Chapter 3

           “IfColonelKoshkarevshouldturnouttobeasmadasthelastoneitisabadlook-out,”saidChichikovtohimselfonopeninghiseyesamidfieldsandopencountry—everythingelsehavingdisappearedsavethevaultofheavenandacoupleoflow-lyingclouds.

           “Selifan,”hewenton,“didyouaskhowtogettoColonelKoshkarev’s?”

           “Yes,PaulIvanovitch.Atleast,therewassuchaclatteraroundthekoliaskathatIcouldnot;butPetrushkaaskedthecoachman.”

           “Youfool!HowoftenhaveItoldyounottorelyonPetrushka?Petrushkaisablockhead,anidiot.Besides,atthepresentmomentIbelievehimtobedrunk.”

           “No,youarewrong,barin,”putinthepersonreferredto,turninghisheadwithasidelongglance.“Afterwegetdownthenexthillweshallneedbuttokeepbendingroundit.Thatisall.”

           “Yes,andIsupposeyou’lltellmethatsivnkhaistheonlythingthathaspassedyourlips?Well,theviewatleastisbeautiful.Infact,whenonehasseenthisplaceonemaysaythatonehasseenoneofthebeautyspotsofEurope.”Thissaid,Chichikovaddedtohimself,smoothinghischin:“Whatadifferencebetweenthefeaturesofacivilisedmanoftheworldandthoseofacommonlacquey!”

           Meanwhilethekoliaskaquickeneditspace,andChichikovoncemorecaughtsightofTientietnikov’saspen-studdedmeadows.Undulatinggentlyonelasticsprings,thevehiclecautiouslydescendedthesteepincline,andthenproceededpastwater-mills,rumbledoverabridgeortwo,andjoltedeasilyalongtherough-setroadwhichtraversedtheflats.Notamolehill,notamoundjarredthespine.