Мертві душі

           Asamatteroffact,hewascapablebothoftheoneandtheother,andwouldhavebeengladtoassisthisoldteacherhadnogreatsumbeenrequired,orhadhenotbeencalledupontotouchthefundwhichhehaddecidedshouldremainintact.Inotherwords,thefather’sinjunction,“Guardandsaveeverykopeck,”hadbecomeahardandfastruleoftheson’s.Yettheyouthhadnoparticularattachmenttomoneyformoney’ssake;hewasnotpossessedwiththetrueinstinctforhoardingandniggardliness.Rather,beforehiseyestherefloatedeveravisionoflifeanditsamenitiesandadvantages—avisionofcarriagesandanelegantlyfurnishedhouseandrecherchedinners;anditwasinthehopethatsomedayhemightattainthesethingsthathesavedeverykopeckand,meanwhile,stintedbothhimselfandothers.Wheneverarichmanpassedhimbyinasplendiddrozhkidrawnbyswiftandhandsomely-caparisonedhorses,hewouldhaltasthoughdeepinthought,andsaytohimself,likeamanawakeningfromalongsleep:“Thatgentlemanmusthavebeenafinancier,hehassolittlehaironhisbrow.”Inshort,everythingconnectedwithwealthandplentyproduceduponhimanineffaceableimpression.Evenwhenheleftschoolhetooknoholiday,sostronginhimwasthedesiretogettoworkandentertheCivilService.Yet,foralltheencomiumscontainedinhisdiploma,hehadmuchadotoprocureanominationtoaGovernmentDepartment;andonlyafteralongtimewasaminorpostfoundforhim,atasalaryofthirtyorfortyroublesayear.