"Are they rich men?"
"No, none of them. One of them may own twenty souls, and another thirty, but of gentry who own a hundred there are none."
Chichikov reflected that he had indeed fallen into an aristocratic wilderness!
"At all events, is the town far away?" he inquired.
About sixty versts. How sorry I am that I have nothing for you to eat! Should you care to drink some tea?"
"I thank you, good mother, but I require nothing beyond a bed."
"Well, after such a journey you must indeed be needing rest, so you shall lie upon this sofa. Fetinia, bring a quilt and some pillows and sheets. What weather God has sent us! And what dreadful thunder! Ever since sunset I have had a candle burning before the ikon in my bedroom. My God! Why, your back and sides are as muddy as a wild boar's ! How-ever have you managed to get into such a state?"
"That I am nothing worse than muddy is indeed fortunate, since, but for the Almighty, I should have had my ribs broken."
"Dear, dear! To think of all that you must have been through. Had I not better wipe your back?"
"I thank you, I thank you, but you need not trouble. Merely be so good as to tell your maid to dry my clothes."
"Do you hear that, Fetinia?" said the hostess, turning to a woman who was engaged in dragging in a feather bed and deluging the room with feathers. "Take this coat and this vest, and, after drying them before the fire—just as we used to do for your late master—give them a good rub, and fold them up neatly."
"Very well, mistress," said Fetinia, spreading some sheets over the bed, and arranging the pillows.
"Now your bed is ready for you," said the hostess to Chichikov. "Good-night, dear sir. I wish you good-night. Is there anything else that you require? Perhaps you would like to have your heels tickled before retiring to rest? Never could my late husband get to sleep without that having been done."
But the guest declined the proffered heel-tickling, and, on his hostess taking her departure, hastened to divest himself of his clothing, both upper and under, and to hand the garments to Fetinia. She wished him good-night, and removed the wet trappings; after which he found himself alone. Not without satisfaction did he eye his bed, which reached almost to the
