are working furiously. Do you know what the pie is
made of? Dough with a stuffing of pork and grapes. But that's not the
point. You just look at the commotion out there!'

And really, on looking out of the window they saw an unusual bustle
going on in the hut. Girls ran in and out, now for one thing and now
for another.

'Will it soon be ready?' cried Beletski.

'Very soon! Why? Is Grandad hungry?' and from the hut came the sound of
ringing laughter.

Ustenka, plump, small, rosy, and pretty, with her sleeves turned up,
ran into Beletski's hut to fetch some plates.

'Get away or I shall smash the plates!' she squeaked, escaping from
Beletski. 'You'd better come and help,' she shouted to Olenin,
laughing. 'And don't forget to get some refreshments for the girls.'
('Refreshments' meaning spicebread and sweets.)

'And has Maryanka come?'

'Of course! She brought some dough.'

'Do you know,' said Beletski, 'if one were to dress Ustenka up and
clean and polish her up a bit, she'd be better than all our beauties.
Have you ever seen that Cossack woman who married a colonel; she was
charming! Borsheva? What dignity! Where do they get it...'

'I have not seen Borsheva, but I think nothing could be better than the
costume they wear here.'

'Ah, I'm first-rate at fitting into any kind of life,' said Beletski
with a sigh of pleasure. 'I'll go and see what they are up to.'

He threw his dressing-gown over his shoulders and ran out, shouting,
'And you look after the "refreshments".'

Olenin sent Beletski's orderly to buy spice-bread and honey; but it
suddenly seemed to him so disgusting to give money (as if he were
bribing someone) that he gave no definite reply to the orderly's
question: 'How much spice-bread with peppermint, and how much with
honey?'

'Just as you please.'

'Shall I spend all the money,' asked the old soldier impressively. 'The
peppermint is dearer. It's sixteen kopeks.'

'Yes, yes, spend it all,' answered Olenin and sat down by the window,
surprised that his heart was thumping as if he were preparing himself
for something serious and wicked.

He heard screaming and shrieking in the girls' hut when Beletski went
there, and a few moments later saw how he jumped out and ran down the
steps, accompanied by shrieks, bustle, and laughter.

'Turned out,' he said.

A little later Ustenka entered and solemnly invited her visitors to
come in: announcing that all was ready.

When they came into the r