Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol2.djvu/299

Rh Having found out where the woman who had been arrested was in custody, he went straight to the place and walked in with such swagger and authority, that the sentry saluted him and stood at attention.

'Have you been standing here long?'

'Since the morning, your honour.'

'Is it long before you are relieved?'

'Three hours, your honour.'

'I shall want you. I'll tell the officer to send another to take your place.'

'Certainly, your honour.'

And going home without a minute's delay he dressed up as a gendarme himself, repaired to the house where Tchitchikov was under guard, seized the first woman he came across and handed her over to two bold young officials who were also adepts and went off himself in his whiskers, with a gun in his hand, to the sentinel:

'You can go, the commanding officer sent me to take your place.' He changed guns with the sentry. That was all that was wanted. Meanwhile the place of the first woman arrested was filled by another who knew nothing about the case, and did not understand what was said to her. The first was hidden away so effectually that it was never discovered what had become of her.

While Samosvitov was hard at work disguised as a warrior, Tchitchikov's lawyer was working miracles on the civilian side. He let the governor know in a roundabout way that the prosecutor