Мертвые души
Chapter 10
Whythisshouldbesoonecouldhardlysay,butatalleventsasuccessisscoredonlybysuchgatheringsashavefortheirobjectdiningandfestivity—towit,gatheringsatclubsorinGerman-runrestaurants.However,onthepresentoccasion,themeetingwasNOToneofthiskind;itwasameetingconvokedofnecessity,andlikelyinviewofthethreatenedcalamitytoaffecteverytchinovnikintheplace.Also,inadditiontothegreatdivergencyofviewsexpressedthereat,therewasvisibleinallthespeakersaninvincibletendencytoindecisionwhichledthematonemomenttomakeassertions,andatthenexttocontradictthesame.Butonatleastonepointallseemedtoagree—namely,thatChichikov’sappearanceandconversationweretoorespectableforhimtobeaforgeroradisguisedbrigand.Thatistosay,allSEEMEDtoagreeonthepoint;untilasuddenshoutarosefromthedirectionofthePostmaster,whoforsometimepasthadbeensittingplungedinthought.
“Icantellyou,”hecried,“whoChichikovis!”
“Who,then?”repliedthecrowdingreatexcitement.
“HeisnoneotherthanCaptainKopeikin.”
“AndwhomayCaptainKopeikinbe?”
Takingapinchofsnuff(whichhedidwiththelidofhissnuff-boxhalf-open,lestsomeextraneouspersonshouldcontrivetoinsertanotover-cleanfingerintothestuff),thePostmasterrelatedthefollowingstory35.
“Afterfightinginthecampaignof1812,therewassenthome,wounded,acertainCaptainKopeikin—aheadstrong,livelybladewho,whetherondutyorunderarrest,madethingslivelyforeverybody.
