Dead Souls - Gogol Nikolai Vasilievich.pdf - Cove Systems

almost lost amid the expanses of street and
intervening medleys of broken or half-finished
partition-walls. At other points evidence of
more life and movement was to be seen, and
here the houses stood crowded together and
displayed dilapidated, rain-blurred
signboards whereon boots of cakes or pairs of
blue breeches inscribed "Arshavski, Tailor,"
and so forth, were depicted. Over a shop
containing hats and caps was written "Vassili
Thedorov, Foreigner"; while, at another spot, a
signboard portrayed a billiard table and two
players--the latter clad in frockcoats of the
kind usually affected by actors whose part it is
to enter the stage during the closing act of a
piece, even though, with arms sharply
crooked and legs slightly bent, the said
billiard players were taking the most careful
aim, but succeeding only in making abortive
strokes in the air. Each emporium of the sort
had written over it: "This is the best
establishment of its kind in the town." Also, al
fresco in the streets there stood tables heaped
with nuts, soap, and gingerbread (the latter