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CHAPTER IX.

Unexpected meeting-Change of life-My Aunt-My Education.

We arrived, without any adventure, in Moscow. A house had been previously hired and furnished for our accommodation by Mr. Scotinko's house-steward, who had been dispatched some months previous. Mr. Scotinko had in Moscow many acquaintances among the people in office, who assembled at his house with their wives once a week to dinner, and twice a week to spend the evening at cards. Mr. Scotinko, soon after his arrival, engaged a French governor for his sons, and a French governess for his daughters. Besides that, they had teachers, who came into the house every day to give them lessons. My duty consisted in waiting upon the sons, keeping the school-room clean, and being in attendance during the lessons, to fulfil the different orders of the teachers and young gentlemen. Besides that, I waited at table during dinner, and executed the commissions of Madam Scotinko in different shops; also carried through the town her notes to her different friends, went to the Apothecary's shop for medicines, and fed the birds and lap-dogs which were favourites of my mistress. I was, what is called, chamber-boy. I wore a Cossack-dress, and went by the name of Kazatchok, (little Cossack.) Gifted by nature with a happy memory and quick perception, in a few months I learned from the cook to read and write Russian, and the first four rules of arithmetic; and, from being present during the lessons of my master's sons, in the course of half a year, I picked up a number of French and German words, and formed some acquaintance with geographical and historical names. The teachers, observing my docility and curiosity, examined me sometimes for their own amusement, concerning what I recollected of the lessons which I had heard, and explained to me what I did not understand. In this way I became a learned man among the lackeys. I was content with my lot, comparing it with my situation under the Jew; and, although the servants in general in Mr. Scotinko's house were kept and fed very indifferently, more from neglect than niggardliness, yet I had my own perquisites, which made up for other insufficiencies. I got the fragments of

the children's breakfasts and suppers; got presents of money for gingerbread in the dressmakers' and apothecaries' shops, and in other places where I chanced to be on my mistress's business: besides that, I played at orlenok,* with the neighbouring boys and vorreiters,† and partly by good luck, partly by skill, almost always gained. I thus succeedin acquiring for myself a small capital, which was sufficient to serve the purpose of allaying my hunger, and gratifying my palate. In this way I passed a year and a half in Mr. Scotinko's house at Moscow, without caring for the future, or anticipating any amelioration of my condition. My most flattering hopes went no farther than to occupy, in time, the situation of valet de chambre to one of my master's sons, or to return to my former benefactor Moloveeden, whose affability and goodness of soul had made a lasting impression on my heart and memory.

But fate ordered it otherwise. I was one day in a dressmaker's shop, waiting till some work should be finished for my lady. On a sudden there entered the shop, a lady, dressed very elegantly, who began to look at different articles which were for sale. Her eyes happening to fall upon me, she stopped and looked stedfastly with particular emotion. She again fell to examine the goods, but, as it were by some involuntary attraction, her eyes incessantly wandered towards me. At last, she could no longer get the better of her inward feeling, but came up to me." Whose boy are you my dear?" said the lady affably, patting me on the cheek. "I myself don't know ;" said I. "I am at present, a servant with Mr. Scotinko." "Who is this Mr. Scotinko?” “ A rich gentleman who came to live in Moscow about a year and a half ago, and I entered his service on the way."" And so you are free and not a serf?" "I really don't know whose I am: I was brought up in Byalo-russia in the house of Mr. Gologordoffsky." At these words the lady interrupted my recital, hastily left the shop, and ordered me to follow her. She sent her footman to the carriage, as he stood waiting on the steps before the door, and there continued the dialogue with me. "What is your name?" "Ivan.” “How old are

* The little eagle,' a game at cards.

+ The coachmen do not drive four-in-hand in Russia, but the two front horses are managed by a little boy called from the German 'vorreiter,' literally' fore-rider.'

you?" "I don't know." "You say that you were brought up in the house of Mr. Gologordoffsky," said the lady: "but who are your parents?" "I don't know; I am an orphan." All this time, I stared in the lady's face, and observed that she blushed, and that her eyes were filled with tears. "Ivan!" said she, in a low tone of voice; then, after a short silence, she added: "Vanushka,* have not you a mark on your left shoulder?" "But how do you know that, Ma'am, that I have a great scar on my shoulder?" At these words, the lady put her handkerchief to her eyes, and remained for some time silent. At last she kissed me, asked where Mr. Scotinko lived, gave me a silver rouble, and ordering me not to tell any body of our meeting and her questions, went into the carriage, saying, "We shall see one another soon.

My eyes followed the good lady to her carriage, and I returned to the shop. As I had an agreeable countenance in my childhood, I was frequently taken notice of by people who did not know me, particularly females, who would stop me on the street; but no similar adventure had made such a powerful impression upon me as this meeting. My heart. beat strongly the lady's beautiful features, and her black eyes, were contiually present in my imagination; and her soft voice resounded in my ears. I returned home sad. All night I dreamed of the good lady; and sometimes awoke and fell a crying from grief and vexation, that I had not met with such kind masters. I wished to get into the service of that kind, affable lady! Of other feelings I had no idea.

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Next morning, at twelve o'clock, there stoppod at our gate a coach and six, with three livery servants. One of the footmen came into the lobby, and begged to let Mr. Scotinko know, that prince Tchvanoff wished to speak with him upon very important business. Mr. Scotinko who was sitting in his morning-gown, immediately put on his coat, ordered the servants to request the prince to come in, and waited for him in the lobby. The prince was a man about seventy years of age; his face was covered with wrinkles and red spots; his bald head was covered with a paste made of powder and pomatum; and the remains of his grey hairs were formed into curls and tied with a queu. He could hardly move his legs, and his footmen took him under their arms with as

* A diminutive from Ivan.

much precaution as if he had been made of glass, and might be shivered to pieces by the smallest slip. Mr. Scotinko received the princewith low bows, and conducted him into the drawing-room; but the prince wished to speak with him in private, and they entered into a closet where they remained about an hour. At last, Mr. Scotinko looked out of the closet and called me. I thought that he wanted me to fetch something, but what was my astonishment when Mr. Scotinko, pointing me out to the prince, said, "There he is," when the prince, stroking my head, and patting my cheeks, muttered something in a foreign language. "Vankey," said Mr. Scotinko to me, "go immediately with his highness. I have no longer authority over you: here is your benefactor. I was so thunderstruck with these words, that I made no answer, but stood motionless. The prince rose, The prince rose, shook hands with Mr. Scotinko, and tottered towards the door, leaning upon my shoulder. In the lobby, Mr. Scotinko said to me: "Now, adieu Vanya: you are no more my servant: go with his highness." The valet gave me my cap, and I went out with the prince into the street. I was almost frightened, when the prince ordered me to sit in the carriage alongside of himself. I was in such confusion, that I did not dare to lift my eyes or to take my breath. Fortunately the prince was silent all the way, and slumbered. My heart fluttered when we halted beside an elegant house. Ignorance of one's lot occasions sometimes more uneasiness than real misfortune.

We had hardly entered the rooms which glittered with gold, bronze, and marble, and were adorned with carpets and pictures, when the prince sat down on a sofa, and ordered the house-steward to be sent for. I, in the mean while stood at the doors, and looked upon every thing with a curious eye. The steward entered. "Take this boy," said the prince, "and go with him to a tailor and seamstress; buy for him the best sort of linen, and fashionable clothes for his time of life; dress him as neat as a doll, and as fine as a prince; get his hair cut, wash him, clean him; and after doing all this as well as possible, take him to Adelada Petrovna. Dost thou hear?"—" I hear, your highness." "Let every thing be ready by six o'clock; I shall myself be at her house in the evening." The steward beckoned to me, and I followed him.

Without farther questions he seated me beside himself on a hackney-droshky, and took me to a taylor. Here he left me, ordering the taylor to execute immediately the prince's commission, and saying that he would come back for me in a few hours. The taylor's wife went out and bought linen for me. The tailor sought out a beautiful ready-made jacket and trowsers of violet-coloured kerseymere, with gilded buttons. The shoemaker brought shoes for me. My hair had been cut in a circular form, in the old Russian fashion. The hair-dresser cut it in the prevaling mode, and put it into curls. The landlady soon returned with linen, and with an embroidered shirt-neck. She herself washed me, dressed me, and could hardly keep from kissing my rosy cheeks. I scarcely knew myself when I looked into the mirror, and perceived with inward satisfaction that I was prettier than the young Gologordoffskys, Scotinkos, and all the boys. whom I had seen in their houses. The house-steward soon returned, and was likewise struck with my metamorphosis. We again mounted a hackney-droshky, and drove to the place pointed out by the prince. I asked no questions, being quite absorbed in admiration of my clothes.

On arriving at a little neat wooden house, we stopped, and the steward led me by the hand along with him. A footman opened the door into the dining-room; and I almost fainted with joy when I saw the very same lady who, the day before, had questioned me at the dressmaker's. The lady herself screamed for joy, threw her arms about my neck, kissed me, and leading me into another room, dismissed the steward. When we remained alone, the lady sat down on a sofa, seated me beside her, ordered me to take off my jacket, and on examining the mark on my left shoulder, fell a crying. I also cried, thinking that the good lady had some cause for her grief. Vanya," said she to me, "you will now be no more a servant. You are my own nephew, my sister's son. You ought to call me aunt, and not to tell any body what you were before. You will

* This operation is often performed among the peasants by clapping a wooden bowl upon the head of the person to be operated upon and clipping all round by the brim of the bowl. In addition to this, among the Russian methodists, or starovayries, (old believers), in some provinces, they clip a considerable space round the crown quite bare.