Мертві душі

           Inpassing,Imaysaythatinbusinessmattersfatmenalwaysprovesuperiortotheirleanerbrethren;whichisprobablythereasonwhythelatteraremostlytobefoundinthePoliticalPolice,oractingasmerecipherswhoseexistenceisapurelyhopeless,airy,trivialone.Again,stoutindividualsnevertakeabackseat,butalwaysafrontone,and,wheresoeveritbe,theysitfirmly,andwithconfidence,anddeclinetobudgeeventhoughtheseatcrackandbendwiththeirweight.Forcomelinessofexteriortheycarenotarap,andthereforeadresscoatsitslesseasilyontheirfiguresthanisthecasewithfiguresofleanerindividuals.Yetinvariablyfatmenamassthegreaterwealth.Inthreeyears’timeathinmanwillnothaveasingleserfwhomhehasleftunpledged;whereas—well,praylookatafatman’sfortunes,andwhatwillyousee?Firstofallasuburbanvilla,andthenalargersuburbanvilla,andthenavillaclosetoatown,andlastlyacountryestatewhichcompriseseveryamenity!Thatistosay,havingservedbothGodandtheState,thestoutindividualhaswonuniversalrespect,andwillendbyretiringfrombusiness,reorderinghismodeoflife,andbecomingaRussianlandowner—inotherwords,afinegentlemanwhodispenseshospitality,livesincomfortandluxury,andisdestinedtoleavehispropertytoheirswhoarepurposingtosquanderthesameonforeigntravel.

           ThattheforegoingrepresentsprettymuchthegistofChichikov’sreflectionsashestoodwatchingthecompanyIwillnotattempttodeny.