Мертві душі

           Afterdinnertheguestconsumedacupofcoffee,andthen,seatinghimselfuponthesofa,with,behindhim,oneofthosewool-coveredcushionswhich,inRussiantaverns,resemblenothingsomuchasacobblestoneorabrick,felltosnoring;whereafter,returningwithastarttoconsciousness,heorderedhimselftobeconductedtohisroom,flunghimselfatfulllengthuponthebed,andoncemoresleptsoundlyforacoupleofhours.Aroused,eventually,bythewaiter,he,atthelatter’srequest,inscribedafragmentofpaperwithhisname,hissurname,andhisrank(forcommunication,inaccordancewiththelaw,tothepolice):andonthatpaperthewaiter,leaningforwardfromthecorridor,read,syllablebysyllable:“PaulIvanovitchChichikov,CollegiateCouncillor—Landowner—TravellingonPrivateAffairs.”ThewaiterhadjusttimetoaccomplishthisfeatbeforePaulIvanovitchChichikovsetforthtoinspectthetown.Apparentlytheplacesucceededinsatisfyinghim,and,totellthetruth,itwasatleastuptotheusualstandardofourprovincialcapitals.Wherethestaringyellowofstoneedificesdidnotgreethiseyehefoundhimselfconfrontedwiththemoremodestgreyofwoodenones;which,consisting,forthemostpart,ofoneortwostoreys(addedtotherangeofatticswhichprovincialarchitectslovesowell),lookedalmostlostamidtheexpansesofstreetandinterveningmedleysofbrokenorhalf-finishedpartition-walls.