Suddenly, and as unexpectedly as though the sound had come from the clouds, there made itself heard the tinkling notes of a collar-bell, and then the rumble of wheels approaching the entrance steps, and, lastly, the snorting and hard breathing of a team of horses as a vehicle came to a standstill.

Involuntarily all present glanced through the window, and saw a man clad in a semi-military greatcoat leap from a buggy.

After making an inquiry or two in the hall, he entered the dining-room just at the juncture when Chichikov, almost swooning with terror, had found himself placed in about as awkward a situation as could well befall a mortal man.
"Kindly tell me which of you is Monsieur Nozdrev ?" said the unknown with a glance of perplexity both at the person named (who was still standing with pipe-shank upraised) and at Chichikov (who was just beginning to recover from his unpleasant predicament).
"Kindly tell ME whom I have the honour of addressing ?" retorted Nozdrev as he approached the official.
"I am the Superintendent of Rural Police." "And what do you want ?" "I have come to fulfil a commission imposed upon me.

That is to say, I have come to place you under arrest until your case shall have been decided." "Rubbish! What case, pray ?" "The case in which you involved yourself when, in a drunken condition, and through the instrumentality of a walking-stick, you offered grave offence to the person of Landowner Maksimov." "You lie! To your face I tell you that never in my life have I set eyes upon Landowner Maksimov." "Good sir, allow me to represent to you that I am a Government officer.
Speeches like that you may address to your servants, but not to me." At this point Chichikov, without waiting for Nozdrev's reply, seized his cap, slipped behind the Superintendent's back, rushed out on to the verandah, sprang into his britchka, and ordered Selifan to drive like the wind..