Matroshka appeared, and announced that Kirusha and Eromka had gone into
the village to fetch the peasants.

"Here is Matroshka. Do you remember her? What are you staring there for,
fool. Kiss your Master's hand."

Matroshka came nearer. "I dare not," she said.

Boris shyly embraced the girl.

"You have built a new wing to the buildings, Grandmother," he said.

"You noticed that. Do you remember the old one? It was quite rotten, had
holes in the floors as broad as my hand, and the dirt and the soot! And
now look!"

They went into the new wing. His aunt showed Boris the alterations in
the stables, the horses and the separate space for fowls, the laundry
and byres.

"Here is the new kitchen which I built detached so that the kitchen
range is outside the house, and the servants have more room. Now each
has his own corner. Here is the pantry, there the new ice-cellar. What
are you standing there for?" she said, turning to Matrona. "Go and tell
Egorka to run into the village and say to the Starost that we are going
over there."

In the garden his aunt showed him every tree and every bush, led him
through the alleys, looked down from the top of the precipice into the