Мертвые души

           ”“Oh,pardonme,pardonme!”Chichikovwouldexclaiminthepolitestoftonesasheseizedandgraspedthevisitor’shands.“ThetruthisthatwehaveSUCHaquantityofbusinessonhand!Butthemattershallbeputthroughto-morrow,andinthemeanwhileIammostsorryaboutit.”Andwiththiswouldgothemostfascinatingofgestures.Yetneitheronthemorrow,noronthedayfollowing,noronthethirdwoulddocumentsarriveatthesuitor’sabode.Uponthathewouldtakethoughtastowhethersomethingmoreoughtnottohavebeendone;and,sureenough,onhismakinginquiry,hewouldbeinformedthat“somethingwillhavetobegiventothecopyists.”“Well,therecanbenoharminthat,”hewouldreply.“Asamatteroffact,Ihavereadyatchetvertak39ortwo.”“Oh,no,no,”theanswerwouldcome.“Notatchetvertakpercopyist,butarouble,isthefee.”“What?Aroublepercopyist?”“Certainly.Whatistheretogrumbleatinthat?Ofthemoneythecopyistswillreceiveatchetvertakapiece,andtherestwillgototheGovernment.”Uponthatthedisillusionedsuitorwouldflyoutupontheneworderofthingsbroughtaboutbytheinquiryintoillicitfees,andcurseboththetchinovniksandtheiruppish,insolentbehaviour.“Onceuponatime,”wouldthesuitorlament,“oneDIDknowwhattodo.OnceonehadtippedtheDirectorabank-note,one’saffairwas,sotospeak,inthehat.