aid he,
turning to Cousin Giles. "My uncle, from whom I inherited this
property, was a noble of the old school. State with him was of the
greatest importance. He loved to make a show--not that he really cared
about it himself, or had any large amount of vanity, but that he
considered it necessary to maintain the dignity of his order. Thus he
kept up this useless troop of lazy varlets in faded liveries, when a
good house-steward and two active footmen would have served him much
better. I shall turn some of those fellows to the right-about very
soon, and try to employ them in productive labour."

While the Count was talking they entered the house. Everything within
betokened the old-fashioned taste of the former owner. Large sofas,
numberless card-tables, high-backed chairs, huge, badly gilt
picture-frames, enclosing daubs of most incomprehensible subjects,
mirrors of all shapes and sizes, not one condescending to give a correct
reflection of the human face. There was a large hall with a table down
the centre, on which an ample meal was spread. At the upper end was a
profusion of silver and glass, and two huge salt-cellars. Below the
salt-cellars were plates and knives and forks of a far more humble
description. The house-steward came forward with many a bow, and
inquired when his lord would condescend to dine. "As soon as dinner can
be ready," was the answer; "but come, gentlemen, we will go up to our
rooms and shake off the dust of our journey."

The guests were shown by the house-steward to their bedrooms. They were
very humbly furnished. All the grandeur had evidently been reserved for
the public apartments. They came down to the dining-hall, when the
Count took his seat at the head of the board, and his guests arranged
themselves on either side. A number of other persons then came in,
retainers of some sort,--persons of an inferior order, at all events:
among them was a man in a long green gown, yellow boots, a dark vest,
and light hair straggling over his shoulders. He bowed low, as did the
others, to the Barin, the lord, and took his seat humbly below the salt.

They all ate with the gravity of judges about to condemn a fellow-mortal
to death.

"I am glad that you have had an opportunity of seeing how Russians of
the old school lived," observed the Count, turning to Cousin Giles. "I
could not endure this sort of thing long, but it would not be wise to
make too sudden changes. I shall in futur