Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol1.djvu/125

Rh 'Nonsense, nonsense! We will have a game of bank in a minute.'

'No, you play yourself, my boy, but I can't: my wife will be dreadfully upset, I must tell her all about the fair. I must, my boy, I really must do that to please her. No, don't keep me!'

'Oh, your wife can go to …! Very important business that is! …'

'No, my boy! She is such a good wife. She is really exemplary, so faithful and estimable. She does so much for me … you wouldn't believe it, it brings tears into my eyes. No, don't keep me, as I am an honest man I am going. On my word of honour, I assure you.'

'Let him go; what's the use of keeping him?' said Tchitchikov to Nozdryov.

'Ah, you are right there,' said Nozdryov. 'I simply hate such wet blankets'; and he added aloud: 'Well, confound you, you can go and spoon with your wife, you muff.'

'No, my boy, don't call me names,' answered his brother-in-law, 'I am indebted to her, to my wife. She is so kind and good really, she is so sweet to me, she touches me to tears. She will ask me what I saw at the fair, I must tell her all about it … she is so sweet really.'

'Well, be off then. … Tell her a lot of tosh! Here is your cap.'

'No, you oughtn't to talk like that about her, my boy; you are insulting me, I may say, when you do it, she is so sweet.'