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Updated: June 5, 2025
Manilov felt too confused and confounded to do aught but continue staring at his interlocutor. "I think that you are disturbing yourself unnecessarily," was Chichikov's next remark. "I? Oh no! Not at all!" stammered Manilov. "Only pardon me I do not quite comprehend you. You see, never has it fallen to my lot to acquire the brilliant polish which is, so to speak, manifest in your every movement.
In short, wherever Chichikov's eye turned he saw nothing that was not free from shoddy make and well and skilfully arranged. As he approached the entrance steps he caught sight of two faces peering from a window. This scrutiny made, both faces withdrew, and there came out on to the entrance steps a lacquey clad in a grey jacket and a stiff blue collar.
As for the poor schoolmaster, when he heard what his former pupils had done, he buried his face in his hands, and the tears gushed from his failing eyes as from those of a helpless infant. "God has brought you but to weep over my death-bed," he murmured feebly; and added with a profound sigh, on hearing of Chichikov's conduct: "Ah, Pavlushka, how a human being may become changed!
That is to say, he might contrive to withdraw from the district without having repaid Kostanzhoglo at all! Truly a splendid idea! Yet it is only fair to say that the idea was not one of Chichikov's own conception. Rather, it had presented itself mocking, laughing, and winking unbidden. Yet the impudent, the wanton thing! Who is the procreator of suddenly born ideas of the kind?
Indeed, the kisses exchanged were so vigorous that both suffered from toothache for the greater portion of the day. Also, Manilov's delight was such that only his nose and lips remained visible the eyes completely disappeared. Afterwards he spent about a quarter of an hour in holding Chichikov's hand and chafing it vigorously.
That is to say, this section averred that Chichikov did NOT possess a wife, but that, as a man of subtlety and experience, he had bethought him of obtaining the daughter's hand through the expedient of first tackling the mother and carrying on with her an ardent liaison, and that, thereafter, he had made an application for the desired hand, but that the mother, fearing to commit a sin against religion, and feeling in her heart certain gnawings of conscience, had returned a blank refusal to Chichikov's request; whereupon Chichikov had decided to carry out the abduction alleged.
Here Platon set himself to give Selifan some directions as to the way, a necessary proceeding in view of the fact that Selifan could hardly maintain his seat on the box. Twice Petrushka, too, had fallen headlong, and this necessitated being tied to his perch with a piece of rope. "What a clown!" had been Chichikov's only comment. "This is where my brother-in-law's land begins," said Platon.
Chichikov's business had nothing to do with the spread of enlightenment, he was but seeking an opportunity to inquire further concerning the putting of refuse to lucrative uses; but Kostanzhoglo would not let him get a word in edgeways, so irresistibly did the flow of sarcastic comment pour from the speaker's lips. "Yes," went on Kostanzhoglo, "folk are always scheming to educate the peasant.
You do not know General Alexander Dmitrievitch Betrishev?" exclaimed Chichikov with a touch of surprise. "No, I do not," replied the gentleman. Chichikov's surprise grew to absolute astonishment. "How comes that about?" he ejaculated. "I hope that I have the honour of addressing Colonel Koshkarev?" "Your hopes are vain.
In effect, what the Governor's wife said was that she hoped she greatly hoped that Monsieur Chichikov's heart still contained a corner even the smallest possible corner for those whom he had so cruelly forgotten.
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