Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol2.djvu/281

Rh in fact. It's suspected that government officials had a hand in it too. They say the governor-general knows about it. They say that thousands of petitions have been sent in. Suitors have turned up for Marya Yeremyevna already; two official persons are fighting over her. So that's what's going on, Afanasy Vassilyevitch!'

'I've heard nothing about it, and it certainly is a shady business. Pavel Ivanovitch Tchitchikov is certainly a most enigmatical person,' said Murazov.

'I sent in a petition for myself too, to remind them that there is a near kinsman …'

'They may all fight it out together for me,' thought Hlobuev as he went out. 'Afanasy Vassilyevitch is no fool. No doubt he has given me this commission with intention. I must carry it out, that's all.'

He began thinking about the journey while Murazov was still repeating to himself: 'Most enigmatical man, Pavel Ivanovitch Tchitchikov. If only such will and perseverance were devoted to a good object!'

Meanwhile petition after petition poured into the law-courts. Relations turned up of whom nobody had heard before. Just as carrion birds flock about a dead body, so everybody pounced upon the immense property left by the old lady: there were secret reports upon Tchitchikov, upon the forgery of the last will, upon the forgery of the first will also, evidence of the theft and concealment of sums of money. Evidence was even produced