Мертві душі
Chapter 8
Theeffectwasalsofurtherheightenedbythemannerinwhich,atsuchmoments,heassumedthemostportentousfrown.Forhispart,thePostmasterwentinmoreforphilosophy,anddiligentlyperusedsuchworksasYoung’sNightThoughts,andEckharthausen’sAKeytotheMysteriesofNature;ofwhichlatterworkhewouldmakecopiousextracts,thoughnoonehadtheslightestnotionwhattheyreferredto.Fortherest,hewasawitty,floridlittleindividual,andmuchaddictedtoapracticeofwhathecalled“embellishing”whatsoeverhehadtosay—afeatwhichheperformedwiththeaidofsuchby-the-wayphrasesas“mydearsir,”“mygoodSo-and-So,”“youknow,”“youunderstand,”“youmayimagine,”“relativelyspeaking,”“forinstance,”and“etcetera”;ofwhichphraseshewouldaddsackfulstohisspeech.Hecouldalso“embellish”hiswordsbythesimpleexpedientofhalf-closing,half-winkingoneeye;whichtrickcommunicatedtosomeofhissatiricalutterancesquiteamordanteffect.Norwerehiscolleaguesawitinferiortohiminenlightenment.Forinstance,oneofthemmadearegularpracticeofreadingKaramzin,anotherofconningtheMoscowGazette,andathirdofneverlookingatabookatall.
