Dead Souls

by Nikolai Gogol

But Manilov

Chichikov picked up,

said Chichikov.

These last words pleased Manilov, but all the same he by no means caught the drift of the matter itself, and instead of an answer began sucking so hard on his chibouk that it finally started wheezing like a bassoon. It seemed as if he wanted to pull from it an opinion concerning such an unheard-of circumstance; but the pipe wheezed, and that was all.

😂😂😂

Here Manilov,

But Chichikov said

Manilov said

It would be a great reproach to the historian of the events set forth here if he failed to say that, after these words uttered by Manilov, the guest was overcome with delight. Staid and sensible though he was, he almost performed a leap after the manner of a goat, which, as we know, is performed only under the strongest impulses of joy. He turned so sharply in the armchair that the woolen fabric of the cushion burst; Manilov himself looked at him in some bewilderment.

😂😂😂

said Chichikov,

Manilov was thoroughly touched.

Mrs. Manilov

said Chichikov,

said Manilov,

said Chichikov,

Alkides and Themistoclus,

replied Themistoclus.

Manilov

Manilov said,

Here Manilov,

Chichikov left,

Manilov stood for a long time on the porch, watching the departing britzka, and when it became quite invisible, he still stood there smoking his pipe. Finally he went inside, sat down on a chair, and gave himself over to reflection, rejoicing in his soul at having given his guest some small pleasure. Then his thoughts imperceptibly turned to other subjects and finally went off God knows where. He was thinking about the well-being of a life of friendship, about how nice it would be to live with a friend on the bank of some river,

😂😂

Chichikov

Chichikov’s strange request

And Chichikov

This dappled gray horse was extremely sly and only made a show of pulling, while the bay shaft horse and the chestnut outrunner, who was called Assessor because he had been acquired from some assessor, put their whole hearts into it, so that the satisfaction they derived from it could even be read in their eyes. “Fox away, fox away! I’ll still outfox you!” Selifan said, rising a little and lashing the lazybones with his whip. “To learn you your business, you German pantaloon! The bay’s a respectable horse, he does his duty, and I’ll gladly give him an extra measure, because he’s a respectable horse, and Assessor’s a good horse, too … Well, well, why are you twitching your ears? Listen to what you’re told, fool! I won’t learn you anything bad, you lout! Look at him crawling!” Here he lashed him again with the whip, adding: “Ooh, barbarian! Cursed Bonaparte!”

😂😂😂

dapple-gray:

Selifan wound up

started pouring buckets.

order Selifan to drive faster.

But Selifan simply could not recall whether he had passed two or three turns. Thinking back and recalling the road somewhat, he realized that there had been many turns, all of which he had skipped. Since a Russian man in a critical moment finds what to do without going into further reasonings, he shouted, after turning right at the next crossroads: “Hup, my honored friends!” and started off at a gallop, thinking little of where the road he had taken would lead him.

😂😂😂

Chichikov

Sobakevich’s estate.

“Selifan!” he said finally,

Meanwhile Chichikov

said Chichikov.

Chichikov plopped

front of the britzka,

“I’ll give you real whipping, then you’ll know how to talk with a good man!” “As ever your grace pleases,” replied the all-agreeable Selifan, “if it’s a whipping, it’s a whipping; I don’t mind about that at all. Why not a whipping, if it’s deserved, that’s the master’s will. Whipping’s needed, because a muzhik goes a-frolicking, there’s need for order. If it’s deserved, give him a whipping: why not give him a whipping?”

😂😂😂

A Russian driver has good instinct in place of eyes; as a result, he sometimes goes pumping along at full speed, eyes shut, and always gets somewhere or other. Selifan, without seeing a blessed thing, aimed his horses so directly at the estate that he stopped only when the britzka’s shafts struck the fence and there was decidedly no way to go further.

Selifan set about

said Chichikov.

The gates were opened. Light flickered in yet another window. The britzka, having driven into the yard, stopped in front of a smallish house, which it was difficult to make out in the darkness. Only half of it was lit by the light coming from the windows; also visible was a puddle in front of the house, which was struck directly by the same light. Rain beat noisily on the wooden roof and poured in burbling streams into the rain barrel. Meanwhile the dogs went off into all possible voices: one, his head thrown back, howled so protractedly and with such diligence as though he were being paid God knows how much for it;

basso profundo

dogs’ barking

some woman

A minute later the mistress came in, an elderly woman in some sort of sleeping bonnet, hastily put on, with a flannel kerchief around her neck, one of those little dearies, small landowners who fret over bad harvests, losses, and keep their heads cocked slightly to one side, and meanwhile little by little are stowing away a bit of cash in bags made of ticking, tucked into different drawers. The roubles all go into one little bag, the half-roubles into another, the quarter-roubles into a third, though to all appearances there is nothing in the chest but underwear, and night jackets, and spools of thread, and an unpicked coat that will later be turned into a dress, if the old one somehow happens to get a hole burnt in it during the frying of holiday pancakes and various fritters, or else wears out by itself.

😂😂😂

Chichikov apologized

The mistress’s words were interrupted by a strange hissing, so that the guest was frightened at first; it sounded as if the whole room had suddenly become filled with snakes; but on glancing up he was reassured, for he realized it was the wall clock making up its mind to strike. The hissing was immediately followed by a wheezing, and finally, straining all its forces, it struck two, with a sound as if someone were banging a cracked pot with a stick, after which the pendulum again began calmly clicking right and left.

😂😂😂

landowner Sobakevich’s

said Chichikov.