Мертвые души

           Uponthatalargenumberoftheformerbandoftchinovniksalsobecameconvertedtopathsofrectitude,andwereallowedtore-entertheService;butnotbyhookorbycrookcouldChichikovwormhiswayback,eventhough,incitedtheretobysundryitemsofpapercurrency,theGeneral’sfirstsecretaryandprincipalbearleaderdidallhecouldonourhero’sbehalf.ItseemedthattheGeneralwasthekindofmanwho,thougheasilyledbythenose(provideditwasdonewithouthisknowledge)nosoonergotanideaintohisheadthanitstucktherelikeanail,andcouldnotpossiblybeextracted;andallthatthewilysecretarysucceededinprocuringwasthetearingupofacertaindirtyfragmentofpaper—eventhatbeingeffectedonlybyanappealtotheGeneral’scompassion,onthescoreoftheunhappyfatewhich,otherwise,wouldbefallChichikov’swifeandchildren(who,luckily,hadnoexistenceinfact).

           “Well,”saidChichikovtohimself,“Ihavedonemybest,andnoweverythinghasfailed.Lamentingmymisfortunewon’thelpme,butonlyaction.”Andwiththathedecidedtobeginhiscareeranew,andoncemoretoarmhimselfwiththeweaponsofpatienceandself-denial.Thebettertoeffectthis,hehad,ofcoursetoremovetoanothertown.Yetsomehow,forawhile,thingsmiscarried.Morethanoncehefoundhimselfforcedtoexchangeonepostforanother,andatthebriefestofnotice;andallofthemwerepostsofthemeanest,themostwretched,order.