Pray excuse us for being unable to make better preparations for you at this time of night." Suddenly there broke in upon the hostess' words the sound of a strange hissing, a sound so loud that the guest started in alarm, and the more so seeing that it increased until the room seemed filled with adders.

On glancing upwards, however, he recovered his composure, for he perceived the sound to be emanating from the clock, which appeared to be in a mind to strike.

To the hissing sound there succeeded a wheezing one, until, putting forth its best efforts, the thing struck two with as much clatter as though some one had been hitting an iron pot with a cudgel.

That done, the pendulum returned to its right-left, right-left oscillation.
Chichikov thanked his hostess kindly, and said that he needed nothing, and she must not put herself about: only for rest was he longing--though also he should like to know whither he had arrived, and whether the distance to the country house of land-owner Sobakevitch was anything very great.

To this the lady replied that she had never so much as heard the name, since no gentleman of the name resided in the locality.
"But at least you are acquainted with landowner Manilov ?" continued Chichikov.
"No.