On the other hand, the niece of a friend of mine named Bikusov--she IS a girl, and no mistake! A regular what you might call 'miracle in muslin!'" "What on earth are you talking about ?" asked Chichikov with his eyes distended.

"HOW could I carry off the Governor's daughter?
What on earth do you mean ?" "Come, come! What a secretive fellow you are! My only object in having come to see you is to lend you a helping hand in the matter.

Look here.
On condition that you will lend me three thousand roubles, I will stand you the cost of the wedding, the koliaska, and the relays of horses.

I must have the money even if I die for it." Throughout Nozdrev's maunderings Chichikov had been rubbing his eyes to ascertain whether or not he was dreaming.

What with the charge of being a forger, the accusation of having schemed an abduction, the death of the Public Prosecutor (whatever might have been its cause), and the advent of a new Governor-General, he felt utterly dismayed.
"Things having come to their present pass," he reflected, "I had better not linger here--I had better be off at once." Getting rid of Nozdrev as soon as he could, he sent for Selifan, and ordered him to be up at daybreak, in order to clean the britchka and to have everything ready for a start at six o'clock.