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 not help feeling ashamed of the dirty old calash in which Anna had taken her seat with her.

The coachman, Filipp, and the bookkeeper experienced the same feeling. The bookkeeper, in order to hide his confusion, fidgeted about in helping the ladies to be comfortably seated; but Filipp, the coachman, frowned and was loath to acknowledge any such superficial superiority. He put on an ironical smile as he scrutinized the raven-black trotter harnessed to the char à bancs, and decided in his own mind that the black trotter might do very well for a prominazhe, but that he could not show forty versts at a heat.

The muzhiks had left their telyega, and gayly and curiously were watching the meeting of the friends, and making their observations.

"They seem tolerably glad; hain't seen each other for some time," remarked the curly-haired old man.

"There, Uncle Gerasim, that black gelding would haul in the sheaves lively!"

"Glian'-ka, look! Is that a woman in trousers?" asked another, pointing at Veslovsky, sitting on the side-saddle.

"Nye, muzhik! see how easy he rides."

"Say, then, my children, we shan't get another nap, shall we?"

"No more sleep now," said the old man, squinting his eyes and glancing at the sun; "past noon! Look! Now get your hooks and to work."

CHAPTER XVIII

looked at Dolly's tired, worn face, with the wrinkles powdered with dust, and was on the point of saying that she looked thin; but, realizing that she herself had grown more beautiful than ever, and that Dolly's eyes told her so, she sighed, and began to talk about herself.

"You are studying me," she said. "You are wondering if I can be happy in my position! Well, what