joined in the discussions, but in a pleasant manner. He never shouted “Go on!” but politely remarked, “Will you have the kindness to play? I have had the honour to cover your ace,” and so on.

Then, in order to propitiate his antagonists, he frequently offered them his silver and enamel snuff-box, at the bottom of which they perceived two violets which had been placed there to scent it. His attention was especially directed to Maniloff and Sobakevitch, the landowners already referred to. He immediately made inquiries about them, calling the president and the postmaster on one side for the purpose. Some of the questions he put to them evinced not only his curiosity, but also his solicitude; for the first thing of all that he asked was, how many serfs each of them had, and in what condition their estates were; and after that he informed himself as to their names and surnames. In a short time he had succeeded in charming them completely.

Landowner Maniloff, a middle-aged man who had eyes as sweet as sugar, and screwed them up every time he laughed, was in ecstasies with the traveller. He pressed his hand for a long time, and begged him in the most earnest manner to honour him with a trip to his estate, which, according to his assertions, was only fifteen versts from the city barriers. To this Tchitchikoff replied, with an extremely courteous inclination of the head, and a hearty squeeze of the hand, that he was not only ready to accept the invitation with great pleasure, but that he should consider it a sacred duty to call upon Maniloff.

Sobakevitch, too, said rather laconically, “I invite you to my house also,” at the same time giving a backward scrape with his left foot, which was shod with a shoe of gigantic size.

On the following day Tchitchikoff went to dine and spend the evening with the chief of police. They sat down to play at whist at three in the afternoon, and played until two o’clock in the morning. Here he made the acquaintance of a landowner named Nozdreff, a man of thirty, a wide-awake young fellow, who began to address him as thou after the first three or four words. Nozdreff also called the chief of police and the procurator thou, and behaved in a friendly way; but when they began to play for high stakes, the chief of police and the procurator watched every trick he took with great attention, and followed up almost every card he laid down. Tchitchikoff passed the next evening with the president of the court, who received his guests in a rather greasy dressing-gown; then he spent an evening with the vice-governor, dined with the farmer of the brandy revenues, attended a small but expensive dinner at the procurator’s, and a lunch which was given by the mayor of the town, and which was equivalent to a dinner. In a word, Tchitchikoff was not able to spend a single hour at home, and he only entered the inn to sleep.

The new-comer understood how to adapt himself to every circumstance, and showed that he was an accomplished man of the world. On whatever subject the conversation turned he could always keep it up; if it was a question of breeding horses, he spoke about breeding horses; if his companions talked of fine dogs, he made some very practical observations on that subject; if they discussed the investigations undertaken by the imperial courts of justice, he showed that he was not unacquainted with legal affairs; if a dispute arose over a game at billiards, he was not found wanting in the necessary knowledge; if philanthropy was the subject under discussion, he entered into it very fully, and tears even came into his eyes; moreover, he was well posted as to the distillation of brandy when that was mentioned; and when they talked of the local officials, he passed judgment on them as though he himself were an official.

It was worthy of note, moreover, that our friend Tchitchikoff knew how to impart his views with a fitting gravity of mien, and bore himself admirably. He spoke neither loudly nor softly, but exactly in the proper key. In short, turn him which ever way you would, he was an estimable man. All the officials were delighted with him. The governor expressed himself to the effect that he was a well-meaning man; the procurator said that he was a practical man; the commander of the garrison that he was a learned man; the chief of police that he was a respectable and amiable man; the chief’s wife that he was a most agreeable and well-bred man. Even Sobakevitch himself, who rarely expressed a favourable opinion of anyone, when he returned at a tolerably late hour from town, and, having undressed himself, lay down in bed beside his gaunt wife, he said to her, “My love, I spent the evening at the governor’s, and dined with the chief of