parts? ... No, my dear fellow, it's not a sin,
it's salvation! God made you and God made the girl too. He made it all;
so it is no sin to look at a nice girl. That's what she was made for;
to be loved and to give joy. That's how I judge it, my good fellow.'

Having crossed the yard and entered a cool dark storeroom filled with
barrels, Maryanka went up to one of them and repeating the usual prayer
plunged a dipper into it. Vanyusha standing in the doorway smiled as he
looked at her. He thought it very funny that she had only a smock on,
close-fitting behind and tucked up in front, and still funnier that she
wore a necklace of silver coins. He thought this quite un-Russian and
that they would all laugh in the serfs' quarters at home if they saw a
girl like that. 'La fille comme c'est tres bien, for a change,' he
thought. 'I'll tell that to my master.'

'What are you standing in the light for, you devil!' the girl suddenly
shouted. 'Why don't you pass me the decanter!'

Having filled the decanter with cool red wine, Maryanka handed it to
Vanyusha.

'Give the money to Mother,' she said, pushing away the hand in which he
held the money.

Vanyusha laughed.

'Why are you so cross, little dear?' he said good-naturedly,
irresolutely shuffling with his feet while the girl was covering the
barrel.

She began to laugh.

'And you! Are you kind?'

'We, my master and I, are very kind,' Vanyusha answered decidedly. 'We
are so kind that wherever we have stayed our hosts were always very
grateful. It's because he's generous.'

The girl stood listening.

'And is your master married?' she asked.

'No. The master is young and unmarried, because noble gentlemen can
never marry young,' said Vanyusha didactically.

'A likely thing! See what a fed-up buffalo he is--and too young to
marry! Is he the chief of you all?' she asked.

'My master is a cadet; that means he's not yet an officer, but he's
more important than a general--he's an important man! Because not only
our colonel, but the Tsar himself, knows him,' proudly explained
Vanyusha. 'We are not like those other beggars in the line regiment,
and our papa himself was a Senator. He had more than a thousand serfs,
all his own, and they send us a thousand rubles at a time. That's why
everyone likes us. Another may be a captain but have no money. What's
the use of that?'

'Go away. I'll lock up,' said the girl, interrupting him.

Vanyusha brought Olenin the wine and anno