Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol1.djvu/89

Rh and take your hemp, too. So how is it to be, Nastasya Petrovna?'

'Oh dear, it is such a strange, quite unheard-of thing to sell.'

At this point Tchitchikov was completely driven out of all patience; he banged his chair upon the floor in his anger and consigned her to the devil.

The old lady was extremely frightened of the devil.

'Oh, don't speak of him, God bless him!' she cried, turning quite pale. 'Only the night before last I was dreaming all night of the evil spirit. I took a fancy to try my fortune on the cards after saying my prayers that night, and it seems the Lord sent him to punish me. He looked so horrid and his horns were longer than our bull's.'

'I wonder you don't dream of them by dozens. From simple Christian humanity I wanted to help you: I saw a poor woman struggling and in poverty. … But the plague take you and all your village!'

'Oh, what shocking words you are using!' said the old lady, looking at him with horror.

'Well, there is no knowing how to talk to you! Why, you are like some—not to use a bad word—dog in the manger that won't eat the hay itself and won't let others. I was meaning to buy all sorts of produce from you, for I take government contracts too …'

This was a lie, though quite a casual one, uttered with no ulterior design, but it was unexpectedly successful. The government contract produced a