Khlestakov and Merchants, with a basket of wine and sugar loaves.
KHLESTAKOV. What is it, friends?
MERCHANTS. We beseech your favor.
KHLESTAKOV. What do you want?
MERCHANTS. Don't ruin us, your Worship. We suffer insult and wrong
wholly without cause.
KHLESTAKOV. From whom?
A MERCHANT. Why, from our governor here. Such a governor there never was
yet in the world, your Worship. No words can describe the injuries he
inflicts upon us. He has taken the bread out of our mouths by quartering
soldiers on us, so that you might as well put your neck in a noose.
He doesn't treat you as you deserve. He catches hold of your beard
and says, "Oh, you Tartar!" Upon my word, if we had shown him any
disrespect, but we obey all the laws and regulations. We don't mind
giving him what his wife and daughter need for their clothes, but
no, that's not enough. So help me God! He comes to our shop and takes
whatever his eyes fall on. He sees a piece of cloth and says, "Oh, my
friends, that's a fine piece of goods. Take it to my house." So we take
it to his house. It will be almost forty yards.
KHLESTAKOV. Is it possible? My, what a swindler!
MERCHANTS. So help us God! No one remembers a governor like him. When
you see him coming you hide everything in the shop. It isn't only that
he wants a few delicacies and fineries. He takes every bit of trash,
too--prunes that have been in the barrel seven years and that even the
boy in my shop would not eat, and he grabs a fist full. His name day is
St. Anthony's, and you'd think there's nothing else left in the world to
bring him and that he doesn't want any more. But no, you must give him
more. He says St. Onufry's is also his name day. What's to be done? You
have to take things to him on St. Onufry's day, too.
KHLESTAKOV. Why, he's a plain robber.
MERCHANTS. Yes, indeed! And try to contradict him, and he'll fill your
house with a whole regiment of soldiers. And if you say anything, he
orders the doors closed. "I won't inflict corporal punishment on you,"
he says, "or put you in the rack. That's forbidden by law," he says.
"But I'll make you swallow salt herring, my good man."
KHLESTAKOV. What a swindler! For such things a man can be sent to
Siberia.
MERCHANTS. It doesn't matter where you are pleased to send him. Only the
farthest away from here the better. Father, don't scorn to accept our
bread and salt. We pay our respects to you with sugar and a basket of
wine.
KHLESTAKOV. No, no. Don't think of it. I don't take bribes. Oh, if, for
example, you would offer me a loan of three hundred rubles, that's quite
different. I am willing to take a loan.
MERCHANTS. If you please, father. [They take out money.] But what is
three hundred? Better take five hundred. Only help us.
KHLESTAKOV. Very well. About a loan I won't say a word. I'll take it.
MERCHANTS [proffering him the money on a silver tray]. Do please take
the tray, too.
KHLESTAKOV. Very well. I can take the tray, too.
MERCHANTS [bowing]. Then take the sugar at the same time.
KHLESTAKOV. Oh, no. I take no bribes.
OSIP. Why don't you take the sugar, your Highness? Take it. Everything
will come in handy on the road. Give here the sugar and that case. Give
them here. It'll all be of use. What have you got there--a string?
Give it here. A string will be handy on the road, too, if the coach or
something else should break--for tying it up.
MERCHANTS. Do us this great favor, your illustrious Highness. Why, if
you don't help us in our appeal to you, then we simply don't know how we
are to exist. We might as well put our necks in a noose.
KHLESTAKOV. Positively, positively. I shall exert my efforts in your
behalf.
[The Merchants leave. A woman's voice is heard saying:]
"Don't you dare not to let me in. I'll make a complaint against you to
him himself. Don't push me that way. It hurts."
KHLESTAKOV. Who is there? [Goes to the window.] What is it, mother?
[Two women's voices are heard:] "We beseech your grace, father. Give
orders, your Lordship, for us to be heard."
KHLESTAKOV. Let her in.