'_Bonzhoor, madame_,' he said thickly, 'how are you?'

Anna Vassilyevna started back.

'Why wouldn't you,' continued the giant in vile Russian, 'sing
again when our party shouted _bis_, and bravo?'

'Yes, why?' came from the ranks of his comrades.

Insarov was about to step forward, but Shubin stopped him, and himself
screened Anna Vassilyevna.

'Allow me,' he began, 'honoured stranger, to express to you the
heartfelt amazement, into which you have thrown all of us by your
conduct. You belong, as far as I can judge, to the Saxon branch of the
Caucasian race; consequently we are bound to assume your acquaintance
with the customs of society, yet you address a lady to whom you have
not been introduced. I assure you that I individually should be
delighted another time to make your acquaintance, since I observe in
you a phenomenal development of the muscles, biceps, triceps and
deltoid, so that, as a sculptor, I should esteem it a genuine
happiness to have you for a model; but on this occasion kindly leave
us alone.'

The 'honoured stranger' listened to Shubin's speech, his head held
contemptuously on one side and his arms akimbo.

'I don't understand what you say,' he commented at last. 'Do you
suppose I'm a cobbler or a watchmaker? Hey! I'm an officer, an