Page:The Prose Tales of Alexander Poushkin (Bell, 1916).djvu/462



BOUT half an hour afterwards the door opened and Peter issued forth. With a dignified inclination of the head he replied to the threefold bow of Prince Likoff, Tatiana Afanassievna and Natasha, and walked straight out into the ante-room. The host handed him his red cloak, conducted him to the sledge, and on the steps thanked him once more for the honour he had shown him.

Peter drove off.

Returning to the dining-room, Gavril Afanassievitch seemed very much troubled; he angrily ordered the servants to clear the table as quickly as possible, sent Natasha to her own room, and, informing his sister and father-in-law that he must talk with them, he led them into the bedroom, where he usually rested after dinner. The old Prince lay down upon the oak bed; Tatiana Afanassievna sat down in the old silk-lined armchair, and placed her feet upon the footstool; Gavril Afanassievitch locked the doors, sat down upon the bed at the feet of Prince Likoff, and in a low voice began: "It was not for nothing that the Emperor paid me a visit to-day: guess what he wanted to talk to me about."

"How can we know, brother?" said Tatiana Afanassievna,

"Has the Czar appointed you to some government?" said his father-in-law: — "it is quite time enough that he did so. Or has he offered an embassy to you? Why not? That need not mean being a mere secretary — distinguished people are sent to foreign monarchs."