Мертві душі
Chapter 9
“WhatifthesoulspurchasedbyChichikovshouldREALLYbedeadones?”—aterriblethoughtconsideringthathe,thePresident,hadpermittedtheirtransfermenttoberegistered,andhadhimselfactedasPlushkin’srepresentative!WhatifthesethingsshouldreachtheGovernor-General’sears?Hementionedthemattertoonefriendandanother,andthey,intheirturn,wentwhitetothelips,forpanicspreadsfasterandisevenmoredestructive,thanthedreadedblackdeath.Also,toaddtothetchinovniks’troubles,itsobefellthatjustatthisjuncturetherecameintothelocalGovernor’shandstwodocumentsofgreatimportance.Thefirstofthemcontainedadvicesthat,accordingtoreceivedevidenceandreports,therewasoperatingintheprovinceaforgerofrouble-noteswhohadbeenpassingundervariousaliasesandmustthereforebesoughtforwiththeutmostdiligence;whiletheseconddocumentwasaletterfromtheGovernorofaneighbouringprovincewithregardtoamalefactorwhohadthereevadedapprehension—aletterconveyingalsoawarningthat,ifintheprovinceofthetownofN.thereshouldappearanysuspiciousindividualwhocouldproduceneitherreferencesnorpassports,hewastobearrestedforthwith.Thesetwodocumentslefteveryonethunderstruck,fortheyknockedontheheadallpreviousconceptionsandtheories.
