e and Dolokhov, when they had money, would give him a thousand
or a couple of thousand rubles.

Balaga was a fair-haired, short, and snub-nosed peasant of about
twenty-seven; red-faced, with a particularly red thick neck, glittering
little eyes, and a small beard. He wore a fine, dark-blue, silk-lined
cloth coat over a sheepskin.

On entering the room now he crossed himself, turning toward the front
corner of the room, and went up to Dolokhov, holding out a small, black
hand.

"Theodore Ivanych!" he said, bowing.

"How d'you do, friend? Well, here he is!"

"Good day, your excellency!" he said, again holding out his hand to
Anatole who had just come in.

"I say, Balaga," said Anatole, putting his hands on the man's shoulders,
"do you care for me or not? Eh? Now, do me a service.... What horses
have you come with? Eh?"

"As your messenger ordered, your special beasts," replied Balaga.

"Well, listen, Balaga! Drive all three to death but get me there in
three hours. Eh?"

"When they are dead, what shall I drive?" said Balaga with a wink.

"Mind, I'll smash your face in! Don't make jokes!" cried Anatole,
suddenly rolling his eyes.

"Why joke?" said the driver, laughing. "As if I'd grudge my gentlemen
anything! As fast as ever the horses can gallop, so fast we'll go!"

"Ah!" said Anatole. "Well, sit down."

"Yes, sit down!" said Dolokhov.

"I'll stand, Theodore Ivanych."

"Sit down; nonsense! Have a drink!" said Anatole, and filled a large
glass of Madeira for him.

The driver's eyes sparkled at the sight of the wine. After refusing
it for manners' sake, he drank it and wiped his mouth with a red silk
handkerchief he took out of his cap.

"And when are we to start, your excellency?"

"Well..." Anatole looked at his watch. "We'll start at once. Mind,
Balaga! You'll get there in time? Eh?"

"That depends on our luck in starting, else why shouldn't we be there
in time?" replied Balaga. "Didn't we get you to Tver in seven hours? I
think you remember that, your excellency?"

"Do you know, one Christmas I drove from Tver," said Anatole, smilingly
at the recollection and turning to Makarin who gazed rapturously at him
with wide-open eyes. "Will you believe it, Makarka, it took one's breath
away, the rate we flew. We came across a train of loaded sleighs and
drove right over two of them. Eh?"

"Those were horses!" Balaga continued the tale. "That time I'd harnessed
two young side horses with the bay in th