At length, after having sold one hundred dead souls at a wretched price, to a man named Bosnyakoff, and to some of the petty officials of a town of the tenth rank, he was led twenty days later by business to the city of Krasnoi, situated in the district of the same name, and in the government of Bubni. There he installed himself at an inn, ordered his dinner, and while waiting to have it served him in his own room, he began to peruse The Moscow Gazette, which the waiter had just brought in. Therein he read his full name and a description of his person, with an order which had been sent to all the towns to arrest him and deliver him up to justice, for having bought, mortgaged, and sold a considerable number of dead souls, and for having committed in various governments divers deeds prohibited by the laws. Ten minutes later, and before Selifan had had time to harness the horses and to fetch the luggage, the police appeared, headed by the gorodnitchiy, or mayor of the town, a man about fifty years of age, who was very expert in all sorts of disputes. He first surveyed Tchitchikoff, his fine linen, and his general appearance of prosperity; he reflected upon his title of collegiate councillor, and took an interest in him; and then he cast a significant glance at his subordinates, who were attached to him. These subordinates retired into the corridor and discreetly closed the door.

“Listen, Pavel Ivanovitch,” said the municipal officer. “You have been arrested on the complaint of a person named Bosnyakoff, who is a very malicious fellow, and wants to blacken you. I can send someone to him, and for five hundred roubles my messenger will contract with him to withdraw his complaint. I must tell you that he has accused you of having trafficked in dead souls of both sexes, and of having mortgaged a large number to the State Bank.”

“In any case I have not done violence to anyone in either buying, selling, or mortgaging.”

“No, you have not; but, now, if you have any money, say so, and I am on your side. For how much have you mortgaged your dead souls to the State Bank?”

“For eighty thousand roubles.”

“You must pay that back promptly; in fact, you must deposit the sum to-morrow. You understand me?”

“I will do so. But I have still a thousand souls, from whom I shall never derive any profit, since I am under arrest.”

“Never mind; I will find a way for you to mortgage them very profitably.”

“Pray do me that favour.”

The dialogue then proceeded as follows:

The mayor (aside): “Tell me aloud that you only have five thousand roubles with you, and nothing else in the whole world. (Aloud.) State, sir, what sum you possess.”

Tchitchikoff (aloud): “I possess five thousand roubles in silver, which constitute my entire property.”

The mayor (aloud): “Hand me those five thousand roubles, sir.”

Tchitchikoff (aloud): “Here they are.”

The mayor, after opening the door: “That is all right, sir; don’t be alarmed about a wretched intrigue. [He counts the five thousand roubles, and divides it into two unequal parts.] Five thousand. Good! I will take these four thousand five hundred and fifty roubles, which will suffice to pay your personal expenses and the current cost of the affair; the police will render you an account of your money at any time you may ask for it. The four hundred and fifty which you see in this pocket-book, I shall place in your valise; they will constitute the sum which was found when an inventory was taken. You understand me, I hope? His excellency the military governor orders that you shall be kept under guard until he has been more