Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol2.djvu/200

190 my work and tell you all about it. There is no particular wisdom about it, as you will see.'

'Brother, do stay for the day,' said Madame Skudronzhoglo, turning to Platonov.

'I don't mind,' said the latter indifferently, 'what does Pavel Ivanovitch say?'

'I shall be delighted. … But there is one point. … I must pay a visit to General Betrishtchev's relations. There is a certain Colonel Koshkaryov …'

'But don't you know that he is a fool, a madman?'

'I have heard that; I have nothing to do with him. But since General Betrishtchev is my intimate friend, and so to say my benefactor … it would be awkward not to go.'

'In that case,' said Skudronzhoglo, 'do you know what you had better do; drive over to him now. I have a racing droshky standing ready. It's not more than seven miles to his place, so you will be there in no time. You will be back before supper in fact.'

Tchitchikov gladly availed himself of this suggestion. The droshky was brought round, and he drove off at once to see the colonel, who amazed him more than any one he had seen before. Everything at the colonel's was unusual. The whole village was upside down; building, rebuilding, heaps of mortar, bricks, and beams were about all the streets. Some houses were planned like government buildings. On one was inscribed in golden letters: 'Depot for