Мертвые души
Chapter 2
“Oh,thatuncle!”bellowedtheGeneralinparoxysmsofmirth.“Oh,thatblesseduncle!WHATafoolhe’lllook!Ha,ha,ha!Deadsoulsofferedhiminsteadofliveones!Oh,mygoodness!”
“IsupposeI’veputmyfootinitagain,”ruefullyreflectedChichikov.“But,goodLord,whatamanthefellowistolaugh!Heavensendthathedoesn’tburstofit!”
“Ha,ha,ha!”brokeouttheGeneralafresh.“WHATadonkeytheoldmanmustbe!Tothinkofhissayingtoyou:‘Yougoandfityourselfoutwiththreehundredsouls,andI’llcapthemwithmyownlot’!Myword!Whatajackass!”
“Ajackass,yourExcellency?”
“Yes,indeed!Andtothinkofthejestofputtinghimoffwithdeadsouls!Ha,ha,ha!WHATwouldn’tIgivetoseeyouhandinghimthetitledeeds?Whoishe?Whatishelike?Isheveryold?”
“Heiseighty,yourExcellency.”
“Butstillbriskandabletomoveabout,eh?Surelyhemustbeprettystrongtogoonlivingwithhishousekeeperlikethat?”
“Yes.Butwhatdoessuchstrengthmean?Sandrunsaway,yourExcellency.”
“Theoldfool!Butishereallysuchafool?”
“Yes,yourExcellency.”
“Anddoeshegooutatall?Doesheseecompany?Canhestillholdhimselfupright?”
“Yes,butwithgreatdifficulty.”
“Andhasheanyteethleft?”
“Nomorethantwoatthemost.”
“Theoldjackass!Don’tbeangrywithme,butImustsaythat,thoughyouruncle,heisalsoajackass.”
“Quiteso,yourExcellency.AndthoughitgrievesMEtohavetoconfessthatheismyuncle,whatamItodowithhim?”
Yetthiswasnotaltogetherthetruth
