"You may, perhaps, also like to buy some birds' feathers of all descriptions of me. I shall have a quantity at Michaelmas next."
"Very well, very well, my good lady," answered Tchichikoff.
"There, you see, my good Sir, your britchka is not yet ready," said his hostess, when they had arrived upon, the door-step.
"Oh, never mind, it will soon be ready. Pray tell me only how we shall have to drive to come upon the high road?"
"How should I explain that to you? Let me see," said the old lady after a moment's reflection; "it is rather difficult to describe because there are so many turnings; perhaps I had better give you a little girl to show you the road. I dare say you will have a small seat for her to sit upon on your carriage?"
"Yes, to be sure I have."
"Very well, then, I will intrust you with one of my little girls; she knows the road well enough, but look you here! do not decoy her, for some of the merchants have already carried one of my girls off."
Tchichikoff promised her that he would not kidnap the girl, and Lady Korobotchka, tranquillized by his assurance, began now to look around her in the court-yard of the house; she fixed her eyes, first upon the housekeeper, who was carrying across the court a large vessel with honey, and then upon a peasant who made his appearance at the gates, and by degrees the old lady was soon completely devoted to her household concerns.
"Ah, here is my britchka at last," exclaimed Tchichikoff, as be saw his carriage driving up. "Well, you idiot, what the deuce has kept you so long? It seems the fumes of yesterday have not yet quite evaporated."
Selifan made no reply to this observation.