Мертві душі
Chapter 11
Butprobablymostofmyreadersarefamiliarwiththeoft-repeatedstoryofthepassageofSpanishsheepacrossthefrontierindoublefleeceswhichcarriedbetweentheirouterlayersandtheirinnerenoughlaceofBrabanttoselltothetuneofmillionsofroubles;whereforeIwillnotrecountthestoryagainbeyondsayingthatthosejourneystookplacejustwhenChichikovhadbecomeheadoftheCustoms,andthat,hadhenotahandintheenterprise,notalltheJewsintheworldcouldhavebroughtittosuccess.Bythetimethatthreeorfouroftheseovineinvasionshadtakenplace,Chichikovandhisaccomplicehadcometobethepossessorsoffourhundredthousandroublesapiece;whilesomeevenaverthattheformer’sgainstotalledhalfamillion,owingtothegreaterindustrywhichhehaddisplayedinthematter.NorcananyonebutGodsaytowhatafigurethefortunesofthepairmightnoteventuallyhaveattained,hadnotanawkwardcontretempscutrightacrosstheirarrangements.Thatistosay,forsomereasonoranotherthedevilsofardeprivedthesetchinovnik-conspiratorsofsenseastomakethemcometowordswithoneanother,andthentoengageinaquarrel.
