世界名著THE CALASH.docx
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世界名著THE CALASH.docx
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世界名著THECALASH
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THECALASH
ThetownofB--hadbecomeverylivelysinceacavalryregimenthad
takenupitsquartersinit.Uptothatdateithadbeenmortally
wearisomethere.Whenyouhappenedtopassthroughthetownand
glancedatitslittlemudhouseswiththeirincrediblygloomyaspect,
thepenrefusestoexpresswhatyoufelt.Yousufferedaterrible
uneasinessasifyouhadjustlostallyourmoneyatplay,orhad
committedsometerribleblunderincompany.Theplastercoveringthe
houses,soakedbytherain,hadfallenawayinmanyplacesfromtheir
walls,whichfromwhitehadbecomestreakedandspotted,whilstold
reedsservedtothatchthem.
FollowingacustomverycommoninthetownsofSouthRussia,thechief
ofpolicehaslongsincehadallthetreesinthegardenscutdownto
improvetheview.Onenevermeetsanythinginthetown,unlessitisa
cockcrossingtheroad,fullofdustandsoftasapillow.Atthe
slightestrainthisdustisturnedintomud,andthenallthestreets
arefilledwithpigs.Displayingtoalltheirgravefaces,theyutter
suchgruntsthattravellersonlythinkofpressingtheirhorsestoget
awayfromthemassoonaspossible.Sometimessomecountrygentleman
oftheneighbourhood,theownerofadozenserfs,passesinavehicle
whichisakindofcompromisebetweenacarriageandacart,
surroundedbysacksofflour,andwhippinguphisbaymarewithher
colttrottingbyherside.Theaspectofthemarketplaceismournful
enough.Thetailor'shousesticksoutverystupidly,notsquarelyto
thefrontbutsideways.Facingitisabrickhousewithtwowindows,
unfinishedforfifteenyearspast,andfurtheronalargewooden
market-stallstandingbyitselfandpaintedmud-colour.Thisstall,
whichwastoserveasamodel,wasbuiltbythechiefofpoliceinthe
timeofhisyouth,beforehegotintothehabitoffallingasleep
directlyafterdinner,andofdrinkingakindofdecoctionofdried
goose-berrieseveryevening.Allaroundtherestofthemarket-place
arenothingbutpalings.Butinthecentrearesomelittleshedswhere
apacketofroundcakes,astoutwomaninareddress,abarofsoap,
somepoundsofbitteralmonds,somelead,somecotton,andtwoshopmen
playingat"svaika,"agameresemblingquoits,arealwaystobeseen.
Butonthearrivalofthecavalryregimenteverythingchanged.The
streetsbecamemorelivelyandworequiteanotheraspect.Oftenfrom
theirlittlehousestheinhabitantswouldseeatallandwell-made
officerwithaplumedhatpassby,onhiswaytothequartersofone
ofhiscomradestodiscussthechancesofpromotionorthequalities
ofanewtobacco,orperhapstoriskatplayhiscarriage,whichmight
indeedbecalledthecarriageofalltheregiment,sinceitbelonged
inturntoeveryoneofthem.To-dayitwasthemajorwhodroveoutin
it,to-morrowitwasseeninthelieutenant'scoach-house,andaweek
laterthemajor'sservantwasagaingreasingitswheels.Thelong
hedgesseparatingthehousesweresuddenlycoveredwithsoldiers'caps
exposedtothesun,greyfriezecloakshunginthedoorways,and
moustachesharshandbristlingasclothesbrushesweretobemetwith
inallthestreets.Thesemoustachesshowedthemselveseverywhere,but
aboveallatthemarket,overtheshouldersofthewomenoftheplace
whoflockedtherefromallsidestomaketheirpurchases.Theofficers
lentgreatanimationtosocietyatB--.
Societyconsisteduptillthenofthejudgewhowaslivingwitha
deacon'swife,andofthechiefofpolice,averysensibleman,but
onewhosleptalldaylongfromdinnertillevening,andfromevening
tilldinner-time.
Thisgenerallivelinesswasstillfurtherincreasedwhenthetownof
B--becametheresidenceofthegeneralcommandingthebrigadeto
whichtheregimentbelonged.Manygentlemenoftheneighbourhood,
whoseveryexistencenoonehadevensuspected,begantocomeintothe
townwiththeintentionofcallingontheofficers,or,perhaps,of
playingbank,agameconcerningwhichtheyhaduptillthenonlya
veryconfusednotion,occupiedastheywerewiththeircropsandthe
commissionsoftheirwivesandtheirhare-hunting.Iamverysorry
thatIcannotrecollectforwhatreasonthegeneralmadeuphismind
onefinedaytogiveagranddinner.Thepreparationswere
overwhelming.Theclatterofknivesinthekitchenwasheardasfaras
thetowngates.Thewholeofthemarketwaslaidundercontributions,
somuchsothatthejudgeandthedeacon'swifefoundthemselves
obligedthatdaytobesatisfiedwithhastypuddingsandcakesof
flour.Thelittlecourtyardofthehouseoccupiedbythegeneralwas
crowdedwithvehicles.Thecompanyonlyconsistedofmen,officersand
gentlemenoftheneighbourhood.
AmongsttheselatterwasaboveallconspicuousPythagoras
PythagoravitchTchertokoutski,oneoftheleadingaristocratsofthe
districtofB--,themostfieryoratoratthenobiliaryelectionsand
theownerofaveryelegantturn-out.Hehadservedinacavalry
regimentandhadevenpassedforoneofitsmostaccomplished
officers,havingconstantlyshownhimselfatalltheballsandparties
whereverhisregimentwasquartered.Informationrespectinghimmaybe
askedofalltheyoungladiesinthedistrictsofTamboffand
Simbirsk.Hewouldveryprobablyhavefurtherextendedhisreputation
inotherdistrictsifhehadnotbeenobligedtoleavetheservicein
consequenceofoneofthoseaffairswhicharespokenofas"avery
unpleasantbusiness."Hadhegivenorreceivedablow?
Icannotsay
withcertainty,butwhatisindisputableisthathewasaskedtosend
inhisresignation.However,thisaccidenthadnounpleasanteffect
upontheesteeminwhichhehadbeenhelduptillthen.
Tchertokoutskialwaysworeacoatofamilitarycut,spursand
moustache,inordernottohaveitsupposedthathehadservedinthe
infantry,abranchoftheserviceuponwhichhelavishedthemost
contemptuousexpressions.Hefrequentedthenumerousfairstowhich
flockthewholeofthepopulationofSouthernRussia,consistingof
nursemaids,tallgirls,andburlygentlemenwhogothereinvehicles
ofsuchstrangeaspectthatnoonehaseverseentheirmatchevenina
dream.Heinstinctivelyguessedthespotinwhicharegimentof
cavalrywastobefoundandneverfailedtointroducehimselftothe
officers.Onperceivingthemheboundedgracefullyfromhislight
phaetonandsoonmadeacquaintancewiththem.Atthelastelectionhe
hadgiventothewholeofthenobilityagranddinnerduringwhichhe
declaredthatifhewereelectedmarshalhewouldputallgentlemenon
thebestpossiblefooting.Heusuallybehavedafterthefashionofa
greatnoble.Hehadmarriedaratherprettyladywithadowryoftwo
hundredserfsandsomethousandsofrubles.Thismoneywasatonce
employedinthepurchaseofsixfinehorses,somegiltbronzelocks,
andatamemonkey.HefurtherengagedaFrenchcook.Thetwohundred
peasantsofthelady,aswellastwohundredmorebelongingtothe
gentleman,weremortgagedtothebank.Inaword,hewasaregular
nobleman.Besideshimself,severalothergentlemenwereamongstthe
general'sguests,butitisnotworthwhilespeakingofthem.The
officersoftheregiment,amongstwhomwerethecolonelandthefat
major,formedthemajorityofthosepresent.Thegeneralhimselfwas
ratherstout;agoodofficer,nevertheless,accordingtohis
subordinates.Hehadaratherdeepbassvoice.
Thedinnerwasmagnificent;thereweresturgeons,sterlets,bustards,
asparagus,quail,partridges,mushrooms.Theflavourofallthese
dishessuppliedanirrefutableproofofthesobrietyofthecook
duringthetwenty-fourhoursprecedingthedinner.Foursoldiers,who
hadbeengivenhimasassistants,hadnotceasedworkingallnight,
knifeinhand,atthecompositionofragoutsandjellies.Theimmense
quantityoflong-neckedbottles,mingledwithshorterones,holding
claretandmadeira;thefinesummerday,thewide-openwindows,the
platespiledupwithiceonthetable,thecrumpledshirt-frontsof
thegentlemeninplainclothes,andabriskandnoisyconversation,
nowdominatedbythegeneral'svoice,andnowbesprinkledwith
champagne,wereallinperfectharmony.Theguestsrosefromthetable
withapleasantfeelingofrepletion,and,afterhavinglittheir
pipes,allsteppedout,coffee-cupsinhand,ontotheverandah.
"Wecanseehernow,"saidthegeneral."Here,mydearfellow,"added
he,addressinghisaide-de-camp,anactivewell-madeyoungofficer,
"havethebaymarebroughthere.Youshallseeforyourselves,
gentlemen."
Atthesewordsthegeneraltookalongpullathispipe.
"Sheisnotquiterecoveredyet;thereisnotadecentstableinthis
cursedlittleplace.Butsheisnotbadlooking--"puff--puff,the
generalhereletoutthesmokewhichhehadkeptinhismouthtill
then--"thelittlemare."
"Itislongsinceyourexcellency--"puff--puff--puff--"condescended
tobuyher?
"askedTchertokoutski.
Puff--puff--puff--puff."Notverylong,Ihadherfromthebreeding
establishmenttwoyearsago."
"Anddidyourexcellencycondescendtotakeherreadybroken,orto
haveherbrokeninhereyourself?
"
Puff--puff--puff--puff."Here."
Ashespokethegeneraldisappearedbehindacloudofsmoke.
Atthatmomentasoldierjumpedoutofthestable.Thetramplingofa
horse'shoofswasheard,
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