Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol2.djvu/263

Rh time. Although of course it is against the law to take such things into one's own keeping, yet if you ask certain officials in the proper way … I will use my influence too.'

'I understand,' thought Tchitchikov, and said, 'I really don't quite remember whether there is a note in it or not,' just as though he had not written the will himself.

'The very best thing is for you to look into that. However, in any case,' he added very good-naturedly, 'set your mind completely at rest and don't be bothered by anything, even if something worse happened. Never despair of anything: there is nothing in the world that can't be set right. Look at me, I am always calm. Whatever charges are brought against me my composure is never disturbed.'

There certainly was an extraordinary composure on the face of the lawyer-philosopher.

'Of course that's of the first importance,' Tchitchikov said. 'But you must admit that there may be cases and circumstances, and such false charges made by one's enemies and such difficult positions that all composure is destroyed.'

'Believe me, that is weakness,' the philosophical lawyer replied very calmly and good-naturedly. 'Only take care that the statement of the case should always rest on documentary evidence, that nothing should be left to verbal evidence. And as soon as you see the case is approaching a dénouement and likely to be settled, try, not to justify and defend yourself, but simply