Мертві душі

           ’(AndImaytellyouthatbynowhehadgotthroughfullyhalfhismoney.)TwoorthreedayslaterhewenttoseethePresidentoftheCommissionagain.‘Ishouldbegladtoknow,’hesaid,‘whetherbynowyoucandoanythingformeinreturnformyhavingshedmybloodandsufferedsicknessandwoundsonmilitaryservice.’‘Firstofall,’saidthePresident,‘ImusttellyouthatnothingcanbedecidedinyourcasewithouttheauthorityoftheSupremeGovernment.Withoutthatsanctionwecannotmoveinthematter.Surelyyouseehowthingsstanduntilthearmyshallhavereturnedfromthewar?AllthatIcanadviseyoutodoiswaitfortheMinistertoreturn,and,inthemeanwhile,tohavepatience.Restassuredthatthenyouwillnotbeoverlooked.Andifforthemomentyouhavenothingtoliveupon,thisisthebestthatIcandoforyou.’WiththathehandedKopeikinatrifleuntilhiscaseshouldhavebeendecided.However,thatwasnotwhatKopeikinwanted.Hehadsupposedthathewouldbegivenagratuityofathousandroublesstraightaway;whereas,insteadof‘Drinkandbemerry,’itwas‘Wait,forthetimeisnotyet.’Thus,thoughhisheadhadbeenfullofsoupplatesandcutletsandEnglishgirls,henowdescendedthestepswithhisearsandhistaildown—looking,infact,likeapoodleoverwhichthecookhaspouredabucketfulofwater.Yousee,St.Petersburglifehadchangedhimnotalittlesincefirsthehadgotatasteofit,and,nowthatthedevilonlyknewhowhewasgoingtolive,itcameallthehardertohimthatheshouldhavenomoresweetstolookforwardto.