Мертві душі

           Evenhissuperiorsacknowledgedhimtobeadevilatthejob,ratherthanahumanbeing,soperfectwashisinstinctforlookingintocart-wheels,carriage-poles,horses’ears,andplaceswhitheranauthoroughtnottopenetrateeveninthought—placeswhitheronlyaCustomsofficialispermittedtogo.Theresultwasthatthewretchedtravellerwhohadjustcrossedthefrontierwould,withinafewminutes,becomewhollyatsea,and,wipingawaytheperspiration,andbreakingoutintobodyflushes,wouldbereducedtocrossinghimselfandmuttering,“Well,well,well!”Infact,suchatravellerwouldfeelinthepositionofaschoolboywho,havingbeensummonedtothepresenceoftheheadmasterfortheostensiblepurposeofbeinggivenanorder,hasfoundthathereceives,instead,asoundflogging.Inshort,forsometimeChichikovmadeitimpossibleforsmugglerstoearnaliving.Inparticular,hereducedPolishJewryalmosttodespair,soinvincible,soalmostunnatural,wastherectitude,theincorruptibilitywhichledhimtorefrainfromconvertinghimselfintoasmallcapitalistwiththeaidofconfiscatedgoodsandarticleswhich,“tosaveexcessiveclericallabour,”hadfailedtobehandedovertotheGovernment.Also,withoutsayingitgoesthatsuchphenomenallyzealousanddisinterestedserviceattractedgeneralastonishment,and,eventually,thenoticeoftheauthorities;whereuponhereceivedpromotion,andfollowedthatupbymootingaschemefortheinfallibledetectionofcontrabandists,providedthathecouldbefurnishedwiththenecessaryauthorityforcarryingoutthesame.