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More Tales from Tolstoi "Well, there you are now, thank God. And I tell you what it is, my little master, we have been wandering about half the night, without knowing whither. That chap there will bring us in all right, my little master, and my horses are done up already."

And he transferred my things with energetic officiousness.

While they were transferring the things I, following the direction of the wind, which carried me along, as it were, went to the second sledge. The sledge, especially on that side on which the armyak was hung up over the heads of the two drivers, was a quarter covered with snow, but behind the armyak it was quiet and comfortable. The little old man was lying there with his legs stretched wide apart, and the tale-teller was going on with his tale: "At the very time when the general, in the King's name, you know, came, you know, to Mary in the dungeon, at that very time Mary said to him: General, I have no need of you and I cannot love you and, you know, you cannot be my lover, but my lover is the Prince himself.

"At that very time," he was going on, but perceiving me, he was silent for a moment and began to puff away at his pipe.

"What, sir, come to listen to the tale too?" said the other, whom I have called the Counsellor.

"You are having a rare fine time of it," said I. "It passes the time anyhow and prevents one from brooding."

"But tell me, do you know where we are now?"