ad been signed, docketed, and registered, Chichikov
found himself called upon to pay only the merest trifle in the way of
Government percentage and fees for publishing the transaction in the
Official Gazette. The reason of this was that the President had given
orders that only half the usual charges were to be exacted from the
present purchaser--the remaining half being somehow debited to the
account of another applicant for serf registration.

"And now," said Ivan Grigorievitch when all was completed, "we need only
to wet the bargain."

"For that too I am ready," said Chichikov. "Do you but name the hour.
If, in return for your most agreeable company, I were not to set a few
champagne corks flying, I should be indeed in default."

"But we are not going to let you charge yourself with anything
whatsoever. WE must provide the champagne, for you are our guest, and
it is for us--it is our duty, it is our bounden obligation--to entertain
you. Look here, gentlemen. Let us adjourn to the house of the Chief
of Police. He is the magician who needs but to wink when passing a
fishmonger's or a wine merchant's. Not only shall we fare well at his
place, but also we shall get a game of whist."

To this proposal no one had any objection to offer, for the mere mention
of the fish shop aroused the witnesses' appetite. Consequently, the
ceremony being over, there was a general reaching for hats and caps.
As the party were passing through the general office, Ivan Antonovitch
whispered in Chichikov's ear, with a courteous inclination of his
jug-shaped physiognomy:

"You have given a hundred thousand roubles for the serfs, but have paid
ME only a trifle for my trouble."

"Yes," replied Chichikov with a similar whisper, "but what sort of serfs
do you suppose them to be? They are a poor, useless lot, and not worth
even half the purchase money."

This gave Ivan Antonovitch to understand that the visitor was a man of
strong character--a man from whom nothing more was to be expected.

"Why have you gone and purchased souls from Plushkin?" whispered
Sobakevitch in Chichikov's other ear.

"Why did YOU go and add the woman Vorobei to your list?" retorted
Chichikov.

"Vorobei? Who is Vorobei?"

"The woman 'Elizabet' Vorobei--'Elizabet,' not 'Elizabeta?'"

"I added no such name," replied Sobakevitch, and straightway joined the
other guests.

At length the party arrived at the residence of the Chief of Police. The
latter proved indee