Truly it was a pleasure to look at it.
"And do you mind handing me the earnest money ?" said Sobakevitch?
"Yes, I do.

Why need that be done?
You can receive the money in a lump sum as soon as we visit the town." "But it is always the custom, you know," asserted Sobakevitch.
"Then I cannot follow it, for I have no money with me.

However, here are ten roubles." "Ten roubles, indeed?
You might as well hand me fifty while you are about it." Once more Chichikov started to deny that he had any money upon him, but Sobakevitch insisted so strongly that this was not so that at length the guest pulled out another fifteen roubles, and added them to the ten already produced.
"Kindly give me a receipt for the money," he added.
"A receipt?
Why should I give you a receipt ?" "Because it is better to do so, in order to guard against mistakes." "Very well; but first hand me over the money." "The money?
I have it here.

Do you write out the receipt, and then the money shall be yours." "Pardon me, but how am I to write out the receipt before I have seen the cash ?" Chichikov placed the notes in Sobakevitch's hand; whereupon the host moved nearer to the table, and added to the list of serfs a note that he had received for the peasants, therewith sold, the sum of twenty-five roubles, as earnest money.

This done, he counted the notes once more.
"This is a very OLD note," he remarked, holding one up to the light.
"Also, it is a trifle torn.