Мертві душі
Chapter 4
”
Thelandladydepartedforthepurpose,andreturnedwithaplate,anapkin(thelatterstarchedtotheconsistencyofdriedbark),aknifewithabonehandlebeginningtoturnyellow,atwo-prongedforkasthinasawafer,andasalt-cellarincapableofbeingmadetostandupright.
Followingtheacceptedcustom,ourheroenteredintoconversationwiththewoman,andinquiredwhethersheherselforalandlordkeptthetavern;howmuchincomethetavernbroughtin;whetherhersonslivedwithher;whethertheoldestwasabachelorormarried;whomtheeldesthadtakentowife;whetherthedowryhadbeenlarge;whetherthefather-in-lawhadbeensatisfied,andwhetherthesaidfather-in-lawhadnotcomplainedofreceivingtoosmallapresentatthewedding.Inshort,Chichikovtouchedoneveryconceivablepoint.Likewise(ofcourse)hedisplayedsomecuriosityastothelandownersoftheneighbourhood.Theirnames,heascertained,wereBlochin,Potchitaev,Minoi,Cheprakov,andSobakevitch.
“ThenyouareacquaintedwithSobakevitch?”hesaid;whereupontheoldwomaninformedhimthatsheknewnotonlySobakevitch,butalsoManilov,andthatthelatterwasthemoredelicateeaterofthetwo,since,whereasManilovalwaysorderedaroastfowlandsomevealandmutton,andthentastedmerelyamorselofeach,Sobakevitchwouldorderonedishonly,butconsumethewholeofit,andthendemandmoreatthesameprice.
WhilstChichikovwasthusconversingandpartakingofthesuckingpiguntilonlyafragmentofitseemedlikelytoremain,thesoundofanapproachingvehiclemadeitselfheard.
