Chapter 9 Other people's wives and husbands under the bed - a rare strange thing-1

"Excuse me, sir, allow me to ask you..." A passerby shuddered and cast a somewhat surprised look at the gentleman in the raccoon coat.This gentleman cut straight to the point and asked him questions. The time was after 7 o'clock in the evening, and the place was in the middle of the street.Everyone knows that if a gentleman from Petersburg talks to another gentleman in the street, the other gentleman will be shocked. That was the case with the passer-by: he shuddered, a little frightened. "Forgive me for alarming you," began the gentleman in the raccoon coat, "but I... I really don't know... You must forgive me, you see, I'm a little out of sorts..."

Only then did the young man in an old-fashioned coat with pleats realize that the gentleman in the bearskin coat was indeed in a bad mood.His face was wrinkled and rather gray, his voice was trembling constantly, and his thoughts were obviously confused and he couldn't match his words.It can be seen that he has made great efforts to make this sincere request, because the other party is lower than him in rank and status, but the other party has to ask him for something.Besides, such a request, from a gentleman wearing such an expensive coat and such a dark green tailcoat with colorful decorations, is at least unseemly and inappropriate. , even abnormal.All this was evidently embarrassing the gentleman in the bearskin coat, and at last the disconcerted gentleman, unable to restrain himself, resolved to suppress his agitation and decency to conceal the unpleasant scene which he himself had caused. .

"Please forgive me, I'm in a bad mood. But you really don't understand me... Excuse me for disturbing you! I've changed my mind." At this moment, out of politeness, he raised his hat a little, and ran forward. "However, please allow me...you please!" But the little man disappeared in the darkness, leaving the gentleman in the pleated coat to stand dumbfounded. "What a strange man!" thought the gentleman in the coat with pleats at the waist.Later, after being really taken aback, he finally got rid of his numbness, remembered his own affairs, and began to wander back and forth, while staring intently at the gate of a building with countless floors.The smoke began to lift, and the young man was a little happier, otherwise he would have been much less visible walking through the fog, though a coachman who stood there all day disappointed might have seen him.

"please forgive!" The passer-by shuddered again: it was the gentleman in the raccoon fur coat standing in front of him again. "I'm sorry, again..." he began, "but you, you must be a noble person! Please don't think of me as a person of high social status, in fact I am incoherent, but you must From a humanitarian point of view... Sir, standing in front of you is a person who is very demanding of you..." "What the hell is it? If I could..." "Perhaps you think I'm asking you for money!" The mysterious gentleman smiled hysterically with his mouth twisted, but his face was pale.

"How can it be, sir!" "No, I can see that I'm giving you trouble! Excuse me, I can't help myself. Even if you think I'm insane, almost crazy, but you mustn't draw any conclusions..." "Let's get down to business, let's get down to business!" replied the young man, nodding his head encouragingly but impatiently. "Ah! So it is! You, so young, remind me of serious business, as if I were such a naive child! I am so confused! What do you think of my self-deprecation? Would you please tell me frankly?" The young man felt very uncomfortable and did not speak.

"Allow me to ask you frankly: have you ever seen a lady? That's all I ask!" said the gentleman in the raccoon fur coat at last decisively. "Mrs?" "Yes, sir, a lady." "I've seen . . . but, to be honest, a lot of wives have passed me by . . . " "Exactly, sir," replied the mysterious man with a wry smile. "I'm confused, that's not what I'm asking, please forgive me. What I'm trying to say is, have you ever seen a lady in a fox fur coat, a black velvet mantle, and a black veil?" "No, I haven't seen anything like this... No, I don't think I've noticed it before."

"Oh! In that case, I beg your pardon, sir!" The young man wanted to ask something, but the gentleman in the bearskin coat had disappeared, leaving his patient listener there blankly. "He must have seen the devil!" thought the young man in the pleated overcoat.He was clearly getting impatient. He turned up the sea dragon leather collar in frustration, and began to walk up and down again, while carefully walking past the door of the building with many floors.He is angry. "Why hasn't she come out yet?" thought he. "It's almost eight o'clock!"

The clock tower chimed eight times. "Ah! What the hell are you doing!" "sorry sir!……" "I beg you to forgive me for putting you this way... but I was taken aback by how quietly you came up to me," said the passer-by, frowning and apologetic. "I'm looking for you again, sir! Of course, I must make you think I'm a restless eccentric, sir!" "Please do me a favor, don't go around in circles, and explain clearly. I don't know yet, what exactly are you asking for?..." "Are you doing something? You can see, sir! I'll tell you everything, no nonsense! What can I do?! Circumstances sometimes draw people of completely different personalities together... But I can see Come out, you are impatient, young man...

It looks like this... But, I still don't know how to say it?I'm looking for a lady, sir! (I have made up my mind to tell everything) All I want to know is where is this lady?As for who is she?I don't think you need to know her name, young man! " "Well, well, keep talking." "Go on! That's the way you talk to me! I'm sorry, maybe I hurt you by calling you a young man, but I don't mean it at all... Anyway, if you're willing to do me a big favor, sir. , a lady, sir, that is to say a respectable woman, from a noble family, an acquaintance of mine... I am entrusted... You see, I am not yet married... ..."

"Ok." "Put yourself in my shoes, young man, (Oh, I'm wrong again! I'm so sorry, sir, I keep calling you young man! ) Every minute is precious... Just think about it, lady... Can you tell me who lives in this house? " "This... There are a lot of people living here." "Yes, that is to say, you're exactly right," replied the gentleman in the raccoon coat, and to save face he smiled faintly. "I think I'm a bit out of line... But why do you speak in that tone? You see, I admit that I'm confused, and if you're a proud man, you've seen enough of it." I demeaned my ego... I said, a lady, noble behavior means frivolous behavior, I am sorry, my thoughts are confused, as if I am talking about a literary work. For example, you think you are talking about Bohr De Kirk's frivolous writings, and the whole pathetic aspect of this writer is... here..."

①Pol de Cock (1794-1871) French romantic writer. The young man looked at the gentleman in the bearskin coat with regret.The gentleman seemed to be completely confused, fell silent, looked straight at the young man, smiled meaninglessly, and at the same time grabbed the young man by the lapel of his coat with a trembling hand for no reason. "Are you asking who lives here?" asked the young man, stepping back a little. "Yes, you said that many people live here." "Here . . . I know that Sofya Ostafievna lives here too," said the young man quietly, even a little sympathetically. "Well, look, look! You must know something, young man, don't you?" "I assure you, no, I know nothing. . . I judge by your distraught manner." "I just heard from the cook that she often comes here. But you are right, that is to say, she is not looking for Sofya Ostafievna... They don't know each other... " "Don't know? Well, then I beg your pardon, sir..." "You don't seem to be interested in any of this, young man," said Mr. Curious, with bitter sarcasm. "Listen," the young man stammered, "actually, I don't know the reason for your bad mood at all. It must be that someone has betrayed you. Please tell me frankly, will you?" The young man smiled approvingly. "At least we can understand each other," he added, before his body gave off a very tolerant desire to bow slightly. "You've killed me! But (I confess to you) that's exactly what happened... But no one is safe... I'm deeply moved by your concern... You will agree that among young people . "Okay, I know, I know! How can I help you?" "Well, sir! You agreed to visit Sophia Ostafievna... I don't know exactly where the lady is now, I only know that she is in this house. See you Walking here (I'm walking there myself) I'm thinking... do you see that I'm waiting for this lady?... I know she's here and I'd love to run into her and explain to her , what is dishonorable and despicable... In a word, you understand me..." "Well, um!" "I'm not doing this for myself, don't think...that this is someone else's wife! The husband is standing there, on the Voznesinsky Bridge. He wants to catch the rape, but he can't be cruel enough. He Still don't believe it, and like any husband... (The man in the raccoon coat tries to laugh) I'm his friend. You will surely agree that I am a rather respectable person, and that I cannot be the villain you think I am. " "Of course, sir! Well! . . . " "Well, I'm always catching her, I'm entrusted, sir (a wretched husband!)! But I know that the young lady is cunning (there's always Poul de Coke's romance novel). I believe she would have slipped away without anyone noticing. I confess that the cook told me: she used to come here a lot. As soon as I heard the news, I ran like crazy Here it comes. I want to catch her, I have been suspicious of her for a long time, that's why I asked you, you walk around here...you—you—I don't know..." "Tell me, tell me, what do you want?" "Yes, sir! . . . I have never had the honor of acquainting you; I dare not ask you your name or your first name. . . . At least, let us get to know each other, this is a pleasant occasion! . . . " The trembling gentleman shook one of the young man's hands enthusiastically. "That's what I should have done in the first place," he added, "but I forgot all the etiquette!" While talking, the gentleman in the raccoon fur coat couldn't stand still, he kept looking around anxiously, switched his feet from time to time, and held the young man firmly with one hand like a dying person. "You see, sir!" he went on, "I want to make friends with you... Excuse me for my presumptuousness... I want to ask you to go over there, and then by the back alley. Come back, just go back and forth like this, draw a zigzag. For my part, I lingered near the gate, so we wouldn't let anyone slip past.I'm always worried that a person can't stop her, but I won't let her pass.As soon as you see her, you stop her and yell at me...but I'm crazy!Only now do I realize how absurd and rude my suggestion was! " "No, where did you go! Go ahead!" "Please don't forgive me, I've never been so disturbed and overwhelmed! It's as if I'm going to court! I'll even confess to you that I'll be open and honest with you , young man, I even took you for a lover just now!" "To put it simply, you want to know, what am I doing here?" "Great man, my dear sir! I thought you were him. I don't want to tarnish you with that thought, but . . . but assure me that you are not the lover, will you?" "Good! I swear, I am a lover, but not your wife's, otherwise I would not be in the street, but now with her!" "Wife's lover? Who told you that I have a wife, young man? I'm a bachelor, that is to say, I'm also a lover..." "You said that there was a husband... on the Voznesinski Bridge..." "That is, of course it is, I slipped my tongue and made a mistake. But there is something else to do with it too! You will agree, young man: a certain indiscretion of character, that is to say..." "Uh, uh! Good, good!" "In other words, I'm not a husband at all..." "I am very sure, sir! But I must confess to you that now I am trying to persuade you as well as consoling myself, and that is why I can be honest with you and tell you the truth. You not only disturb me, And it is hindering me. So I beg you to make room for me, please go away! I am also waiting for someone!" "Yes, yes, sir! I will go away, and I respect your passionate restlessness. I understand that, young man. Oh, how I understand you now!" "well……" "Good-bye... But please forgive me, young man, I'm looking for you again... I don't know how to say it... Please swear to me once again: you are not a lover!" "O God, my Lord!" "One more question, the last one: Do you know the name of that...husband? It's Luo, the husband of your object." "Of course I know. Anyway, it's either your name or not. It's over!" "How do you know my name?" "Listen, go away! You're wasting time; she's gone a thousand times like that... Well, what are you doing? Your wife wears a fox fur coat and a cloak, and mine is a tartan Cloak, sky-blue velvet hat... Hey, what else do you want? What do you want?" "A sky-blue velvet hat! She has a plaid cape, and a sky-blue hat," cried the pestering man, suddenly coming back from the way he had come. "Oh, hell! Yes, such a thing is quite possible... Yes, what does it matter to me! My people don't go there!" "Where is her, yours?" "You want to know this very much. What are you going to do?" "I admit, that thing I keep saying..." "Pah, my God! You are so impudent! Well, mine has acquaintances here, on the third floor, facing the street. How about you? Shall I name them all?" "My God! I also have acquaintances who live on the third floor, and the windows also face the street! ...is a general... "General?!" "It's a general. I'll tell you which general it is. Well, it's General Porovyzin." "What a coincidence! No, it's not his old man! (Oh, what a hell, what a hell!)" "Not his old man?" "It's not his old man." The two remained silent, looking at each other inexplicably. "Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" cried the young man, annoyed to shake off his numbness and contemplation. Mr. became restless. "I, I, I admit..." "No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, let's talk rationally now. It's something we have in common. Please explain to me... who lives there? . . . " "Is it an acquaintance?" "Yes, it's an acquaintance..." "Look, you saw it! With your eyes, I can see that I guessed it!" "What a hell! No, no, what a hell! You're blind, aren't you? Am I not standing before you, am I not with her?Cough, it's frustrating!However, whether you say it or not, I don't care anyway! " The young man was extremely angry, stepped on the heels of his shoes twice, turned around, and waved his hand. "I don't have anything. As a noble person, I will tell you everything. First of all, she came here alone. They are related, so I have no doubts. I met the gentleman yesterday, and he said that he never It has been three weeks since I moved here, moved to another house, but ... that is to say, not mine but someone else's wife (he stood on the Voznesinsky Bridge), this The wife said that she had been here the day before yesterday, that is, she had been to that apartment. But the cook told me that the gentleman's apartment has been rented by a young man named Bobenizin..." "Oh, hell! What a hell! . . . " "Sir, I'm terrified, I'm dying of fright!" "Well, go to hell! You're so frightened and scared to death, what have I to do with you? Why, it'll be all right soon, you see..." "Where? Where? Just call out: Ivan Andreitch, and I'll come running..." "Well, well, oh, hell again, hell! Ivan Andreitch!!" "Here I am," cried Ivan Andreitch, who had returned, out of breath. "Well, what? What? Where?" "No, I'm just... I want to know, what's the lady's name?" "It's Graf..." "Grafira?" "No, not exactly Glafira... I'm sorry, but I can't tell you her name." When he said this, the face of the venerable gentleman was as pale as a white handkerchief. "Yes, of course it's not Glafira, I know it's not Glafira, but who is she with?" "Where?" "There! Oh, hell, what a hell!" (The young man was too angry to stand still.) "Oh, look! How do you know her name is Glafira?" "Well, what the hell! You're doing it again! Didn't you say her name wasn't Glafira? . . . " "Sir, what tone are you talking about!" "Fuck you, you can't take care of your breath! What, is she your wife?" "No, that is to say, I'm not married, and if I were, I wouldn't tell my misfortune to a respectable man, who I wouldn't say deserved any respect, at least a man of good manners, no You can swear foul language everywhere. But you always keep saying, "Damn it! Dang it!" "Yes, hell! It was told to you, do you understand?" "Your eyes are blinded by anger, so I won't talk. My God, who's that?" "Where?" There was uproar and laughter.The two pretty girls walked down the steps and ran towards them. "Oh, what a pretty person! What's the matter with you?" "You are in a panic, where are you running?" "Not them!" "Why, I didn't meet them! It's the coachman!" "Where are you going, miss?" "To Pokrov's, Annushka, sit down, and I'll see you home." "Hey, I'm going over there, let's go! You have to pay attention, pull the cart quickly..." The coachman drove away. "Where did this come from?" "My God, my God! But shall we go there?" "where to?" "Go to Bobenitz's." "No, sir, no..." "why?" "Of course, if it were me, I would. But then she's sure to say something else. She... changes, I know her! She's going to say she came here on purpose to catch me with somebody. Yes, so I put the blame on others and forced the bad luck on me!" "Perhaps she is really there! As for you, I don't know why, you'd better go to the general..." "Didn't he move away early?" "It's the same anyway, do you understand? Didn't she go? Well, you go too, understand? You act as if you didn't know that the general has moved away, you're going to fetch your wife, well, that's it. .” "What about the future?" "From now on, you can catch whoever you like at Bobenizin's house. Pooh, how stupid you are! . . . " "Well, what does it matter to you if I catch someone or not? Look, look! ..." "What, what, old man? What? About that thing again? Oh, you, my God! You're ashamed of yourself, you're a ridiculous man, you're a stupid fool!" "Well, why are you so interested? You want to know..." "Ask for what? What? Well, what the hell! I can't care about you now! I'm going alone, you go away, you get lost.Just wait there and run back and forth, okay? ! " "Sir, you've almost lost your mind!" exclaimed the gentleman in the raccoon coat in despair. "What's the matter? What's the matter, I got carried away?" The young man gritted his teeth and then frantically approached the gentleman in the bearskin coat, "Well, what's the matter? Who did I get carried away in front of?!" Fist roared. "But, sir, please..." "Who are you? Who am I getting carried away with? What's your last name?" "I don't know why you are doing this, young man? Why do you want my name? . . . Get ready... But believe me, I deserve more polite language! Nowhere should spirits be lost, and if you're upset (and I can guess why you're upset), at least you don't have to get carried away... You are still a very, very young man! . . . " "What does your old age have to do with me? How rare! Get the hell out of here, why are you running around here! . . . " "Why am I old? What kind of old man am I? Of course, in terms of qualifications, I am an old man, but I didn't run around..." "It's obvious at first glance! Get out of here..." "No, I'm with you, you can't stop me, I'm also a person connected with this matter, I'm with you..." "Okay, let's speak softly, lower your voice, shut up!..." The two of them climbed the steps together and followed the stairs to the third floor.It was pitch black inside. "Stop! Have you any matches?" "Matches? What matches?" "Do you smoke?" "Yes! Yes, there, here, here it is. You see, wait a minute . . . " The gentleman in the bearskin coat was in a hurry. "Bah, what a stupid guy...Damn it! It seems that this door..." "This... this... this..." "This... this... this... what are you shouting about? Lower your voice! ..." "Monsieur, I'm restraining myself... You're bold, that's exactly what it is! . . . " There was a flash of fire. "Well, that's right, you see, the bronze medal! This is Bobenizin's house. Do you see: Bobenizin? . . . " "I see, I see!" "Take it easy! Why, is the fire out?" "It's gone." "Do you want to knock?" "Yes, knock," replied the man in the raccoon coat. "Knock!" "No, why should I knock? You start, you knock first..." "coward!" "You are the coward yourself!" "Give me... get out... go!" "I'm so sorry I shouldn't have told you the secret, you are..." "Me? What about me, huh?" "You took advantage of my upset! You saw my upset..." "Enough! I just think it's ridiculous!" "Why are you here?" "And why are you?" "How moral you are!" said the gentleman in the raccoon fur coat, indignantly. "Well, what do you mean by morals? What do you mean?" "That's immoral!" "what?!" "Yes, according to you, every humiliated husband is worthless!" "Aren't you the husband? Isn't the husband on the Vozneszinski Bridge? What are you doing? Why are you hanging on to me?" "Because I think you are the lover! . . . " "Listen, if you keep talking to me like that, I'm sure you're a moron, do you know what I mean?" "You want to say that I am the husband!" the gentleman in the raccoon fur coat finished speaking, and kept backing away as if scalded by boiling water. "Hush! Shut up! Listen..." "This is her." "No!" "Pooh! How dark!" Everything fell silent.There was an uproar in Bobenizin's house. "Why are we arguing, sir?" whispered the gentleman in the raccoon coat. "Damn it, you're the one who's angry!" "But it was you who made me angry." "Shut up!" "You have to agree, you are very young..." "Shut up!" "Of course, I agree with you. A husband in this state is an idiot." "Can you not speak? Ah! . . . " "But why go after the hapless husband so ferociously? . . . " "This is her!" But the sound was gone again. "she?" "It's her! It's her! She! But why are you so busy and fussing around? It's not your misfortune! " "Sir, sir!" murmured the gentleman in the raccoon coat, pale and choking. "Of course, I'm disturbed... You've seen enough of my self-abasedness, but it's night, and of course, tomorrow... I'm sure I won't see you tomorrow, though I'm not afraid to see you. Her husband isn't Me, but my friend, he's on the Voznesinsky bridge, it's him! That's his wife, someone else's wife! He's a wretch! I assure you! I know him well Well, wait a moment, and I will tell you the whole story. He and I are friends, as you can see. Otherwise, I would not be so anxious about him now. Are you in this situation? See. I said to him several times: Why do you want to marry? My friend! You have status, you have food and clothing, you are a respectable person, why would you trade all this for a woman? What a coquettish, capricious and coquettish man! You have to agree! But he said, no, I want to get married, I want family happiness... Well, now look at your family happiness! At first, he deceived other people's husbands himself, Now it's his turn to drink bitter wine... Excuse me, I explain this out of necessity!... He's a wretched man, he's suffering, you see!..." At this moment the gentleman in the raccoon fur coat He sobbed hard, as if he was about to cry. "Let them all go to hell! Are there not enough fools in the world!? Who are you?" The young man was very angry and gritted his teeth. "Well, you will agree later... I am open and honest with you... What kind of tone are you talking about!" "No, please wait a moment, you must forgive me... What is your surname?" "No, why do you want me to know my last name?!" "what!!" "I can't tell you the name..." "Do you know Shabrin?" the young man said quickly. "Sablin!!!" "Yes, Sablin!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" (Mr. Raccoon Parka is kind of teasing here.) Do you understand?" "I don't understand, sir, which Shabrin is that?" replied the gentleman in the bearskin coat dully. "Not Shabrin at all! He's a respectable man! You're jealous, I forgive you." rude." "He's a liar, sold his soul, took bribes, stole public funds, is a big villain, and will be tried in court soon!" "Excuse me," said the gentleman in the raccoon coat, pale with fright, "but you don't know him. I don't think you know anything about him!" "Yes, I haven't seen him face to face, but I learned from people who are very close to him." "Who is it, sir? You see, I am disturbed and disturbed, and you see..." "Fool! Vinegar pot! You can't stand a wife! If you are happy to know, that's what he is!" "I'm sorry, but you are very mistaken, young man..." "oops!" "oops!" There was another noise in the Bobenizins' room.Someone opened the door and a voice was heard. "Oh, it's not her, it's not her! I know her voice. Now I know all about it, it's not her!" said the gentleman in the raccoon coat, pale as a white handkerchief. "Shut up!" Young people stick to the wall. "Sir, I'm running away. It's not her. I'm glad." "Okay, you go, you go!" "But why are you still standing?" "But what do you do?" The door opened, and the gentleman in the raccoon fur coat couldn't help it, and rolled down the stairs quickly like an arrow. A man and a woman walked past the young man, his heart stopped beating so nervously... A familiar woman's voice was heard, followed by the hoarse voice of a completely unfamiliar man. "Never mind, I ordered the sleigh to be sent," said the hoarse voice. "Ah! Well, well, I agree, you just give orders..." "There's the sled, and I'll come when I go." The wife was left alone. "Glafira, where are your oaths?" cried the young man in the pleated coat, grabbing the woman's hand. "Oh, who is this? It's you, Tvorogov? My God, what are you doing?" "Who were you here with?" "That's my husband, go away, go away, he'll be out of there in a minute... Get out of Borovitin, go away, for God's sake, go away. " "It's been three weeks since the Borovitins moved out! I know all about it!" "Alas!" the lady ran up the steps, and the young man overtook her. "Who told you?" asked the madame. "It's your husband, madam, Ivan Andreitch. Here he is, just in front of you, madam..." Ivan Andreitch was indeed standing by the steps. "Oh, it's you?" exclaimed the gentleman in the raccoon coat. "Oh, c'est vous? ①" cried Glafira Petrovna, and flung herself at him with unaffected joy. "My God, what's the matter with me?I'm at the Borovitins' house, as you can imagine... You know, they're on the Izmailov Bridge now, I told you that, do you remember?I got the sleigh there.The horses pulling the sledge went mad and galloped like crazy, breaking the sledge into pieces.I was thrown a hundred paces from there.The coachman was caught.I lost consciousness.Fortunately, monsie-un Tvorogov..." "how?" Mr. Tvorogov was now not like Mr. Tvorogov, but like a stone. ①②French, "Mr." French for "Is this you?" "Mr. Tvorogov saw me here and volunteered to escort me. But since you are here now, I can only express my warmest thanks to you, Ivan Ilyich..." The madam held out a hand to the stupefied Ivan Ilyich, and instead of shaking it, she squeezed him. "Mr. Tvorogov, my acquaintance, whom I had the pleasure of acquainting at the Skorrubovs' ball. I guess I told you? Don't you remember, Koko?" "Oh, of course, of course! Oh, I remember!" said the gentleman in the raccoon coat, who was called Koko. "Glad, delight!" Immediately he shook Tvorogov's hand warmly. "Who is this with? What does this mean? I'm waiting..." came a hoarse voice. A tall gentleman stood in front of the crowd.He took out his long-stemmed glasses and looked carefully at Mr. in the raccoon coat. "Ah, Monsiur Bobenizin!" the woman chirped. "Where did you come from? What a coincidence! You see I was thrown by a horse just now... This is my husband! Jean! ① Mr. Bobenizin, at the ball at the Karpovs'... "Oh, very, very, very glad! . . . I'll call for a carriage at once, my friend." "Go, jean, go, I'm scared to death, trembling, even sick...today at the masquerade," she whispered to Tvorogov for a while... "good-bye, good-bye, Bob Monsieur Benizin! Tomorrow's dance at the Karpovs' French, Jean. We will definitely meet again at the meeting..." “不，对不起，我明天不会去。既然现在不去……明天我也不会去……”鲍贝尼津还透过牙缝含含糊糊地说了句什么话，然后皮靴咔嚓一响，坐上自己的雪橇就走了。 一辆轻便马车开过来，那女人便坐了上去。穿浣熊皮大衣的先生停下脚步，好像他已无力去做任何动作，毫无意义地望着穿腰部带褶子的大衣的先生，而这位先生则傻乎乎地微笑着。 "I have no idea……" “请原谅，很高兴认识您，”青年人作了回答，同时怀着好奇和愧疚的心情，弯腰鞠躬。 “非常、非常高兴……” “好像您丢了一只套鞋……” “我？对了！谢谢，谢谢！我老想弄一双橡皮的……” “穿橡皮的似乎有点出汗，先生。”青年人说完，显然带着无限的同情。 “ｊｅａｎ！你快好了吗？” “正是脚出汗。我就来，马上就来，我的心肝宝贝，我们正谈得有趣呢！正如您所指出的，正是脚出汗……不过，请原谅，我……” “您请便！” “非常、非常、非常高兴和您认识……” 穿浣熊皮大衣的先生坐上了车，车子就开动了。那年轻人还站在原地，惊讶地目送着马车开走。 () 第二天傍晚，意大利歌剧团正在上演一个什么歌剧。伊凡·安德列耶维奇像一颗炸弹一样，冲进剧场大厅。从来没有人发现他对音乐竟是那么ｆｕｒｏｒｅ①，那么狂热。不过起码有不少人知道伊凡·安德列耶维奇在意大利歌剧团演出时，特别喜欢打鼾，而且一打就是一两小时。他甚至几次说过，打鼾很愉快，甜蜜蜜的。“女演员像一只小白猫，给你咪咪的哼摇篮曲。”他多次对朋友这么说道。不过，这是很久以前说的，那还是上一个演出季节。可现在完全改变了！伊凡·安德列耶维奇就是在家里也夜夜睡不着。然而他还是冲进观众坐得满满的演出大厅，像扔进一颗炸弹一样。连验票员都似乎有点怀疑地望了他一眼，然后马上用一只眼睛瞟了一下他一侧的口袋，满以为可以发现藏在里面以防万一的匕首柄。应该指出的是：当时观众分为两大派，每派都为自己的女演员捧场。一派叫什么分子，另一派则自称是什么主义者②，两派都对音乐十分狂热，所以检票员非常担心：歌迷们对自己的崇拜对象，往往有所偏爱，而这种偏爱可能产生意外的后果。 因此，在看到一位白发苍苍的老人（也不完全是白发苍苍，而是一个五十来岁的秃顶者，外表相当体面）居然带着青年人的干劲，冲进剧场时，检票员情不自禁地想起丹麦王①②一八四七年十月至一八四八年二月一个意大利歌剧团在彼得堡演出，其中有两位演员很受欢迎，一个叫波尔季，另一个叫弗列卓里尼。 意大利语：狂热。 子哈姆莱特崇高的言语：老年既然如此可怕青年又当如何呢？ ... ①于是，正如前面已经说过的，他斜眼望了一下燕尾服的侧边口袋，希望发现藏在里面的匕首，但那里面除了一个钱包之外，一无所有。 飞快跑进剧院以后，伊凡·安德列耶维奇一眨眼功夫就把第二层的全部包厢都看完了，啊呀，真要命！连心脏都快停止跳动了，原来她在这里！她坐在包厢里！这里还有鲍洛维津将军和他的夫人与小姨子。将军的副官，一个极其灵活的青年人也在这里，还有一位文职官员……伊凡·安德列耶维奇集中注意力和锐利的目光望着，啊呀，真要命！那个文职官员偏偏藏到副官的身后，留在暗处看不见了。 她分明在这里，但她却说她绝对不会来这里！ 格拉菲拉·彼得罗夫娜这种两面手法，从某个时期以来，就处处表现出来，害得伊凡·安德列耶维奇好苦。现在这个年轻的的文职官员又使他感到完全绝望。他完全被吓坏了，一屁股坐到了围椅里。Why is this?其实，这种情况很一般，已经习以为常了。 ... 需要指出的是，伊凡·安德列耶维奇的围椅正是靠近楼下一侧的厢座，而且二楼那个该死的包厢正好就在围椅头顶上，使他感到很不愉快的是他头顶上在干什么，他根本看不见。因此他生气，发烧，就像烧开的茶炊一样。整个的第一幕对他来说，是不知不觉地过去了，也就是说，他一个音符①引文与原文有出入。 也没听。人们常说，音乐的好处在于使不同感觉的人留下不同的印象。高兴的人可以在音乐中找到欢欣，悲伤的人可以找到悲伤。伊凡·安德列耶维奇的两耳之中则是暴风雨的呼号、咆哮。最糟糕的是前后左右都是一些可怕的声音在喊叫，弄得伊凡·安德列耶维奇的心脏都快炸开了。这一幕终于结束了。但就在幕布徐徐下落的这一时刻，我们的英雄发生了一起任何笔墨也难以描述出来的惊险事件。 有时候，从顶层包厢里飞下一张海报。在演出枯燥乏味、观众纷纷打哈欠的时候，对于观众来说，这是真正的惊险事件。他们特别关切地注视着那张极其柔软的纸片从最高层慢慢地飘落下来，弯弯曲曲地落到围椅上，然后粘在某个对此毫无准备的观众头上，从中得到一点愉快。确实，看到这人脑袋的怪相，真是有趣（因为，这人的脑袋一定会露出怪相来的），我也常常为太太们的望远镜提心吊胆，因为这些望远镜常常放在包厢一侧的边缘上，我总是觉得，眼看就要掉下来，落在某个对此毫无准备的观众头上。不过，我发现我作这样的悲惨设想是不恰当的，因此决定写成小品文寄给报社。 那些报纸经常提醒人们不要受骗上当，还要注意蟑螂，如果您家有这种动物的话。为此它们还向您推荐著名的普林契普先生，他是世界上所有蟑螂的死敌，不仅俄罗斯的蟑螂怕他，甚至外国的，比如普鲁士及其他等等国家的，都对他怕得要死。 不过，伊凡·安德列耶维奇还是出了一件迄今还没在任何地方描述过的奇事。他的脑袋（前面已经说过，相当秃的）上飞来了一张纸片，但不是海报。老实说，我甚至不忍心说出飞到他头上的是什么。因为公开说落到嫉火中烧、十分激怒的伊凡·安德列耶维奇那颗令人起敬的、光秃秃的（也就是部分秃顶）头上的，是一个不道德的东西，比如一张洒过香水的情书，确实于心不忍。至少，可怜的伊凡·安德列耶维奇对这种无法预见的不像样的丑事，毫无准备，他浑身抖动了一下，好像在自己的头上捉住了一只老鼠或者别的什么动物。