Мертвые души
Chapter 5
IneverysuchpicturetherewereportrayedeitheryoungmenorGreekgeneralsofthetypeofMovrogordato(cladinareduniformandbreaches),Kanaris,andothers;andalltheseheroesweredepictedwithasolidityofthighandawealthofmoustachewhichmadethebeholdersimplyshudderwithawe.Amongthemtherewereplacedalso,accordingtosomeunknownsystem,andforsomeunknownreason,firstly,Bagration24—tallandthin,andwithaclusterofsmallflagsandcannonbeneathhim,andthewholesetinthenarrowestofframes—and,secondly,theGreekheroine,Bobelina,whoselegslookedlargerthandothewholebodiesofthedrawing-roomdandiesofthepresentday.Apparentlythemasterofthehousewashimselfamanofhealthandstrength,andthereforelikedtohavehisapartmentsadornedwithnonebutfolkofequalvigourandrobustness.Lastly,inthewindow,andsuspendedcheekbyjowlwithBobelina,therehungacagewhenceatintervalstherepeeredforthawhite-spottedblackbird.Likeeverythingelseintheapartment,itboreastrongresemblancetoSobakevitch.Whenhostandguesthadbeenconversingfortwominutesorsothedooropened,andthereenteredthehostess—atallladyinacapadornedwithribandsofdomesticcolouringandmanufacture.Sheentereddeliberately,andheldherheadaserectasapalm.
“Thisismywife,TheoduliaIvanovna,”saidSobakevitch.
Chichikovapproachedandtookherhand.Thefactthatsheraiseditnearlytothelevelofhislipsapprisedhimofthecircumstancethatithadjustbeenrinsedincucumberoil.
