Мертві душі
Chapter 5
“NotI,seeingthatIhavehadtwoandahalfroublespersoulsqueezedoutofmebyabruteofakulak!”
AltogetherhefeltdissatisfiedwithSobakevitch’sbehaviour.InspiteofthemanbeingafriendoftheGovernorandtheChiefofPolice,hehadactedlikeanoutsiderintakingmoneyforwhatwasworthlessrubbish.AsthebritchkaleftthecourtyardChichikovglancedbackandsawSobakevitchstillstandingontheverandah—apparentlyforthepurposeofwatchingtoseewhichwaytheguest’scarriagewouldturn.
“Theoldvillain,tobestillstandingthere!”mutteredChichikovthroughhisteeth;afterwhichheorderedSelifantoproceedsothatthevehicle’sprogressshouldbeinvisiblefromthemansion—thetruthbeingthathehadamindnexttovisitPlushkin(whoseserfs,toquoteSobakevitch,hadahabitofdyinglikeflies),butnottolethislatehostlearnofhisintention.Accordingly,onreachingthefurtherendofthevillage,hehailedthefirstpeasantwhomhesaw—amanwhowasintheactofhoistingaponderousbeamontohisshoulderbeforesettingoffwithit,ant-like,tohishut.
“Hi!”shoutedChichikov.“HowcanIreachlandownerPlushkin’splacewithoutfirstgoingpastthemansionhere?”
Thepeasantseemednonplussedbythequestion.
“Don’tyouknow?”queriedChichikov.
“No,barin,”repliedthepeasant.
“What?Youdon’tknowskinflintPlushkinwhofeedshispeoplesobadly?”
“OfcourseIdo!”exclaimedthefellow,andaddedtheretoanuncomplimentaryexpressionofaspeciesnotordinarilyemployedinpolitesociety
