    爝火录

    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。
  • 慈受怀深禅师广录

    慈受怀深禅师广录

    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。
  • 虚堂和尚语录

    虚堂和尚语录

    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。
  • Colonel Chabert

    Colonel Chabert

    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。
  • 西圃词说

    西圃词说

    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
  • 傲世玄灵师

    傲世玄灵师

    她本是古老世家的嫡出小姐,却因一个奇异的手镯成了孤儿,成长于渺无人烟的幽深崖底。身为万年不遇的废材,她是如何得奇书,收神兽,一步一个脚印走出那片与世隔绝的崖底?她本是傲世九重天的女神,一场大战,肉体湮灭,灵魂轮回,一朝转世,掀起风云无限。她有一个诡异的游魂朋友,一双慧眼识珠玉。她有一个极端的剑灵丫头,仰着娇俏可人的小脸对她说:“主人,我是真正的杀戮之剑,鲜血才能提升我的品质。”她有一只强大的本命玄兽,霸气天成的他一腔柔情为她绽放,霜,我们生命共享,灵魂相契,生生世世都得在一起。她位高权重的师父说:“生命比面子更重要。”她还有一个亦敌亦友的朋友,那个风华绝代的美男。滟滟紫衣,幽幽紫眸,敛尽世间芳华。身为神殿最年轻的大祭司,他高贵优雅若春风。他说:“这是我的选择,与她无关,不论什么结果,我都接受。”身怀世人禁忌的光明元素,她不得不韬光养晦,身怀世人觊觎的至尊玄器,她不得不谨小慎微,即便步步为营,也有那无耻的世家家主对她巧取豪夺,“如此强大的玄兽,你不配拥有。”即便小心谨慎,也能遭遇那阴险狠毒的美貌圣女,“敢抢我的男人,我要让你生不如死!”即便天赋卓绝,遇上那心胸狭窄的丹药宗师,也得遭受诬蔑。“就是你个小偷,偷了本大师的上古神丹。还说自己炼的,你以为上古神丹是路边的烂白菜?”阴谋诡谲,征途险恶,且看何人陪她直捣黄龙。世事如棋,波涛暗涌,且看她如何一步步踏上巅峰。面对强大得不可战胜的神祗,她傲气扬眉,有仇报仇,有恩报恩,本姑娘定要傲世这九重天!
  • 玩转网游

    玩转网游

    跑路到了天池的极道大哥,不混黑社会,竟学人混网游?“这世界就是个金钱世界,无论现实与游戏,我要赚很多很多钱,站在这世界顶端!”可是他一个游戏菜鸟,能混出什么名堂呢?一个小小网游,有可能让人功成名就吗?
  • 攻略前夫的一百种方法

    攻略前夫的一百种方法

    祁和:你对我们的婚姻有什么不满意的?常芭菲:没什么不满意的,是我的问题。祁和:你有什么问题?你不就是牙不好吗?常芭菲:我不是还不能生孩子吗?已知,损失掉一颗牙换来的婚姻,是不能长久的。祁和问:请问敲掉所有牙齿,能不能长久?
  • 傀儡新娘:撒旦公爵的逃妻

    傀儡新娘:撒旦公爵的逃妻

    人称‘撒旦公爵’的他,为报夺妻之恨,掳来她,妹抵兄债,可她却宛如冰山上的雪莲,越挫越坚忍……当遭遇杀手阻击,她为他挡下杀手那致命的一枪倒下,他竟觉得世界在瞬间崩溃,他竟爱上了她!可伤好之后的她,却利用了他的爱,在他向她求婚的那一晚践踏他的心逃走!“既然不能爱我,那就恨我吧,用你的心,用你的全部力气来恨我!”这是她被捉回他面前,他恨极的第一句话!而她,为了挽救家族事业与身陷险境的兄嫂,亦在同一天沦落为由他操控的傀儡新娘,没有心,没有自由,更没有说“不”的权利……
  • 天空与心之上

    天空与心之上

    文明兴盛衰亡,星辰枯朽重燃。战争,战争永不停歇。
  • 贪财皇后

    贪财皇后

    “皇上,你太高估你自己的魅力,也太低估我的眼光了。”“你这话什么意思?”皇帝停掉了手中的动作,一脸怒气地瞪着她。“意思就是我看不上你。”子妍非常老实地回答道。她爱钱,用钱把自己所有都伪装了起来。到最后,谁将她的伪装一层层卸下?
  • 看,隔壁那只帅哥

    看,隔壁那只帅哥

    凌蕴——大学刚刚毕业,即将要享受美好生活,惬意人生的好姑娘一枚,却没想到,天有不测风云,人有旦夕祸福,嘎嘣一下就离开了这个美好的世界。她真的没想到自己会再次睁开眼,这不是重点,重点是当她再次睁开眼,身边居然躺着一个好看到令人发指的美男。于是她彻底懵了…好吧,在这个流行重生的年代,不管她凌蕴占据了谁的身体,怎么样都要恣意潇洒的生活下去,何况身边的那个人是首屈一指,令全城女人为之疯狂的男人。可是,当她发现自己上辈子的死,并不是偶然,却是人为的刻意,她又该怎么样?可是,当她发现自己重生的那个身份,并不如外人看来的那么鲜亮,她又该怎么样?再可是,当她发现和她有着露水夫妻的绝色美男,也不是表面看起来的那么简单,她又该怎样?有伟人曾经这样说过,如果老天再给我一次机会,我一定会好好学习马列思想(观众吐口水,丫的,真没文化,哪个伟人说过这样的话)关于此女重生——元芳,你怎么看?元芳四十五度小忧伤仰头看天——大人,昨夜卑职夜观天相,此事必有蹊跷。…片段一:温瑜也就是这个身份的亲生妹妹,扭着杨柳腰,款款有型的走到她身边,“温郁,我的好姐姐,真的很谢谢你,让我成功的远离了这个野种。”啪,震耳欲聋的巴掌声回响在奢华的客厅里,某个女人吹了吹手掌,脸上的表情始终是漫不经心,“再让我听到‘野种’两个字,我听到一次,抽你一次!”半边脸都浮肿起来的美人,捂着脸,落荒而逃,“你这个贱人,你等着,我一定不会放过你!”某女依然淡定,端起茶几上的茶杯,轻轻呷了口,“我等着,就怕你不来!”…本文纯属虚构,禁止模仿!
  • 崛起之篮坛大魔王

    崛起之篮坛大魔王

    在火箭不受重用的齐舟决定出去闯一闯,一不小心闯成了篮坛大魔王,正验证了那句老话:人挪死树挪活--啊不对,是树挪死人挪活!
  • 博弈论的诡计大全集(超值金版)

    博弈论的诡计大全集(超值金版)

    说到博弈论,我们常常被其著作中大量的数学模型吓倒。其实,博弈论不是学者们用来唬人的把戏,而是一种一般性的分析方法。一个不会编程的人照样可以成为电脑应用高手,没有高深的数学知识,我们同样通过博弈论的学习成为生活中的策略高手。比如孙膑,没有学过高等数学,但他照样可以通过策略来帮助田忌赢得赛马。博弈论首先是人们思索现实世界的一套逻辑,其次才是把这套逻辑严密化的数学形式。博弈论的目的在于巧妙的策略,把复杂的问题简单化。我们学习博弈论的目的,不是为了享受博弈分析的过程,而是为了赢取更好的结局。
  • 禁祭

    禁祭

    生人勿近的三个禁区,葬下了未解的亘古;时间尽头的沧海桑田,是谁在耕耘;笔直的路,被曲折,百年寿命,被谁拿走,剩下不足十二个春夏;当真相一点一点铺陈开来,亘古的谜题,千古前的恩怨,缓缓浮出,方知,沧海化桑田,不过方寸间。