Мертві душі
Chapter 4
“Anextraordinaryman!”wasPlaton’sunspokencomment.
“However,wemustcontrivetowetourbargainsomehow,”continuedKhlobuev.“Hi,Kirushka!Bringthatbottleofchampagne.”
“Nothingtoeat,yetchampagnetodrink!”reflectedChichikov.AsforPlaton,hedidnotknowWHATtothink.
InKhlobuev’seyesitwasderigueurthatheshouldprovideaguestwithchampagne;but,thoughhehadsenttothetownforsome,hehadbeenmetwithablankrefusaltoforwardevenabottleofkvassoncredit.OnlythediscoveryofaFrenchdealerwhohadrecentlytransferredhisbusinessfromSt.Petersburg,andopenedaconnectiononasystemofgeneralcredit,savedthesituationbyplacingKhlobuevundertheobligationofpatronisinghim.
Thecompanydrankthreeglassfulsapiece,andsogrewmorecheerful.InparticulardidKhlobuevexpand,andwaxfullofcivilityandfriendliness,andscatterwitticismsandanecdotestorightandleft.Whatknowledgeofmenandtheworlddidhisutterancesdisplay!Howwellandaccuratelycouldhedivinethings!Withwhatappositenessdidhesketchtheneighbouringlandowners!Howclearlyheexposedtheirfaultsandfailings!Howthoroughlyheknewthestoryofcertainruinedgentry—thestoryofhow,why,andthroughwhatcausetheyhadfallenuponevildays!Withwhatcomicoriginalitycouldhedescribetheirlittlehabitsandcustoms!
Inshort,hisguestsfoundthemselvescharmedwithhisdiscourse,andfeltinclinedtovotehimamanoffirst-rateintellect.
