Мертві душі

           ButthemealdidnotconstitutebyanymeansthebestofwhichChichikovhadeverpartaken,seeingthatsomeofthedisheswereovercooked,andotherswerescarcelycookedatall.Evidentlytheircompounderhadtrustedchieflytoinspiration—shehadlaidholdofthefirstthingwhichhadhappenedtocometohand.Forinstance,hadpepperrepresentedthenearestarticlewithinreach,shehadaddedpepperwholesale.Hadacabbagechancedtobesoencountered,shehadpresseditalsointotheservice.Andthesamewithmilk,bacon,andpeas.Inshort,herruleseemedtohavebeen“Makeahotdishofsomesort,andsomesortoftastewillresult.”Fortherest,Nozdrevdrewheavilyuponthewine.Evenbeforethesouphadbeenserved,hehadpouredoutforeachguestabumperofportandanotherof“haut”sauterne.(Neverinprovincialtownsisordinary,vulgarsauterneevenprocurable.)Next,hecalledforabottleofmadeira—“asfineatippleaseverafield-marshalldrank”;butthemadeiraonlyburntthemouth,sincethedealers,familiarwiththetasteofourlandedgentry(wholove“good”madeira)invariablydoctorthestuffwithcopiousdashesofrumandImperialvodka,inthehopethatRussianstomachswillthusbeenabledtocarryoffthelot.AfterthisbottleNozdrevcalledforanotherand“averyspecial”brand—abrandwhichhedeclaredtoconsistofablendofburgundyandchampagne,andofwhichhepouredgenerousmeasuresintotheglassesofChichikovandthebrother-in-lawastheysattorightandleftofhim.