Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol1.djvu/94

82 bidding her at the same time to bring in some more pancakes.

'Your pancakes are very nice, ma'am,' said Tchitchikov, attacking the hot ones as they were brought in.

'Yes, they fry them very nicely,' said the old lady, 'but the worst of it is that the harvest is poor and the flour is so unprofitable. … But why are you in such a hurry?' she said, seeing that Tchitchikov was taking up his cap. 'Why, the horses are not in yet.'

'They soon will be, ma'am, my servants don't take long to get ready.'

'Well, then, please don't forget about the government contracts.'

'I won't forget, I won't forget,' said Tchitchikov, going out into the passage.

'And won't you buy salt pork?' said the old lady, following him.

'Why not? I'll certainly buy it, only later.'

'I shall have salt pork by Easter.'

'We'll buy it, we'll buy everything, we'll buy salt pork too.'

'Perhaps you'll be wanting feathers. I shall have feathers too, by St. Philip's fast.'

'Very good, very good,' said Tchitchikov.

'There you see, my good sir, your chaise isn't ready yet,' said his hostess when they had gone out on to the steps.

'It will be, it will be directly. Only tell me how to reach the high-road.'

'How am I to do that?' said the old lady. 'It