"You are glad to see us, I suppose?"
"You?" The old woman hesitated a moment. "The plague take you!"
Anton was at a loss what to do, when suddenly the door of one of the cottages squeaked, and a young, fair-looking woman came out.
"Ai! good men, I heard that you were not Poles."
"True, we are not."
"Are you from Hmelnitski?"
"Yes."
"Not from the Poles?"
"By no means."
"And why do you ask for the men?"