Мертвые души

           “Thenpraywalkintothehouse,”thewomanadvised.Thensheturneduponhimabackthatwassmearedwithflourandhadalongslitinthelowerportionofitscovering.Enteringalarge,darkhallwhichreekedlikeatomb,hepassedintoanequallydarkparlourthatwaslightedonlybysuchraysascontrivedtofilterthroughacrackunderthedoor.WhenChichikovopenedthedoorinquestion,thespectacleoftheuntidinesswithinstruckhimalmostwithamazement.Itwouldseemthatthefloorwasneverwashed,andthattheroomwasusedasareceptacleforeveryconceivablekindoffurniture.Onatablestoodaraggedchair,with,besideit,aclockminusapendulumandcoveredalloverwithcobwebs.Againstawallleantacupboard,fullofoldsilver,glassware,andchina.Onawritingtable,inlaidwithmother-of-pearlwhich,inplaces,hadbrokenawayandleftbehinditanumberofyellowgrooves(stuffedwithputty),layapileoffinelywrittenmanuscript,anoverturnedmarblepress(turninggreen),anancientbookinaleathercoverwithrededges,alemondriedandshrunkentothedimensionsofahazelnut,thebrokenarmofachair,atumblercontainingthedregsofsomeliquidandthreeflies(thewholecoveredoverwithasheetofnotepaper),apileofrags,twoink-encrustedpens,andayellowtoothpickwithwhichthemasterofthehousehadpickedhisteeth(apparently)atleastbeforethecomingoftheFrenchtoMoscow.Asforthewalls,theywerehungwithamedleyofpictures.