United States or Sierra Leone ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
But one evening, as Mishka and I rode towards the castle, a pebble shot from a clump of bushes near at hand, and struck his boot. With a grunt he reined up, and, without glancing in the direction whence the missile came, dismounted and pretended to examine one of the horse's feet. But I saw a fur cap, and then a face peering from among the bushes for an instant, and recognized Yossof the Jew.
"He is discreet, that Mishka," said Grodwitz, and drew himself up stiffly as the footman, who had preceded us, threw open a door, and ushered us into the Duke's presence.
We should have been there by this time! Come, let us get on. Have you the pocket lamp? We can use it now. It will help us a little, and we shall strike a track before long." The lamp was a little flash-light torch which I had slipped into my pocket at the last moment, and showed to Mishka when I was changing my clothes.
"Well, mind you crumble up the clods," said Levin, going towards his horse, "and keep an eye on Mishka. And if there's a good crop you shall have half a rouble for every acre." "Humbly thankful. We are very well content, sir, as it is." Levin got on his horse and rode towards the field where was last year's clover, and the one which was ploughed ready for the spring corn.
In some ways Mishka was rather like a Scotsman. A few days later his preparations were complete. The real or ostensible object of his visit to England was to buy farm implements and machinery, as agent for his father, who, I ascertained, was land steward of part of the Zostrov estates, and therefore a person of considerable importance.
"It goes well indeed, capitaine," I answered, with a military salute. Pavloff, still on foot, came forward and stood beside her, speaking in a low growl; he was an elder edition of his son Mishka. She listened, looking down at him gravely and kindly. I could not take my eyes from her face, so dear and familiar, and yet in one way so changed. I guessed wherein the change lay.
"I don't quite understand you, Colonel Grodwitz," I said quietly, looking at him very straight. "If you think I'm in the habit of gossiping with Mishka Pavloff or any other servant here, you're very much mistaken." "A thousand pardons, my dear fellow; I was merely joking," he assured me; but I guessed he had made one more attempt to "draw" me, the last.
Finally Polikey was all ready, and jumping on the wagon started on his journey, after first making the sign of the cross. At the last moment his little boy, Mishka, ran to the door, begging to be given a short ride; and then his little daughter, Mashka, appeared on the scene and pleaded that she, too, might have a ride, declaring that she would be quite warm enough without furs.
The two children, Mishka and Mashka, both barefooted, started running at such a rapid pace that a strange dog from another village, seeing them flying over the road, dropped his tail between his legs and ran home squealing. The weather was very cold, a sharp cutting wind blowing continuously; but this did not disturb Polikey, whose mind was engrossed with pleasant thoughts.
She was flattered, and assumed quite a motherly air towards me; she didn't cringe like her husband. As I sat there, sipping my tea, and chatting with her, I little guessed what would befall the comfortable, homely, good-tempered old lady a very few days hence. Mishka listened in disapproving silence to our interchange of badinage, and, when our hostess retreated, he entered on a grumbling protest.
Word Of The Day