AfterthisreplyChichikovinvoluntarilythrewaglanceatSobakevitch；andthoughthatlandowner\'sfacewasasmotionlessasevery，theotherseemedtodetectinit：“Youliar！Don\'ttellME
thatyouownbothariverandalake，aswellasthelandwhichyousayyoudo。“
Whilsttheforegoingconversationhadbeeninprogress，variouswitnesseshadbeenarrivingonthescene。TheyconsistedoftheconstantlyblinkingPublicProsecutor，theInspectoroftheMedicalDepartment，andothers——all，toquoteSobakevitch，“menwhocumberedthegroundfornothing。“Withsomeofthem，however，Chichikovwasaltogetherunacquainted，sincecertainsubstitutesandsupernumerarieshadtobepressedintotheservicefromamongtheranksofthesubordinatestaff。Therealsoarrived，inanswertothesummons，notonlythesonofFatherCyrilbeforementioned，butalsoFatherCyrilhimself。Eachsuchwitnessappendedtohissignatureafulllistofhisdignitiesandqualifications：onemaninprintedcharacters，anotherinaflowinghand，athirdintopsy-turvycharactersofakindneverbeforeseenintheRussianalphabet，andsoforth。MeanwhileourfriendIvanAntonovitchcomportedhimselfwithnotalittleaddress；
andaftertheindentureshadbeensigned，docketed，andregistered，ChichikovfoundhimselfcalledupontopayonlythemeresttrifleinthewayofGovernmentpercentageandfeesforpublishingthetransactionintheOfficialGazette。ThereasonofthiswasthatthePresidenthadgivenordersthatonlyhalftheusualchargesweretobeexactedfromthepresentpurchaser——theremaininghalfbeingsomehowdebitedtotheaccountofanotherapplicantforserfregistration。
“Andnow，“saidIvanGrigorievitchwhenallwascompleted，“weneedonlytowetthebargain。“