Мертві душі
Chapter 3
”Thelatter,onappearing,wasseentohavetheair,halfofapeasant,halfofanofficial.
“Thisman,”theColonelsaidtoChichikov,“willactasyourescort.”
WhatcouldbedonewithalunaticlikeKoshkarev?Intheend,curiositymovedChichikovtoaccompanytheCommissioner.TheCommitteefortheReceptionofReportsandReturnswasdiscoveredtohaveputupitsshutters,andtohavelockeditsdoors,forthereasonthattheDirectoroftheCommitteehadbeentransferredtothenewly-formedCommitteeofEstateManagement,andhissuccessorhadbeenannexedbythesameCommittee.Next,ChichikovandhisescortrappedatthedoorsoftheDepartmentofEstateAffairs;butthatDepartment’squartershappenedtobeinastateofrepair,andnoonecouldbemadetoanswerthesummonssaveadrunkenpeasantfromwhomnotawordofsensewastobeextracted.Atlengththeescortfelthimselfmovedtoremark:
“Thereisadealoffoolishnessgoingonhere.Fellowslikethatdrunkardleadthebarinbythenose,andeverythingisruledbytheCommitteeofManagement,whichtakesmenfromtheirproperwork,andsetsthemtodoanyotheritlikes.Indeed,onlythroughtheCommitteedoesANYTHINGgetdone.”
BythistimeChichikovfeltthathehadseenenough;whereforehereturnedtotheColonel,andinformedhimthattheOfficefortheReceptionofReportsandReturnshadceasedtoexist.AtoncetheColonelflamedtonoblerage.
