expression of their feelings. If a young lady is frightened, for
instance, or pleased with anything, or distressed, she is certain
first to throw her person into some such elegant attitude (and
Pigasov threw his figure into an unbecoming pose and spread out his
hands) and then she shrieks--ah! or she laughs or cries. I did once
though (and here Pigasov smiled complacently) succeed in eliciting a
genuine, unaffected expression of emotion from a remarkably affected
young lady!'

'How did you do that?'

Pigasov's eyes sparkled.

'I poked her in the side with an aspen stake, from behind. She did
shriek, and I said to her, "Bravo, bravo! that's the voice of nature,
that was a genuine shriek! Always do like that for the future!"'

Every one in the room laughed.

'What nonsense you talk, African Semenitch,' cried Darya Mihailovna.
'Am I to believe that you would poke a girl in the side with a stake!'

'Yes, indeed, with a stake, a very big stake, like those that are used
in the defence of a fort.'

'_Mais c'est un horreur ce que vous dites la, Monsieur_,' cried Mlle.
Boncourt, looking angrily at the boys, who were in fits of laughter.

'Oh, you mustn't believe him,' said Darya Mihailovna. 'Don't you know
him?'