the cloak-第6部分

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

of　the　office　were　properly　afraid；　on　catching　sight　of　him　afar　off

they　left　their　work　and　waited；　drawn　up　in　line；　until　he　had　passed

through　the　room。　His　ordinary　converse　with　his　inferiors　smacked　of

sternness；　and　consisted　chiefly　of　three　phrases：　〃How　dare　you？〃　〃Do

you　know　whom　you　are　speaking　to？〃　〃Do　you　realise　who　stands　before

you？〃



Otherwise　he　was　a　very　kind…hearted　man；　good　to　his　comrades；　and

ready　to　oblige；　but　the　rank　of　general　threw　him　completely　off　his

balance。　On　receiving　any　one　of　that　rank；　he　became　confused；　lost

his　way；　as　it　were；　and　never　knew　what　to　do。　If　he　chanced　to　be

amongst　his　equals　he　was　still　a　very　nice　kind　of　man；　a　very　good

fellow　in　many　respects；　and　not　stupid；　but　the　very　moment　that　he

found　himself　in　the　society　of　people　but　one　rank　lower　than　himself

he　became　silent；　and　his　situation　aroused　sympathy；　the　more　so　as

he　felt　himself　that　he　might　have　been　making　an　incomparably　better

use　of　his　time。　In　his　eyes　there　was　sometimes　visible　a　desire　to

join　some　interesting　conversation　or　group；　but　he　was　kept　back　by

the　thought；　〃Would　it　not　be　a　very　great　condescension　on　his　part？

Would　it　not　be　familiar？　and　would　he　not　thereby　lose　his

importance？〃　And　in　consequence　of　such　reflections　he　always　remained

in　the　same　dumb　state；　uttering　from　time　to　time　a　few　monosyllabic

sounds；　and　thereby　earning　the　name　of　the　most　wearisome　of　men。



To　this　prominent　personage　Akakiy　Akakievitch　presented　himself；　and

this　at　the　most　unfavourable　time　for　himself　though　opportune　for

the　prominent　personage。　The　prominent　personage　was　in　his　cabinet

conversing　gaily　with　an　old　acquaintance　and　companion　of　his

childhood　whom　he　had　not　seen　for　several　years　and　who　had　just

arrived　when　it　was　announced　to　him　that　a　person　named　Bashmatchkin

had　come。　He　asked　abruptly；　〃Who　is　he？〃〃Some　official；〃　he　was

informed。　〃Ah；　he　can　wait！　this　is　no　time　for　him　to　call；〃　said　the

important　man。



It　must　be　remarked　here　that　the　important　man　lied　outrageously：　he

had　said　all　he　had　to　say　to　his　friend　long　before；　and　the

conversation　had　been　interspersed　for　some　time　with　very　long

pauses；　during　which　they　merely　slapped　each　other　on　the　leg；　and

said；　〃You　think　so；　Ivan　Abramovitch！〃　〃Just　so；　Stepan　Varlamitch！〃

Nevertheless；　he　ordered　that　the　official　should　be　kept　waiting；　in

order　to　show　his　friend；　a　man　who　had　not　been　in　the　service　for　a

long　time；　but　had　lived　at　home　in　the　country；　how　long　officials

had　to　wait　in　his　ante…room。



At　length；　having　talked　himself　completely　out；　and　more　than　that；

having　had　his　fill　of　pauses；　and　smoked　a　cigar　in　a　very

comfortable　arm…chair　with　reclining　back；　he　suddenly　seemed　to

recollect；　and　said　to　the　secretary；　who　stood　by　the　door　with

papers　of　reports；　〃So　it　seems　that　there　is　a　tchinovnik　waiting　to

see　me。　Tell　him　that　he　may　come　in。〃　On　perceiving　Akakiy

Akakievitch's　modest　mien　and　his　worn　undress　uniform；　he　turned

abruptly　to　him　and　said；　〃What　do　you　want？〃　in　a　curt　hard　voice；

which　he　had　practised　in　his　room　in　private；　and　before　the

looking…glass；　for　a　whole　week　before　being　raised　to　his　present

rank。



Akakiy　Akakievitch；　who　was　already　imbued　with　a　due　amount　of　fear；

became　somewhat　confused：　and　as　well　as　his　tongue　would　permit；

explained；　with　a　rather　more　frequent　addition　than　usual　of　the　word

〃that；〃　that　his　cloak　was　quite　new；　and　had　been　stolen　in　the　most

inhuman　manner；　that　he　had　applied　to　him　in　order　that　he　might；　in

some　way；　by　his　intermediationthat　he　might　enter　into

correspondence　with　the　chief　of　police；　and　find　the　cloak。



For　some　inexplicable　reason　this　conduct　seemed　familiar　to　the

prominent　personage。　〃What；　my　dear　sir！〃　he　said　abruptly；　〃are　you

not　acquainted　with　etiquette？　Where　have　you　come　from？　Don't　you

know　how　such　matters　are　managed？　You　should　first　have　entered　a

complaint　about　this　at　the　court　below：　it　would　have　gone　to　the

head　of　the　department；　then　to　the　chief　of　the　division；　then　it

would　have　been　handed　over　to　the　secretary；　and　the　secretary　would

have　given　it　to　me。〃



〃But；　your　excellency；〃　said　Akakiy　Akakievitch；　trying　to　collect　his

small　handful　of　wits；　and　conscious　at　the　same　time　that　he　was

perspiring　terribly；　〃I；　your　excellency；　presumed　to　trouble　you

because　secretariesare　an　untrustworthy　race。〃



〃What；　what；　what！〃　said　the　important　personage。　〃Where　did　you　get

such　courage？　Where　did　you　get　such　ideas？　What　impudence　towards

their　chiefs　and　superiors　has　spread　among　the　young　generation！〃　The

prominent　personage　apparently　had　not　observed　that　Akakiy

Akakievitch　was　already　in　the　neighbourhood　of　fifty。　If　he　could　be

called　a　young　man；　it　must　have　been　in　comparison　with　some　one　who

was　twenty。　〃Do　you　know　to　whom　you　speak？　Do　you　realise　who　stands

before　you？　Do　you　realise　it？　do　you　realise　it？　I　ask　you！〃　Then　he

stamped　his　foot　and　raised　his　voice　to　such　a　pitch　that　it　would

have　frightened　even　a　different　man　from　Akakiy　Akakievitch。



Akakiy　Akakievitch's　senses　failed　him；　he　staggered；　trembled　in

every　limb；　and；　if　the　porters　had　not　run　to　support　him；　would　have

fallen　to　the　floor。　They　carried　him　out　insensible。　But　the

prominent　personage；　gratified　that　the　effect　should　have　surpassed

his　expectations；　and　quite　intoxicated　with　the　thought　that　his　word

could　even　deprive　a　man　of　his　senses；　glanced　sideways　at　his　friend

in　order　to　see　how　he　looked　upon　this；　and　perceived；　not　without

satisfaction；　that　his　friend　was　in　a　most　uneasy　frame　of　mind；　and

even　beginning；　on　his　part；　to　feel　a　trifle　frightened。



Akakiy　Akakievitch　could　not　remember　how　he　descended　the　stairs　and

got　into　the　street。　He　felt　neither　his　hands　nor　feet。　Never　in　his

life　had　he　been　so　rated　by　any　high　official；　let　alone　a　strange

one。　He　went　staggering　on　through　the　snow…storm；　which　was　blowing

in　the　streets；　with　his　mouth　wide　open；　the　wind；　in　St。　Petersburg

fashion；　darted　upon　him　from　all　quarters；　and　down　every

cross…street。　In　a　twinkling　it　had　blown　a　quinsy　into　his　throat；

and　he　reached　home　unable　to　utter　a　word。　His　throat　was　swollen；

and　he　lay　down　on　his　bed。　So　powerful　is　sometimes　a　good　scolding！



The　next　day　a　violent　fever　showed　itself。　Thanks　to　the　generous

assistance　of　the　St。　Petersburg　climate；　the　malady　progressed　more

rapidly　than　could　have　been　expected：　and　when　the　doctor　arrived；　he

found；　on　feeling　the　sick　man's　pulse；　that　there　was　nothing　to　be

done；　except　to　prescribe　a　fomentation；　so　that　the　patient　might　not

be　left　entirely　without　the　beneficent　aid　of　medicine；　but　at　the

same　time；　he　predicted　his　end　in　thirty…six　hours。　After　this　he

turned　to　the　landlady；　and　said；　〃And　as　for　you；　don't　waste　your

time　on　him：　order　his　pine　coffin　now；　for　an　oak　one　will　be　too

expensive　for　him。〃　Did　Akakiy　Akakievitch　hear　these　fatal　words？　and

if　he　heard　them；　did　they　produce　any　overwhelming　effect　upon　him？

Did　he　lament　the　bitterness　of　his　life？We　know　not；　for　he

continued　in　a　delirious　condition。　Visions　incessantly　appeared　to

him；　each　stranger　than　the　other。　Now　he　saw　Petrovitch；　and　ordered

him　to　make　a　cloak；　with　some　traps　for　robbers；　who　seemed　to　him　to

be　always　under　the　bed；　and　cried　every　moment　to　the　landlady　to

pull　one　of　them　from　under　his　coverlet。　Then　he　inquired　why　his　old

mantle　hung　before　him　when　he　had　a　new　cloak。　Next　he　fancied　that

he　was　standing　before　the　prominent　person；　listening　to　a　thorough

setting…down；　and　saying；　〃Forgive　me；　your　excellency！〃　but　at　last

he　began　to　curse；　uttering　the　most　horrible　words；　so　that　his　aged

landlady　crossed　herself；　never　in　her　life　having　heard　anything　of

the　kind　from　him；　the　more　so　as　those　words　followed　directly　after

the　words　〃your　excellency。〃　Later　on　he　talked　utter　nonsense；　of

which　nothing　could　be　made：　all　that　was　evident　being；　that　his

incoherent　words　and　thoughts　hovered　ever　about　one　thing；　his　cloak。



At　length　poor　Akakiy　Akakievitch　breathed　his　last。　They　sealed　up

neither　his　room　nor　his　effects；　because；　in　the　first　place；　there

were　no　heirs；　and；　in　the　second；　there　was　very　little　to　inherit

beyond　a　bundle　of　goose…quills；　a　quire　of　white　official　paper；

three　pairs　of　socks；　two　or　three　buttons　which　had　burst　off　his

trousers；　and　the　mantle　already　known　to　the　reader。　To　whom　all　this

fell；　God　knows。　I　confess　that　the　person　who　told　me　this　tale　took

no　interest　in　the　matter。　They　carried　Akakiy　Akakievitch　out　and

buried　him。



And　St。　Petersburg　was　left　without　Akakiy　Akakievitch；　as　though　he

had　never　lived　there。　A　being　disappeared　who　was　protected　by　none；

dear　to　none；　interesting　to　none；　and　who　never　even　attracted　to

himself　the　attention　of　those　students　of　human　nature　who　omit　no

opportunity　of　thrusting　a　pin　through　a　common　fly；　and　examining　it

under　the　microscope。　A　being　who　bore　meekly　the　jibes　of　the

department；　and　went　to　his　grave　without　having　done　one　unusual

deed；　but　to　whom；　nevertheless；　at　the　close　of　his　life　appeared　a

bright　visitant　in　the　form　of　a　cloak；　which　momentarily　cheered　his

poor　life；　and　upon　whom；　thereafter；　an　intolerable　misfortune

descended；　just　as　it　descends　upon　the　mighty　of　this　world！



Several　days　after　his　death；　the　porter　was　sent　from　the　department

to　his　lodgings；　with　an　order　for　him　to　present　himself　there

immediately；　the　chief　commanding　it。　But　the　porter　had　to　return

unsuccessful；　with　the　answer　that　he　could　not　come；　and　to　the

question；　〃Why？〃　replied；　〃Well；　because　he　is　dead！　he　was　buried

fou