Мертві душі
Chapter 8
Forwhatgooddoesonegetoutofballs?Supposethatacompetentwriterweretodescribesuchasceneexactlyasitstands?Why,eveninabookitwouldseemsenseless,evenasitcertainlyisinlife.Are,therefore,suchfunctionsrightorwrong?Onewouldanswerthatthedevilaloneknows,andthenspitandclosethebook.”
SuchweretheunfavourablecommentswhichChichikovpasseduponballsingeneral.Withitall,however,therewentasecondsourceofdissatisfaction.Thatistosay,hisprincipalgrudgewasnotsomuchagainstballsasagainstthefactthatatthisparticularonehehadbeenexposed,hehadbeenmadetodisclosethecircumstancethathehadbeenplayingastrange,anambiguouspart.Ofcourse,whenhereviewedthecontretempsinthelightofpurereason,hecouldnotbutseethatitmatterednothing,andthatafewrudewordswereofnoaccountnowthatthechiefpointhadbeenattained;yetmanisanoddcreature,andChichikovactuallyfeltpainedbythecold-shoulderingadministeredtohimbypersonsforwhomhehadnotanatomofrespect,andwhosevanityandloveofdisplayhehadonlythatmomentbeencensuring.Stillmore,onviewingthematterclearly,hefeltvexedtothinkthathehimselfhadbeensolargelythecauseofthecatastrophe.
YethewasnotangrywithHIMSELF—ofthatyoumaybesure,seeingthatallofushaveaslightweaknessforsparingourownfaults,andalwaysdoourbesttofindsomefellow-creatureuponwhomtoventourdispleasure—whetherthatfellow-creaturebeaservant,asubordinateofficial,orawife.
