Part I
Chapter 1
TothedoorofaninnintheprovincialtownofN.theredrewupasmartbritchka—alightspring-carriageofthesortaffectedbybachelors,retiredlieutenant-colonels,staff-captains,land-ownerspossessedofaboutahundredsouls,and,inshort,allpersonswhorankasgentlemenoftheintermediatecategory.Inthebritchkawasseatedsuchagentleman—amanwho,thoughnothandsome,wasnotill-favoured,notover-fat,andnotover-thin.Also,thoughnotover-elderly,hewasnotover-young.Hisarrivalproducednostirinthetown,andwasaccompaniedbynoparticularincident,beyondthatacoupleofpeasantswhohappenedtobestandingatthedoorofadramshopexchangedafewcommentswithreferencetotheequipageratherthantotheindividualwhowasseatedinit.“Lookatthatcarriage,”oneofthemsaidtotheother.“ThinkyouitwillbegoingasfarasMoscow?”“Ithinkitwill,”repliedhiscompanion.“ButnotasfarasKazan,eh?”“No,notasfarasKazan.”Withthattheconversationended.Presently,asthebritchkawasapproachingtheinn,itwasmetbyayoungmaninapairofveryshort,verytightbreechesofwhitedimity,aquasi-fashionablefrockcoat,andadickeyfastenedwithapistol-shapedbronzetie-pin.Theyoungmanturnedhisheadashepassedthebritchkaandeyeditattentively;afterwhichheclappedhishandtohiscap(whichwasindangerofbeingremovedbythewind)andresumedhisway.
