eaked,
and there was the sound of hurried footsteps, coming in and going
out.

"Yegorushka, Yegorushka!" he heard two bass voices whisper. "Get
up; it is time to start."

Somebody, it seemed to be Deniska, set him on his feet and led him
by the arm. On the way he half-opened his eyes and once more saw
the beautiful lady in the black dress who had kissed him. She was
standing in the middle of the room and watched him go out, smiling
at him and nodding her head in a friendly way. As he got near the
door he saw a handsome, stoutly built, dark man in a bowler hat and
in leather gaiters. This must have been the lady's escort.

"Woa!" he heard from the yard.

At the front door Yegorushka saw a splendid new carriage and a pair
of black horses. On the box sat a groom in livery, with a long whip
in his hands. No one but Solomon came to see the travellers off.
His face was tense with a desire to laugh; he looked as though he
were waiting impatiently for the visitors to be gone, so that he
might laugh at them without restraint.

"The Countess Dranitsky," whispered Father Christopher, clambering
into the chaise.

"Yes, Countess Dranitsky," repeated Kuzmitchov, also in a whisper.

The impression made by the arrival of the countess was probably
very great, for even Deniska spoke in a whisper, and only ventured
to lash his bays and shout when the chaise had driven a quarter of
a mile away and nothing could be seen of the inn but a dim light.

IV

Who was this elusive, mysterious Varlamov of whom people talked so
much, whom Solomon despised, and whom even the beautiful countess
needed? Sitting on the box beside Deniska, Yegorushka, half asleep,
thought about this person. He had never seen him. But he had often
heard of him and pictured him in his imagination. He knew that
Varlamov possessed several tens of thousands of acres of land, about
a hundred thousand sheep, and a great deal of money. Of his manner
of life and occupation Yegorushka knew nothing, except that he was
always "going his rounds in these parts," and he was always being
looked for.

At home Yegorushka had heard a great deal of the Countess Dranitsky,
too. She, too, had some tens of thousands of acres, a great many
sheep, a stud farm and a great deal of money, but she did not "go
rounds," but lived at home in a splendid house and grounds, about
which Ivan Ivanitch, who had been more than once at the countess's
on business, and other acquaintances told many