Page:Dead Souls - A Poem by Nikolay Gogol - vol2.djvu/301

Rh sent to distribute bread had not carried out the relief work properly. In another part of the province heretics began to be active. Some one had spread a rumour among them that an Antichrist had appeared who would not leave even the dead in peace and was buying up dead souls. They did penance and sinned, and on the pretext of catching the Antichrist they made short work of persons who were not the Antichrist. In another district the peasants were revolting against the landowners and the police-captains. Some vagrants had spread rumours among them that the time was at hand when the peasants were to become landowners and wear dress-coats, while the landowners were to wear sheepskins and become peasants, and the whole district, without reflecting that there would be far too many landowners and police-captains, refused to pay their taxes. Forcible measures had to be resorted to. The poor prince was greatly distracted. Just then word was brought him that Murazov had come.

'Show him in,' said the prince.

The old man walked in. …

'So this is your Tchitchikov! You stood up for him and defended him. Now he is mixed up in a crime at which the lowest thief would hesitate.'

'Allow me to say, your Excellency, that I don't quite understand the case.'

'To forge a will and in such a way. … A public flogging is a fit punishment for such a crime.'