Мертві душі
Chapter 3
”
“Excellent,goodmother!ThenIwilltakethat.”
Probablythereaderwillhavenoticedthat,forallhisexpressionsofsolicitude,Chichikov’stonetowardshishostesspartookofafreer,amoreunceremonious,naturethanthatwhichhehadadoptedtowardsMadamManilov.AndhereIshouldliketoassertthat,howsoevermuch,incertainrespects,weRussiansmaybesurpassedbyforeigners,atleastwesurpasstheminadroitnessofmanner.Infactthevariousshadesandsubtletiesofoursocialintercoursedefyenumeration.AFrenchmanoraGermanwouldbeincapableofenvisagingandunderstandingallitspeculiaritiesanddifferences,forhistoneinspeakingtoamillionairediffersbutlittlefromthatwhichheemploystowardsasmalltobacconist—andthatinspiteofthecircumstancethatheisaccustomedtocringebeforetheformer.Withus,however,thingsaredifferent.InRussiansocietythereexistcleverfolkwhocanspeakinonemannertoalandownerpossessedoftwohundredpeasantsouls,andinanothertoalandownerpossessedofthreehundred,andinanothertoalandownerpossessedoffivehundred.Inshort,uptothenumberofamillionsoulstheRussianwillhavereadyforeachlandownerasuitablemodeofaddress.Forexample,supposethatsomewherethereexistsagovernmentoffice,andthatinthatofficethereexistsadirector.Iwouldbegofyoutocontemplatehimashesitsamonghismyrmidons.Sheernervousnesswillpreventyoufromutteringawordinhispresence,sogreataretheprideandsuperioritydepictedonhiscountenance.
