As for Pavel Ivanovitch Tchichikoff, he had not the slightest idea
of the reports that were circulating on his account, and, as if
misfortunes never come alone, it so happened, that at this very time he
was suffering from a severe cold in his face, and an influenza in his
throat, both indispositions to which we are very subject in our larger
towns. In order to avoid any danger to his life by this indisposition,
from which Heaven preserve him! and the fear that he might perhaps die
in consequence without leaving any descendants behind him, he resolved
upon staying at home for a few days.
During the course of these days, he kept continually using ointments,
and rinsing his throat with warm milk and figs in it, the latter
fruit he always used to eat when he had used the lotion, he also wore
a small pillow on his face, filled with herbs and camphor. Wishing to
occupy his leisure time as pleasantly as possible, he began to write
over again the various lists of the dead serfs he had been purchasing,
read a little of the "Wandering Jew," translated from the French,
which he happened to find in his portmanteau, he reviewed and glanced
over all the contents of his dressing-case, such as notes, visiting
cards and invitations to weddings and funerals, some of them he even
had the courage to read over twice, nevertheless, he soon got tired of
continually doing the same thing.
He could not at all account for the fact, how it happened that he did
not see a single visitor, when but a few days ago the droschkies and
carriages of the imperial _employés_ were continually standing and
waiting in a line before the inn, among his most frequent visitors
he was accustomed to see the carriage of the Postmaster General, the
Procurator's, or the President of the Council.
He shrugged his shoulders at the thought of it as he was walking up and
down his room, applying the poultice to his swollen cheek. At last,
however, he felt considerably better, and was rejoiced, Heaven knows
to what extent, when he saw a possibility before him of leaving the
house and walking out into the fresh air. Without any further delay,
he betook himself immediately to the process of dressing, opened his
toilette case, poured some hot water into a glass, took his shaving
brush and soap, and prepared to shave himself, for which process it had
been long ago the highest time; because, feeling his beard with his
hand, and then looking at it in the looking-glass before him, he could
not help exclaiming: "What a forest-like beard I have got in a few
days, to be sure." And really, though it could not have been called a
forest, yet his cheeks and chin were thickly covered with what might be
termed a neglected growth.
After having shaved carefully, he began to dress so quickly and lively,
so that he nearly jumped out of his trowsers again. At last, he was
perfectly dressed, he took up his _Eau de Cologne_, with which he
sprinkled himself all over, and after putting on a warmer over-coat,
and wrapping his cheek carefully in a silk handkerchief, he went out
into the street.
His first walk out was like that of every person recovering from an
indisposition; he felt cheerful and well-disposed. All that his sight
met, seemed gay and pleasant to look at, the houses, the passing
multitude, the carriages and horses and even the running dogs.
His first morning visit he intended to pay to his Excellency the
Governor-General of Smolensk. On his road to the house of the
Lord-Lieutenant, many a thought crossed his mind. The fair _blondine_
kept continually turning about in his head; his fancy for her even
began to roam, so much so that he could at last not help smiling at it
himself. In such a pleasant disposition he arrived at the house of the
Governor-General. He was on the point of taking off his over-coat in
the hall, when the porter surprised him with the following unexpected
information.
"I have orders not to receive you, Sir."
"What, how, surely you don't recognise me again. You had better look me
well in the face," said Tchichikoff to the man.
"How should I not know you again, Sir? It is not the first time I have
seen you in this house. But the instructions I have received are very
positive indeed; they refer to you alone; all other visitors are to be
admitted as before."
"You don't mean that! Why me alone? what for?"
"Such are my orders, and I dare say it must be all right," said the
porter, and added finally the words, "yes." After saying this, he
remained coolly standing before Tchichikoff, showing no signs of his
usual servility to hasten forward and help the guest of his master to
take off his over-coat. It seemed, as he looked upon the stranger, that
he thought, "Oho! if my master does not wish to receive you any more
under his roof, you must have behaved badly, and be an impostor."
"Incomprehensible!" thought Tchichikoff to himself, and went
immediately to wait upon his friend the President; but the President
became so confused at the sight of our hero, that he could not speak
two words intelligibly and uttered such nonsense that both felt at last
perfectly ashamed of one another.' As he left the house, Tchichikoff
tried to explain to himself, on his road, what the President's words
were meant to express, and especially a few insinuations that had
dropped in the course of their conversation, however he could explain
nothing.
He then went to pay his visits to a few more, to the Commissioner of
Police, to the Vice-Governor, to the Postmaster-General, but they
either did not receive him, or if they did, at least, all spoke in
such a strange manner, and in such incomprehensible terms, and seemed
in his opinion at such a loss for anything reasonable to say, that he
left them under the impression that they were wrong in their minds.
He called upon a few more on his road home, thinking that he would at
last be able to find out a real cause for their unwarrantable conduct;
however he could not discover any cause whatever.
Like a somnambulist he continued to wander about for some time in the
streets of the town, perfectly incapable of deciding, whether it was he
or the Imperial _employés_ who had lost their senses.
It was already late in the evening when he returned to his hotel, which
he had left in the early day, in such an excellent disposition, to
chase away the annoyance he felt, he immediately ordered some tea.
Engaged with melancholy reflections on his suddenly changed position
_vis-à-vis_ his acquaintance in town, he began to pour out his tea,
when the door of his room was suddenly opened, and he beheld Nosdrieff
standing unexpectedly before him.