Мертві душі
Chapter 8
Yetallthewhilethemelodioustonguesofladieswereplyinghimwithmultitudinoushintsandquestions—hintsandquestionsinspiredwithadesiretocaptivate.“Mightwepoorcumberersofthegroundmakesoboldastoaskyouwhatyouarethinkingof?”“Praytelluswhereliethehappyregionsinwhichyourthoughtsarewandering?”“Mightwebeinformedofthenameofherwhohasplungedyouintothissweetabandonmentofmeditation?”—suchwerethephrasesthrownathim.Buttoeverythingheturnedadeadear,andthephrasesinquestionmightaswellhavebeenstonesdroppedintoapool.Indeed,hisrudenesssoonreachedthepitchofhiswalkingawayaltogether,inorderthathemightgoandreconnoitrewithertheGovernor’swifeanddaughterhadretreated.Buttheladieswerenotgoingtolethimoffsoeasily.Everyoneofthemhadmadeuphermindtouseuponhimhereveryweapon,andtoexhibitwhatsoevermightchancetoconstituteherbestpoint.Yettheladies’wilesproveduseless,forChichikovpaidnotthesmallestattentiontothem,evenwhenthedancinghadbegun,butkeptraisinghimselfontiptoetopeeroverpeople’sheadsandascertaininwhichdirectionthebewitchingmaidenwiththegoldenhairhadgone.Also,whenseated,hecontinuedtopeepbetweenhisneighbours’backsandshoulders,untilatlasthediscoveredhersittingbesidehermother,whowaswearingasortofOrientalturbanandfeather.
