Мертві душі

           True,neverdidaduelactuallytakeplace,sinceallthehusbandswereofficialsbelongingtotheCivilService;butatleastagivencombatantwouldstrivetoheapcontumelyuponhisrival,and,asweallknow,thatisaresourcewhichmayproveevenmoreeffectualthanaduel.Asregardsmorality,theladiesofN.werenothingifnotcensorious,andwouldatoncebefiredwithvirtuousindignationwhentheyheardofacaseofviceorseduction.Nay,eventomerefrailtytheywouldawardthelashwithoutmercy.Ontheotherhand,shouldanyinstanceofwhattheycalled“thirdpersonism”occuramongTHEIROWNcircle,itwasalwayskeptdark—notahintofwhatwasgoingonbeingallowedtotranspire,andeventhewrongedhusbandholdinghimselfready,shouldhemeetwith,orhearof,the“thirdperson,”toquote,inamildandrationalmanner,theproverb,“Whomconcernsitthatafriendshouldconsortwithfriend?”Inaddition,Imaysaythat,likemostofthefemaleworldofSt.Petersburg,theladiesofN.werepre-eminentlycarefulandrefinedintheirchoiceofwordsandphrases.Neverdidaladysay,“Iblewmynose,”or“Iperspired,”or“Ispat.”No,ithadtobe,“Irelievedmynosethroughtheexpedientofwipingitwithmyhandkerchief,”andsoforth.Again,tosay,“Thisglass,orthisplate,smellsbadly,”wasforbidden.No,notevenahinttosuchaneffectwastobedropped.Rather,theproperphrase,insuchacase,was“Thisglass,orthisplate,isnotbehavingverywell,”—orsomesuchformula.