Мертвые души
Chapter 2
”
“Ah,yes;heDOESwriterubbishofsomesort,doesn’the?Verses,orsomethingofthekind?”
“Notrubbish,yourExcellency,butpracticalstuff.Inshort,heisinditingahistory.”
“AHISTORY?Butahistoryofwhat?”
“Ahistoryof,of—”ForamomentortwoChichikovhesitated.Then,whetherbecauseitwasaGeneralthatwasseatedinfrontofhim,orbecausehedesiredtoimpartgreaterimportancetothesubjectwhichhewasabouttoinvent,heconcluded:“AhistoryofGenerals,yourExcellency.”
“OfGenerals?OfWHATGenerals?”
“OfGeneralsgenerally—ofGeneralsatlarge.Thatistosay,andtobemoreprecise,ahistoryoftheGeneralsofourfatherland.”
BythistimeChichikovwasflounderingbadly.Mentallyhespatuponhimselfandreflected:“Graciousheavens!WhatrubbishIamtalking!”
“Pardonme,”wentonhisinterlocutor,“butIdonotquiteunderstandyou.IsTientietnikovproducingahistoryofagivenperiod,oronlyahistorymadeupofaseriesofbiographies?Also,isheincludingALLourGenerals,oronlythosewhotookpartinthecampaignof1812?”
“Thelatter,yourExcellency—onlytheGeneralsof1812,”repliedChichikov.Thenheaddedbeneathhisbreath:“WereItobekilledforit,Icouldnotsaywhatthatmaybesupposedtomean.”
“Thenwhyshouldhenotcomeandseemeinperson?”wentonhishost.“PossiblyImightbeabletofurnishhimwithmuchinterestingmaterial?”
“Heisafraidtocome,yourExcellency.”
“Nonsense!Justbecauseofahastywordortwo!Iamnotthatsortofmanatall.
