Мертвые души
Chapter 11
“Whyhasmisfortuneovertakenmeinthisway?NeverhaveIwrongedapoorperson,orrobbedawidow,orturnedanyoneoutofdoors:Ihavealwaysbeencarefulonlytotakeadvantageofthosewhopossessmorethantheirshare.Moreover,Ihavenevergleanedanywherebutwhereeveryoneelsewasgleaning;and,hadInotdoneso,otherswouldhavegleanedinmyplace.Why,then,shouldthoseothersbeprospering,andIbesunkaslowasaworm?WhatamI?WhatamIgoodfor?HowcanI,infuture,hopetolookanyhonestfatherofafamilyintheface?HowshallIescapebeingtorturedwiththethoughtthatIamcumberingtheground?What,intheyearstocome,willmychildrensay,savethat‘ourfatherwasabrute,forheleftusnothingtoliveupon?’”
HereImayremarkthatwehaveseenhowmuchthoughtChichikovdevotedtohisfuturedescendants.Indeed,hadnottherebeenconstantlyrecurringtohismindtheinsistentquestion,“Whatwillmychildrensay?”hemightnothaveplungedintotheaffairsodeeply.Nevertheless,likeawarycatwhichglanceshitherandthithertoseewhetheritsmistressbenotcomingbeforeitcanmakeoffwithwhatsoeverfirstfallstoitspaw(butter,fat,lard,aduck,oranythingelse),soourfuturefounderofafamilycontinued,thoughweepingandbewailinghislot,toletnotasingledetailescapehiseye.Thatistosay,heretainedhiswitseverinastateofactivity,andkepthisbrainconstantlyworking.Allthatherequiredwasaplan.
