the cloak-第5部分

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that　it　was　wearisome；　the　more　so　as　the　hour　was　already　long　past

when　he　usually　went　to　bed。　He　wanted　to　take　leave　of　the　host；　but

they　would　not　let　him　go；　saying　that　he　must　not　fail　to　drink　a

glass　of　champagne　in　honour　of　his　new　garment。　In　the　course　of　an

hour；　supper；　consisting　of　vegetable　salad；　cold　veal；　pastry；

confectioner's　pies；　and　champagne；　was　served。　They　made　Akakiy

Akakievitch　drink　two　glasses　of　champagne；　after　which　he　felt　things

grow　livelier。



Still；　he　could　not　forget　that　it　was　twelve　o'clock；　and　that　he

should　have　been　at　home　long　ago。　In　order　that　the　host　might　not

think　of　some　excuse　for　detaining　him；　he　stole　out　of　the　room

quickly；　sought　out；　in　the　ante…room；　his　cloak；　which；　to　his

sorrow；　he　found　lying　on　the　floor；　brushed　it；　picked　off　every

speck　upon　it；　put　it　on　his　shoulders；　and　descended　the　stairs　to

the　street。



In　the　street　all　was　still　bright。　Some　petty　shops；　those　permanent

clubs　of　servants　and　all　sorts　of　folk；　were　open。　Others　were　shut；

but；　nevertheless；　showed　a　streak　of　light　the　whole　length　of　the

door…crack；　indicating　that　they　were　not　yet　free　of　company；　and

that　probably　some　domestics；　male　and　female；　were　finishing　their

stories　and　conversations　whilst　leaving　their　masters　in　complete

ignorance　as　to　their　whereabouts。　Akakiy　Akakievitch　went　on　in　a

happy　frame　of　mind：　he　even　started　to　run；　without　knowing　why；

after　some　lady；　who　flew　past　like　a　flash　of　lightning。　But　he

stopped　short；　and　went　on　very　quietly　as　before；　wondering　why　he

had　quickened　his　pace。　Soon　there　spread　before　him　those　deserted

streets；　which　are　not　cheerful　in　the　daytime；　to　say　nothing　of　the

evening。　Now　they　were　even　more　dim　and　lonely：　the　lanterns　began　to

grow　rarer；　oil；　evidently；　had　been　less　liberally　supplied。　Then

came　wooden　houses　and　fences：　not　a　soul　anywhere；　only　the　snow

sparkled　in　the　streets；　and　mournfully　veiled　the　low…roofed　cabins

with　their　closed　shutters。　He　approached　the　spot　where　the　street

crossed　a　vast　square　with　houses　barely　visible　on　its　farther　side；

a　square　which　seemed　a　fearful　desert。



Afar；　a　tiny　spark　glimmered　from　some　watchman's　box；　which　seemed　to

stand　on　the　edge　of　the　world。　Akakiy　Akakievitch's　cheerfulness

diminished　at　this　point　in　a　marked　degree。　He　entered　the　square；

not　without　an　involuntary　sensation　of　fear；　as　though　his　heart

warned　him　of　some　evil。　He　glanced　back　and　on　both　sides；　it　was

like　a　sea　about　him。　〃No；　it　is　better　not　to　look；〃　he　thought；　and

went　on；　closing　his　eyes。　When　he　opened　them；　to　see　whether　he　was

near　the　end　of　the　square；　he　suddenly　beheld；　standing　just　before

his　very　nose；　some　bearded　individuals　of　precisely　what　sort　he

could　not　make　out。　All　grew　dark　before　his　eyes；　and　his　heart

throbbed。



〃But；　of　course；　the　cloak　is　mine！〃　said　one　of　them　in　a　loud　voice；

seizing　hold　of　his　collar。　Akakiy　Akakievitch　was　about　to　shout

〃watch；〃　when　the　second　man　thrust　a　fist；　about　the　size　of　a　man's

head；　into　his　mouth；　muttering；　〃Now　scream！〃



Akakiy　Akakievitch　felt　them　strip　off　his　cloak　and　give　him　a　push

with　a　knee：　he　fell　headlong　upon　the　snow；　and　felt　no　more。　In　a

few　minutes　he　recovered　consciousness　and　rose　to　his　feet；　but　no

one　was　there。　He　felt　that　it　was　cold　in　the　square；　and　that　his

cloak　was　gone；　he　began　to　shout；　but　his　voice　did　not　appear　to

reach　to　the　outskirts　of　the　square。　In　despair；　but　without　ceasing

to　shout；　he　started　at　a　run　across　the　square；　straight　towards　the

watchbox；　beside　which　stood　the　watchman；　leaning　on　his　halberd；　and

apparently　curious　to　know　what　kind　of　a　customer　was　running　towards

him　and　shouting。　Akakiy　Akakievitch　ran　up　to　him；　and　began　in　a

sobbing　voice　to　shout　that　he　was　asleep；　and　attended　to　nothing；

and　did　not　see　when　a　man　was　robbed。　The　watchman　replied　that　he

had　seen　two　men　stop　him　in　the　middle　of　the　square；　but　supposed

that　they　were　friends　of　his；　and　that；　instead　of　scolding　vainly；

he　had　better　go　to　the　police　on　the　morrow；　so　that　they　might　make

a　search　for　whoever　had　stolen　the　cloak。



Akakiy　Akakievitch　ran　home　in　complete　disorder；　his　hair；　which　grew

very　thinly　upon　his　temples　and　the　back　of　his　head；　wholly

disordered；　his　body；　arms；　and　legs　covered　with　snow。　The　old　woman；

who　was　mistress　of　his　lodgings；　on　hearing　a　terrible　knocking；

sprang　hastily　from　her　bed；　and；　with　only　one　shoe　on；　ran　to　open

the　door；　pressing　the　sleeve　of　her　chemise　to　her　bosom　out　of

modesty；　but　when　she　had　opened　it；　she　fell　back　on　beholding　Akakiy

Akakievitch　in　such　a　state。　When　he　told　her　about　the　affair；　she

clasped　her　hands；　and　said　that　he　must　go　straight　to　the　district

chief　of　police；　for　his　subordinate　would　turn　up　his　nose；　promise

well；　and　drop　the　matter　there。　The　very　best　thing　to　do；　therefore；

would　be　to　go　to　the　district　chief；　whom　she　knew；　because　Finnish

Anna；　her　former　cook；　was　now　nurse　at　his　house。　She　often　saw　him

passing　the　house；　and　he　was　at　church　every　Sunday；　praying；　but　at

the　same　time　gazing　cheerfully　at　everybody；　so　that　he　must　be　a

good　man；　judging　from　all　appearances。　Having　listened　to　this

opinion；　Akakiy　Akakievitch　betook　himself　sadly　to　his　room；　and　how

he　spent　the　night　there　any　one　who　can　put　himself　in　another's

place　may　readily　imagine。



Early　in　the　morning；　he　presented　himself　at　the　district　chief's；

but　was　told　that　this　official　was　asleep。　He　went　again　at　ten　and

was　again　informed　that　he　was　asleep；　at　eleven；　and　they　said：　〃The

superintendent　is　not　at　home；〃　at　dinner　time；　and　the　clerks　in　the

ante…room　would　not　admit　him　on　any　terms；　and　insisted　upon　knowing

his　business。　So　that　at　last；　for　once　in　his　life；　Akakiy

Akakievitch　felt　an　inclination　to　show　some　spirit；　and　said　curtly

that　he　must　see　the　chief　in　person；　that　they　ought　not　to　presume

to　refuse　him　entrance；　that　he　came　from　the　department　of　justice；

and　that　when　he　complained　of　them；　they　would　see。



The　clerks　dared　make　no　reply　to　this；　and　one　of　them　went　to　call

the　chief；　who　listened　to　the　strange　story　of　the　theft　of　the　coat。

Instead　of　directing　his　attention　to　the　principal　points　of　the

matter；　he　began　to　question　Akakiy　Akakievitch：　Why　was　he　going　home

so　late？　Was　he　in　the　habit　of　doing　so；　or　had　he　been　to　some

disorderly　house？　So　that　Akakiy　Akakievitch　got　thoroughly　confused；

and　left　him　without　knowing　whether　the　affair　of　his　cloak　was　in

proper　train　or　not。



All　that　day；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　he　never　went　near　the

department。　The　next　day　he　made　his　appearance；　very　pale；　and　in　his

old　cape；　which　had　become　even　more　shabby。　The　news　of　the　robbery

of　the　cloak　touched　many；　although　there　were　some　officials　present

who　never　lost　an　opportunity；　even　such　a　one　as　the　present；　of

ridiculing　Akakiy　Akakievitch。　They　decided　to　make　a　collection　for

him　on　the　spot；　but　the　officials　had　already　spent　a　great　deal　in

subscribing　for　the　director's　portrait；　and　for　some　book；　at　the

suggestion　of　the　head　of　that　division；　who　was　a　friend　of　the

author；　and　so　the　sum　was　trifling。



One　of　them；　moved　by　pity；　resolved　to　help　Akakiy　Akakievitch　with

some　good　advice　at　least；　and　told　him　that　he　ought　not　to　go　to　the

police；　for　although　it　might　happen　that　a　police…officer；　wishing　to

win　the　approval　of　his　superiors；　might　hunt　up　the　cloak　by　some

means；　still　his　cloak　would　remain　in　the　possession　of　the　police　if

he　did　not　offer　legal　proof　that　it　belonged　to　him。　The　best　thing

for　him；　therefore；　would　be　to　apply　to　a　certain　prominent

personage；　since　this　prominent　personage；　by　entering　into　relations

with　the　proper　persons；　could　greatly　expedite　the　matter。



As　there　was　nothing　else　to　be　done；　Akakiy　Akakievitch　decided　to　go

to　the　prominent　personage。　What　was　the　exact　official　position　of

the　prominent　personage　remains　unknown　to　this　day。　The　reader　must

know　that　the　prominent　personage　had　but　recently　become　a　prominent

personage；　having　up　to　that　time　been　only　an　insignificant　person。

Moreover；　his　present　position　was　not　considered　prominent　in

comparison　with　others　still　more　so。　But　there　is　always　a　circle　of

people　to　whom　what　is　insignificant　in　the　eyes　of　others；　is

important　enough。　Moreover；　he　strove　to　increase　his　importance　by

sundry　devices；　for　instance；　he　managed　to　have　the　inferior

officials　meet　him　on　the　staircase　when　he　entered　upon　his　service；

no　one　was　to　presume　to　come　directly　to　him；　but　the　strictest

etiquette　must　be　observed；　the　collegiate　recorder　must　make　a　report

to　the　government　secretary；　the　government　secretary　to　the　titular

councillor；　or　whatever　other　man　was　proper；　and　all　business　must

come　before　him　in　this　manner。　In　Holy　Russia　all　is　thus

contaminated　with　the　love　of　imitation；　every　man　imitates　and　copies

his　superior。　They　even　say　that　a　certain　titular　councillor；　when

promoted　to　the　head　of　some　small　separate　room；　immediately

partitioned　off　a　private　room　for　himself；　called　it　the　audience

chamber；　and　posted　at　the　door　a　lackey　with　red　collar　and　braid；

who　grasped　the　handle　of　the　door　and　opened　to　all　comers；　though

the　audience　chamber　could　hardly　hold　an　ordinary　writing…table。



The　manners　and　customs　of　the　prominent　personage　were　grand　and

imposing；　but　rather　exaggerated。　The　main　foundation　of　his　system

was　strictness。　〃Strictness；　strictness；　and　always　strictness！〃　he

generally　said；　and　at　the　last　word　he　looked　significantly　into　the

face　of　the　person　to　whom　he　spoke。　But　there　was　no　necessity　for

this；　for　the　half…score　of　subordinates　who　formed　the　entire　force

of　the　office　were　pr