Мертвые души
Chapter 11
Butnowonehastopayaroublepercopyistafterwaitingaweekbecauseotherwiseitwasimpossibletoguesshowthewindmightset!Thedevilflyawaywithall‘disinterested’and‘trustworthy’tchinovniks!”Andcertainlytheaggrievedsuitorhadreasontogrumble,seeingthat,nowthatbribe-takershadceasedtoexist,andDirectorshaduniformlybecomemenofhonourandintegrity,secretariesandclerksoughtnotwithimpunitytohavecontinuedtheirthievishways.IntimethereopenedouttoChichikovastillwiderfield,foraCommissionwasappointedtosupervisetheerectionofaGovernmentbuilding,and,onhisbeingnominatedtothatbody,heprovedhimselfoneofitsmostactivemembers.TheCommissiongottoworkwithoutdelay,butforaspaceofsixyearshadsometroublewiththebuildinginquestion.Eithertheclimatehinderedoperationsorthematerialsusedwereofthekindwhichpreventsofficialedificesfromeverrisinghigherthanthebasement.But,meanwhile,OTHERquartersofthetownsawarise,foreachmemberoftheCommission,ahandsomehouseoftheNON-officialstyleofarchitecture.