Мертвые души
Chapter 4
Whattimeswehad,tobesure!JustafterwehadleftPnomarev’splace,someprinceoranotherarrivedinthetown,andsentoutforsomechampagne;butnotabottlewasthereleft,fortheofficershaddrunkeveryone!Why,Imyselfgotthroughseventeenbottlesatasitting.”
“Come,come!YouCAN’Thavegotthroughseventeen,”remarkedtheflaxen-hairedman.
“ButIdid,Igivemywordofhonour,”retortedNozdrev.
“Imaginewhatyoulike,butyoudidn’tdrinkevenTENbottlesatasitting.”
“WillyoubetthatIdidnot?”
“No;forwhatwouldbetheuseofbettingaboutit?”
“Thenatleastwagerthegunwhichyouhavebought.”
“No,Iamnotgoingtodoanythingofthekind.”
“Justasanexperiment?”
“No.”
“Itisaswellforyouthatyoudon’t,since,otherwise,youwouldhavefoundyourselfminusbothgunandcap.However,friendChichikov,itisapityyouwerenotthere.Hadyoubeenthere,IfeelsureyouwouldhavefoundyourselfunabletopartwithLieutenantKuvshinnikov.Youandhewouldhavehititoffsplendidly.Youknow,heisquiteadifferentsortfromthePublicProsecutorandourotherprovincialskinflints—fellowswhoshiverintheirshoesbeforetheywillspendasinglekopeck.HEwillplayfaro,oranythingelse,andatanytime.Whydidyounotcomewithus,insteadofwastingyourtimeoncattlebreedingorsomethingofthesort?Butnevermind.Embraceme.Ilikeyouimmensely.Mizhuev,seehowcuriouslythingshaveturnedout.
