Мертвые души
Chapter 3
“ItoldyoutodrivetothehouseofColonelKoshkarev,whereasyouhavebroughtmetothatofPeterPetrovitchPietukh.”
“Allthesame,yourfellowshavedonequiteright,”putinthegentlemanreferredto.“Doyou”(thistoSelifanandPetrushka)“gotothekitchen,wheretheywillgiveyouaglassfulofvodkaapiece.Thenputupthehorses,andbeofftotheservants’quarters.”
“Iregretthemistakeextremely,”saidChichikov.
“Butitisnotamistake.WhenyouhavetriedthedinnerwhichIhaveinstoreforyou,justseewhetheryouthinkITamistake.Enter,Ibegofyou.”And,takingChichikovbythearm,thehostconductedhimwithin,wheretheyweremetbyacoupleofyouths.
“Letmeintroducemytwosons,homefortheirholidaysfromtheGymnasium43,”saidPietukh.“Nikolasha,comeandentertainourgoodvisitor,whileyou,Aleksasha,followme.”Andwiththatthehostdisappeared.
ChichikovturnedtoNikolasha,whomhefoundtobeabuddingmanabouttown,sinceatfirstheopenedaconversationbystatingthat,asnogoodwastobederivedfromstudyingataprovincialinstitution,heandhisbrotherdesiredtoremove,rather,toSt.Petersburg,theprovincesnotbeingworthlivingin.
“Iquiteunderstand,”Chichikovthoughttohimself.“Theendofthechapterwillbeconfectioners’assistantsandtheboulevards.”
“Tellme,”headdedaloud,“howdoesyourfather’spropertyatpresentstand?”
“Itisallmortgaged,”putinthefatherhimselfashere-enteredtheroom.“Yes,itisallmortgaged,everybitofit.”
“Whatapity!”thoughtChichikov.
