However, on the present occasion, the meeting was NOT one of this kind; it was a meeting convoked of necessity, and likely in view of the threatened calamity to affect every tchinovnik in the place.

Also, in addition to the great divergency of views expressed thereat, there was visible in all the speakers an invincible tendency to indecision which led them at one moment to make assertions, and at the next to contradict the same.

But on at least one point all seemed to agree--namely, that Chichikov's appearance and conversation were too respectable for him to be a forger or a disguised brigand.

That is to say, all SEEMED to agree on the point; until a sudden shout arose from the direction of the Postmaster, who for some time past had been sitting plunged in thought.
"_I_ can tell you," he cried, "who Chichikov is!" "Who, then ?" replied the crowd in great excitement.
"He is none other than Captain Kopeikin." "And who may Captain Kopeikin be ?" Taking a pinch of snuff (which he did with the lid of his snuff-box half-open, lest some extraneous person should contrive to insert a not over-clean finger into the stuff), the Postmaster related the following story [35].
"After fighting in the campaign of 1812, there was sent home, wounded, a certain Captain Kopeikin--a headstrong, lively blade who, whether on duty or under arrest, made things lively for everybody.

Now, since at Krasni or at Leipzig (it matters not which) he had lost an arm and a leg, and in those days no provision was made for wounded soldiers, and he could not work with his left arm alone, he set out to see his father.
Unfortunately his father could only just support himself, and was forced to tell his son so; wherefore the Captain decided to go and apply for help in St.Petersburg, seeing that he had risked his life for his country, and had lost much blood in its service.