I'm glad to see you.
Take a seat, take a seat.
Will you have a cigar? [Offers him a cigar.]
LUKA [to himself, hesitating].
There now!
That's something I hadn't anticipated.
To take or not to take?
KHLESTAKOV.
Take it, take it. It's a pretty good cigar.
Of course not what you get in St. Petersburg.
There I used to smoke twenty-five cent cigars. You feel like kissing yourself after having smoked one of them.
Here, light it. [Hands him a candle.]
Luka Lukich tries to light the cigar shaking all over.
KHLESTAKOV. Not that end, the other.
LUKA [drops the cigar from fright, spits and shakes his hands. Aside].
Confound it! My damned timidity has ruined me!
KHLESTAKOV.
I see you are not a lover of cigars.
I confess smoking is my weakness—smoking and the fair sex.
Not for the life of me can I remain indifferent to the fair sex.
How about you?
Which do you like more, brunettes or blondes?
Luka Lukich remains silent, at a complete loss what to say.
KHLESTAKOV. Tell me frankly, brunettes or blondes?
LUKA.
I don't dare to know.
KHLESTAKOV.
No, no, don't evade.
I'm bound to know your taste.
LUKA.
I venture to report to you—[Aside.] I don't know what I'm saying.
KHLESTAKOV.
Ah, you don't want to say.
I suppose some little brunette or other has cast a spell over you.
Confess, she has, hasn't she?
Luka Lukich remains silent.
KHLESTAKOV. Ah, you're blushing.
You see.
Why don't you speak?
LUKA.
I'm scared, your Hon—High—Ex—[Aside.] Done for! My confounded tongue has undone me!
KHLESTAKOV.
You're scared?
There IS something awe-inspiring in my eyes, isn't there?
At least I know not a single woman can resist them. Isn't that so?
LUKA.
Exactly.
KHLESTAKOV.
A strange thing happened to me on the road. I ran entirely out of cash.
Can you lend me three hundred rubles?