Мертвые души
Chapter 10
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“Indeed!ButyouUSEDtohaveamancalledVakhramei,didn’tyou?”
“No,never.”
“Oh,well.ThenitmustbeDerebin’smanIamthinkingof.WhataluckyfellowthatDerebinis!Anauntofhishasgoneandquarrelledwithhersonformarryingaserfwoman,andhasleftallherpropertytoHIM,toDerebin.WouldthatIhadanauntofthatkindtoprovideagainstfuturecontingencies!Butwhyhaveyoubeenhidingyourselfaway?Isupposethereasonhasbeenthatyougoinforabstrusesubjectsandarefondofreading”(whyNozdrevshouldhavedrawntheseconclusionsnoonecouldpossiblyhavesaid—leastofallChichikovhimself).“Bytheway,Icantellyouofsomethingthatwouldhavefoundyouscopeforyoursatiricalvein”(theconclusionastoChichikov’s“satiricalvein”was,asbefore,altogetherunwarrantedonNozdrev’spart).“Thatistosay,youwouldhaveseenmerchantLikhachevlosingapileofmoneyatplay.Myword,youwouldhavelaughed!AfellowwithmenamedPerependevsaid:‘WouldthatChichikovhadbeenhere!Itwouldhavebeentheverythingforhim!’”(Asamatteroffact,neversincethedayofhisbirthhadNozdrevmetanyoneofthenameofPerependev.)“However,myfriend,youmustadmitthatyoutreatedmeratherbadlythedaythatweplayedthatgameofchess;but,asIwonthegame,Ibearyounomalice.Apropos,IamjustfromthePresident’s,andoughttotellyouthatthefeelingagainstyouinthetownisverystrong,foreveryonebelievesyoutobeaforgerofcurrencynotes.
