a spoiled valet of some rich young man. His clothes betokened a claim to
taste and smart carelessness. He wore a short top-coat of bronze color,
which evidently belonged to his master, and which was buttoned up to
the very top; he had on a pink necktie with lilac-colored edges; and his
black velvet cap, trimmed with gold stripes, was pulled over his very
eyebrows. The round collar of his white shirt propped his ears up and
cut his cheeks mercilessly, and the starched cuffs covered his hands up
to his red, crooked fingers, which were ornamented with silver and gold
rings, set with forget-me-nots of turquoise. His red, fresh, impudent
face belonged to those countenances which, as far as I have observed,
are almost always repulsive to men, but, unfortunately, are often
admired by women. Apparently trying to give an expression of contempt
and of weariness to his rough features, he was forever closing his
small, milky-gray eyes, knitting his brows, lowering the corners of his
lips, yawning forcedly, and, with careless, although not too clever,
ease, now adjusting his reddish, smartly twisted temple-curls, now
fingering the yellow hair which bristled upon his thick upper lip--in a
word, he was making an insufferable display of himself. He started to do
this as soon as he noticed the young peasant girl who was awaiting him.
He advanced to her slowly, with large strides, then stood for a while,
twitched his shoulders, thrust both hands into the pockets of his coat,
and, casting a quick and indifferent glance at the poor girl, sank down
on the ground.

"Well?" he began, continuing to look aside, shaking his foot and
yawning. "Have you waited long?"

The girl could not answer him at once.

"Long, Victor Alexandrich," she said at last, in a scarcely audible
voice.

"Ah!" He removed his cap, majestically passed his hand over his thick,
curly hair whose roots started almost at his eyebrows, and, looking
around with dignity, covered his precious head again cautiously. "And I
almost forgot all about it. Besides, you see, it's raining." He yawned
again. "I have a lot of work to do; you can't look after everything, and
he is yet scolding. We are leaving to-morrow--"

"To-morrow?" uttered the girl, and fixed a frightened look upon him.

"To-morrow--Come, come, come, please," he replied quickly, vexed,
noticing that she quivered, and bowed her head in silence. "Please,
Akulina, don't cry. You know I can't bear it" (and he twitched