Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol1.djvu/253

Rh could possibly have expected, that is, to the rumour that he was neither more nor less than a millionaire. The people of the town had already, as we have seen in the first chapter, taken a great liking to Tchitchikov, and after this rumour spread among them, their liking for him was even greater. Though, to tell the truth, they were all good-natured people, got on well together, and behaved in a friendly way to each other, and indeed, there was a peculiar note of kindliness and good humour in their conversation: 'My dear friend, Ilya Ilyitch!' … 'I say, Antipator Zaharyevitch, old man!' … 'You are drawing the long bow, Ivan Grigoryevitch, my precious.' … When addressing Ivan Andreyevitch, people always added: 'Sprechen Sie Deutsch, Ivan Andreitch.' … In short they were all like one family. Many of them had some degree of culture; the president of the court of justice knew by heart Zhukovsky's 'Ludmila,' which was then a great novelty, and recited many passages in masterly fashion, especially 'The forest sleeps, the valley slumbers,' and the word 'Tchoo!' so that they really seemed to see the valley slumbering; for greater effect he actually closed his eyes at the passage. The postmaster was more devoted to philosophy and read diligently even at night, Young's Night Thoughts and The Key to the Mysteries of Nature, by Eckartshausen, from which he copied out very long