Мертвые души
Chapter 4
“Theyaretakingmeawaytoprisonanddeath!”
Yetalmostashespokethegendarmesseizedhimagain,andhurriedhimawaysoswiftlythatMurazov’sreplyescapedhisears.
Adamp,mouldycellwhichreekedofsoldiers’bootsandleggings,anunvarnishedtable,twosorrychairs,awindowclosedwithagrating,acrazystovewhich,whilelettingthesmokeemergethroughitscracks,gaveoutnoheat—suchwasthedentowhichthemanwhohadjustbeguntotastethesweetsoflife,andtoattracttheattentionofhisfellowswithhisnewsuitofsmoked-grey-shot-with-flame-colour,nowfoundhimselfconsigned.Notevennecessarieshadhebeenallowedtobringawaywithhim,norhisdispatch-boxwhichcontainedallhisbooty.No,withtheindenturedeedsofthedeadsouls,itwaslodgedinthehandsofatchinovnik;andashethoughtofthesethingsChichikovrolledaboutthefloor,andfeltthecankerouswormofremorseseizeuponandgnawathisheart,andbiteitswayeverfurtherandfurtherintothatheartsodefencelessagainstitsravages,untilhemadeuphismindthat,shouldhehavetosufferanothertwenty-fourhoursofthismisery,therewouldnolongerbeaChichikovintheworld.Yetoverhim,asovereveryone,therehungpoisedtheAll-SavingHand;and,anhourafterhisarrivalattheprison,thedoorsofthegaolopenedtoadmitMurazov.
ComparedwithpoorChichikov’ssenseofreliefwhentheoldmanenteredhiscell,eventhepleasureexperiencedbyathirsty,dustytravellerwhenheisgivenadrinkofclearspringwatertocoolhisdry,parchedthroatfadesintoinsignificance.
