Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol2.djvu/264

254 to complicate it by introducing new facts, and thus …'

'You mean so as to …?'

'Complicate it and nothing more,' answered the philosopher, 'introduce into the case other extraneous circumstances which will bring other people into it; make it complicated and nothing more, and then let some official from Petersburg unravel it, let him unravel it, let him unravel it!' he repeated, looking into Tchitchikov's eyes with peculiar pleasure, as a teacher looks at a pupil while explaining to him a tricky passage in the Russian grammar.

'Yes, it is very well if one can get hold of circumstances which are calculated to throw dust in their eyes,' said Tchitchikov, also looking with pleasure into the philosopher's eyes like a pupil who has grasped the tricky passage explained to him by the teacher.

'The circumstances will turn up, they will turn up! Believe me: by constant practice the brain becomes apt at finding them. First of all remember that you will be helped. A complicated case is a godsend for many people: more officials are required, and they are paid more for it. … In short, we must drag into the case as many people as possible. There is no harm in some coming into it for nothing: it's for them to defend themselves, you know. … They have to draw up their answers in writing. They have to ransom themselves. … All that is bread and butter. Believe me that