Мертві душі
Chapter 8
Verywell.Thatbeingso,IwillmerelysayawordortwoconcerningthemostprominenttintsonthefemininepaletteofN.—merelyawordortwoconcerningtheoutwardappearanceofitsladies,andawordortwoconcerningtheirmoresuperficialcharacteristics.TheladiesofN.werepre-eminentlywhatisknownas“presentable.”Indeed,inthatrespecttheymighthaveservedasamodeltotheladiesofmanyanothertown.Thatistosay,inwhateverpertainedto“tone,”etiquette,theintricaciesofdecorum,andstrictobservanceoftheprevailingmode,theysurpassedeventheladiesofMoscowandSt.Petersburg,seeingthattheydressedwithtaste,droveaboutincarriagesinthelatestfashions,andneverwentoutwithouttheescortofafootmaningold-lacedlivery.Again,theylookeduponavisitingcard—evenuponamake-shiftaffairconsistingofanaceofdiamondsoratwoofclubs—asasacredthing;sosacredthatononeoccasiontwocloselyrelatedladieswhohadalsobeencloselyattachedfriendswereknowntofalloutwithoneanotheroverthemerefactofanomissiontoreturnasocialcall!Yes,inspiteofthebesteffortsofhusbandsandkinsfolktoreconciletheantagonists,itbecameclearthat,thoughallelseintheworldmightconceivablybepossible,nevercouldthehatchetbeburiedbetweenladieswhohadquarrelledoveraneglectedvisit.Likewisestrenuousscenesusedtotakeplaceoverquestionsofprecedence—scenesofakindwhichhadtheeffectofinspiringhusbandstogreatandknightlyideasonthesubjectofprotectingthefair.
