chief to each of
his eyes in turn.

"But, generally speaking, if one reflects--that is to say--The dust in
the streets is something extraordinary," he ended by saying.

"_Maman, maman_," exclaimed a pretty little girl of eleven, who
came running into the room, "Vladimir Nikolaevich is coming here on
horseback."

Maria Dmitrievna rose from her chair. Sergius Petrovich also got up
and bowed.

"My respects to Elena Mikhailovna," he said; and, discreetly retiring
to a corner, he betook himself to blowing his long straight nose.

"What a lovely horse he has!" continued the little girl. "He was at
the garden gate just now, and he told me and Liza that he would come
up to the front door."

The sound of hoofs was heard, and a well appointed cavalier, mounted
on a handsome bay horse, rode up to the house, and stopped in front of
the open window.

III.

"Good-evening, Maria Dmitrievna!" exclaimed the rider's clear and
pleasant voice. "How do you like my new purchase?"

Maria Dmitrievna went to the window.

"Good-evening, Woldemar! Ah, what a splendid horse! From whom did you
buy it?"

"From our remount-officer. He made me pay dear for it, the rascal."

"What is it's name?"

"Orlando. But that's a stupid name. I want to change it. _Eh bien, eh
bien, mon garcon_. What a restless creature it is!"

The horse neighed, pawed the air, and tossed the foam from its
nostrils.

"Come and stroke it, Lenochka; don't be afraid."

Lenochka stretched out her hand from the window, but Orlando suddenly
reared and shied. But its rider, who took its proceedings very
quietly, gripped the saddle firmly with his knees, laid his whip
across the horse's neck, and forced it, in spite of its resistance, to
return to the window, "_Prenez garde, prenez garde_," Maria Dmitrievna
kept calling out.

"Now then, stroke him, Lenochka," repeated the horseman; "I don't mean
to let him have his own way."

Lenochka stretched out her hand a second time, and timidly touched
the quivering nostrils of Orlando, who champed his bit, and kept
incessantly fidgeting.

"Bravo!" exclaimed Maria Dmitrievna; "but now get off, and come in."

The rider wheeled his horse sharply round, drove the spurs into its
sides, rode down the street at a hand gallop, and turned into the
court-yard. In another minute he had crossed the hall and entered the
drawing-room, flourishing his whip in the air.

At the same moment there appeared on the threshold of an