Liudmilla told him where to go. He thought a while and demanded forty kopecks. Liudmilla said:
"Do you think it's far? That shows that you don't know the road."
"Well, how much will you give?" asked the cabman.
"You can take which half you like."
Sasha laughed.
"You're a cheerful young lady," said the cabby with a grin. "You might add another five-kopeck piece."
"Thank you for escorting me, my dear," said Liudmilla, as she pressed Sasha's hand tightly and seated herself in the drozhky.
Sasha ran back to the house thinking cheerfully about the cheerful maiden.
Liudmilla returned home in a cheerful mood, smiling and thinking of something pleasant. The sisters awaited her. They sat at a round table in the dining-room, lit up by a hanging lamp. The brown bottle of cherry-brandy on the white tablecloth looked very cheerful; the silver paper round the bottle's neck glittered brightly. It was surrounded by plates containing apples, nuts, and sweets made of honey and nuts.