Мертві душі
Chapter 3
Thevehiclewascomfortitself.
Swiftlythereflewbyclumpsofosiers,slendereldertrees,andsilver-leavedpoplars,theirbranchesbrushingagainstSelifanandPetrushka,andatintervalsdeprivingthevaletofhiscap.Eachtimethatthishappened,thesullen-facedservitorfelltocursingboththetreeresponsiblefortheoccurrenceandthelandownerresponsibleforthetreebeinginexistence;yetnothingwouldinducehimthereaftereithertotieonthecaportosteadyitwithhishand,socompletewashisassurancethattheaccidentwouldneverberepeated.Soontotheforegoingtreestherebecameaddedanoccasionalbirchorsprucefir,whileinthedenseundergrowtharoundtheirrootscouldbeseentheblueirisandtheyellowwood-tulip.Graduallytheforestgrewdarker,asthougheventuallytheobscuritywouldbecomecomplete.Thenthroughthetrunksandtheboughstherebegantogleampointsoflightlikeglitteringmirrors,andasthenumberoftreeslessened,thesepointsgrewlarger,untilthetravellersdebouchedupontheshoreofalakefourverstsorsoincircumference,andhavingonitsfurthermarginthegrey,scatteredloghutsofapeasantvillage.Inthewateragreatcommotionwasinprogress.Inthefirstplace,sometwentymen,immersedtotheknee,tothebreast,ortotheneck,weredraggingalargefishing-netinshore,while,inthesecondplace,therewasentangledinthesame,inadditiontosomefish,astoutmanshapedpreciselylikeamelonorahogshead.
