et his own interests,--"if you asked that?"

"I should come back again," said Ivan.

"To-morrow?" said Gregory.

"To-morrow, the day after, every day if I liked...."

"The fact is, Ivan is our young lady's favourite," said another of
the count's slaves who was present, profiting by his comrade Ivan's
liberality.

"It is all the same," said Gregory; "for supposing such permission were
given you, money would soon run short."

"Never!" said Ivan, swallowing another glass of brandy, "never will Ivan
want for money as long as there is a kopeck in my lady's purse."

"I did not find her so liberal," said Gregory bitterly.

"Oh, you forget, my friend; you know well she does not reckon with her
friends: remember the strokes of the knout."

"I have no wish to speak about that," said Gregory. "I know that she is
generous with blows, but her money is another thing. I have never seen
the colour of that."

"Well, would you like to see the colour of mine?" said Ivan, getting
more and more drunk. "See here, here are kopecks, sorok-kopecks, blue
notes worth five roubles, red notes worth twenty five roubles, and
to-morrow, if you like, I will show you white notes worth fifty roubles.
A health to my lady Vaninka!" And Ivan held out his glass again, and
Gregory filled it to the brim.

"But does money," said Gregory, pressing Ivan more and more,--"does
money make up for scorn?"

"Scorn!" said Ivan,--"scorn! Who scorns me? Do you, because you are
free? Fine freedom! I would rather be a well-fed slave than a free man
dying of hunger."

"I mean the scorn of our masters," replied Gregory.

"The scorn of our masters! Ask Alexis, ask Daniel there, if my lady
scorns me."

"The fact is," said the two slaves in reply, who both belonged to the
general's household, "Ivan must certainly have a charm; for everyone
talks to him as if to a master."

"Because he is Annouschka's brother," said Gregory, "and Annouschka is
my lady's foster-sister."

"That may be so," said the two slaves.

"For that reason or for some other," said Ivan; "but, in short, that is
the case."

"Yes; but if your sister should die?" said Gregory. "Ah!"

"If my sister should die, that would be a pity, for she is a good
girl. I drink to her health! But if she should die, that would make no
difference. I am respected for myself; they respect me because they fear
me."

"Fear my lord Ivan!" said Gregory, with a loud laugh. "It follows, then,
that if my lord Iv