the yarn also.

Then Simon showed him how to wax the thread. This also Michael mastered.
Next Simon showed him how to twist the bristle in, and how to sew, and
this, too, Michael learned at once.

Whatever Simon showed him he understood at once, and after three days he
worked as if he had sewn boots all his life. He worked without stopping,
and ate little. When work was over he sat silently, looking upwards.
He hardly went into the street, spoke only when necessary, and neither
joked nor laughed. They never saw him smile, except that first evening
when Matryona gave them supper.

VI

Day by day and week by week the year went round. Michael lived and
worked with Simon. His fame spread till people said that no one sewed
boots so neatly and strongly as Simon's workman, Michael; and from all
the district round people came to Simon for their boots, and he began to
be well off.

One winter day, as Simon and Michael sat working, a carriage on
sledge-runners, with three horses and with bells, drove up to the hut.
They looked out of the window; the carriage stopped at their door, a
fine servant jumped down from the box and opened the door. A gentleman
in a fur coat got out and walked up to Simon's hut. Up jumped Matryona
and opened the door wide. The gentleman stooped to enter the hut, and
when he drew himself up again his head nearly reached the ceiling, and
he seemed quite to fill his end of the room.

Simon rose, bowed, and looked at the gentleman with astonishment. He had
never seen any one like him. Simon himself was lean, Michael was thin,
and Matryona was dry as a bone, but this man was like some one from
another world: red-faced, burly, with a neck like a bull's, and looking
altogether as if he were cast in iron.

The gentleman puffed, threw off his fur coat, sat down on the bench, and
said, "Which of you is the master bootmaker?"

"I am, your Excellency," said Simon, coming forward.

Then the gentleman shouted to his lad, "Hey, Fedka, bring the leather!"

The servant ran in, bringing a parcel. The gentleman took the parcel and
put it on the table.

"Untie it," said he. The lad untied it.

The gentleman pointed to the leather.

"Look here, shoemaker," said he, "do you see this leather?"

"Yes, your honor."

"But do you know what sort of leather it is?"

Simon felt the leather and said, "It is good leather."

"Good, indeed! Why, you fool, you never saw such leather before in your
life. It's Ge