"And who is Maniloff?"
"An owner of some extensive estates, my good Madam."
"No, I have not heard of such a name either—he does not live here about."
"And pray, what country gentlemen have you in your neighbourhood?"
"We have Bobroff, Svinin, Kanapatieff, Harpakin, Trepakin, Pleschakoff, Senunoff—" "And pray, Madam," Tchichikoff interrupted her quickly, anxious to avoid the recitation of a catalogue of names, "are they rich and wealthy?"
"No, my dear Sir, there are but few rich or wealthy among them. Some of them have about twenty to thirty, others again from forty to fifty serfs; but of those who possess about four hundred peasants there are very few."
Tchichikoff perceived at once that he had arrived into a quite out-of-the-way neighbourhood.
"How far am I from town my good lady?"
"About sixty wersts. How sorry I am, to be sure, that I have nothing eatable to lay before you; would you perhaps like to take a cup of tea?"
"I am very much obliged to you indeed, but at the present moment I wish for nothing else but a bed."