he would water, and champagne as quass. His principal occupation was gallantry. Of a handsome person, affable and clever, brought up in the circle of the best Moscow society, an excellent dancer, musician, and painter, versed in the productions of French literature, and gifted with an uncommon memory, Meloveeden, a spoiled child of fortune, became an object of love to all the young women for a hundred miles round. For him they made fetes, and always wished to have him at their parties, and what was most astonishing of all, the gentlemen, that is to say the landlords, not only were not angry with him for the open preference shewn him by the women, but even loved him. Meloveeden was, in the full sense of the word, a good fellow, open hearted, and with all his sharpness very simple. He did not quarrel with the Poles on politics; he drank with them to the health of old patriots, and sincerely abused the people in office. For this he enjoyed the confidence of the old and the friendship of the young landholders, who wished to form themselves into a sort of Meloveeden in Poland, or at least in Livonia. A high distinction which few Russians attained in Poland!

His heart was so unbounded, that he could love fifty wo men at the same time, without any defalcation of affection, and without tormenting himself with sighs and sufferings. At that time, of all the women and girls, he gave the preference to Petronella Gologordoffsky, who, to say the truth, was passionately in love with him: you have no more occasion, then, gentle reader, to guess from whom and to whom I was sent with the letter to the village! You understand now why I was promoted to the rank of English jockey, and appointed to execute particular commissions for the eldest daughter of Mr. Gologordoffsky. You doubtless conjecture, gentle reader, that I filled the station of postillion of love. Exactly so: my whole duty consisted in standing during the meals with a plate behind my mistress's chair, and carrying billetsdoux from the squire's house to the lieutenant's quarters, which I fulfilled with particular attention, exactness, and speed. For that I was loved by my mistress, and consequently by the whole family of Mr. Gologordoffsky. The appellation of orphan was no more to me a mark of nothingness; on the contrary, it expressed tenderness and compassion, and was pronounced

with sympathy and particular kindness. The servants, following always the example of their lords, caressed me as much as they had formerly spurned me. This change in my fate produced a sudden change in my intellect, which was naturally keen. In half a year I understood every thing which was formerly a riddle to me, surpassed in activity all the boys of the house, and became what is called a roguish or sharp boy. For all this fortunate change I was indebted to love.

After the agreeable days of love and pleasure, there was a sad change. The regiment received orders to remove into another government, and this unexpected occurrence was quite a thunderstroke to all the female population of the district. The doctors travelled from house to house, the apothecary's laboratory was put in motion; messengers galloped along every road, some to the town with recipes, some with letters. It appeared as if the plague or some epidemic disorder was spreading its ravages in the neighbourhood. And in reality, spasms, meagrims, vapours, nervous faintings, and vertigos attacked the fair sex. My mistress, Petronella Gologordoffsky in particular, fell into a state of complete deprivation of all her faculties. She lay in bed, swore she would die for love, and refused to take the medicine prescribed by the doctor for a fever arising from cold. Her condition was really dangerous. Unceasing tears and sighs, want of sleep and loss of appetite, might have given a bad turn to a slight cold brought on in the garden, during a late interview with her dear friend. She would take no advice nor consolation from her parents, sister, and companions, and was a little quieter only when Meloveeden gave her his word of honour to return as soon as possible, and confirm their tender love by marriage. The self-love of Meloveeden was touched by such a powerful expression of passion on the part of the charming Petronella: he had never in his life seen how people grew sick and died from love, and being both a witness and an object of a scene worthy to adorn the most tender romance of the days of chivalry, Meloveeden's feelings were overcome, and he resolved to reward the charming patient with his hand. But this promise was given in secret, without the knowledge of her parents. They agreed to carry on their correspondence by means of the Jew-farmer, Meloveeden threatening VOL. I.

3

20

IVAN VEJEEGHEN.

to pull off his nose and ears if he betrayed him. He at the same time entrusted Petronella's second aunt by the mother's side to bring the match to a conclusion. The lovers foresaw the difficulty of obtaining the consent of Petronella's father, who fed himself with the hope that some travelling prince, no matter though he might be a native of Asia, or at least some potentate, would ennoble his blood by a union with the Gologordoffsky family. But as of all human follies love is the most powerful, our lovers expected to overcome the ambition and stubbornness of Mr. Gologordoffsky, or, at any rate, to break through them by force.

CHAPTER IV.

Purposes of Marriage.

DREARY winter came, and Mr. Gologordoffsky had frequently to go to the Government-town on account of some of his law-suits, which had terminated not in the most agreeable manner. His law expenses reduced him to some sort of retrenchment at home; and made him keep his family in the country at the time of the county elections, which drew all the gentry, to the town for some weeks. This obstacle brought on a fit of melancholy on Mrs. Gologordoffsky and her youngest daughter. The eldest, without that, was sick enough at heart. In vain did father Ezueet preach upon the vanity of this world: they heard him with sighs, and interrupted him to begin the conversation upon balls and dresses. Mrs. Gologordoffsky lamented only that her absence at the time of the elections would give visitors from other governments and military people a very unfavourable opinion of the taste of the female sex with regard to dress, and that, without her daughters, they could not dance mazoorka's* and French quadrilles. After this preface began a critical disquisition upon all the females of the whole government, from thirty years of age down to sixteen, which ended with the conclusion, that it was only Mrs Gologordoffsky and her daughters who had

* A fashionable Polish dance, also naturalized in Russia.

no moral or physical deficiencies, and that all the other females were sadly neglected by nature. The residents, confidantes, and the misses living as companions, as well as the wives of the agent and commissary, and withal father Ezueet, confirmed with one accord the opinion of Mrs. Gologordoffsky, and this served as some consolation for her grief. If the tenth part of Mrs. Gologordoffsky said concerning the females had been correct, it would have been the duty of the men to seek for wives not only in another government or in another empire, but in another planet. Fortunately all the mothers thought exactly the same as themselves and their daughters as Mrs. Gologordoffsky : it would be necessary then to believe in all the failings of the fair sex with the exception of the present company.

Meloveeden remained constant: he returned an answer to every ten of Petronella's letters, full of tenderness, with the additional attraction that it was written on rose-coloured or green or light blue paper; this was the fashion at that time in the country. Although I could not read these letters, I formed conclusions regarding their contents from the effects which they had on my mistress's temper, who, while she read them a hundred times, always began with crying, and ended with laughing. Meloveeden gave her a description of his new acquaintances, various adventures, characters and anecdotes, which soothed my mistress in her forlorn state, and delighted both her and her sister. The jew faithfully performed the duty entrusted to him, receiving from the post-office and forwarding the letters with the greatest exactness. Notwithstanding that I was now of no more use to my mistress, she continued to love and caress me: with me were associated sweet recollections, and, besides, Meloveeden had recommended me to her protection.

Spring came on, but the roses no more bloomed on the cheeks of the fair Petronella. She became from day to day more disconsolate, and could not without tears look upon the little birds sitting in pairs on the branches. All knew the cause of her grief; but, except her sister, the faithful Masha and the Jew, no one made mention of her beloved, or soothed her with hopes. Once on a pleasant*

* The month of May in Russia is generally one of the most delightful seasons of the year. We have some such weather for days in Eng land, but a whole month of it would be an unprecedented occurrence.

spring-day at sunset, the whole family dined in the garden. Roasted chickens with salad, improved by the addition of sour cream, and a bottle of Tokay presented as a rarity by the Jew-farmer, put Mr. Gologordoffsky into such a happy disposition of mind, that the aunt took the resolution to avail herself of this opportunity to fulfil her commission. She made a sign to the young ladies to withdraw, and began her speech first with some general observations on the happiness of wedlock, where the attachment between the parties is mutual, alluded to the pitiable state of Petronella, who was a victim to love, and at last plainly declared that she was authorised by Meloveeden and her niece to beg the consent of the parents to the marriage, and pulled out his letter from her bosom. Mrs. Gologordoffsky was silent during the discourse of her cousin, sighed, looked at the clouds and see-sawed with her head. On the other hand, Mr. Gologordoffsky at the beginning of the speech began to shew symptoms of impatience and chagrin. At first he redoubled his draughts of wine, then his face grew red, and at last, when he had finished the bottle, he grew quite furious, knocked violently with his fist on the table, making all_the bottles and glasses dance, and roared vociferously, Enough!" However the officious aunt was not to be daunted by all this uproar, but quietly said; "I don't see what can hinder this match." " te Much, very much, Ma'am,” replied Mr. Gologordoffsky; "and you do not perceive it, because you never inspected the archives of my house, and apparently never noticed the family-portraits in the dining-room. "But is not Meloveeden a gentleman," added the aunt; "his father and grandfather held the rank of generals." Mr. Gologordoffsky grinned savagely; Ma'am," said he, "I was before you in my inquiries at Meloveeden concerning his family, and learned from himself that his nobility begins only with his great-grand-father." "Do you think that insufficient?" asked the aunt. "So insufficient, that nothing could be less so for entering into an alliance with a family which counts its nobility from the fiftieth generation. And so you see, Madam, that my nobility bears the same proportion to that of Mr. Meloveeden as fifty to three, consequently there is a leettle difference beAt this he smiled triumphantly. "But in our times the old and young gentry have the same privileges of

tween us.