Analysis of chapter 8 dead souls briefly. Dead Souls

"Dead Souls" (chapter 6).

Test number 6.

1. How many souls did Plyushkin own?

a) more than 100; b) more than 500;

c) more than 1000; d) more than 3000.

2. What were the gates and fences of the house covered with?

a) Flowers; b) Dust;

c) Paint; d) Mold.

3. What was special about Chichikov among the old trees in the garden?

a) a flowering apple tree; b) a vine;

c) A young branch of a maple; d) a fan palm.

4. At the meeting, Chichikov mistook Plyushkin for

a) a peasant; b) a clerk; c) a judge; d) a housekeeper.

5. Plyushkin's face was

a) Tin; b) Wooden; c) Glass; d) Brick.

6. Plyushkin's eyes ran like

a) Rats; b) Mice; c) Spiders; d) Second hand.

7. How did the peasants talk about Plyushkin when he walked the streets in his village?

a) Fisherman; b) Inspector; c) Inspector; d) Thunderstorm district.

8. What fruit was on Plyushkin's bureau?

a) Pineapple; b) Lemon; c) Orange; d) Apple.

9. What kind of porcelain was in Plyushkin's room?

a) Russian; b) Chinese; c) American; d) Turkish.

10. The chandelier in the canvas bag looked like

a) Wasp's nest; b) Crow's nest;

c) A silk cocoon with a worm; d) A bag of gifts.

11. Plyushkin sent his daughter on the road

a) Money; b) Air kiss;

c) Father's blessing; d) Curse.

12. How much did Chichikov pay Plyushkin for the souls of fugitive peasants?

a) 10 rubles each; b) 1 ruble each;

c) 32 kopecks each; d) 50 rubles each.

13. What was Plyushkin going to treat Chichikov to?

a) Coffee with milk; b) Tea with crackers;

c) Egg pie; d) Lamb stomach.

14. What did Plyushkin want to give Chichikov?

a) Pocket watch; b) Carriage;

c) an inkwell; d) a flower.

"Dead Souls" (g lava 6).

Test number 7.

1. Chapter 6 opens with a digression about:

BUT). the beauty of the Russian language; B). about travel; AT). about greed; G). about healthy way life.

2. For whom does Chichikov first take Plyushkin?

BUT). for the housekeeper; B) for a peasant; AT). for the priest G). for a convict.

3. About whom it is said: “The host himself appeared at the table in a frock coat, although somewhat worn, but neat, the elbows were in order: there was no patch anywhere”?

A) about Manilov; B). about Pavel Ivanovich; AT). about Plushkin; G). About Sobakevich.

4. What is the name of Plushkin:

BUT). Bogdan; B). Selifan; AT). Stepan; G). Paul.

5. Once Plyushkin had a family:

A) wife, two daughters and a son; B). wife, two sons, daughter; AT). wife, son and daughter.

6. Insert missing words: Plyushkin had ___ children.

BUT). two; B). seven; AT). three; G). four.

7. What happened to Plushkin's wife?

BUT). She ran away with her lover; B). died; AT). went to her parents; D). went to a monastery.

8. What was the name of Plyushkin's maid?

BUT). Martha; B). Moor; AT). Matryona; G). Matilda.9. How old was Plyushkin?

BUT). fourth ten; B). seventh ten; AT). fifth ten.

10. Insert missing words: ".. [Plyushkin's] small eyes had not yet gone out and were running from under high-growing eyebrows, like ____."

BUT). Fleas; B). hares; AT). cockroaches; G). mice.11. About whom Gogol says: “.. has finally turned into some kind of hole in humanity” ?

BUT). About Proshka; B). About Chichikov; AT). about Plushkin; G). about Selifan.

12. Having learned about the purpose of Chichikov's visit, Plyushkin:

BUT). indignant;

B). fills with joy as Chichikov promises to pay for the dead souls;

AT). refuses, because he is afraid of God's punishment;

13. What was Proshka wearing when he came to the master's chambers?

BUT). in sandals; B). in boots; AT). in boots; G). in slippers.

14. What did Plyushkin want to treat Chichikov to?

BUT). Tea with crackers; B). tortilla with lamb side; AT). pancakes.

15. Does Plyushkin know the exact number of dead peasants?

BUT). no, that's why he sent for the clerk; B). all are included in a special piece of paper;

AT). yes, but long and painfully remembered.

16. How many dead souls has Plyushkin counted since the last revision?

BUT). 80; B) 120; AT). 200; G). fifty.

17 . How many dead souls and runaway peasants did Chichikov acquire from Plyushkin?

BUT). 120; B). 700; AT). 200; G). fifty.

18. What did Plyushkin decide to give Chichikov, left alone?

BUT). dead Souls; B). watch; AT). runaway peasants; G). cracker.

19. In what mood did Chichikov leave Plyushkin's estate?

BUT). in the most cheerful mood;

B). pissed off at Plyushkin's stinginess;

AT). frustrated by the degradation of man.

20. Where did Chichikov go after saying goodbye to Plyushkin?

BUT). to the hotel; B). to Sobakevich;

AT). to Nozdryov; G). to the governor.

"Dead Souls" (g lava 7).

Test No. 8

1. How many souls did Chichikov acquire from the landowners?

A) 100. B). 300. B). 400 g). 700.

2. What was Chichikov thinking about when he read the lists compiled by the landowners?

BUT). about the Russian language; B). about the Russian people;

AT). the greed of the landowners.

3. Which of the landowners deceived Chichikov by selling him a woman - Elizabeth Sparrow?

BUT). Plushkin; B). Sobakevich; AT). Nozdrev; G). box;

4. Why did Chichikov decide to write the lists himself, which had to be submitted to the serf expedition?

BUT). so as not to pay anything we will sing;

B). to make everything look beautiful;

AT). the lists written by the landlords are carelessly compiled.

5. Insert a missing word: “The incorruptible heads of the priests ____ protruded from the windows of the second and third floors and at the same moment hid again.”

BUT). Fortune; B). Themis; AT). fate; G). Sanctuaries.

6. What landowner is it talking about: “_____, with joy, only his nose and lips on his face remained, his eyes completely disappeared. For a quarter of an hour he held Chichikov's hand with both hands and heated it terribly. ?

BUT). Sobakevich; B). Chichikov; AT). Nozdrev; G). Manilov.

7. What did the face of Ivan Antonovich, an official in the serf expedition, look like?

BUT). Pitcher snout; B). overripe pumpkin; AT). Withered leaf. ;

8 . Which of the landowners came to the city to formalize the sale and purchase of dead souls?

BUT). Plushkin; B). Sobakevich; AT). Manilov; G). Box.

9. Who did Chichikov meet on the street: « Before he had time to go out into the street, thinking about all this ... when at the very turn in the alley he also ran into a gentleman in bears covered with brown cloth and in a warm cap with ears " ?

BUT). governor B). Manilova; AT). Sobakevich; G). prosecutor.

10. Why was Chichikov in such a hurry to get to the civil chamber?

BUT). afraid to be late;

B). wanted to finish the job as soon as possible

AT). was recorded for a certain time to the chairman.

11 . Who volunteered to accompany Chichikov to the Civil Chamber?

BUT). chairman; B). governor; AT). Manilov; G). Sobakevich.

12. Who, looking at the lists of peasants, Sighing, he said: “Fathers, my, how many of you are stuffed here! What have you, my hearts, been doing in your lifetime? How we got by »?

BUT). Manilov; B). Plushkin; AT). Chichikov; G). Box.

13. Insert missing words: “It would be necessary to describe the office rooms through which our heroes passed, but the author feeds ___ to all public places.”

A) severe shyness; B). vile disgust;

AT). mystical devotion.

14. Insert a missing word: “...behind a mirror and two thick books, he sat alone, like ______, the chairman ..”.

BUT). moon; B). sun; AT). finger; G). pillar.

15 . What did Chichikov do to speed up the work in the serf expedition to draw up a bill of sale?

BUT). asked the governor to help;

B). gave a bribe to an official;

AT). persuaded the chairman of the office, referring to employment.

Dead Souls (Chapter 8)

Test number 9.

1. What did they argue about in the city when they learned about the purchase of Chichikov?

BUT). is it profitable to buy for the withdrawal of peasants;

B). was it expensive for him to buy

AT). is Chichikov a respectable citizen

2. Of whom is it said: “What a notorious liar, this was known to everyone, and it was not at all unusual to hear decisive nonsense from him”?

BUT). about Chichikov; B). About the chairman;

AT). about Nozdryov; G). about Uncle Mitya.

3 . Whom did the governor introduce Chichikov to?

BUT). with a companion; B). with daughter;

AT). with sister; G). with Grandma.

4. Who owns the words: “Damn you all who invented these balls. Well, what were you foolishly happy about? There are crop failures in the province, high prices, so here they are for the balls!

BUT). Sobakevich; B). Nozdrev; B) Chichikov; G). governor

5. What work of Zhukovsky did the chairman of the chamber know by heart?

BUT). poem "Svetlana", B).poem "Lyudmila", V). "Cup".

6. What did Chichikov say to the proposal to use a convoy to escort the peasants whom he bought to their place of residence?

A) refused decisively; B). asked for assistance;

AT). thanked, saying that he did not have the funds for this.

7. What word (in relation to Chichikov) produced on the ladies of the city N special impression?

BUT). millionaire; B). moonshiner;

AT). swindler; G). alimony.

8. Fill in the missing word: "Disregard for ___

almost unintentionally, restored even the harmony between the ladies, which was on the verge of death on the occasion of taking possession of the chair.

A) Nozdrev; B). Chichikov;

AT). postmaster; G). prosecutor.

9. Who said at the ball that Chichikov had bought dead souls?

BUT). Sobakevich; B). box; AT). Manilov; G). Nozdrev.

10. Who owns the following words: “A, Kherson landowner, Kherson landowner. What? Did you trade a lot for the dead? After all, you don’t know, Your Excellency, he trades in dead souls!

BUT). Sobakevich; B). the prosecutor; AT). Nozdrev; G). Box.

1 1. About whom it is said: “.. ... (he) was taken out long ago; for even the ladies themselves finally noticed that his behavior was becoming too scandalous. In the middle of the cotillion, he sat down on the floor and began to grab the dancers by the floors.

BUT). about Sobakevich; B) about Chichikov;

AT). about Nozdryov; G). about the governor.

1 2. Which lady was especially interested in Chichikov at the governor's ball?

BUT). prosecutor's daughter; B). daughter of the governor;

C) the governor's wife; G). postmaster's daughter.

1 3. What did the carriage that drove into the city at the end of Chapter 8 look like?

BUT). tarantass; B). on a stroller;

AT). thick-cheeked convex watermelon; D). shriveled gourd.

14. Who came to town at the end of chapter 8?

BUT). Nozdrev.B). Sobakevich; AT). box; G). Chichikov;

15 . Why did Korobochka come to town?

BUT). decided to reclaim the dead souls;

B). decided to sell a few more dead souls;

AT). decided to see if she had missed the mark by selling them at a bargain price.

G). Chichikov forgot the list with her, on which the peasants were written.

Chichikov's purchases became the subject of conversation. Rumors, opinions, arguments about whether it is profitable to buy for the withdrawal of peasants began to spread in the city. From the debate, many responded with perfect knowledge of the subject. “Of course,” others said, “this is so, there is no doubt against it: the lands in the southern provinces are, for sure, good and fertile; but what will the peasants of Chichikov be like without water? there is no river." - “It would be nothing if there is no water, it would be nothing, Stepan Dmitrievich, but resettlement is an unreliable thing. It’s a well-known fact that a peasant: on a new land, but still plowing, but he has nothing, no hut, no yard, he will run away like twice two, sharpen his skis so that you won’t find a trace. - “No, Alexei Ivanovich, excuse me, excuse me, I don’t agree with what you say that Chichikov’s peasant will run away. A Russian person is capable of everything and gets used to any climate. Send him even to Kamchatka, but give only warm mittens, he will clap his hands, an ax in his hands, and went to cut himself a new hut. “But, Ivan Grigoryevich, you have overlooked an important matter: you have not yet asked what kind of peasant Chichikov is. Forgot what is good man the landlord will not sell; I am ready to lay down my head if the peasant Chichikov is not a thief and a drunkard in the last degree, a idler and violent behavior. - “So, so, I agree to this, it’s true, no one will sell good people, and the peasants of Chichikov are drunkards, but one must take into account that this is where morality lies, this is where morality lies: they are now scoundrels, but, having moved to new land, suddenly can become excellent subjects. There have already been many such examples: just in the world, and in history too. “Never, never,” said the manager of state-owned factories, “believe me, it can never be. For the peasants of Chichikov will now have two strong enemies. The first enemy is the proximity of the provinces of Little Russia, where, as you know, the free sale of wine. I assure you: in two weeks they will get drunk and there will be insoles. The other enemy is the very habit of wandering, which the peasants must acquire during their resettlement. Is it really necessary that they be always before Chichikov’s eyes and that he keep them in a tight grip, drive them away for any nonsense, and not only relying on another, but so that he personally, where appropriate, would give both a poke and a slap on the head ". - "Why should Chichikov bother himself and give slaps on the back of the head, he can also find a steward." - "Yes, you will find a steward: all swindlers!" "Scammers because the gentlemen don't do business." “It’s true,” many said. “If the master himself knows at least some sense in the economy and knows how to distinguish between people, he will always have a good steward.” But the steward said that it was impossible to find a good steward for less than five thousand. But the chairman said that you can find it for three thousand. But the manager said, “Where are you going to look for him? Is it in your nose? But the chairman said: “No, not in the nose, but in the local district, namely: Pyotr Petrovich Samoilov: this is the steward that Chichikov’s peasants need!” Many strongly entered into the position of Chichikov, and the difficulty of resettling such huge amount the peasants were extremely frightened of them; they began to fear very much that there would not even be a revolt between such a restless people as the peasants of Chichikov. To this, the police chief remarked that there was nothing to fear from a riot, that the power of the police captain existed to avert it, that even though the police captain did not go himself, they only sent one cap to their place, then this cap alone would drive the peasants to their very place. residence. Many offered their opinions on how to eradicate the violent spirit that overwhelmed the peasants of Chichikov. Opinions were of all kinds: there were those that already spoke too much of military cruelty and severity, almost superfluous; there were, however, those who breathed meekness. The postmaster noticed that Chichikov was facing a sacred duty, that he might become a kind of father among his peasants, in his words, introduce even beneficent enlightenment, and on this occasion spoke with great praise of the Lancaster school of mutual education.

In this way they reasoned and spoke in the city, and many, motivated by participation, even personally told Chichikov some of these tips, even offered an escort to safely escort the peasants to their place of residence. Chichikov thanked for the advice, saying that he would not fail to use it on occasion, but resolutely refused the escort, saying that it was completely unnecessary, that the peasants he bought were of an excellently meek nature, they themselves felt a voluntary disposition for resettlement, and that rebellion in any case there cannot be between them.

All these talks and reasonings produced, however, the most favorable consequences that Chichikov could have expected. Namely, rumors spread that he was no more, no less than a millionaire. The inhabitants of the city, as we have already seen in the first chapter, sincerely fell in love with Chichikov, and now, after such rumors, they fell in love even more sincerely. However, to tell the truth, they were all kind people, living in harmony with each other, treated in a completely friendly way, and their conversations bore the stamp of some special simplicity and brevity: “Dear friend Ilya Ilyich”, “Listen, brother, Antipator Zakharyevich! ”,“ You lied, mommy, Ivan Grigorievich. To the postmaster, whose name was Ivan Andreyevich, they always added: "Sprechen for Deutsch, Ivan Andreich?" In a word, everything was very family. Many were not without education: the chairman of the chamber knew Zhukovsky’s “Lyudmila” by heart, which was still unseen news at that time, and masterfully read many passages, especially: “Bor fell asleep, the valley sleeps,” and the word “chu!” so that it really seemed as if the valley was sleeping; for greater resemblance, he even at this time screwed up his eyes. The postmaster went more into philosophy and read very diligently, even at night, Jung's "Nights" and Eckartshausen's "Key to the Mysteries of Nature", from which he made very long extracts, but no one knew what kind they were; however, he was a wit, flowery in words and liked, as he himself expressed, to equip speech. And he equipped his speech with many different particles , somehow: “my sir, some kind of, you know, you understand, you can imagine, relatively, so to speak, in some way,” and others that he poured in bags; he also rigged his speech quite successfully with winking, squinting one eye, which all gave a very caustic expression to many of his satirical allusions. Others were also more or less enlightened people: some read Karamzin, some Moskovskie Vedomosti, some even read nothing at all. Someone was what is called a tyuryuk, that is, a person who had to be kicked up to something; who was just a bobak, who, as they say, lay on his side for the whole century, which it was even in vain to raise: he would not get up in any case. It is already known about plausibility, they were all reliable people, there was no consumptive among them. All were of the kind to which the wives, in tender conversations taking place in solitude, gave names: egg-pods, plump, pot-bellied, nigella, kiki, buzz, and so on. But in general they were kind people, full of hospitality, and a person who ate bread with them or spent an evening playing whist was already becoming something close, especially Chichikov with his charming qualities and methods, who really knew the great secret to please. They loved him so much that he saw no means of getting out of the city; All he heard was: “Well, a week, stay with us for another week, Pavel Ivanovich!” - in a word, he was worn, as they say, on his hands. But incomparably more remarkable was the impression (a perfect object of astonishment!), which Chichikov made on the ladies. In order to explain this in any way, it would be necessary to say a lot about the ladies themselves, about their society, to describe, as they say, with vivid colors their spiritual qualities; but for the author it is very difficult. On the one hand, he is stopped by unlimited respect for the spouses of dignitaries, and on the other hand ... on the other hand, it is simply difficult. The ladies of the city of N. were ... no, I can’t in any way: one can feel timidity. The most remarkable thing about the ladies of the city of N. was that ... It’s even strange, the pen does not rise at all, as if some kind of lead was sitting in it. So be it: about their characters, apparently, it is necessary to leave it to the one who has livelier colors and more of them on the palette, but we will only have to say a couple of words about appearance and that which is more superficial. The ladies of the city of N. were what is called presentable, and in this respect they could safely be set as an example to all others. As for how to behave, keep the tone, maintain etiquette, a lot of the most subtle propriety, and especially observe the fashion in the latest trifles, in this they are ahead of even the ladies of St. Petersburg and Moscow. They dressed with great taste, drove around the city in carriages, as the latest fashion prescribed, a footman swayed behind, and a livery in gold braid. Business card, even if it was written on a deuce of clubs or an ace of diamonds, but the thing was very sacred. Because of her, two ladies, great friends and even relatives, completely quarreled, precisely because one of them somehow skimped on a return visit. And no matter how hard the husbands and relatives later tried to reconcile them, but no, it turned out that everything can be done in the world, only one thing is impossible: to reconcile two ladies who had quarreled over a visit. Thus the two ladies remained in mutual dislike, as the society of the city put it. As regards the occupation of the first places, there were also many very strong scenes, which sometimes inspired the husbands with completely chivalrous, generous ideas about intercession. Of course, there was no duel between them, because they were all civil officials, but on the other hand, one tried to harm the other where possible, which, as you know, is sometimes harder than any duel. In morals, the ladies of the city of N. were strict, full of noble indignation against everything vicious and all sorts of temptations, they executed all weaknesses without any mercy. If between them some kind of thing that is called the second or third happened, then it happened in secret, so that no appearance was given of what was happening; all dignity was preserved, and the husband himself was so prepared that if he saw another or a third or heard about him, he answered briefly and prudently with the proverb: “Who cares that the godfather was sitting with the godfather.” It must also be said that the ladies of the city of N. were distinguished, like many ladies of St. Petersburg, by unusual caution and decency in words and expressions. They never said: “I blew my nose”, “I sweated”, “I spat”, but they said: “I relieved my nose”, “I managed with a handkerchief”. In no case was it possible to say: "this glass or this plate stinks." And you couldn't even say anything that would give a hint of this, but instead they said: "this glass is not behaving well" or something like that. In order to ennoble the Russian language even more, almost half of the words were thrown out of the conversation altogether, and therefore it was very often necessary to resort to French , but already there, in French, it’s another matter: words were allowed there that were much tougher than those mentioned. So, this is what can be said about the ladies of the city of N., speaking more superficially. But if you look deeper, then, of course, many other things will be revealed; but it is very dangerous to look deeper into ladies' hearts. So, limited to the surface, we will continue. Until now, all the ladies somehow spoke little about Chichikov, giving him full justice, however, in the pleasantness of secular treatment; but since the rumors about his millionth have swept, other qualities have been found. However, the ladies were not interested at all; the word "millionaire" is to blame for everything - not the millionaire himself, but precisely one word; for in one sound of this word, beyond any bag of money, there is something that affects both scoundrels, and people for nothing, and good people - in a word, it affects everyone. The millionaire has the advantage that he can see meanness, completely disinterested, pure meanness, not based on any calculations: many people know very well that they will not get anything from him and have no right to receive, but they will certainly at least run ahead of him, even laugh , even if they take off their hat, even if they force themselves on that dinner, where they find out that a millionaire has been invited. It cannot be said that this tender inclination towards meanness was felt by the ladies; however, in many drawing rooms they began to say that, of course, Chichikov was not the first handsome man, but he was such as a man should be, that if he were a little fatter or fuller, it would not be good. At the same time, it was said somehow even somewhat insultingly about the thin man: that he was nothing more, like something like a toothpick, and not a person. Many different additions turned out to be in ladies' outfits. There was a hustle and bustle in the Gostiny Dvor, almost a crush; there was even a festivity, to such an extent that the carriages ran over. The merchants were amazed to see how several pieces of fabric, brought by them from the fair and not getting away with it because of the price, which seemed high, suddenly went into circulation and were sold like hot cakes. During mass, a ruffle was noticed at the bottom of one of the ladies' dress, which spread it across half the church, so that the private bailiff, who was right there, gave the order to move the people further away, that is, closer to the porch, so that the toilet of her high nobility would somehow not wrinkle. Even Chichikov himself could not partly fail to notice such extraordinary attention. Once, returning to his home, he found a letter on his desk; whence and who brought it, nothing could be known; the tavern servant replied that they had brought it and were not told to tell from whom. The letter began very decisively, just like this: “No, I must write to you!” Then it was said that there is a secret sympathy between souls; this truth was sealed with a few dots that took up almost half a line; then followed several thoughts, quite remarkable in their justice, so that we consider it almost necessary to write them out: “What is our life? - The valley where sorrows settled. What is light? "A crowd of people who don't feel." Then the writer mentioned that she was wetting with tears the lines of a tender mother, who, twenty-five years later, no longer exists in the world; they invited Chichikov to the desert, to leave forever the city, where people in stuffy fences do not use the air; the end of the letter even resounded with resolute despair and concluded with the following verses:

Two doves will show

You are my cold ashes.

Cooing languidly, they will say

That she died in tears.

There was no meter in the last line, but this, however, is nothing: the letter was written in the spirit of the time. There was no signature either: no name, no surname, not even the month and date. It was only added in the postscriptum that his own heart should guess who wrote it, and that the original would be present at the governor's ball tomorrow.

This interested him very much. There was so much tempting and inciting curiosity in the anonymous person that he re-read the letter a second and a third time and finally said: “It would be interesting, however, to know who the writer was!” In a word, the matter, apparently, became serious; for more than an hour he kept thinking about it, and finally, spreading his arms and bowing his head, he said: “And the letter is very, very curly written!” Then, of course, the letter was folded up and placed in a box, next to some kind of poster and a wedding invitation card, which had been preserved for seven years in the same position and in the same place. A little later, they brought him, as it were, an invitation to a ball to the governor - a very common thing in provincial cities: where the governor is, there is a ball, otherwise there will be no proper love and respect from the nobility.

Everything extraneous was at that very moment abandoned and pushed away, and everything was directed towards preparations for the ball; for, to be sure, there were many motivating and bullying reasons. But, perhaps, since the very creation of light, so much time has not been spent on the toilet. A whole hour was devoted to just looking at the face in the mirror. They tried to give him many different expressions: now important and sedate, now respectful, but with a certain smile, now simply respectful without a smile; several bows were made in the mirror, accompanied by indistinct sounds, partly similar to French ones, although Chichikov did not know French at all. He made even himself many pleasant surprises, winked his eyebrow and lips, and did something even with his tongue; in a word, you never know what you do, left alone, feeling, moreover, that you are good, and besides, being sure that no one looks through the crack. Finally, he lightly patted his chin, saying: “Oh, you are such a cute face!” and began to dress. The most contented disposition accompanied him all the time he was dressing: putting on his suspenders or tying his tie, he bowed and bowed with special dexterity, and although he never danced, he made an entreche. This entrecha produced a small innocent consequence: the chest of drawers trembled, and a brush fell from the table.

His appearance at the ball produced an extraordinary effect. Everything that happened turned to meet him, some with cards in their hands, some at the most interesting point of the conversation saying: “and the lower Zemstvo court answers this ...”, but what is the Zemstvo court answering, he already threw it aside and hastened to greet our hero. "Pavel Ivanovich! Oh my God, Pavel Ivanovich! Dear Pavel Ivanovich! Dear Pavel Ivanovich! My soul Pavel Ivanovich! There you are, Pavel Ivanovich! Here he is, our Pavel Ivanovich! Allow me to press you, Pavel Ivanovich! Let's him here, so I'll kiss him harder, my dear Pavel Ivanovich! Chichikov at once felt himself in several embraces. Before he had time to completely get out of the arms of the chairman, he found himself already in the arms of the police chief; the chief of police handed him over to the inspector of the medical board; the inspector of the medical council - to the tax-farmer, the tax-farmer - to the architect ... The governor, who at that time was standing near the ladies and holding a candy ticket in one hand, and a lapdog in the other, on seeing him, threw both the ticket and the lapdog on the floor, - only the little dog squealed; in a word, he spread joy and extraordinary joy. There was no face that did not express pleasure, or at least a reflection of general pleasure. This is what happens on the faces of officials during an inspection by the arrived chief of their places entrusted to the department: after the first fear had already passed, they saw that he liked a lot, and he himself finally deigned to joke, that is, to say a few words with a pleasant smile. Laugh twice in response to this surrounded by his close officials; laugh heartily those who, however, somewhat badly heard the words he uttered, and, finally, standing far away at the door at the very exit, some policeman, who had never laughed in his whole life and had just shown his fist to the people, and he according to the invariable laws of reflection, he expresses a kind of smile on his face, although this smile is more like someone about to sneeze after strong tobacco. Our hero answered each and every one and felt some kind of extraordinary dexterity: he bowed to the right and left, somewhat to one side, as usual, but completely freely, so that he charmed everyone. The ladies immediately surrounded him with a shining garland and brought with them whole clouds of all sorts of fragrances: one breathed roses, another smelled of spring and violets, the third was completely perfumed with mignonette; Chichikov only turned his nose up and sniffed. Their taste was an abyss in their attire: muslins, satins, muslins were of such pale fashionable colors that even the names could not be cleaned up (the subtlety of taste reached such a degree). Ribbon bows and flower bouquets fluttered here and there over the dresses in the most picturesque mess, although a lot of decent head was working on this mess. The light headdress rested only on one ear, and seemed to say: “Hey, I’ll fly away, it’s only a pity that I won’t take the beauty with me!” The waists were tight-fitting and had the strongest and most pleasing shapes to the eye (it should be noted that in general all the ladies of the city of N. were somewhat full, but they laced up so skillfully and had such pleasant circulation that the thickness could not be noticed). Everything was invented and provided for with extraordinary circumspection; neck, shoulders were open just as much as necessary, and no further; each bared her possessions until she felt, by her own conviction, that they were capable of destroying a person; everything else was tucked away with extraordinary taste: either some light tie made of ribbon, or a scarf lighter than a cake, known as a “kiss”, ethereally hugged the neck, or were released from behind the shoulders, from under the dress, small jagged walls of thin cambric, known as "modesty". These “modesty” hid in front and behind that which could no longer cause death to a person, but meanwhile they made one suspect that it was there that the very death was. Long gloves were worn not up to the sleeves, but deliberately left naked the exciting parts of the arms above the elbow, which in many breathed an enviable fullness; some even had their kid gloves burst, prompted to move on—in a word, it seemed as if it was written on everything: no, this is not a province, this is the capital, this is Paris itself! Only in places would suddenly protrude some kind of cap not seen by the earth, or even some kind of almost peacock feather, contrary to all fashions, according to one's own taste. But without this it is impossible, such is the property of a provincial city: somewhere it will certainly break off. Chichikov, standing in front of them, thought: "Which, however, is the writer of the letter?" - and stuck his nose forward; but on the very nose he was pulled by a whole row of elbows, cuffs, sleeves, ends of ribbons, fragrant chemisettes and dresses. The galloping was flying at full speed: the postmaster, the police captain, the lady with the blue feather, the lady with the white feather, the Georgian prince Chipkhaikhilidzev, an official from Petersburg, an official from Moscow, the Frenchman Kuku, Perkhunovsky, Berebendovsky - everything rose and away.

- Vaughn! the province went to write! - said Chichikov, stepping back, and as soon as the ladies sat down in their places, he again began to look out: is it possible to recognize by the expression in her face and in her eyes who the writer was; but it was by no means possible to recognize, either by the expression in her face or by the expression in her eyes, which was the writer. Everywhere one could see something so slightly revealed, so elusively subtle, wow! how subtle! .. “No,” Chichikov said to himself, “women, this is such an object ...” Here he waved his hand: “There’s simply nothing to say! Go ahead, try to tell or convey everything that runs on their faces, all those curves, allusions, but you simply won’t convey anything. One of their eyes is such an endless state into which a person has entered - and remember what your name was! You can’t pull him out of there with a hook, nothing. Well, try, for example, to tell one of their shine: wet, velvety, sugary. God knows what they don't have yet! and hard, and soft, and even completely languid, or, as others say, in bliss, or without bliss, but worse than in bliss - so it will hook on the heart, and it will lead throughout the soul, as if with a bow. No, you just can’t take the words: the haberdashery half of the human race, and nothing more!

Guilty! It seems that a word, noticed on the street, has flown from the lips of our hero. What to do? Such is the position of a writer in Russia! However, if a word from the street got into a book, it’s not the writer’s fault, the readers are to blame, and above all the readers of high society: you won’t hear a single decent Russian word from them first, and they will probably endow French, German and English in such quantities, what you don’t want, and they will give even with the preservation of all possible pronunciations: in French in the nose burr, in English they will pronounce it properly for a bird, and even make a bird’s face, and even laugh at those who fail to make a bird’s face; but only Russians will not be endowed with anything, except out of patriotism they will build themselves a hut in the country in Russian taste. Such are the readers of the upper class, and behind them all those who claim themselves to be among the upper class! And meanwhile, what exactingness! They absolutely want everything to be written in the most strict, refined, and noblest language—in a word, they want the Russian language to suddenly descend from the clouds of its own accord, processed as it should, and sit right on their tongues, and they would have nothing more to do as soon as open your mouth and expose him. Of course, the female half of the human race is tricky; but respectable readers, it must be confessed, are even wiser.

And Chichikov, meanwhile, was completely at a loss to decide which of the ladies was the writer of the letter. Trying to direct his gaze more attentively, he saw that something like that was also expressed on the ladies' side, sending both hope and sweet torment into the heart of a poor mortal, that he finally said: “No, you can’t guess at all!” This, however, did nothing to lessen the cheerful disposition of the spirit in which he was. He casually and deftly exchanged pleasant words with some of the ladies, approached one and the other with fractional small steps, or, as they say, minced his legs, as little old dandies in high heels, called mouse stallions, usually do, running very quickly around the ladies. Shifting with rather deft turns to the right and left, he immediately shuffled his foot in the form of a short tail or like a comma. The ladies were very pleased and not only found in him a bunch of amenities and courtesies, but even began to find a majestic expression on his face, something even Mars and military, which, as you know, women really like. Even because of him, they were already starting to quarrel somewhat: noticing that he usually stood near the doors, some vied with each other in a hurry to take a chair closer to the doors, and when one had the good fortune to do this before, an unpleasant story almost happened, and many who wanted to do that However, such impudence already seemed too disgusting.

Chichikov was so busy talking to the ladies, or, better, the ladies so occupied and swirled him with their conversations, adding a bunch of the most intricate and subtle allegories that everyone had to figure out, which even made sweat on his forehead - that he forgot to fulfill the duty of decency and approach the hostess first. He remembered this already when he heard the voice of the governor's wife herself, who had been standing in front of him for several minutes. The governor's wife uttered in a somewhat affectionate and sly voice with a pleasant shake of her head: "Ah, Pavel Ivanovich, so that's how you are! .." ladies and gentlemen speak in the stories of our secular writers, hunters to describe living rooms and boast of knowledge of a higher tone, in the spirit of “have they really taken possession of your heart so that there is no longer any place in it, not even the cramped corner for those ruthlessly forgotten by you.” Our hero turned at that very moment to the governor's wife and was ready to give her an answer, probably no worse than those that the Zvonskys, Linskys, Lidips, Gremins and all sorts of clever military people give in fashionable stories, when, casually raising his eyes, he suddenly stopped, as if stunned by a blow.

Before him stood more than one governor: she held by the arm a young sixteen-year-old girl, a fresh blonde with thin and slender features, with a pointed chin, with a charmingly rounded oval face, which an artist would take as a model for a Madonna and which only a rare case comes across in Russia , where everything likes to be in a wide size, everything that is: mountains and forests and steppes, and faces and lips and legs; the same blonde whom he met on the road, driving from Nozdryov, when, due to the stupidity of the coachmen or horses, their carriages so strangely collided, having mixed up the harness, and Uncle Mityai and Uncle Minyay undertook to unravel the matter. Chichikov was so confused that he could not pronounce a single explanatory word, and muttered the devil knows what it is, something neither Gremin, nor Zyaonsky, nor Lidin would ever have said.

"You don't know my daughter yet?" - said the governor's wife, - college student, just released

He replied that he had already had the good fortune of accidentally making his acquaintance; I tried to add something else, but something did not work out at all. The governor's wife, having said two or three words, finally went with her daughter to the other end of the hall to the other guests, and Chichikov still stood motionless in the same place, like a man who merrily went out into the street in order to take a walk, with eyes disposed to look at everything, and suddenly stopped motionless, remembering that he had forgotten something, and even then nothing could be more stupid than such a person: in an instant, a carefree expression flies from his face; he struggles to remember what he forgot - is it not a handkerchief? but a handkerchief in his pocket; isn't it money? but the money is also in his pocket, everything seems to be with him, and meanwhile some unknown spirit whispers in his ears that he has forgotten something. And now he looks bewildered and embarrassed at the moving crowd in front of him, at the flying carriages, at the shako and guns of the passing regiment, at the sign - and sees nothing well. So Chichikov suddenly became a stranger to everything that happened around him. At this time, from the ladies' fragrant lips, many hints and questions rushed to him, imbued through and through with subtlety and courtesy. “Are we, the poor inhabitants of the earth, allowed to be so bold as to ask you what you dream about?” - "Where are those happy places in which your thought flutters?" - "Can you know the name of the one who plunged you into this sweet valley of thought?" But he answered everything with resolute inattention, and pleasant phrases vanished like water. He was even so discourteous that he soon left them in the other direction, wanting to see where the governor's wife and her daughter had gone. But the ladies didn't seem to want to leave him so soon; each inwardly decided to use all kinds of weapons, so dangerous for our hearts, and to use everything that was best. It should be noted that some ladies - I say some, it's not like everyone else - have a little weakness: if they notice something especially good in their forehead, mouth, or hands, they already think that the best part of their face is the first and will catch everyone's eyes, and all of a sudden they will speak with one voice: “Look, look what a beautiful Greek nose she has!” or: “What a correct, charming forehead!” The one who has good shoulders, she is sure in advance that all young people will be completely delighted and will repeat every now and then at the time when she passes by: “Oh, what wonderful shoulders this one has,” and on her face, hair, nose, forehead, they don’t even look, and if they do, it’s like something extraneous. This is how other women think. Each lady made an inner vow to herself to be as charming as possible in dancing and to show in all its splendor the superiority of what was most excellent in her. The postmaster, waltzing, lowered her head to one side with such languor that something unearthly was indeed heard. One very amiable lady - who did not come at all in order to dance, due to what happened, as she herself put it, a small incomodit in the form of a pea on her right leg, as a result of which she even had to put on plush boots - could not bear it, however, and did a few laps in plush boots, just so that the postmaster doesn't really take too much into her head.

This did not at all produce the intended effect on Chichikov. He did not even look at the circles made by the ladies, but constantly rose on tiptoe to look over their heads, where the entertaining blonde might climb; he squatted down, too, looking between the shoulders and backs, finally found his way and saw her sitting with her mother, over whom some kind of oriental turban with a feather was majestically swaying. It seemed as if he wanted to take them by storm; whether the spring disposition had an effect on him, or someone pushed him from behind, only he resolutely pushed forward, in spite of everything; the farmer received from him such a push that he staggered and barely managed to stay on one leg, otherwise, of course, he would have knocked down a whole row behind him; the postmaster also stepped back and looked at him with astonishment, mingled with rather subtle irony, but he did not look at them; all he saw in the distance was a blond woman putting on a long glove and, no doubt, burning with a desire to start flying across the parquet. And there, aside, four couples were breaking off a mazurka; the heels broke the floor, and the army staff captain worked with his soul and body, and with his hands and feet, unscrewing such pas that no one had ever unscrewed in a dream. Chichikov darted past the mazurka almost on the very heels and straight to the place where the governor's wife was sitting with her daughter. However, he approached them very timidly, did not mince his feet so smartly and smartly, even hesitated a little, and in all his movements there appeared some kind of awkwardness.

It is impossible to say for sure whether the feeling of love has really awakened in our hero - it is even doubtful that gentlemen of this kind, that is, not so fat, but not exactly thin, were capable of love; but with all that, there was something so strange here, something of a kind that he himself could not explain to himself: it seemed to him, as he later confessed, that the whole ball, with all its talk and noise, became a few minutes as if somewhere far away; violins and trumpets were cut somewhere behind the mountains, and everything was shrouded in mist, like a carelessly painted field in a picture. And from this hazy, somehow sketched field, only the subtle features of a fascinating blonde emerged clearly and completely: her oval round face, her thin, thin figure, which a college student has in the first months after graduation, her white, almost simple dress, easily and deftly embraced in all places young, slender members, which were signified in some kind of clean lines. It seemed that she was all like some kind of toy, distinctly carved from ivory; she only turned white and emerged transparent and bright from the muddy and opaque crowd.

Apparently, this is how it happens in the world; it is evident that the Chichikovs turn into poets for a few minutes in their lives; but the word "poet" would be too much. At least he felt quite something like young man, a little bit not a hussar. Seeing an empty chair near them, he immediately took it. The conversation did not go well at first, but after that it went on, and he even began to get force, but ... here, to the greatest regret, it must be noted that people who are sedate and occupy important positions are somehow a little heavy in conversations with ladies; for this, the masters, gentlemen, lieutenants, and no further than the captain's ranks. How they do it, God knows them: it seems that they say not very sophisticated things, but the girl now and then sways in her chair with laughter; the state councilor, God knows what, will tell: either he will talk about the fact that Russia is a very spacious state, or he will release a compliment, which, of course, was not invented without wit, but it smells terribly of a book; if he says something funny, he himself laughs incomparably more than the one who listens to him. This is noted here so that readers can see why the blonde began to yawn during the stories of our hero. The hero, however, did not notice this at all, telling many pleasant things that he had already happened to say on similar occasions in different places: it was in the Simbirsk province at Sofron Ivanovich Bespechny, where his daughter Adelaida Sofronovna was then with three sisters-in-law: Marya Gavrilovna, Alexandra Gavrilovna and Adelgeida Gavrilovna; at Fyodor Fedorovich Perekroev in the Ryazan province; at Frol Vasilyevich Pobedonosny in the Penza province and at his brother Pyotr Vasilyevich, where his sister-in-law Katerina Mikhailovna and her grand sisters Roza Fedorovna and Emilia Fedorovna were; in the Vyatka province with Pyotr Varsonofyevich, where his daughter-in-law's sister Pelageya Yegorovna was with her niece Sofia Rostislavna and two half-sisters - Sofia Alexandrovna and Maklatura Alexandrovna.

All the ladies did not like this treatment of Chichikov at all. One of them deliberately walked past him to let him notice this, and even touched the blonde rather casually with the thick roll of her dress, and ordered the scarf that fluttered around her shoulders so that he waved the end of his over her very face; at the same time, behind him, a rather caustic and caustic remark came out of some lady's lips, along with the smell of violets. But, either he did not really hear, or pretended that he did not hear, only it was not good, because the opinion of the ladies must be valued: he repented of this, but after that, it was already too late.

Indignation, in all respects just, was portrayed in many faces. No matter how great Chichikov’s weight was in society, although he was a millionaire and greatness and even something Mars and military were expressed in his face, there are things that ladies will not forgive anyone, no matter who he is, and then just write is gone ! There are cases where a woman, no matter how weak and powerless in character in comparison with a man, suddenly becomes stronger than not only a man, but everything else in the world. The neglect shown by Chichikov almost unintentionally restored even the harmony between the ladies, which had been on the verge of ruin on the occasion of taking possession of the chair. In some dry and ordinary words he casually uttered, sharp hints were found. To top it off, one of the young people immediately composed satirical poems about the dancing society, without which, as you know, they almost never do at provincial balls. These verses were immediately attributed to Chichikov. The indignation grew, and the ladies began to talk about him in different corners in the most unfavorable way; and the poor college girl was completely destroyed, and her sentence had already been signed.

Meanwhile, our hero was preparing for the most unpleasant surprise: at the time when the blonde was yawning, and he was telling her some different times stories that had happened, and even touched on the Greek philosopher Diogenes, Nozdryov appeared from the last room. Whether he escaped from the buffet, or from a small green drawing room, where a game stronger than ordinary whist was being played, whether of his own free will, or they pushed him out, as soon as he appeared cheerful, joyful, grabbing the arm of the prosecutor, whom he had probably been dragging for some time , because the poor prosecutor turned his thick eyebrows on all sides, as if inventing a means to get out of this friendly journey at hand. Indeed, it was unbearable. Nozdryov, having sipped his courage in two cups of tea, certainly not without rum, lied mercilessly. Seeing him from a distance, Chichikov even decided to make a donation, that is, to leave his enviable place and leave as quickly as possible: this meeting did not bode well for him. But, unfortunately, at that time the governor turned up, expressing extraordinary joy that he had found Pavel Ivanovich, and stopped him, asking him to be a judge in his dispute with two ladies about whether a woman's love is lasting or not; meanwhile Nozdryov had already seen him and was walking straight towards him.

- Ah, Kherson landowner, Kherson landowner! he shouted, coming up and bursting into laughter, from which his fresh, ruddy cheeks, like a spring rose, trembled. - What? traded a lot of the dead? After all, you don’t know, Your Excellency,” he bawled right there, turning to the governor, “he trades in dead souls! By God! Listen, Chichikov! after all, you, - I tell you as a friend, here we are all your friends here, here is his excellency here - I would hang you, by God I hanged you!

Chichikov simply did not know where he was sitting.

“Would you believe it, Your Excellency,” continued Nozdryov, “as he said to me: “Sell the dead souls,” I burst out laughing. When I come here, they tell me that I bought three million peasants for a withdrawal: what a conclusion! yes he traded me dead. Listen, Chichikov, you're a brute, by God, a brute, so his Excellency is here, isn't that right, prosecutor?

But the prosecutor, and Chichikov, and the governor himself were so confused that they could not quite find what to answer, and meanwhile Nozdryov, paying no attention in the least, carried on a half-sober speech:

- You, brother, you, you ... I will not leave you until I find out why you bought dead souls. Listen, Chichikov, you're really ashamed, you, you know yourself, don't best friend, like me. So His Excellency is here, isn't it, Prosecutor? You do not believe, Your Excellency, how we are attached to each other, that is, simply if you said, here, I am standing here, and you would say: “Nozdryov! tell me honestly, who is dearer to you, your father or Chichikov? - I’ll say: “Chichikov”, by golly ... Allow me, my soul, I will slap you one meringue. Permit me, Your Excellency, to kiss him. Yes, Chichikov, don’t resist, let me print one bezie on your snow-white cheek!

Nozdryov was so repelled with his meringues that he almost fell to the ground: everyone stepped aside from him and did not listen anymore; but still his words about buying dead souls were uttered at the top of his voice and accompanied by such loud laughter that they attracted the attention of even those who were in the farthest corners of the room. This news seemed so strange that everyone stopped with a kind of wooden, stupidly questioning expression. Chichikov noticed that many of the ladies winked at each other with a kind of malicious, caustic grin, and in the expression of some faces there seemed something so ambiguous, which increased this embarrassment even more. That Nozdryov was a notorious liar was known to everyone, and it was not at all unusual to hear decided nonsense from him; but it’s really hard for a mortal to even understand how this mortal works: no matter how the news goes, if only it is news, he will certainly tell it to another mortal, if only to say: “Look, what a lie disbanded!" - and another mortal will gladly bow his ear, although after that he himself will say: “Yes, this is a completely vulgar lie, not worth any attention!” - and after that, at the same time, he will set off to look for the third mortal, so that, having told him, afterward, together with him, exclaim with noble indignation: “What a vulgar lie!” And this will certainly go around the whole city, and all mortals, no matter how many there are, will certainly talk their fill and then admit that it is not worth attention and not worthy to talk about it.

This apparently absurd incident visibly upset our hero. No matter how stupid the words of a fool are, sometimes they are enough to confuse smart person. He began to feel awkward, out of place: it was exactly as if he had suddenly stepped into a dirty, stinking puddle with a perfectly polished boot; In a word, not good, not good at all! He tried not to think about it, tried to distract himself, to have fun, sat down to whist, but everything went like a crooked wheel: twice he went into someone else's suit and, forgetting that they don't hit on the third, swung with all his arm and foolishly grabbed his own. The chairman could not understand how Pavel Ivanovich, who understood the game so well and, one might say, subtly, could make such mistakes and even let his king of spades under the butt, whom he, in his own words, hoped for as in God. Of course, the postmaster and the chairman, and even the police chief himself, as usual, joked with our hero that he was not in love, and that we know, they say, that Pavel Ivanovich's heart is limping, we know who shot it; but all this was no consolation, no matter how hard he tried to smile and laugh it off. At dinner, too, he was in no way able to turn around, despite the fact that the company at the table was pleasant and that Nozdryov had long been led out; for even the ladies themselves finally noticed that his behavior was becoming too scandalous. In the middle of the cotillion, he sat down on the floor and began to grab the dancers by the floors, which was already unlike anything, in the expression of the ladies. The supper was very cheerful, all the faces flashing in front of the triple candlesticks, flowers, sweets and bottles were lit up with the most unconstrained contentment. Officers, ladies, tailcoats - everything was done kindly, even to the point of cloying. Men jumped up from their chairs and ran to take dishes from the servants in order to offer them to the ladies with extraordinary dexterity. One colonel gave the lady a plate of sauce on the end of a drawn sword. The men of respectable years, between whom Chichikov was sitting, were arguing loudly, seizing on a practical word with fish or beef, mercilessly dipped in mustard, and arguing about those subjects in which he even always took part; but he looked like some kind of man, tired or shattered by a long journey, to whom nothing climbs in his mind and who is unable to enter into anything. He did not even wait for the end of supper and left for his place incomparably earlier than he used to leave.

There, in this little room, so familiar to the reader, with a door lined with a chest of drawers and sometimes cockroaches peeping out of the corners, the state of his thoughts and spirit was as restless as the chairs in which he sat were restless. Unpleasantly, vaguely was in his heart, some painful emptiness remained there. “Damn you all who invented these balls! he said in his heart. - Well, what foolishly rejoiced? In the province crop failures, high cost, so here they are for the balls! Ek thing: discharged into women's rags! It is not seen that another has turned a thousand rubles on herself! But at the expense of peasant dues, or, even worse, at the expense of our brother's conscience. After all, it is known why you take a bribe and pretend to be: in order to get your wife for a shawl or for various robrons, take them, as they are called. And from what? so that some instigator Sidorovna would not say that the postmaster had a better dress, but because of her, bang a thousand rubles. They shout: “Ball, ball, gaiety!” - just a rubbish ball, not in the Russian spirit, not in Russian nature; the devil knows what it is: an adult, an adult, suddenly jumps out all in black, plucked, covered like a devil, and let's knead with his feet. Some even, standing in a pair, are talking with another about an important matter, and at the same time, like a goat, with their feet, monograms to the right and left ... Everything from ape, everything from ape! That a Frenchman is the same child at forty as he was at fifteen, so come on! No, really ... after every ball, it’s as if he committed some kind of sin; and I don't even want to remember it. There is simply nothing in my head, as after a conversation with a secular person: he will say everything, touch everything slightly, everything will say that he plucked from books, motley, red, but in his head at least took something out of it, and then you see how even , a conversation with a simple merchant who knows one business, but who knows it firmly and experiencedly, is better than all these trinkets. Well, what can you squeeze out of it, from this ball? Well, if, let's say, some writer took it into his head to describe this whole scene as it is? Well, in the book, and there she would be as stupid as in kind. What is it: moral or immoral? just what the hell is that! You spit, and then you close the book. That is how Chichikov spoke unfavorably of balls in general; but another cause of indignation seems to intervene here. The main annoyance was not at the ball, but at the fact that he happened to break off, that he suddenly appeared before everyone in God knows what form, that he played some strange, ambiguous role. Of course, looking through the eyes of a prudent person, he saw that all this was nonsense, that a stupid word meant nothing, especially now that the main thing had already been done properly. But the man is strange: he was greatly distressed by the dislike of the very ones whom he did not respect and about whom he spoke sharply, vilifying their vanity and outfits. This was all the more annoying to him because, having examined the matter clearly, he saw how the cause of this was partly himself. However, he was not angry with himself, and in that, of course, he was right. We all have a small weakness to spare ourselves a little, but we will try better to find some neighbor on whom to take out our annoyance, for example, on a servant, on an official subordinate to us, who turned up at the right time, on his wife, or, finally, on a chair that the devil knows where, to the very doors, so that the handle and the back will fly off from him: let him, they say, know what anger is. So Chichikov soon found his neighbor, who dragged on his shoulders everything that could annoy him. This neighbor was Nozdryov, and there is nothing to say, he was so trimmed on all sides and sides, as only some rogue elder or coachman is trimmed by some experienced captain, and sometimes a general, who, beyond the many expressions that have been made classical, adds many more unknowns, of which the invention belongs to him. The entire genealogy of Nozdryov was sorted out, and many of the members of his family in the ascending line suffered greatly.

But as he sat in his hard armchair, troubled by thoughts and insomnia, diligently treating Nozdryov and all his relatives, a tallow candle flickered in front of him, with which the lamp had long since been covered with a burning black hat, every minute threatening to go out, and looked into his blind, dark night, ready to turn blue from the approaching dawn, and distant roosters whistled in the distance, and in the completely asleep city, perhaps, somewhere a frieze overcoat was woven somewhere, a miserable man of unknown class and rank, who knows only one (alas!) too worn the road to the Russian people, beaten down by the people, - at that time, at the other end of the city, an event was taking place that was preparing to increase the unpleasantness of the position of our hero. Indeed, in the remote streets and back streets of the city, a very strange carriage rattled, suggesting bewilderment about its name. It did not look like a carriage, or a carriage, or a britzka, but rather looked like a fat-cheeked, convex watermelon set on wheels. The cheeks of this watermelon, that is, the doors, which bore traces of yellow paint, closed very poorly due to the poor condition of the handles and locks, somehow tied with ropes. The watermelon was filled with cotton pillows in the form of pouches, rolls and just pillows, stuffed with sacks of bread, rolls, kokurki, quick thinkers and pretzels made from custard dough. Pie-kurnik and pie-pickle even looked up. The backs were occupied by a person of lackey origin, in a jacket of homemade pied, with an unshaven beard covered with light gray, - a person known under the name of "small". A noise and a screech from iron brackets and rusty screws woke up a baker at the other end of the city, who, raising his halberd, yelled in his waking breath: "Who's coming?" - but, seeing that no one was walking, but only a rattling was heard from afar, he caught some animal on his collar and, going up to the lantern, executed him right there on his fingernail. After that, putting aside the halberd, he again fell asleep according to the charters of his knighthood. The horses now and then fell on their front knees, because they were not shod, and, moreover, apparently, the late city pavement was little known to them. Kolymaga, after making several turns from street to street, finally turned into a dark lane past the small parish church of Nikola on Nedotychki and stopped in front of the gates of the archpriest's house. A girl climbed out of the britzka, with a scarf on her head, in a padded jacket, and with both fists hit the gate as hard as even a man (the guy in the pied jacket was later dragged off by the legs, for he slept like a dead man). The dogs barked, and the gates opened at last, swallowing, though with great difficulty, this clumsy road work. The carriage drove into a cramped yard, littered with firewood, chicken coops and all sorts of sheds; a lady climbed out of the carriage: this lady was a landowner, collegiate secretary Korobochka. Soon after the departure of our hero, the old woman became so anxious about what might happen on the part of his deceit that, having not slept for three nights in a row, she decided to go to the city, despite the fact that the horses were not shod, and there to find out for sure how much dead souls go and maybe she missed, God forbid, by selling them, maybe at a bargain price. What effect this arrival produced, the reader may learn from a conversation which took place between two ladies alone. This conversation ... but let this conversation be better in the next chapter.

"Dead Souls" is a complex work with multi-level text, where even experienced readers can get lost. Therefore, a brief retelling of Gogol's poem chapter by chapter, as well as her, which will help students to penetrate the author's large-scale intentions, will not hurt anyone.

Comments on the entire text or image of a particular class, he asks to be sent to him personally, for which he will be grateful.

Chapter first

The chaise of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov (here is his) - a collegiate adviser - accompanied by the servants of Selifan and Petrushka, calls into the city of NN. Chichikov's description is quite typical: he is not handsome, but not bad-looking, not thin, but not fat, not young, but not old either.

Chichikov, showing masterful hypocrisy and the ability to find an approach to everyone, gets acquainted with all the important officials and makes a good impression on them. At the governor's, he meets the landowners Manilov and Sobakevich, and at the police chief, Nozdryov. All he undertakes to pay a visit.

Chapter Two

The author writes about Chichikov's servants: Petrushka and the drinking coachman Selifan. Pavel Ivanovich goes to Manilov (here is him), to the village of Manilovka. In the manners and portrait of the landowner, everything was too sugary, he thinks only about abstract things, he can’t finish reading one book and dreams of building a stone bridge, but only in words.

Manilov lives here with his wife and two children, whose names are Alkid and Themistoclus. Chichikov says that he wants to buy "dead souls" from him - dead peasants who are still on the revision lists. He refers to the desire to save the newfound friend from paying taxes. The landowner, after a short fright, gladly agrees to give them to the guest for free. Pavel Ivanovich hurriedly leaves him and goes to Sobakevich, satisfied with the successful start of his enterprise.

Chapter Three

On the way to Sobakevich's house, due to the inattention of the coachman Selifan, the britzka drives far from the right road and gets into an accident. Chichikov is forced to ask for a lodging for the night with the landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka (here is her).

The old woman is too frugal, incredibly stupid, but very successful. Order reigns on her estate, she conducts business with many merchants. The widow keeps all her old things and receives the guest with suspicion. In the morning Chichikov tried to talk about "dead souls," but for a long time Nastasya Petrovna could not understand how the dead could be traded. Finally, after a small scandal, an irritated official makes a deal and sets off on a repaired chaise.

Chapter Four

Chichikov enters a tavern, where he meets the landowner Nozdrev (here he is). He is an avid gambler, a fan of inventing tall tales, a reveler and a talker.

Nozdryov calls Chichikov to his estate. Pavel Ivanovich asks him about "dead souls", but the landowner inquires about the purpose of such an unusual purchase. He offers the hero to buy other expensive goods along with the souls, but everything ends in a quarrel.

The next morning, the gambling Nozdryov invites the guest to play checkers: the prize is “dead souls”. Chichikov notices the landowner's fraud, after which he runs away from the danger of a fight, thanks to the police captain who has entered.

Chapter Five

Chichikov's chaise runs over the carriage, causing a slight delay. A pretty girl, noticed by Pavel Ivanovich, will later turn out to be the governor's daughter. The hero drives up to the huge village of Sobakevich (here is his), everything in his house is of impressive size, like the owner himself, whom the author compares with a clumsy bear. The detail is especially characteristic: a massive, roughly knocked together table, which reflects the disposition of the owner.

The landowner speaks rudely of everyone whom Chichikov speaks of, recalling Plyushkin, whose serfs endlessly die because of the stinginess of the owner. Sobakevich calmly sets a high price for the dead peasants, he himself begins to talk about the sale. After much bargaining, Chichikov manages to buy a few souls. The chaise goes to the landowner Plyushkin.

Chapter six

The village of Plyushkina has a miserable appearance: the windows are without glass, the gardens are abandoned, the houses are overgrown with mold. Chichikov takes the owner for an old housekeeper. Plyushkin (here he is), looking like a beggar, escorts the guest to a dusty house.

This is the only landowner whose past the author tells about. wife and youngest daughter the master died, the rest of the children left him. The house was empty, and Plyushkin gradually sank to such a miserable state. He is glad to get rid of the dead peasants so as not to pay taxes for them, and happily sells them to Chichikov at a low price. Pavel Ivanovich goes back to NN.

Chapter Seven

Chichikov, on the way, examines the collected records and notices the variety of names of the dead peasants. He meets Manilov and Sobakevich.

The chairman of the chamber quickly draws up documents. Chichikov reports that he bought serfs for withdrawal, in Kherson province. Officials celebrate the success of Pavel Ivanovich.

Chapter Eight

Chichikov's huge acquisitions become known throughout the city. Various rumors are spreading. Pavel Ivanovich finds an anonymous letter of love content.

At the ball at the governor's, he meets a girl whom he saw on the way to Sobakevich. He is fond of the governor's daughter, forgetting about other ladies.

The sudden appearance of a drunken Nozdryov almost frustrates Chichikov's plan: the landowner begins to tell everyone how the traveler bought dead peasants from him. He is taken out of the hall, after which Chichikov leaves the ball. At the same time, Korobochka goes to find out from her friends whether her guest has set the right price for "dead souls".

Chapter Nine

Friends Anna Grigoryevna and Sofya Ivanovna gossip about a visiting official: they think that Chichikov is acquiring "dead souls" in order to please the governor's daughter or kidnap her, in which Nozdryov can become his accomplice.

The landlords are afraid of punishment for the scam, so they keep the deal a secret. Chichikov is not invited to dinners. Everyone in the city is busy with the news that a counterfeiter and a robber are hiding somewhere in the province. Suspicion immediately falls on the buyer of dead souls.

Chapter Ten

The police chief is debating who Pavel Ivanovich is. Some people think he is Napoleon. The postmaster is sure that this is none other than Captain Kopeikin, and tells his story.

When Captain Kopeikin fought in 1812, he lost his leg and arm. He came to St. Petersburg to ask for help from the governor, but the meeting was postponed several times. The soldier soon ran out of money. As a result, he is advised to return home and wait for the help of the sovereign. Shortly after his departure, robbers appeared in the Ryazan forests, whose chieftain, by all indications, is Captain Kopeikin.

But Chichikov has all the arms and legs, so everyone understands that this version is wrong. Because of the excitement, the prosecutor dies, Chichikov has a cold for the third day and does not leave the house. When he recovers, he is denied admission to the governor, and others treat him the same way. Nozdryov tells him about the rumors, praises him for the idea of ​​kidnapping the governor's daughter and offers his help. The hero understands that he must urgently run away from the city.

Chapter Eleven

In the morning, after some delays in preparations, Chichikov sets off. He sees the prosecutor being buried. Pavel Ivanovich leaves the city.

The author tells about Chichikov's past. He was born into a noble family. His father often reminded his son of the need to please everyone and take care of every penny. At the school, Pavlush already knew how to earn money, for example, by selling pies and showing performances of a trained mouse for a fee.

Then he began to serve in the Treasury. Pavel Ivanovich made his way to a high position by announcing to the old official that he was going to marry his daughter. In all positions, Chichikov used his official position, which is why he once got on trial for a smuggling case.

One day, Pavel Ivanovich got excited about the idea of ​​buying "dead souls" in order to ask Kherson province for their placement. Then he could get a lot of money on the security of non-existent people and make himself a big fortune.

Chapter 7 " dead souls” opens with Gogol’s well-known reasoning about how happy a writer is who sings only beautiful and majestic images. Everyone reveres him as a great creator, at his name passionate and young hearts tremble sweetly. Another fate is for someone who dared to call before the reader's eyes all the terrible, amazing mire of trifles, the whole depth of boring everyday characters - and exposed them convexly and brightly to the eyes of the people. Criticism and society will reproach him, not recognizing that the glass panes that look at the suns and convey the movements of unnoticed insects are equally wonderful. Severe is the field of one who looks at human life through laughter visible to the world and tears invisible to him!

Then Gogol returns to the plot of the poem. Waking up in the hotel the next morning after a visit to Plyushkin, Chichikov remembered with pleasure: he now had almost four hundred souls, although they were dead. The transactions concluded with the sellers of peasants today had to be approved by law. Chichikov himself began to write the documents necessary for submission to the civil chamber, sorting through the lists received from Korobochka, Sobakevich and Plyushkin. Looking at the names of the dead serfs, he tried to imagine what was the fate of each of them. (See List of peasants (lyrical digression).)

Near noon Chichikov dressed and went to the ward. Not far from her, he met Manilov, who had come to draw up the bill of sale, who embraced him and, as usual, scattered in the sweetest compliments. Manilov handed Chichikov his list of peasants, which his wife skillfully framed with a beautiful border.

The chamber, which stood on the central square of the city, was a three-story house, all white as chalk, probably to depict the purity of the souls of the posts located in it. Inside, many officials were diligently poring over papers. The noise from the feathers was great and looked like several wagons with brushwood were passing through a forest littered with a quarter of an arshin of withered leaves.

Chichikov's purchases became the subject of conversation. Rumors, opinions, arguments about whether it is profitable to buy for the withdrawal of peasants began to spread in the city. Opinions were divided. Some believed that in a new place, where there is neither a stake nor a yard, the peasant will not be able to resist, he will run away. Others - that a Russian person is capable of everything and gets used to any climate. Send him even to Kamchatka, but give only warm mittens, he has an ax in his hands, and he went to chop down a new hut. “But, you lost sight of the fact that the owner will not sell a good person.” “Yes, yes, but we must take into account that the peasants are now scoundrels, and, having moved, they can suddenly become excellent subjects.” Some believed that Chichikov needed a good manager in his new position. Others generally feared a riot. Opinions were of all kinds. The postmaster noticed that Chichikov would have a sacred duty, he could become a father to his peasants, even introduce beneficent enlightenment.

Many gave Chichikov completely disinterested advice, even offering an escort to escort the peasants. Pavel Ivanovich thanked for the advice, but resolutely refused the escort, saying that his peasants were meek and there could be no rebellion under any circumstances.

Rumors circulated about Chichikov that he was a millionaire, which further increased his disposition. But incomparably more remarkable was the impression Chichikov made on the ladies. The ladies of the city could be safely set as an example to others. As for how to behave, what tone to choose, to maintain etiquette, to keep fashion in every detail, in this they were ahead of even the ladies of St. Petersburg and Moscow. They were strict in morals. If, however, something happened that is called the other or the third, then it happened in secret. Even the husband, when he found out something, used the prudent proverb: “Who cares that the godfather was sitting with the godfather?” They never said: “I blew my nose,” “I sweated,” “I spat,” but they also said: “I relieved my nose,” “I got by with a handkerchief.” In no case was it possible to say about a plate or a glass “stinks”, but above it it was: “this plate or glass behaves badly”. Until now, the ladies had somehow said little about Chichikov, they only paid tribute to his pleasant manner. But when rumors spread about his millionaire, other qualities were found. Things got to the point that once Pavel Ivanovich received a letter from an unknown person, which began like this: “No, I have to write to you!” The letter contained several wonderful thoughts about life, an offer to leave the city forever, an invitation to the desert. The letter ended with gloomy verses about death. There was no signature. The postscript said that tomorrow at the ball at the governor's, his heart itself should guess who wrote it.

This interested Chichikov very much. All cases were dropped. Preparations for the ball began. It seemed that since the very creation of the world, so much time had not been spent on the toilet. For a whole hour Pavel Ivanovich examined his face in the mirror. He gave it many different expressions: important, sedate, respectful, with a smile, without a smile. He winked to himself, bowed, and made sounds that sounded a bit like French.

His appearance at the ball produced an extraordinary effect. Everything that was, turned to meet him. "Pavel Ivanovich! Oh my God, Pavel Ivanovich! Dear Pavel Ivanovich! Dear Pavel Ivanovich! My soul Pavel Ivanovich! Here he is, our Pavel Ivanovich!” Chichikov felt himself in several embraces at once. Our hero answered everyone and felt an extraordinary lightness. The ladies immediately surrounded him with a shining garland. Chichikov stood in front of them and thought: "Which, however, is the writer of the letter?" But then the dancing began, and everything got up and away ... The ladies so occupied and swirled Pavel Ivanovich that he did not notice how the governor's wife herself appeared in front of him. She held by the arm a young girl of sixteen, a fresh blonde with thin features and a charming oval face. The same blonde whom he met on the way from Nozdryov when their carriages got mixed up in harness.

You don't know my daughter yet? - said the governor's wife, - a college student, just released.

He replied that he had already had the good fortune to meet them by chance, but that he could add nothing more worthwhile. The governor's wife, having said a few words, walked away with her daughter, but Chichikov remained standing. Many hints and questions aspired to him from the ladies' lips. But he showed impoliteness and walked away from the ladies to the side where the governor's wife and daughter were sitting. He suddenly felt like a young man, almost a hussar. Seeing an empty chair near them, he immediately took it. Here, to the greatest regret, it should be noted that sedate people are somehow a little heavy in conversations with ladies, and after a while the blonde began to yawn, listening to Chichikov's stories.

All the ladies did not like this treatment at all. Indignation, in all respects just, was portrayed in many faces. The ladies began to talk about Chichikov in the most unfavorable way in different corners, and the poor college student was completely destroyed.

In the meantime, a most unpleasant surprise was being prepared for our hero. Nozdryov appeared, and Chichikov found it necessary to retire from his enviable place. But the governor who came up stopped him. Nozdryov saw Chichikov.

Ah, the Kherson landowner! he shouted, bursting into laughter. - What? traded a lot of the dead? You don't know, Your Excellency, he trades in dead souls! By God! Listen, Chichikov! I tell you this out of friendship, here we are all your friends here, here is their excellency here - I would hang you!

Chichikov simply did not know what to do.

Would you believe it, Nozdryov continued, he traded the dead with me. I come here, they tell me that I bought peasants for withdrawal! Dead to the conclusion! Listen, Chichikov, you're a brute, by God, a brute, and here is His Excellency here, isn't it, prosecutor?

But everyone was confused. And Nozdryov continued his semi-sober speech:

I won't leave you until I know why you need dead souls. You won't believe, Your Excellency, what kind of friends we are. Here, I'm standing here, and you would say: “Nozdryov! tell me honestly, who is dearer to you, your father or Chichikov? - I'll say: "Chichikov." Allow me, Chichikov, to kiss you.

Once in his room, with some painful emptiness in his heart, he thought: “Damn you all who invented these balls! There are crop failures in the province, high prices ... ”Alarmed by thoughts and insomnia, he diligently treated Nozdryov and all his relatives with the most unkind wishes.

And at this time, when a dark night looked into the windows to him, a carriage similar to a watermelon appeared on the streets of the city. The cart, after making several turns, drove into a dark lane and stopped in front of the archpriest's house. A lady got out of the carriage: it was Korobochka. The old woman, after Chichikov's departure, was very worried if she had sold too cheap. And she came to the city to find out how much dead souls are now. What effect this arrival produced, we will learn later.