the cloak-第2部分

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

all　the　work　that　an　uneasy　man　makes　willingly　for　himself；　rather

than　what　is　necessary；　when　officials　hasten　to　dedicate　to　pleasure

the　time　which　is　left　to　them；　one　bolder　than　the　rest　going　to　the

theatre；　another；　into　the　street　looking　under　all　the　bonnets；

another　wasting　his　evening　in　compliments　to　some　pretty　girl；　the

star　of　a　small　official　circle；　anotherand　this　is　the　common　case

of　allvisiting　his　comrades　on　the　fourth　or　third　floor；　in　two

small　rooms　with　an　ante…room　or　kitchen；　and　some　pretensions　to

fashion；　such　as　a　lamp　or　some　other　trifle　which　has　cost　many　a

sacrifice　of　dinner　or　pleasure　trip；　in　a　word；　at　the　hour　when　all

officials　disperse　among　the　contracted　quarters　of　their　friends；　to

play　whist；　as　they　sip　their　tea　from　glasses　with　a　kopek's　worth　of

sugar；　smoke　long　pipes；　relate　at　times　some　bits　of　gossip　which　a

Russian　man　can　never；　under　any　circumstances；　refrain　from；　and；

when　there　is　nothing　else　to　talk　of；　repeat　eternal　anecdotes　about

the　commandant　to　whom　they　had　sent　word　that　the　tails　of　the　horses

on　the　Falconet　Monument　had　been　cut　off；　when　all　strive　to　divert

themselves；　Akakiy　Akakievitch　indulged　in　no　kind　of　diversion。　No

one　could　ever　say　that　he　had　seen　him　at　any　kind　of　evening　party。

Having　written　to　his　heart's　content；　he　lay　down　to　sleep；　smiling

at　the　thought　of　the　coming　dayof　what　God　might　send　him　to　copy

on　the　morrow。



Thus　flowed　on　the　peaceful　life　of　the　man；　who；　with　a　salary　of

four　hundred　rubles；　understood　how　to　be　content　with　his　lot；　and

thus　it　would　have　continued　to　flow　on；　perhaps；　to　extreme　old　age；

were　it　not　that　there　are　various　ills　strewn　along　the　path　of　life

for　titular　councillors　as　well　as　for　private；　actual；　court；　and

every　other　species　of　councillor；　even　for　those　who　never　give　any

advice　or　take　any　themselves。



There　exists　in　St。　Petersburg　a　powerful　foe　of　all　who　receive　a

salary　of　four　hundred　rubles　a　year；　or　thereabouts。　This　foe　is　no

other　than　the　Northern　cold；　although　it　is　said　to　be　very　healthy。

At　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；　at　the　very　hour　when　the　streets　are

filled　with　men　bound　for　the　various　official　departments；　it　begins

to　bestow　such　powerful　and　piercing　nips　on　all　noses　impartially

that　the　poor　officials　really　do　not　know　what　to　do　with　them。　At　an

hour　when　the　foreheads　of　even　those　who　occupy　exalted　positions

ache　with　the　cold；　and　tears　start　to　their　eyes；　the　poor　titular

councillors　are　sometimes　quite　unprotected。　Their　only　salvation　lies

in　traversing　as　quickly　as　possible；　in　their　thin　little　cloaks；

five　or　six　streets；　and　then　warming　their　feet　in　the　porter's　room；

and　so　thawing　all　their　talents　and　qualifications　for　official

service；　which　had　become　frozen　on　the　way。



Akakiy　Akakievitch　had　felt　for　some　time　that　his　back　and　shoulders

suffered　with　peculiar　poignancy；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　he　tried

to　traverse　the　distance　with　all　possible　speed。　He　began　finally　to

wonder　whether　the　fault　did　not　lie　in　his　cloak。　He　examined　it

thoroughly　at　home；　and　discovered　that　in　two　places；　namely；　on　the

back　and　shoulders；　it　had　become　thin　as　gauze：　the　cloth　was　worn　to

such　a　degree　that　he　could　see　through　it；　and　the　lining　had　fallen

into　pieces。　You　must　know　that　Akakiy　Akakievitch's　cloak　served　as

an　object　of　ridicule　to　the　officials：　they　even　refused　it　the　noble

name　of　cloak；　and　called　it　a　cape。　In　fact；　it　was　of　singular　make：

its　collar　diminishing　year　by　year；　but　serving　to　patch　its　other

parts。　The　patching　did　not　exhibit　great　skill　on　the　part　of　the

tailor；　and　was；　in　fact；　baggy　and　ugly。　Seeing　how　the　matter　stood；

Akakiy　Akakievitch　decided　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　take　the

cloak　to　Petrovitch；　the　tailor；　who　lived　somewhere　on　the　fourth

floor　up　a　dark　stair…case；　and　who；　in　spite　of　his　having　but　one

eye；　and　pock…marks　all　over　his　face；　busied　himself　with

considerable　success　in　repairing　the　trousers　and　coats　of　officials

and　others；　that　is　to　say；　when　he　was　sober　and　not　nursing　some

other　scheme　in　his　head。



It　is　not　necessary　to　say　much　about　this　tailor；　but；　as　it　is　the

custom　to　have　the　character　of　each　personage　in　a　novel　clearly

defined；　there　is　no　help　for　it；　so　here　is　Petrovitch　the　tailor。　At

first　he　was　called　only　Grigoriy；　and　was　some　gentleman's　serf；　he

commenced　calling　himself　Petrovitch　from　the　time　when　he　received

his　free　papers；　and　further　began　to　drink　heavily　on　all　holidays；

at　first　on　the　great　ones；　and　then　on　all　church　festivities　without

discrimination；　wherever　a　cross　stood　in　the　calendar。　On　this　point

he　was　faithful　to　ancestral　custom；　and　when　quarrelling　with　his

wife；　he　called　her　a　low　female　and　a　German。　As　we　have　mentioned

his　wife；　it　will　be　necessary　to　say　a　word　or　two　about　her。

Unfortunately；　little　is　known　of　her　beyond　the　fact　that　Petrovitch

has　a　wife；　who　wears　a　cap　and　a　dress；　but　cannot　lay　claim　to

beauty；　at　least；　no　one　but　the　soldiers　of　the　guard　even　looked

under　her　cap　when　they　met　her。



Ascending　the　staircase　which　led　to　Petrovitch's　roomwhich

staircase　was　all　soaked　with　dish…water；　and　reeked　with　the　smell　of

spirits　which　affects　the　eyes；　and　is　an　inevitable　adjunct　to　all

dark　stairways　in　St。　Petersburg　housesascending　the　stairs；　Akakiy

Akakievitch　pondered　how　much　Petrovitch　would　ask；　and　mentally

resolved　not　to　give　more　than　two　rubles。　The　door　was　open；　for　the

mistress；　in　cooking　some　fish；　had　raised　such　a　smoke　in　the　kitchen

that　not　even　the　beetles　were　visible。　Akakiy　Akakievitch　passed

through　the　kitchen　unperceived；　even　by　the　housewife；　and　at　length

reached　a　room　where　he　beheld　Petrovitch　seated　on　a　large　unpainted

table；　with　his　legs　tucked　under　him　like　a　Turkish　pasha。　His　feet

were　bare；　after　the　fashion　of　tailors　who　sit　at　work；　and　the　first

thing　which　caught　the　eye　was　his　thumb；　with　a　deformed　nail　thick

and　strong　as　a　turtle's　shell。　About　Petrovitch's　neck　hung　a　skein

of　silk　and　thread；　and　upon　his　knees　lay　some　old　garment。　He　had

been　trying　unsuccessfully　for　three　minutes　to　thread　his　needle；　and

was　enraged　at　the　darkness　and　even　at　the　thread；　growling　in　a　low

voice；　〃It　won't　go　through；　the　barbarian！　you　pricked　me；　you

rascal！〃



Akakiy　Akakievitch　was　vexed　at　arriving　at　the　precise　moment　when

Petrovitch　was　angry；　he　liked　to　order　something　of　Petrovitch　when

the　latter　was　a　little　downhearted；　or；　as　his　wife　expressed　it；

〃when　he　had　settled　himself　with　brandy；　the　one…eyed　devil！〃　Under

such　circumstances；　Petrovitch　generally　came　down　in　his　price　very

readily；　and　even　bowed　and　returned　thanks。　Afterwards；　to　be　sure；

his　wife　would　come；　complaining　that　her　husband　was　drunk；　and　so

had　fixed　the　price　too　low；　but；　if　only　a　ten…kopek　piece　were

added；　then　the　matter　was　settled。　But　now　it　appeared　that

Petrovitch　was　in　a　sober　condition；　and　therefore　rough；　taciturn；

and　inclined　to　demand；　Satan　only　knows　what　price。　Akakiy

Akakievitch　felt　this；　and　would　gladly　have　beat　a　retreat；　but　he

was　in　for　it。　Petrovitch　screwed　up　his　one　eye　very　intently　at　him；

and　Akakiy　Akakievitch　involuntarily　said：　〃How　do　you　do；

Petrovitch？〃



〃I　wish　you　a　good　morning；　sir；〃　said　Petrovitch；　squinting　at　Akakiy

Akakievitch's　hands；　to　see　what　sort　of　booty　he　had　brought。



〃Ah！　Ito　you；　Petrovitch；　this〃　It　must　be　known　that　Akakiy

Akakievitch　expressed　himself　chiefly　by　prepositions；　adverbs；　and

scraps　of　phrases　which　had　no　meaning　whatever。　If　the　matter　was　a

very　difficult　one；　he　had　a　habit　of　never　completing　his　sentences；

so　that　frequently；　having　begun　a　phrase　with　the　words；　〃This；　in

fact；　is　quite〃　he　forgot　to　go　on；　thinking　that　he　had　already

finished　it。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Petrovitch；　and　with　his　one　eye　scanned

Akakievitch's　whole　uniform　from　the　collar　down　to　the　cuffs；　the

back；　the　tails　and　the　button…holes；　all　of　which　were　well　known　to

him；　since　they　were　his　own　handiwork。　Such　is　the　habit　of　tailors；

it　is　the　first　thing　they　do　on　meeting　one。



〃But　I；　here；　thisPetrovitcha　cloak；　clothhere　you　see；

everywhere；　in　different　places；　it　is　quite　strongit　is　a　little

dusty；　and　looks　old；　but　it　is　new；　only　here　in　one　place　it　is　a

littleon　the　back；　and　here　on　one　of　the　shoulders；　it　is　a　little

worn；　yes；　here　on　this　shoulder　it　is　a　littledo　you　see？　that　is

all。　And　a　little　work〃



Petrovitch　took　the　cloak；　spread　it　out；　to　begin　with；　on　the　table；

looked　hard　at　it；　shook　his　head；　reached　out　his　hand　to　the

window…sill　for　his　snuff…box；　adorned　with　the　portrait　of　some

general；　though　what　general　is　unknown；　for　the　place　where　the　face

should　have　been　had　been　rubbed　through　by　the　finger；　and　a　square

bit　of　paper　had　been　pasted　over　it。　Having　taken　a　pinch　of　snuff；

Petrovitch　held　up　the　cloak；　and　inspected　it　against　the　light；　and

again　shook　his　head　once　more。　After　which　he　again　lifted　the

general…adorned　lid　with　its　bit　of　pasted　paper；　and　having　stuffed

his　nose　with　snuff；　closed　and　put　away　the　snuff…box；　and　said

finally；　〃No；　it　is　impossible　to　mend　it；　it's　a　wretched　garment！〃



Akakiy　Akakievitch's　heart　sank　at　these　words。



〃Why　is　it　impossible；　Petrovitch？〃　he　said；　almost　in　the　pleading

voice　of　a　child；　〃all　that　ails　it　is；　that　it　is　worn　on　the

shoulders。　You　must　have　some　pieces〃



〃Yes；　patches　could　be　found；　patches　are　easily　found；〃　said

Petrovitch；　〃but　there's　nothing　to　sew　them　to。　The　thing　is

completely　rotten；　if　you　put　a　needle　to　itsee；　it　will　give　way。〃



〃Let　it　give　way；　and　you　can　put　on　another　patch　at　once。〃