the cloak-第1部分

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THE　CLOAK



In　the　department　ofbut　it　is　better　not　to　mention　the　department。

There　is　nothing　more　irritable　than　departments；　regiments；　courts　of

justice；　and；　in　a　word；　every　branch　of　public　service。　Each

individual　attached　to　them　nowadays　thinks　all　society　insulted　in

his　person。　Quite　recently　a　complaint　was　received　from　a　justice　of

the　peace；　in　which　he　plainly　demonstrated　that　all　the　imperial

institutions　were　going　to　the　dogs；　and　that　the　Czar's　sacred　name

was　being　taken　in　vain；　and　in　proof　he　appended　to　the　complaint　a

romance　in　which　the　justice　of　the　peace　is　made　to　appear　about　once

every　ten　lines；　and　sometimes　in　a　drunken　condition。　Therefore；　in

order　to　avoid　all　unpleasantness；　it　will　be　better　to　describe　the

department　in　question　only　as　a　certain　department。



So；　in　a　certain　department　there　was　a　certain　officialnot　a　very

high　one；　it　must　be　allowedshort　of　stature；　somewhat　pock…marked；

red…haired；　and　short…sighted；　with　a　bald　forehead；　wrinkled　cheeks；

and　a　complexion　of　the　kind　known　as　sanguine。　The　St。　Petersburg

climate　was　responsible　for　this。　As　for　his　official　status；　he　was

what　is　called　a　perpetual　titular　councillor；　over　which；　as　is　well

known；　some　writers　make　merry；　and　crack　their　jokes；　obeying　the

praiseworthy　custom　of　attacking　those　who　cannot　bite　back。



His　family　name　was　Bashmatchkin。　This　name　is　evidently　derived　from

〃bashmak〃　（shoe）；　but　when；　at　what　time；　and　in　what　manner；　is　not

known。　His　father　and　grandfather；　and　all　the　Bashmatchkins；　always

wore　boots；　which　only　had　new　heels　two　or　three　times　a　year。　His

name　was　Akakiy　Akakievitch。　It　may　strike　the　reader　as　rather

singular　and　far…fetched；　but　he　may　rest　assured　that　it　was　by　no

means　far…fetched；　and　that　the　circumstances　were　such　that　it　would

have　been　impossible　to　give　him　any　other。



This　is　how　it　came　about。



Akakiy　Akakievitch　was　born；　if　my　memory　fails　me　not；　in　the　evening

of　the　23rd　of　March。　His　mother；　the　wife　of　a　Government　official

and　a　very　fine　woman；　made　all　due　arrangements　for　having　the　child

baptised。　She　was　lying　on　the　bed　opposite　the　door；　on　her　right

stood　the　godfather；　Ivan　Ivanovitch　Eroshkin；　a　most　estimable　man；

who　served　as　presiding　officer　of　the　senate；　while　the　godmother；

Anna　Semenovna　Byelobrushkova；　the　wife　of　an　officer　of　the　quarter；

and　a　woman　of　rare　virtues。　They　offered　the　mother　her　choice　of

three　names；　Mokiya；　Sossiya；　or　that　the　child　should　be　called　after

the　martyr　Khozdazat。　〃No；〃　said　the　good　woman；　〃all　those　names　are

poor。〃　In　order　to　please　her　they　opened　the　calendar　to　another

place；　three　more　names　appeared；　Triphiliy；　Dula；　and　Varakhasiy。

〃This　is　a　judgment；〃　said　the　old　woman。　〃What　names！　I　truly　never

heard　the　like。　Varada　or　Varukh　might　have　been　borne；　but　not

Triphiliy　and　Varakhasiy！〃　They　turned　to　another　page　and　found

Pavsikakhiy　and　Vakhtisiy。　〃Now　I　see；〃　said　the　old　woman；　〃that　it

is　plainly　fate。　And　since　such　is　the　case；　it　will　be　better　to　name

him　after　his　father。　His　father's　name　was　Akakiy；　so　let　his　son's

be　Akakiy　too。〃　In　this　manner　he　became　Akakiy　Akakievitch。　They

christened　the　child；　whereat　he　wept　and　made　a　grimace；　as　though　he

foresaw　that　he　was　to　be　a　titular　councillor。



In　this　manner　did　it　all　come　about。　We　have　mentioned　it　in　order

that　the　reader　might　see　for　himself　that　it　was　a　case　of　necessity；

and　that　it　was　utterly　impossible　to　give　him　any　other　name。　When

and　how　he　entered　the　department；　and　who　appointed　him；　no　one　could

remember。　However　much　the　directors　and　chiefs　of　all　kinds　were

changed；　he　was　always　to　be　seen　in　the　same　place；　the　same

attitude；　the　same　occupation；　so　that　it　was　afterwards　affirmed　that

he　had　been　born　in　undress　uniform　with　a　bald　head。　No　respect　was

shown　him　in　the　department。　The　porter　not　only　did　not　rise　from　his

seat　when　he　passed；　but　never　even　glanced　at　him；　any　more　than　if　a

fly　had　flown　through　the　reception…room。　His　superiors　treated　him　in

coolly　despotic　fashion。　Some　sub…chief　would　thrust　a　paper　under　his

nose　without　so　much　as　saying；　〃Copy；〃　or　〃Here's　a　nice　interesting

affair；〃　or　anything　else　agreeable；　as　is　customary　amongst　well…bred

officials。　And　he　took　it；　looking　only　at　the　paper　and　not　observing

who　handed　it　to　him；　or　whether　he　had　the　right　to　do　so；　simply

took　it；　and　set　about　copying　it。



The　young　officials　laughed　at　and　made　fun　of　him；　so　far　as　their

official　wit　permitted；　told　in　his　presence　various　stories　concocted

about　him；　and　about　his　landlady；　an　old　woman　of　seventy；　declared

that　she　beat　him；　asked　when　the　wedding　was　to　be；　and　strewed　bits

of　paper　over　his　head；　calling　them　snow。　But　Akakiy　Akakievitch

answered　not　a　word；　any　more　than　if　there　had　been　no　one　there

besides　himself。　It　even　had　no　effect　upon　his　work：　amid　all　these

annoyances　he　never　made　a　single　mistake　in　a　letter。　But　if　the

joking　became　wholly　unbearable；　as　when　they　jogged　his　hand　and

prevented　his　attending　to　his　work；　he　would　exclaim；　〃Leave　me

alone！　Why　do　you　insult　me？〃　And　there　was　something　strange　in　the

words　and　the　voice　in　which　they　were　uttered。　There　was　in　it

something　which　moved　to　pity；　so　much　that　one　young　man；　a

new…comer；　who；　taking　pattern　by　the　others；　had　permitted　himself　to

make　sport　of　Akakiy；　suddenly　stopped　short；　as　though　all　about　him

had　undergone　a　transformation；　and　presented　itself　in　a　different

aspect。　Some　unseen　force　repelled　him　from　the　comrades　whose

acquaintance　he　had　made；　on　the　supposition　that　they　were　well…bred

and　polite　men。　Long　afterwards；　in　his　gayest　moments；　there　recurred

to　his　mind　the　little　official　with　the　bald　forehead；　with　his

heart…rending　words；　〃Leave　me　alone！　Why　do　you　insult　me？〃　In　these

moving　words；　other　words　resounded〃I　am　thy　brother。〃　And　the　young

man　covered　his　face　with　his　hand；　and　many　a　time　afterwards；　in　the

course　of　his　life；　shuddered　at　seeing　how　much　inhumanity　there　is

in　man；　how　much　savage　coarseness　is　concealed　beneath　delicate；

refined　worldliness；　and　even；　O　God！　in　that　man　whom　the　world

acknowledges　as　honourable　and　noble。



It　would　be　difficult　to　find　another　man　who　lived　so　entirely　for

his　duties。　It　is　not　enough　to　say　that　Akakiy　laboured　with　zeal：

no；　he　laboured　with　love。　In　his　copying；　he　found　a　varied　and

agreeable　employment。　Enjoyment　was　written　on　his　face：　some　letters

were　even　favourites　with　him；　and　when　he　encountered　these；　he

smiled；　winked；　and　worked　with　his　lips；　till　it　seemed　as　though

each　letter　might　be　read　in　his　face；　as　his　pen　traced　it。　If　his

pay　had　been　in　proportion　to　his　zeal；　he　would；　perhaps；　to　his

great　surprise；　have　been　made　even　a　councillor　of　state。　But　he

worked；　as　his　companions；　the　wits；　put　it；　like　a　horse　in　a　mill。



Moreover；　it　is　impossible　to　say　that　no　attention　was　paid　to　him。

One　director　being　a　kindly　man；　and　desirous　of　rewarding　him　for　his

long　service；　ordered　him　to　be　given　something　more　important　than

mere　copying。　So　he　was　ordered　to　make　a　report　of　an　already

concluded　affair　to　another　department：　the　duty　consisting　simply　in

changing　the　heading　and　altering　a　few　words　from　the　first　to　the

third　person。　This　caused　him　so　much　toil　that　he　broke　into　a

perspiration；　rubbed　his　forehead；　and　finally　said；　〃No；　give　me

rather　something　to　copy。〃　After　that　they　let　him　copy　on　forever。



Outside　this　copying；　it　appeared　that　nothing　existed　for　him。　He

gave　no　thought　to　his　clothes：　his　undress　uniform　was　not　green；　but

a　sort　of　rusty…meal　colour。　The　collar　was　low；　so　that　his　neck；　in

spite　of　the　fact　that　it　was　not　long；　seemed　inordinately　so　as　it

emerged　from　it；　like　the　necks　of　those　plaster　cats　which　wag　their

heads；　and　are　carried　about　upon　the　heads　of　scores　of　image

sellers。　And　something　was　always　sticking　to　his　uniform；　either　a

bit　of　hay　or　some　trifle。　Moreover；　he　had　a　peculiar　knack；　as　he

walked　along　the　street；　of　arriving　beneath　a　window　just　as　all

sorts　of　rubbish　were　being　flung　out　of　it：　hence　he　always　bore

about　on　his　hat　scraps　of　melon　rinds　and　other　such　articles。　Never

once　in　his　life　did　he　give　heed　to　what　was　going　on　every　day　in

the　street；　while　it　is　well　known　that　his　young　brother　officials

train　the　range　of　their　glances　till　they　can　see　when　any　one's

trouser　straps　come　undone　upon　the　opposite　sidewalk；　which　always

brings　a　malicious　smile　to　their　faces。　But　Akakiy　Akakievitch　saw　in

all　things　the　clean；　even　strokes　of　his　written　lines；　and　only　when

a　horse　thrust　his　nose；　from　some　unknown　quarter；　over　his　shoulder；

and　sent　a　whole　gust　of　wind　down　his　neck　from　his　nostrils；　did　he

observe　that　he　was　not　in　the　middle　of　a　page；　but　in　the　middle　of

the　street。



On　reaching　home；　he　sat　down　at　once　at　the　table；　supped　his　cabbage

soup　up　quickly；　and　swallowed　a　bit　of　beef　with　onions；　never

noticing　their　taste；　and　gulping　down　everything　with　flies　and

anything　else　which　the　Lord　happened　to　send　at　the　moment。　His

stomach　filled；　he　rose　from　the　table；　and　copied　papers　which　he　had

brought　home。　If　there　happened　to　be　none；　he　took　copies　for

himself；　for　his　own　gratification；　especially　if　the　document　was

noteworthy；　not　on　account　of　its　style；　but　of　its　being　addressed　to

some　distinguished　person。



Even　at　the　hour　when　the　grey　St。　Petersburg　sky　had　quite　dispersed；

and　all　the　official　world　had　eaten　or　dined；　each　as　he　could；　in

accordance　with　the　salary　he　received　and　his　own　fancy；　when　all

were　resting　from　the　departmental　jar　of　pens；　running　to　and　fro

from　their　own　and　other　people's　indispensable　occupations；　and　from

all　t