Мертві душі
Chapter 1
AllthatitsaidwasthatshortlyoneofKotzebue’s6playswouldbegiven,andthatoneofthepartsintheplaywastobetakenbyacertainMonsieurPoplevin,andanotherbyacertainMademoiselleZiablova,whiletheremainingpartsweretobefilledbyanumberoflessimportantpersonages.Neverthelessthegentlemanperusedthenoticewithcarefulattention,andevenjotteddownthepricestobeaskedforseatsfortheperformance.Also,heremarkedthatthebillhadbeenprintedinthepressoftheProvincialGovernment.Next,heturnedoverthepaper,inordertoseeifanythingfurtherwastobereadonthereverseside;but,findingnothingthere,herefoldedthedocument,placeditintheboxwhichservedhimasareceptacleforoddsandends,andbroughtthedaytoaclosewithaportionofcoldveal,abottleofpickles,andasoundsleep.
Thefollowingdayhedevotedtopayingcallsuponthevariousmunicipalofficials—afirst,andaveryrespectful,visitbeingpaidtotheGovernor.ThispersonageturnedouttoresembleChichikovhimselfinthathewasneitherfatnorthin.Also,heworetheribandoftheorderofSaintAnnaabouthisneck,andwasreportedtohavebeenrecommendedalsoforthestar.Fortherest,hewaslargeandgood-natured,andhadahabitofamusinghimselfwithoccasionalspellsofknitting.Next,ChichikovrepairedtotheVice-Governor’s,andthencetothehouseofthePublicProsecutor,tothatofthePresidentoftheLocalCouncil,tothatoftheChiefofPolice,tothatoftheCommissionerofTaxes,andtothatofthelocalDirectorofStateFactories.
