Мертвые души

           Atotherpointsevidenceofmorelifeandmovementwastobeseen,andherethehousesstoodcrowdedtogetheranddisplayeddilapidated,rain-blurredsignboardswhereonbootsorcakesorpairsofbluebreechesinscribed“Arshavski,Tailor,”andsoforth,weredepicted.Overashopcontaininghatsandcapswaswritten“VassiliThedorov,Foreigner”;while,atanotherspot,asignboardportrayedabilliardtableandtwoplayers—thelattercladinfrockcoatsofthekindusuallyaffectedbyactorswhosepartitistoenterthestageduringtheclosingactofapiece,eventhough,witharmssharplycrookedandlegsslightlybent,thesaidbilliardplayersweretakingthemostcarefulaim,butsucceedingonlyinmakingabortivestrokesintheair.Eachemporiumofthesorthadwrittenoverit:“Thisisthebestestablishmentofitskindinthetown.”Also,alfrescointhestreetstherestoodtablesheapedwithnuts,soap,andgingerbread(thelatterbutlittledistinguishablefromthesoap),andataneating-housetherewasdisplayedthesignofaplumpfishtransfixedwithagaff.ButthesignmostfrequentlytobediscernedwastheinsigniaoftheState,thedouble-headedeagle(nowreplaced,inthisconnection,withthelaconicinscription“Dramshop”).Asforthepavingofthetown,itwasuniformlybad.

           Thegentlemanpeeredalsointothemunicipalgardens,whichcontainedonlyafewsorrytreesthatwerepoorlyselected,requiringtobeproppedwithoil-painted,triangulargreensupports,andabletoboastofaheightnogreaterthanthatofanordinarywalking-stick.