KRECHINSKY'S WEDDING. Comedy in three acts (1852 - 1854, published 1856)

For several months now, the landowner Pyotr Konstantinovich Muromsky, having entrusted the village economy to the manager, lives with his daughter Lidochka and her elderly aunt Anna Antonovna Atueva in Moscow. He has vast lands in the Yaroslavl province and as many as one and a half thousand serf souls - a serious condition.

Of course, the twenty-year-old girl Lidochka is a "tidbit" for Moscow dandies-grooms. But her aunt does not understand this. She believes that Lida should be shown to the world, inviting guests to the house: "you can't marry a girl without expenses." But suddenly it turns out that no expenses are needed anymore.

Lidochka secretly admits to her aunt that she already has a groom! Yesterday at the ball she danced a mazurka with Mikhail Vasilyevich Krechinsky. And he - oh, good God! - made her an offer. But what’s annoying is that there’s no time to think! The answer must be given immediately. “Michelle” is leaving Moscow not today or tomorrow and wants to know before her departure whether it is “yes” or “no”.

What should I do? After all, daddy won’t give a blessing in a hurry. He must know his future son-in-law well. And who is this Krechinsky - a highly mysterious figure. He has been going to Muromsky’s house for the whole winter, but little is known about him, although enough for his aunt and niece to be crazy about him. He is under forty. Staten, handsome. Lush sideburns. Dancing deftly. Speaks excellent French. He has a wide circle of acquaintances in high society! It seems that he also has an estate somewhere in the Simbirsk province... And what aristocratic manners he has! What charming gallantry! What exquisite taste in everything - after all, this is how charmingly he “cut” Lidochka’s solitaire (a large diamond), that is, he set it at the jeweler’s in a pin made according to his own model...

But Muromsky cannot be caught by such talk. What is the state of Krechinsky? How much land he has, how many souls - no one knows. But they say that he wanders around the clubs, plays cards and has "debts". And here is another young man, Vladimir Dmitrievich Nelysin, an old "friend of the house", all in full view. Modest, even shy. Doesn't take cards. True, she dances poorly and does not shine with manners. But on the other hand, he is a neighbor - his estate is side by side, "furrow to furrow." And he is also here, in Moscow, and also visits Muromsky's house: he is silently in love with Lidochka. Muromsky reads him as a husband to his "kralechka" and "spoiler".

However, through the efforts of the aunt and Krechinsky himself, the matter is settled in such a way that Muromsky on the same day blesses his daughter for marriage with a “wonderful man” who is “friends of princes and counts.” Nelkin is in despair. No, he will not allow this wedding to take place! He knows something about Krechinsky’s “sins”. But now he will “find out all the ins and outs” and only then will he present this “wit” and “reckless” to the old man in his true light.

And there is a "underground" thing. And what a! Krechinsky does not just play cards - he is a "terrible player". He raves about the game. And Lidochka with her dowry is only a jackpot for him, with which he can enter into a big game. “I have fifteen hundred souls in my hands,” he reflects, “and this is one and a half million, and two hundred thousand of the purest capital. After all, for this amount you can win two million! And I will win, I will win for sure.”

Yes, but you still need to get this jackpot. The blessing of a parent is only a precarious fortune, snatched from fate thanks to an inspired bluff. The bluff must be sustained to the end! But how, how?! Krechinsky's situation is catastrophic. He became involved with a "riffraff", a petty card sharper Ivan Antonovich Rasplyuev, whose unclean and insignificant winnings barely support his existence. The apartment where he lives with this pathetic scoundrel is constantly besieged by creditors. There is no money even for a cab driver! And then this vile merchant Shchebnev appears, demands to pay off the gambling debt this very minute, threatens to write down his name in the club in the shameful debt “book” today, that is, to denounce him throughout the city as a bankrupt! And this is at the very moment when Krechinsky “gets a million into his hand”... Yes, on the one hand, a million, but on the other hand, some two or three thousand are needed to pay off debts, pay bills and quickly - three day - to arrange a wedding. Without these small bets, the whole game will collapse! What is there! - it is already collapsing: Shchebnev agrees to wait only until the evening, creditors are raging menacingly outside the door.

However, there is still hope. Krechinsky sends Rasplyuev to moneylenders, ordering him to borrow money from them at any interest. They will give it, they will certainly give it, because they know Krechinsky: they will return it in full. But Rasplyuev comes with bad news. The usurers can no longer trust Krechinsky: "It must be smelled!.." They demand a reliable pledge. And what is left of the poor player! Nothing but a gold watch worth seventy-five rubles. Its end! The game is lost!

And here, in a moment of complete hopelessness, Krechinsky is struck by a brilliant idea. However, neither Rasplyuev nor the servant Fyodor can yet appreciate her brilliance. They even believe that Krechinsky has lost his mind. And indeed, he seemed to be out of his mind. He takes out a penny pin from the bureau, the same one that he used as a model when “making” Lidochka’s solitaire, looks at it with enthusiastic amazement and exclaims: “Bravo!. Hurray! Found...” What did he find? Some kind of "trinket". The stone in the pin is rhinestone, made of lead glass!

Without explaining anything, Krechinsky tells Rasplyuev to pawn a gold watch and use the proceeds to buy a sumptuous bouquet of flowers, "so that they are all made of white camellias." Meanwhile, he himself sits down to compose a letter to Lidochka. He fills him with tenderness, passion, dreams of family happiness - "the devil knows what nonsense." And, as if by the way, he asks her to send him a tapeworm with a messenger - he made a bet on its size with a certain Prince Belsky.

As soon as Rasplyuev appears, Krechinsky sends him with flowers and a note to Lidochka, explaining to him that he must get a tapeworm from her and bring the thing "in the most accurate way." Rasplyuev understood everything - Krechinsky intends to steal the diamond and run away with it from the city. But no! Krechinsky is not a thief, he still values ​​​​his honor and is not going to run anywhere. Against. While Rasplyuev is fulfilling his instructions, he orders Fyodor to prepare an apartment for a magnificent reception of the Muromsky family. The "decisive moment" is coming - will Rasplyuev bring a tapeworm or not?

Brought it! "Victoria! The Rubicon has been crossed!" Krechinsky takes both pins - fake and genuine - and rushes with them to the shop of the moneylender Nikanor Savich Bek. Asking for money as bail, he presents the moneylender with a genuine pin - “he was moved and his mouth was agape.” It’s a very valuable thing, worth ten thousand! Beck is ready to give four. Krechinsky bargains - asks for seven. Beck doesn't give in. And then Krechinsky takes the pin: he will go to another moneylender... No, no, why - to another... Beck gives six! Krechinsky agrees. However, it requires that the pin be placed in a separate box and sealed. At the moment when Beck goes to get the box, Krechinsky replaces the genuine pin with a fake one. Beck calmly puts it in the box - the diamond has already been checked both under a magnifying glass and on the scales. It is done! The game is won!

Krechinsky returns home with money and a tapeworm. Debts were paid, bills paid, expensive clothes bought, servants in black coats and white waistcoats hired, a proper dinner ordered. There is a reception of the bride and her family. Dust thrown into the eyes, gold dust, diamond! Everything is great!

But suddenly Nelkin appears at Krechinsky’s apartment. Here it is, the revelation! Nelkin has already found out everything: oh, God! Who did the most respected Peter Konstantinovich contact? Yes, these are crooks, gamblers, thieves!! They stole Lidochka’s tapeworm... What tampari?! what Prince Belsky?! Krechinsky doesn’t have the tapeworm - he pawned it to the moneylender Bek!.. Everyone is confused, everyone is horrified. Everyone except Krechinsky, for at this moment he is at the peak of his inspiration - his bluff takes on especially impressiveness. Superbly portraying a noble man whose honor has been insulted by an insidious slander, he makes Muromsky promise to “kick out” the offender if the tapeworm is immediately presented for public viewing. The old man is forced to make such a promise. Krechinsky presents the diamond with solemn indignation! Nelkin is disgraced. His card is beat Muromsky himself shows him the door. But this is not enough for Krechinsky. Success needs to be consolidated. Now the skilled player portrays a different feeling: he is shocked that the family so easily believed the vile gossip about their future son-in-law, husband!! Oh no! Now he cannot be Lidochka’s husband. He returns her heart to her, and Muromsky his blessing. The whole family begs for his forgiveness. Well, he is ready to forgive. But on one condition: the wedding must take place tomorrow to put an end to all gossip and rumors! Everyone happily agrees. Now the game is truly won!

All that remains is to gain time, that is, to send our dear guests out as soon as possible. Nelkin will not calm down. He could show up here any minute with Beck, a fake pin, and accusations of fraud. We need to be in time... The guests had already risen and moved towards the exit. But no! The doorbell rings... they knock, they break in. Nelkin made it! He showed up with Beck, and a pin, and the police! Only for a minute does Krechinsky lose his composure; ordering not to unlock the door, he grabs the handle of the chair and threatens to “blow the head off” of anyone who moves! But this is no longer a game - this is robbery! But Krechinsky is still a player, “not devoid of true nobility.” The next moment Krechinsky “throws the arm of the chair into the corner” and, like a true gambler, admits his defeat with an exclamation characteristic of a card player: “It’s broken!!!” Now he is facing the “Vladimir Road” and the “ace of diamonds on his back.” But what is this?! Lidochka saves “Michel” from the sad road to Siberia and prison clothes. “Here is a pin... which should be in collateral,” she tells the moneylender, “take it... it was a mistake!” For this, the whole family, “running away from shame,” leaves the player’s apartment.

CASE. Drama in five acts (1856 - 1861, first published 1861 in Leipzig, published in Russia - 1869)

Six years have passed since the upset wedding of Krechinsky. It would seem that the landowner Muromsky, his sister Atueva and daughter Lidochka should live peacefully in the village, forgetting about the "libelous" story with a fake diamond.

But why are they again in the capital, this time in St. Petersburg? Why is the last money living here, selling and mortgaging estates? Why is Lidochka sobbing and drying up?..

Disaster struck. And the name of this disaster is Deed. It has been under investigation for five years. It has already bypassed all judicial and appellate instances - from the Civil and Criminal Chambers to the Governing Senate. And there are so many papers in this case that they are "carried from presence to presence on a dray"!

But what's the deal? Has Krechinsky really fallen for the referee's hook? Oh no! The case - oddly enough - is called the Muromsky case. The investigation is underway against Lidochka. She is suspect! And in what? In the first place, that she knew about Krechinsky's intention to rob Muromsky. Secondly, she helped him in this. And thirdly, she provided this criminal assistance to him because she was in an illegal love affair with him.

But this is nonsense!.. Can't the Russian officials - "Heads", "Forces" and "Subordinations", as the author of the play classified them in the section "Characters" - do not see how far these suspicions are from the essence of the matter? Or are they complete idiots?! but no - bright heads! And this is better than others understood by the seasoned, but in his own way noble player Krechinsky. "They want to take a bribe from you - give it; the consequences of your refusal can be cruel," he warns Muromsky in a letter sent at the beginning of the investigation. The ability to snatch a large bribe - that's the whole point of the matter for judicial chicane.

It is for this purpose that they turn the investigation against Muromsky’s daughter. There is nothing to take from Krechinsky. However, they tried to “take” from him: he was “made an offer to make some testimony regarding the honor” of Lidochka. But Krechinsky did not agree. However, this did not save Lidochka. The “necessary” testimony was given by Rasplyuev and the Muromskikh cook.

And now those "cruel consequences" that Krechinsky warned about are coming. Lidochka has already been dragged into the case with her head - she already "they want to give face-to-face confrontations." And with whom! With the cook Petrushka, with the swindler Rasplyuev, and even on the subject of her adulterous connection with Krechinsky!

From all sides, Muromsky is being persuaded to bow to the "Baal idol" - the Official - to bring him a sacrifice, to give a bribe! Ivan Sidorov Razuvaev, the manager of the estates of Murom, especially insists on this, a man who is sincerely devoted to the family. From his own experience, he knows that otherwise there is no way to escape from the clawed clutches of the devilish bureaucratic tribe.

You can hint about a bribe through a trusted person. And there is such a person. This is a collegiate adviser (from the category of "Sil") Kandid Kastorovich Tarelkin. He seems to be trying to help the Muromskys, visiting their apartment, giving advice. And most importantly, he serves under the real state councilor Maxim Kuzmich Varravin, in whose hands the case is.

Reluctantly, Muromsky agrees to act through Tarelkin. Razuvaev, with peasant dexterity, makes it clear to Tarelkin that his master wants to meet Varravin. And with the same dexterity he gives Tarelkin a bribe - "lubricates the wheels." Tarelkin promises to give Muromsky a reception at Varravin's. Now this is where things get settled. Moreover, Tarelkin, as Razuvaev assures Muromsky, did not accidentally make acquaintance with the family: "this is a scam," the savvy man claims. And he's right.

Tarelkin is not just a subordinate - he is “a close person to Varravin.” He immediately reports to the boss about the success of the enterprise, and at the same time about the financial circumstances of the family - which estates have been sold, which have been mortgaged, that is, how much money can now be extracted from the petitioner. “You can’t have a special mass!” - Tarelkin warns, although he himself is vitally interested in the “special mass”: firstly, he half arranged the matter, and, therefore, the boss should share it with him, and secondly, Tarelkin’s position is disastrous - he has a decent position and rank, and not a penny for his soul When “Power and Chance” presents itself, Tarelkin himself will strip anyone “to the point of exhaustion, naked!” But this is not the case now. The circumstances of the Muromskys are difficult. Varravin is eager to grab a fortune - as much as 30 thousand! Well, no - “that’s enough.” The petitioner can barely scrape together 25. Well, that much will do! No, the petitioner still needs to pay off his debts... With great difficulty, Tarelkin manages to moderate the boss’s ardor to 20 thousand.

And now Muromsky is already in Varravin's office. There is a trade.

Muromsky, with his characteristic innocence, assures that the goods with which the goddess of justice Themis in the person of Varravin trades on her scales are, in essence, simple. The case is only "from the legal proceedings received such confusion."

But Varravin shows Muromsky how subtle and cunning, and therefore expensive, the goods are. After all, the matter is “swinging and double-edged” - it is such that “if you lead there, then it will all go there <...> and if it is led here, then everything <...> will go here.” Like this? And here it is: two witnesses - Rasplyuev and the police official Lapa - testified during interrogation that Lidochka, giving the real diamond to the moneylender, exclaimed: “it was my mistake!”, Other witnesses - Muromsky himself and Atueva - claim that she simply said: "it was a mistake." That's where the trick is! If it’s just a “mistake,” then Lidochka is not guilty of anything, and if she “used the pronoun “mine,” then this means that Lidochka is a direct participant in the crime, Krechinsky’s mistress, etc. This is what the whole huge matter rests on, maintaining "swing and double-edgedness" - the most important properties that make it possible to take boldly and a lot "under the canopy and shadow of the dense forest of laws", without fear of the higher authorities. They will not ask why the matter suddenly went "there, and not here" "? Doesn’t this smack of a bribe? No, the law allows Varravin to rely on the testimony of any of the pair of witnesses. So in his hands is not only Themis’s scales, but also her punishing sword. And where this sword will hit depends, of course, on the amount bribes.

But with the amount, Varravin just “had enough” - he didn’t listen to Tarelkin! Inspired by the confusion of the petitioner, he demands not 20, but 24 thousand, and in silver! And this is 84 thousand in banknotes - the cost of the Muromsky family estate! Well, should we sell it and go around the world?! But no!! He will not give the official Streshnevo - “the ashes of the fathers” and “the property of the grandfathers”! He will now go not to the “Forces”, but to the “Superiors” - to the Important Person, the “Privy Councilor by Service” and the “Prince by Birth”, under whose control the entire department is located. He’ll help his brother, a nobleman, and he doesn’t need money - he’s rich!

These thoughts of Muromsky, expressed in private, are overheard by Tarelkin. He immediately reports to Varravin about the petitioner's intention to seek the truth above. the catch is slipping away! After all, such nonsense can really hit the prince's head - condescend to the grief of the landowner: he is a man of moods. The last circumstance is precisely what Varravin takes into account, and therefore he is calm. He orders Tarelkin to arrange so that Muromsky gets an appointment with his Excellency "in the very soda," that is, in the morning, when the Prince, suffering from a stomach, takes soda water and is in the worst mood. And Tarelkin arranges it.

Applicant at the reception. And everything is going great. While the unfortunate Muromsky, confused and confused, explains that the matter “came together out of nothing, wrapped itself around itself,” the Prince, suffering from stomach cramps, puffs and rubs his stomach - of course, he has nothing to do with anything! Varravin, present right there, is already celebrating the victory in his soul. But what is this?! Where is the conversation going?! To hell! Enraged by the insulting indifference of the illustrious official to the matter and to him, a nobleman and an old officer who fought with Bonaparte for the Tsar and the Fatherland, Muromsky is insolent to the Prince! Blames the laws!!! Courts!!! Scandal! Riot! Drag him to the police!.. Or to the yellow house! - He was wounded in the head near Mozhaisk... Muromsky was thrown out.

And now the Prince already cares about the Muromsky case. He orders Varravin to select from the investigative documents those “significant facts” that raise suspicion of a criminal connection between the “girl” and the “well done” Krechinsky, and “turn the whole case to re-investigation and to the strictest... strictest” - against the Muromskys. Varravin is in despair. The prince "messed up" everything. The matter is losing its double-edged edge. The bribe fails! After all, Muromsky “is dangerous. If you take him and he doesn’t get the job done, he’ll probably make a scandal.” But it is no longer possible to turn the matter around “this way and that” - it has already been turned by the “Superiors”. What to do?!

Tarelkin tells him - he must take it! The prince was convinced that the petitioner was out of his mind - “he has no faith,” let him make a scandal... Great idea! Varravin pretends that he accepts her completely. Yes, he will take it. But Tarelkin doesn’t even suspect that the boss has another idea, a much more subtle one, full of sophisticated bureaucratic cunning!

The family, finally killed by the fact that Lidochka is threatened with complete dishonor - a medical examination for her virginity (this turn has now taken place at the behest of the "Administrations" and the zeal of the "Forces"), is ready to give any bribe. Varravin is now asking for 30. Well! Money is pooled together - even Razuvaev contributes his share, family diamonds are sold. The amount is drawn up and placed in the package.

Varravin is waiting for Muromsky with this package in his office. Getting ready to take. However, strange gives orders. For some reason, he orders Tarelkin to call the executor Ivan Andreevich Zhivets and put him in the waiting room. What follows is even more amazing.

The petitioner appears. Varravin locks himself in the office with him. Muromsky leaves the office, inspired by hope: he gave the bag of money to Varravin, and he, thank God, promised to settle the matter! Muromsky leaves. Varravin immediately appears at the office door. In his hands is a bag of money - the same one he received from Muromsky. He orders the executor to remain in place. He calls the courier and demands that he immediately catch up and return the applicant. Muromsky is brought in. Varravin, with a dramatic gesture, throws him a bag of money: Varravin does not take bribes! you can't buy it!! Let Muromsky take the money and get out of his libelous business! Otherwise, Varravin will “prosecute” him “to the full extent of the laws” for giving a bribe to a government official - the executor is a witness...

Complete nonsense! Varravin didn’t take it! Is he an idiot, or what?! No, bright head! The money in the package is no longer 30 thousand. It's only 1350 rubles! Varravin took it. But he took it in such a way that the Important Person and the Very Important Person - the father-bosses who came to the noise, as well as other persons, became witnesses to his incorruptibility. Varravin beat everyone, including Tarelkin, who received nothing, although he belatedly figured out the boss's plan. As for old man Muromsky, he suffered a blow in the department. He was taken home. There he gave his soul to God. Now he won't say anything during the investigation. However, before his death, at that moment, when Muromsky was still in the department, in one of the highest official places of the state among the varravinas, live bait and saucers, he had already said everything he could say: “here... they are robbing!.. I I say out loud - they are robbing!!!"

DEATH OF TARELKIN. Comedy-joke in three acts (1857 - 1869, published 1869)

Tarelkin did not receive a penny from his boss Varravin - not only for the Muromsky case, but also for many subsequent cases. However, he continued to live in a big way.

And now his situation is no longer disastrous, but catastrophic. Countless creditors take by the throat. He can not escape the dismissal from the service and the debtor's prison.

And this is at a time when he can break a huge jackpot from Varravin! He has in his hands "all Varravin's most intimate correspondence", that is, papers exposing Varravin in bribery and other malfeasance - Tarelkin stole them from the boss.

But after all, Varravin, to whom Tarelkin had already hinted about the papers, would grind him to powder. In any case, it will help creditors immediately put him in Siberia. How to be? Here's how to simulate your own death! You can't take money from a dead person. But with Varravin, Tarelkin "money is delightful, ruble for ruble, jackpot for jackpot," he will wait a year or two, and then, "having settled in a safe place," he will begin to blackmail His Excellency with evil and boldness!

In addition, the case for "death" is the most suitable. Tarelkin has just come from the cemetery. "I buried the bones" of my roommate, court adviser of the Force Silych Kopylov. And he, darling, as it is written in his form (passport), "is single. No relatives, no children; has no family." Therefore, no one will worry about him, even creditors - there are no debts either! And his form - here it is! at Tarelkin! Other documents and little things of the late Force Silych are here, in the apartment. Great! Tarelkin will now be "deceased", and Kopylov will be "alive"!

Tarelkin makes up himself to look like Kopylov, a sixty-year-old man. Dressed up in his clothes. Parts with his wig, which he wore constantly, hiding his baldness. He takes out his false teeth and hunches over. He glues his sideburns... It's like Kopylov!

Yes, but now it is necessary to bury Tarelkin - "arrange an official certain death." For this, the police have already been notified of his death. Colleagues are invited to the apartment of the deceased. There is also a deceased. In a coffin in the middle of a mournfully darkened room lies a cotton doll in Tarelkin's uniform. So that they don’t come close to her and don’t really look at her, Tarelkin orders the maid Mavrusha to buy rotten fish and put it in the coffin, and when colleagues come to wail and lament: because, they say, Tarelkin stinks so much that he has been lying for a long time, there is no money to bury. Let them scoundrels bury their comrade at their own expense!

In the apartment, filled with an intolerable stench, officials led by Varravin appear. Mavrusha plays the performance excellently. The stench also plays its role, prompting colleagues to quickly give Mavrusha money for the funeral and get out of the stinking apartment. Everyone leaves with relief.

Only Varravin is terribly worried: Mavrusha (at the instigation of Tarelkin) let him know that the deceased was hiding some secret papers, but where? God knows, the police will come to describe the property - they will find it. For Varravin, this is death! He must find these papers before they fall into the hands of the authorities. And so he again returns to Tarelkin's apartment.

Varravin sternly orders Mavrusha to show these papers of the deceased. But, of course, he cannot find his letters among them. They are in the bosom of Tarelkin, who, chuckling, hides here, in the apartment, on the Kopylovsky half, separated by a screen.

Finally, the police also appear - the quarter warder Rasplyuev. Yes, yes, the same Rasplyuev, a swindler and a cheat! Now he is in office. Varravin immediately notices all the properties of the quarter warden - and stupid helpfulness, and stupidity, and aggressiveness. They are in his hands. He orders Rasplyuev to "interrogate" Mavrusha for some missing papers of the deceased. Rasplyuev "interrogates" the maid, poking her in the nose with his fist. But there is no result.

Varravin is in despair. For Tarelkin, on the contrary, everything is going great. He is already openly walking around the apartment under the guise of Kopylov. The coffin with his "body" is already being taken out. And Tarelkin even delivers a memorial speech for the "deceased" in the presence of Varravin and other officials. The dark-comic extravaganza is in full swing!

Tarelkin is packing his bags - he will go from St. Petersburg to Moscow and there he will wait in the wings. Rasplyuev, who returned to the apartment from the funeral, finds him behind the fees. Creditors are crowded here, eager to take the debtor into circulation. Tarelkin sends them out with pleasure - the debtor has died, and the property has been described!

But here’s another creditor - some captain of the Polutatarins... Strange! - Tarelkin didn’t have such a creditor... And what is he, the scoundrel, weaving?! He allegedly lent the deceased a gold watch. And now he needs to look for them - everywhere! even in the papers... Tarelkin still does not realize that the creditor is his cunning boss, who has dressed himself in a worn military overcoat, glued on a thick mustache, put on a wig and green glasses.

However, Varravin does not recognize Tarelkin either. Chatting his teeth to Rasplyuev and assuring the imaginary Kopylov that the deceased was a notorious scoundrel and a swindler, he rummages through the cabinets and chests of drawers - looking for his letters. Tarelkin, forgetting from resentment and anger, defends the "deceased" with excessive fervour. Word for word - the conversation turns into a scandal. The captain of the Polutatarins, aka Varravin, suddenly notices that Kopylov looks very much like Tarelkin - only hair and teeth are missing. And then Tarelkin's wig and teeth are found in the chest of drawers!!

With the help of Rasplyuev, who tied the “dead man” with a towel, “Polutatarinov” forcibly places a wig on “Kopylov’s” head, inserts his teeth... Yes, this is Tarelkin! Without a doubt! "Polutatarinov" knew him well! Rasplyuev believes that there is a coincidental similarity here - after all, he personally buried Tarelkin. However, Varravin, remaining Captain Polutatarinov for Rasplyuev (Tarelkin had already recognized his boss), advises the quarterly supervisor “not to release this subject and subject him to arrest.” Rasplyuev examines Kopylov’s passport - he seems to be fine.

At this moment, Rasplyuev’s subordinate musketeer Kachala appears from the police station with papers, from which it is clear that the court councilor Sila Silych Kopylov has died. Bah! Splyuev is now completely confused, no - terrified! Kopylov died... Tarelkin died... And who then is this fantastic gentleman who is Kopylov by passport, but Tarelkin by appearance?!

And here Varravin, who continues to play the role of a well-meaning captain, takes the situation into his own hands. He inspires Rasplyuev that in front of him is a ghoul, a werewolf! He must be twisted with ropes, dragged to the police station and put in a "secret", that is, in a punishment cell.

Now everything is going like clockwork for Varravin. Bound Tarelkin sits in the "secret". Rasplyuev enthusiastically reports to the private bailiff Okh that "at the apartment of the deceased Tarelkin and the deceased Kopylov" he took a werewolf. It's a serious matter. The bailiff tries to report him to his superiors. Suddenly Varravin appears - already in his own form. Having "understood" the case, he announces that it is extremely serious - "supernatural". Ranks and orders will certainly be given for his investigation! And if you report to the authorities, they will let down their investigator - all honors will go to a stranger. It's better to run the business yourself. The werewolf, for the speedy promotion of the case, should be tortured with thirst, absolutely not give him water: werewolves do not die from this, but only come into "strong languor".

Through the efforts of Varravin, Rasplyuev is appointed chief investigator in the werewolf case. Helps him Oh, Musketeers Kachala and Shatala.

And things are going full steam ahead!

Arrested, beaten, interrogated, imprisoned in "secret" or taxed anyone who comes to hand - from the janitor and laundress to the merchant and landowner, In fear of the investigators, witnesses give any required testimony. Yes, and how not to give! Deal something after all already not simply "supernatural." It's a matter of national importance! The chief werewolf, tormented by thirst, candidly reveals that the werewolves are "a whole lot". His accomplices are "all Petersburg and all Moscow". What is there! Spitting out "such an opinion" that "our whole fatherland" is subject to werewolf. And therefore "it should be decided by the rule: everyone should be arrested," everyone should be "suspected" and "grabbed"!! “All of ours!” Rasplyuev and Okh screamed, laughing. “We will demand all of Russia.”

But, in essence, only Tarelkin is required. When the "werewolf" from torture by thirst reaches the deathbed "languor", Varravin appears. He is now interrogating.

He orders Kachala to bring a glass of running water into the "secret" room and, holding it before the eyes of the person under investigation, praises the contents with relish - oh, how good the water is! Tarelkin can drink it right now! But only if he returns Varravin his secret papers. Tarelkin gives them back. It is done. The official beat everyone again. Tarelkin can only beg Varravin to give him at least Kopylov's passport - it's impossible to live without a passport! Having received the form and Kopylov's certificates, Tarelkin thanks the boss - "his own father" - for his mercy and gets out.

Author of the retelling: V. O. Otroshenko

<< Back: Alexey Konstantinovich Tolstoy 1817-1875 (Prince Silver. The Tale of the Times of Ivan the Terrible (late 1840s-1861). The Death of Ivan the Terrible. Tragedy (1862-1864). Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich. Tragedy (1864-1868). Tsar Boris. Tragedy (1868-1869))

>> Forward: Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev 1818-1883 (Diary of an extra person. Tale (1848-1850). A month in the village. Comedy (1850, published 1855). Rudin. Novel (1855). Asya. Tale (1858). Noble nest. Novel (1858). The day before. Novel (1859). First love. Tale (1860). Fathers and sons. Novel (1862). Smoke. Novel (1867). New. Novel (1876). Klara Milich (After Death). Tale (1883))

We recommend interesting articles Section Lecture notes, cheat sheets:

▪ Medical physics. Crib

▪ Special psychologist. Crib

▪ Information law. Crib

See other articles Section Lecture notes, cheat sheets.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

Random news from the Archive A metallic substance that does not conduct heat when an electric current is passed 29.12.2019 Researchers from the American National Laboratory at Berkeley have discovered a new substance that, being in a metallic state, conducts electricity well, being, at the same time, a thermal insulator. This feature of this material can be very useful in some areas, however, it fundamentally breaks all established principles and understanding of how electrical conductors work. The properties of a substance discovered back in 2017 violate the Wiedemann-Franz law, according to which the thermal conductivity of a conductive material is proportional to its electrical conductivity. It is in accordance with this law that things such as electric heaters, electromagnets and electric motors become warm and even hot during their use. The substance detected is vanadium dioxide (VO2), a material that under normal conditions is a transparent dielectric. But when the temperature rises above 67 degrees Celsius, this material passes into a metallic conductive phase. "The unusual properties of vanadium dioxide destroy all our understanding derived from physics textbooks," the researchers write. "This discovery is of great importance for understanding the behavior of electrons in some materials." In order to understand where such bizarre properties come from in vanadium dioxide (thermal conductivity, which is 10 times less than the value determined by the Wiedemann-Franz law), scientists studied how electrons move in the crystal lattice of this material. And the reason for this was the unusual synchronization of the movement of all electrons. "Electrons inside this material move all together as a fluid flow, and not as separate particles, which is the case in other metallic substances," the researchers write. other materials." In their research, scientists began to introduce various additives into vanadium dioxide and see how this would affect the properties of the material. The addition of tungsten made it possible to lower the transition temperature of the material to the metallic state and to increase its thermal conductivity. This will allow, for example, to create cooling elements that will start working only when the temperature of the cooled object exceeds a certain threshold. The new material has another unique property - under normal conditions, this material is transparent in all light ranges, but at temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius, it begins to reflect infrared light, remaining transparent to visible light. Thanks to these properties, vanadium dioxide with some additives can be used as a coating for "smart" windows that can lower the temperature in a room without the need for air conditioning.

Other interesting news:

▪ Butterflies fly like birds

▪ LG Stylus 2 Smartphone with DAB+ Digital Broadcasting

▪ Invisibility cloak for solar panels

▪ The internet is bad for trees

▪ Expansion board X-NUCLEO-IDS01A4

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ section of the site Palindromes. Article selection

▪ article Scattered from Basseinaya Street. Popular expression

▪ How do British people remember the phrase I love you? Detailed answer

▪ chicken pox article. Health care

▪ article Geotronics: electronics in geodesy. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article Live computer. Focus Secret

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages ​​of this page

Arabic	Hebrew	Polish
Bengali	Hindi	Portuguese
Chinese	Italian	Spanish
English	Japanese	Turkish
French	Korean	Ukrainian
German	Malay	Vietnamese

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews

www.diagram.com.ua
2000-2024