the cloak-第3部分

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



〃But　there　is　nothing　to　put　the　patches　on　to；　there's　no　use　in

strengthening　it；　it　is　too　far　gone。　It's　lucky　that　it's　cloth；　for；

if　the　wind　were　to　blow；　it　would　fly　away。〃



〃Well；　strengthen　it　again。　How　will　this；　in　fact〃



〃No；〃　said　Petrovitch　decisively；　〃there　is　nothing　to　be　done　with

it。　It's　a　thoroughly　bad　job。　You'd　better；　when　the　cold　winter

weather　comes　on；　make　yourself　some　gaiters　out　of　it；　because

stockings　are　not　warm。　The　Germans　invented　them　in　order　to　make

more　money。〃　Petrovitch　loved；　on　all　occasions；　to　have　a　fling　at

the　Germans。　〃But　it　is　plain　you　must　have　a　new　cloak。〃



At　the　word　〃new；〃　all　grew　dark　before　Akakiy　Akakievitch's　eyes；　and

everything　in　the　room　began　to　whirl　round。　The　only　thing　he　saw

clearly　was　the　general　with　the　paper　face　on　the　lid　of　Petrovitch's

snuff…box。　〃A　new　one？〃　said　he；　as　if　still　in　a　dream：　〃why；　I　have

no　money　for　that。〃



〃Yes；　a　new　one；〃　said　Petrovitch；　with　barbarous　composure。



〃Well；　if　it　came　to　a　new　one；　how　would　it？〃



〃You　mean　how　much　would　it　cost？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　you　would　have　to　lay　out　a　hundred　and　fifty　or　more；〃　said

Petrovitch；　and　pursed　up　his　lips　significantly。　He　liked　to　produce

powerful　effects；　liked　to　stun　utterly　and　suddenly；　and　then　to

glance　sideways　to　see　what　face　the　stunned　person　would　put　on　the

matter。



〃A　hundred　and　fifty　rubles　for　a　cloak！〃　shrieked　poor　Akakiy

Akakievitch；　perhaps　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　for　his　voice　had

always　been　distinguished　for　softness。



〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　Petrovitch；　〃for　any　kind　of　cloak。　If　you　have　a

marten　fur　on　the　collar；　or　a　silk…lined　hood；　it　will　mount　up　to

two　hundred。〃



〃Petrovitch；　please；〃　said　Akakiy　Akakievitch　in　a　beseeching　tone；

not　hearing；　and　not　trying　to　hear；　Petrovitch's　words；　and

disregarding　all　his　〃effects；〃　〃some　repairs；　in　order　that　it　may

wear　yet　a　little　longer。〃



〃No；　it　would　only　be　a　waste　of　time　and　money；〃　said　Petrovitch；　and

Akakiy　Akakievitch　went　away　after　these　words；　utterly　discouraged。

But　Petrovitch　stood　for　some　time　after　his　departure；　with

significantly　compressed　lips；　and　without　betaking　himself　to　his

work；　satisfied　that　he　would　not　be　dropped；　and　an　artistic　tailor

employed。



Akakiy　Akakievitch　went　out　into　the　street　as　if　in　a　dream。　〃Such　an

affair！〃　he　said　to　himself：　〃I　did　not　think　it　had　come　to〃　and

then　after　a　pause；　he　added；　〃Well；　so　it　is！　see　what　it　has　come　to

at　last！　and　I　never　imagined　that　it　was　so！〃　Then　followed　a　long

silence；　after　which　he　exclaimed；　〃Well；　so　it　is！　see　what

alreadynothing　unexpected　thatit　would　be　nothingwhat　a　strange

circumstance！〃　So　saying；　instead　of　going　home；　he　went　in　exactly

the　opposite　direction　without　himself　suspecting　it。　On　the　way；　a

chimney…sweep　bumped　up　against　him；　and　blackened　his　shoulder；　and　a

whole　hatful　of　rubbish　landed　on　him　from　the　top　of　a　house　which

was　building。　He　did　not　notice　it；　and　only　when　he　ran　against　a

watchman；　who；　having　planted　his　halberd　beside　him；　was　shaking　some

snuff　from　his　box　into　his　horny　hand；　did　he　recover　himself　a

little；　and　that　because　the　watchman　said；　〃Why　are　you　poking

yourself　into　a　man's　very　face？　Haven't　you　the　pavement？〃　This

caused　him　to　look　about　him；　and　turn　towards　home。



There　only；　he　finally　began　to　collect　his　thoughts；　and　to　survey

his　position　in　its　clear　and　actual　light；　and　to　argue　with　himself；

sensibly　and　frankly；　as　with　a　reasonable　friend　with　whom　one　can

discuss　private　and　personal　matters。　〃No；〃　said　Akakiy　Akakievitch；

〃it　is　impossible　to　reason　with　Petrovitch　now；　he　is　thatevidently

his　wife　has　been　beating　him。　I'd　better　go　to　him　on　Sunday　morning；

after　Saturday　night　he　will　be　a　little　cross…eyed　and　sleepy；　for　he

will　want　to　get　drunk；　and　his　wife　won't　give　him　any　money；　and　at

such　a　time；　a　ten…kopek　piece　in　his　hand　willhe　will　become　more

fit　to　reason　with；　and　then　the　cloak；　and　that〃　Thus　argued　Akakiy

Akakievitch　with　himself；　regained　his　courage；　and　waited　until　the

first　Sunday；　when；　seeing　from　afar　that　Petrovitch's　wife　had　left

the　house；　he　went　straight　to　him。



Petrovitch's　eye　was；　indeed；　very　much　askew　after　Saturday：　his　head

drooped；　and　he　was　very　sleepy；　but　for　all　that；　as　soon　as　he　knew

what　it　was　a　question　of；　it　seemed　as　though　Satan　jogged　his

memory。　〃Impossible；〃　said　he：　〃please　to　order　a　new　one。〃　Thereupon

Akakiy　Akakievitch　handed　over　the　ten…kopek　piece。　〃Thank　you；　sir；　I

will　drink　your　good　health；〃　said　Petrovitch：　〃but　as　for　the　cloak；

don't　trouble　yourself　about　it；　it　is　good　for　nothing。　I　will　make

you　a　capital　new　one；　so　let　us　settle　about　it　now。〃



Akakiy　Akakievitch　was　still　for　mending　it；　but　Petrovitch　would　not

hear　of　it；　and　said；　〃I　shall　certainly　have　to　make　you　a　new　one；

and　you　may　depend　upon　it　that　I　shall　do　my　best。　It　may　even　be；　as

the　fashion　goes；　that　the　collar　can　be　fastened　by　silver　hooks

under　a　flap。〃



Then　Akakiy　Akakievitch　saw　that　it　was　impossible　to　get　along

without　a　new　cloak；　and　his　spirit　sank　utterly。　How；　in　fact；　was　it

to　be　done？　Where　was　the　money　to　come　from？　He　might；　to　be　sure；

depend；　in　part；　upon　his　present　at　Christmas；　but　that　money　had

long　been　allotted　beforehand。　He　must　have　some　new　trousers；　and　pay

a　debt　of　long　standing　to　the　shoemaker　for　putting　new　tops　to　his

old　boots；　and　he　must　order　three　shirts　from　the　seamstress；　and　a

couple　of　pieces　of　linen。　In　short；　all　his　money　must　be　spent；　and

even　if　the　director　should　be　so　kind　as　to　order　him　to　receive

forty…five　rubles　instead　of　forty；　or　even　fifty；　it　would　be　a　mere

nothing；　a　mere　drop　in　the　ocean　towards　the　funds　necessary　for　a

cloak：　although　he　knew　that　Petrovitch　was　often　wrong…headed　enough

to　blurt　out　some　outrageous　price；　so　that　even　his　own　wife　could

not　refrain　from　exclaiming；　〃Have　you　lost　your　senses；　you　fool？〃　At

one　time　he　would　not　work　at　any　price；　and　now　it　was　quite　likely

that　he　had　named　a　higher　sum　than　the　cloak　would　cost。



But　although　he　knew　that　Petrovitch　would　undertake　to　make　a　cloak

for　eighty　rubles；　still；　where　was　he　to　get　the　eighty　rubles　from？

He　might　possibly　manage　half；　yes；　half　might　be　procured；　but　where

was　the　other　half　to　come　from？　But　the　reader　must　first　be　told

where　the　first　half　came　from。　Akakiy　Akakievitch　had　a　habit　of

putting；　for　every　ruble　he　spent；　a　groschen　into　a　small　box；

fastened　with　a　lock　and　key；　and　with　a　slit　in　the　top　for　the

reception　of　money。　At　the　end　of　every　half…year　he　counted　over　the

heap　of　coppers；　and　changed　it　for　silver。　This　he　had　done　for　a

long　time；　and　in　the　course　of　years；　the　sum　had　mounted　up　to　over

forty　rubles。　Thus　he　had　one　half　on　hand；　but　where　was　he　to　find

the　other　half？　where　was　he　to　get　another　forty　rubles　from？　Akakiy

Akakievitch　thought　and　thought；　and　decided　that　it　would　be

necessary　to　curtail　his　ordinary　expenses；　for　the　space　of　one　year

at　least；　to　dispense　with　tea　in　the　evening；　to　burn　no　candles；

and；　if　there　was　anything　which　he　must　do；　to　go　into　his　landlady's

room；　and　work　by　her　light。　When　he　went　into　the　street；　he　must

walk　as　lightly　as　he　could；　and　as　cautiously；　upon　the　stones；

almost　upon　tiptoe；　in　order　not　to　wear　his　heels　down　in　too　short　a

time；　he　must　give　the　laundress　as　little　to　wash　as　possible；　and；

in　order　not　to　wear　out　his　clothes；　he　must　take　them　off；　as　soon

as　he　got　home；　and　wear　only　his　cotton　dressing…gown；　which　had　been

long　and　carefully　saved。



To　tell　the　truth；　it　was　a　little　hard　for　him　at　first　to　accustom

himself　to　these　deprivations；　but　he　got　used　to　them　at　length；

after　a　fashion；　and　all　went　smoothly。　He　even　got　used　to　being

hungry　in　the　evening；　but　he　made　up　for　it　by　treating　himself；　so

to　say；　in　spirit；　by　bearing　ever　in　mind　the　idea　of　his　future

cloak。　From　that　time　forth　his　existence　seemed　to　become；　in　some

way；　fuller；　as　if　he　were　married；　or　as　if　some　other　man　lived　in

him；　as　if；　in　fact；　he　were　not　alone；　and　some　pleasant　friend　had

consented　to　travel　along　life's　path　with　him；　the　friend　being　no

other　than　the　cloak；　with　thick　wadding　and　a　strong　lining　incapable

of　wearing　out。　He　became　more　lively；　and　even　his　character　grew

firmer；　like　that　of　a　man　who　has　made　up　his　mind；　and　set　himself　a

goal。　From　his　face　and　gait；　doubt　and　indecision；　all　hesitating　and

wavering　traits　disappeared　of　themselves。　Fire　gleamed　in　his　eyes；

and　occasionally　the　boldest　and　most　daring　ideas　flitted　through　his

mind；　why　not；　for　instance；　have　marten　fur　on　the　collar？　The

thought　of　this　almost　made　him　absent…minded。　Once；　in　copying　a

letter；　he　nearly　made　a　mistake；　so　that　he　exclaimed　almost　aloud；

〃Ugh！〃　and　crossed　himself。　Once；　in　the　course　of　every　month；　he　had

a　conference　with　Petrovitch　on　the　subject　of　the　cloak；　where　it

would　be　better　to　buy　the　cloth；　and　the　colour；　and　the　price。　He

always　returned　home　satisfied；　though　troubled；　reflecting　that　the

time　would　come　at　last　when　it　could　all　be　bought；　and　then　the

cloak　made。



The　affair　progressed　more　briskly　than　he　had　expected。　Far　beyond

all　his　hopes；　the　director　awarded　neither　forty　nor　forty…five

rubles　for　Akakiy　Akakievitch's　share；　but　sixty。　Whether　he　suspected

that　Akakiy　Akakievitch　needed　a　cloak；　or　whether　it　was　merely

chance；　at　all　events；　twenty　extra　rubles　were　by　this　means

provided。　This　circumstance　hastened　matters。　Two　or　three　months　more

of　hunger　and　Akakiy　Akakievitch　had　accumulated　about　eighty　rubles。

His　heart；　generally　so　quiet；　began　to　throb。　On　the