'A Gentleman of the Bedchamber, a new arrival; _maman_ speaks very
highly of him.'

'Your mother is quick to take fancies to people.'

'That shows that her heart is still young,' observed Natalya.

'Yes. I shall soon bring you your mare. She is almost quite broken in
now. I want to teach her to gallop, and I shall manage it soon.'

'_Merci_! . . . But I'm quite ashamed. You are breaking her in yourself
. . . and they say it's so hard!'

'To give you the least pleasure, you know, Natalya Alexyevna, I am
ready . . . I . . . not in such trifles----'

Volintsev grew confused.

Natalya looked at him with friendly encouragement, and again said
'_merci_!'

'You know,' continued Sergei Pavlitch after a long pause, 'that not
such things. . . . But why am I saying this? you know everything, of
course.'

At that instant a bell rang in the house.

'Ah! _la cloche du diner_!' cried Mlle. Boncourt, '_rentrons_.'

'_Quel dommage_,' thought the old French lady to herself as she mounted