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dead souls(死魂灵)-第26章

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〃Well?〃 said Chichikovthough not without a certain tremor of diffidence as to the possible response。

〃You are after dead souls?〃 were Sobakevitch's perfectly simple words。 He spoke without the least surprise in his tone; and much as though the conversation had been turning on grain。

〃Yes;〃 replied Chichikov; and then; as before; softened down the expression 〃dead souls。〃

〃They are to be found;〃 said Sobakevitch。 〃Why should they not be?〃

〃Then of course you will be glad to get rid of any that you may chance to have?〃

〃Yes; I shall have no objection to SELLING them。〃 At this point the speaker raised his head a little; for it had struck him that surely the would…be buyer must have some advantage in view。

〃The devil!〃 thought Chichikov to himself。 〃Here is he selling the goods before I have even had time to utter a word!〃

〃And what about the price?〃 he added aloud。 〃Of course; the articles are not of a kind very easy to appraise。〃

〃I should be sorry to ask too much;〃 said Sobakevitch。 〃How would a hundred roubles per head suit you?〃

〃What; a hundred roubles per head?〃 Chichikov stared open…mouthed at his hostdoubting whether he had heard aright; or whether his host's slow…moving tongue might not have inadvertently substituted one word for another。

〃Yes。 Is that too much for you?〃 said Sobakevitch。 Then he added: 〃What is your own price?〃

〃My own price? I think that we cannot properly have understood one anotherthat you must have forgotten of what the goods consist。 With my hand on my heart do I submit that eight grivni per soul would be a handsome; a VERY handsome; offer。〃

〃What? Eight grivni?〃

〃In my opinion; a higher offer would be impossible。〃

〃But I am not a seller of boots。〃

〃No; yet you; for your part; will agree that these souls are not live human beings?〃

〃I suppose you hope to find fools ready to sell you souls on the census list for a couple of groats apiece?〃

〃Pardon me; but why do you use the term 'on the census list'? The souls themselves have long since passed away; and have left behind them only their names。 Not to trouble you with any further discussion of the subject; I can offer you a rouble and a half per head; but no more。〃

〃You should be ashamed even to mention such a sum! Since you deal in articles of this kind; quote me a genuine price。〃

〃I cannot; Michael Semenovitch。 Believe me; I cannot。 What a man cannot do; that he cannot do。〃 The speaker ended by advancing another half…rouble per head。

〃But why hang back with your money?〃 said Sobakevitch。 〃Of a truth I am not asking much of you。 Any other rascal than myself would have cheated you by selling you old rubbish instead of good; genuine souls; whereas I should be ready to give you of my best; even were you buying only nut…kernels。 For instance; look at wheelwright Michiev。 Never was there such a one to build spring carts! And his handiwork was not like your Moscow handiworkgood only for an hour。 No; he did it all himself; even down to the varnishing。〃

Chichikov opened his mouth to remark that; nevertheless; the said Michiev had long since departed this world; but Sobakevitch's eloquence had got too thoroughly into its stride to admit of any interruption。

〃And look; too; at Probka Stepan; the carpenter;〃 his host went on。 〃I will wager my head that nowhere else would you find such a workman。 What a strong fellow he was! He had served in the Guards; and the Lord only knows what they had given for him; seeing that he was over three arshins in height。〃

Again Chichikov tried to remark that Probka was dead; but Sobakevitch's tongue was borne on the torrent of its own verbiage; and the only thing to be done was to listen。

〃And Milushkin; the bricklayer! He could build a stove in any house you liked! And Maksim Teliatnikov; the bootmaker! Anything that he drove his awl into became a pair of bootsand boots for which you would be thankful; although he WAS a bit foul of the mouth。 And Eremi Sorokoplechin; too! He was the best of the lot; and used to work at his trade in Moscow; where he paid a tax of five hundred roubles。 Well; THERE'S an assortment of serfs for you!a very different assortment from what Plushkin would sell you!〃

〃But permit me;〃 at length put in Chichikov; astounded at this flood of eloquence to which there appeared to be no end。 〃Permit me; I say; to inquire why you enumerate the talents of the deceased; seeing that they are all of them dead; and that therefore there can be no sense in doing so。 'A dead body is only good to prop a fence with;' says the proverb。〃

〃Of course they are dead;〃 replied Sobakevitch; but rather as though the idea had only just occurred to him; and was giving him food for thought。 〃But tell me; now: what is the use of listing them as still alive? And what is the use of them themselves? They are flies; not human beings。〃

〃Well;〃 said Chichikov; 〃they exist; though only in idea。〃

〃But noNOT only in idea。 I tell you that nowhere else would you find such a fellow for working heavy tools as was Michiev。 He had the strength of a horse in his shoulders。〃 And; with the words; Sobakevitch turned; as though for corroboration; to the portrait of Bagration; as is frequently done by one of the parties in a dispute when he purports to appeal to an extraneous individual who is not only unknown to him; but wholly unconnected with the subject in hand; with the result that the individual is left in doubt whether to make a reply; or whether to betake himself elsewhere。

〃Nevertheless; I CANNOT give you more than two roubles per head;〃 said Chichikov。

〃Well; as I don't want you to swear that I have asked too much of you and won't meet you halfway; suppose; for friendship's sake; that you pay me seventy…five roubles in assignats?〃

〃Good heavens!〃 thought Chichikov to himself。 〃Does the man take me for a fool?〃 Then he added aloud: 〃The situation seems to me a strange one; for it is as though we were performing a stage comedy。 No other explanation would meet the case。 Yet you appear to be a man of sense; and possessed of some education。 The matter is a very simple one。 The question is: what is a dead soul worth; and is it of any use to any one?〃

〃It is of use to YOU; or you would not be buying such articles。〃

Chichikov bit his lip; and stood at a loss for a retort。 He tried to saying something about 〃family and domestic circumstances;〃 but Sobakevitch cut him short with:

〃I don't want to know your private affairs; for I never poke my nose into such things。 You need the souls; and I am ready to sell them。 Should you not buy them; I think you will repent it。〃

〃Two roubles is my price;〃 repeated Chichikov。

〃Come; come! As you have named that sum; I can understand your not liking to go back upon it; but quote me a bona fide figure。〃

〃The devil fly away with him!〃 mused Chichikov。 〃However; I will add another half…rouble。〃 And he did so。

〃Indeed?〃 said Sobakevitch。 〃Well; my last word upon it isfifty roubles in assignats。 That will mean a sheer loss to me; for nowhere else in the world could you buy better souls than mine。〃

〃The old skinflint!〃 muttered Chichikov。 Then he added aloud; with irritation in his tone: 〃See here。 This is a serious matter。 Any one but you would be thankful to get rid of the souls。 Only a fool would stick to them; and continue to pay the tax。〃

〃Yes; but remember (and I say it wholly in a friendly way) that transactions of this kind are not generally allowed; and that any one would say that a man who engages in them must have some rather doubtful advantage in view。〃

〃Have it your own away;〃 said Chichikov; with assumed indifference。 〃As a matter of fact; I am not purchasing for profit; as you suppose; but to humour a certain whim of mine。 Two and a half roubles is the most that I can offer。〃

〃Bless your heart!〃 retorted the host。 〃At least give me thirty roubles in assignats; and take the lot。〃

〃No; for I see that you are unwilling to sell。 I must say good…day to you。〃

〃Hold on; hold on!〃 exclaimed Sobakevitch; retaining his guest's hand; and at the same moment treading heavily upon his toesso heavily; indeed; that Chichikov gasped and danced with the pain。

〃I BEG your pardon!〃 said Sobakevitch hastily。 〃Evidently I have hurt you。 Pray sit down again。〃

〃No;〃 retorted Chichikov。 〃I am merely wasting my time; and must be off。〃

〃Oh; sit down just for a moment。 I have something more agreeable to say。〃 And; drawing closer to his guest; Sobakevitch whispered in his ear; as though communicating to him a secret: 〃How about twenty…five roubles?〃

〃No; no; no!〃 exclaimed Chichikov。 〃I won't give you even a QUARTER of that。 I won't advance another kopeck。〃

For a while Sobakevitch remained silent; and Chichikov did the same。 This lasted for a couple of minutes; and; meanwhile; the aquiline…nosed Bagration gazed from the wall as though much interested in the bargaining。

〃What is your outside price?〃 at length said Sobakevitch。

〃Two and a half roubles。〃

〃Then you seem to rate a human soul at about the same value as a boiled turnip。 At least give me THREE roubles。〃

〃No; I cannot。〃

〃Pardon me; but you are an impossible man to deal with。 However; even though it will mean a dead loss to me; and yo
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