Мертві душі
Chapter 5
”
“Well,”saidChichikov,“theyexist,thoughonlyinidea.”
“Butno—NOTonlyinidea.ItellyouthatnowhereelsewouldyoufindsuchafellowforworkingheavytoolsaswasMichiev.Hehadthestrengthofahorseinhisshoulders.”And,withthewords,Sobakevitchturned,asthoughforcorroboration,totheportraitofBagration,asisfrequentlydonebyoneofthepartiesinadisputewhenhepurportstoappealtoanextraneousindividualwhoisnotonlyunknowntohim,butwhollyunconnectedwiththesubjectinhand;withtheresultthattheindividualisleftindoubtwhethertomakeareply,orwhethertobetakehimselfelsewhere.
“Nevertheless,ICANNOTgiveyoumorethantworoublesperhead,”saidChichikov.
“Well,asIdon’twantyoutoswearthatIhaveaskedtoomuchofyouandwon’tmeetyouhalfway,suppose,forfriendship’ssake,thatyoupaymeseventy-fiveroublesinassignats?”
“Goodheavens!”thoughtChichikovtohimself.“Doesthemantakemeforafool?”Thenheaddedaloud:“Thesituationseemstomeastrangeone,foritisasthoughwewereperformingastagecomedy.Nootherexplanationwouldmeetthecase.Yetyouappeartobeamanofsense,andpossessedofsomeeducation.Thematterisaverysimpleone.Thequestionis:whatisadeadsoulworth,andisitofanyusetoanyone?”
“ItisofusetoYOU,oryouwouldnotbebuyingsucharticles.”
Chichikovbithislip,andstoodatalossforaretort.
