Мертві душі

           Whenevertheyencounteredaslightriseintheground—eventhesmallestunevennessordifferenceoflevel—ManilovsupportedChichikovwithsuchenergyasalmosttolifthimoffhisfeet,whileaccompanyingtheservicewithasmilingimplicationthatnotifHEcouldhelpitshouldPaulIvanovitchsliporfall.NeverthelessthisconductappearedtoembarrassChichikov,eitherbecausehecouldnotfindanyfittingwordsofgratitudeorbecauseheconsideredtheproceedingtiresome;anditwaswithasenseofreliefthathedeboucheduponthesquarewherethemunicipaloffices—alarge,three-storiedbuildingofachalkywhitenesswhichprobablysymbolisedthepurityofthesoulsengagedwithin—weresituated.Nootherbuildinginthesquarecouldviewiththeminsize,seeingthattheremainingedificesconsistedonlyofasentry-box,ashelterfortwoorthreecabmen,andalonghoarding—thelatteradornedwiththeusualbills,posters,andscrawlsinchalkandcharcoal.Atintervals,fromthewindowsofthesecondandthirdstoriesofthemunicipaloffices,theincorruptibleheadsofcertainoftheattendantpriestsofThemiswouldpeerquicklyforth,andasquicklydisappearagain—probablyforthereasonthatasuperiorofficialhadjustenteredtheroom.Meanwhilethetwofriendsascendedthestaircase—nay,almostflewupit,since,longingtogetridofManilov’sever-supportingarm,Chichikovhastenedhissteps,andManilovkeptdartingforwardtoanticipateanypossiblefailureonthepartofhiscompanion’slegs.Consequentlythepairwerebreathlesswhentheyreachedthefirstcorridor.