"You see, never before have I sold dead souls." "Quite so.

It would be a surprising thing if you had.

But surely you do not think that these dead souls are in the least worth keeping ?" "Oh, no, indeed! Why should they be worth keeping?
I am sure they are not so.

The only thing which troubles me is the fact that they are DEAD." "She seems a truly obstinate old woman!" was Chichikov's inward comment.
"Look here, madam," he added aloud.

"You reason well, but you are simply ruining yourself by continuing to pay the tax upon dead souls as though they were still alive." "Oh, good sir, do not speak of it!" the lady exclaimed.