Мертві душі
Chapter 7
OnlyagainstthenameofacertainThedotovwasthereinscribed:“Fatherunknown,MotherthemaidservantKapitolina,MoralsandHonestygood.”Thesedetailscommunicatedtothedocumentacertainairoffreshness,theyseemedtoconnotethatthepeasantsinquestionhadlivedbutyesterday.AsChichikovscannedthelisthefeltsoftenedinspirit,andsaidwithasigh:
“Myfriends,whataconcourseofyouishere!Howdidyouallpassyourlives,mybrethren?Andhowdidyouallcometodeparthence?”
Ashespokehiseyeshaltedatonenameinparticular—thatofthesamePeterSavelievNeuvazhaiKoritowhohadoncebeenthepropertyofthewindowKorobotchka.Oncemorehecouldnothelpexclaiming:
“Whataseriesoftitles!Theyoccupyawholeline!PeterSaveliev,Iwonderwhetheryouwereanartisanoraplainmuzhik.Also,Iwonderhowyoucametomeetyourend;whetherinatavern,orwhetherthroughgoingtosleepinthemiddleoftheroadandbeingrunoverbyatrainofwaggons.Again,Iseethename,‘ProbkaStepan,carpenter,verysober.’ThatmustbetheheroofwhomtheGuardswouldhavebeensogladtogethold.
