Мертві душі
Chapter 4
Andeveryoneofusattimesdoesthesame:onemanwithregardtoGovernmenttimber,andanotherwithregardtoasumbelongingtohisemployer,whileathirddefraudshischildrenforthesakeofanactress,andafourthrobshispeasantryforthesakeofsmartfurnitureoracarriage.Whatcanonedowhenoneissurroundedoneverysidewithroguery,andeverywherethereareinsanelyexpensiverestaurants,maskedballs,anddancestothemusicofgipsybands?Toabstainwheneveryoneelseisindulginginthesethings,andfashioncommands,isdifficultindeed!
Chichikovwasforsettingforthagain,buttheroadshadnowgotintoabadstate,and,inaddition,therewasinpreparationasecondfair—oneforthedvorianeonly.Theformerfairhadbeenheldforthesaleofhorses,cattle,cheese,andotherpeasantproduce,andthebuyershadbeenmerelycattle-jobbersandkulaks;butthistimethefunctionwastobeoneforthesaleofmanorialproducewhichhadbeenboughtupbywholesaledealersatNizhniNovgorod,andthentransferredhither.Tothefair,ofcourse,camethoseravishersoftheRussianpursewho,intheshapeofFrenchmenwithpomadesandFrenchwomenwithhats,makeawaywithmoneyearnedbybloodandhardwork,and,likethelocustsofEgypt(touseKostanzhoglo’sterm)notonlydevourtheirprey,butalsodigholesinthegroundandleavebehindtheireggs.
