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At eight o'clock precisely, in my tail-coat and with my hair brushed up into a tuft on e, where the princess lived The old servant looked crossly at ly fro-room I opened the door and fell back in a princess, standing on a chair, holding a man's hat in front of her; round the chair crowded so to put their hands into the hat, while she held it above their heads, shaking it violently On seeing uest, he htly down fro,' she said, 'why are you standing still? Messieurs, let me make you acquainted: this is M'sieu Voldehbour And this,' she went on, addressing uests in turn, 'Count Malevsky, Doctor Lushin, Meidanov the poet, the retired captain Nirmatsky, and Byelovzorov the hussar, whoood friends' I was so confused that I did not even bow to any one; in Doctor Lushin I recognised the dark arden; the others were unknown to me

'Count!' continued Zinaïda, 'write M'sieu Voldeht Polish accent by the count, a very handsome and fashionably dressed brunette, with expressive brown eyes, a thin little white nose, and delicate little entle forfeits with us'

'It's unfair,' repeated in chorus Byelovzorov and the gentleman described as a retired captain, a ree, curly-headed as a negro, round-shouldered, bandy-legged, and dressed in a military coat without epaulets, worn unbuttoned

'Write hi princess 'What's this mutiny? M'sieu Voldemar is with us for the first ti--write it, I wish it'

The count shrugged his shoulders but bowed subers, tore off a scrap of paper and wrote on it

'At least let us explain to Mr Voldean in a sarcastic voice, 'or else he will be quite lost Do you see, youngforfeits? the princess has to pay a forfeit, and the one who draws the lucky lot is to have the privilege of kissing her hand Do you understand what I've told you?'