“Even if there were thirty, there would be room for them.”
“Hwew! hwew!” exclaimed the young lady.
“Basia! Basia!” said Pani Makovetski, persuasively.
“Ah, it is easy to say, ‘Basia, Basia!’ but in whose care were the horses during the whole journey?”
Conversing thus, they arrived before Ketling’s house. All the windows were brilliantly lighted to receive the lady. The servants ran out with Pan Zagloba at the head of them; he, springing to the wagon and seeing three women, inquired straightway,—
“In which lady have I the honor to greet my special benefactress, and at the same time the sister of my best friend, Michael?”
“I am she!” answered the lady.
Then Zagloba seized her hand, and fell to kissing it eagerly, exclaiming, “I beat with the forehead,—I beat with the forehead!”
Then he helped her to descend from the carriage, and conducted her with great attention and clattering of feet to the ante-room. “Let me be permitted to give greeting once more inside the threshold,” said he, on the way.
Meanwhile Pan Michael was helping the young ladies to descend. Since the carriage was high, and it was difficult to find the steps in the darkness, he caught Panna Krysia by the waist, and bearing her through the air, placed her on the ground; and she, without resisting, inclined during the twinkle of an eye her breast on his, and said, “I thank you.”