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"Well, I've had a long sleep!" said Taras, coming to his senses as if after a heavy, drunken slumber, and trying to distinguish the objects about him. A terrible weakness overpowered his limbs. The walls and corners of a strange room appeared dimly to his vision. At last he perceived Tovkach seated before him, apparently listening to his every breath.
"Yes," thought Tovkach, "you might have slept forever." But he said nothing, shook his finger and motioned Taras to keep quiet.
"But tell me, where am I now?" asked Taras, straining his mind, and endeavouring to recollect what had happened.
"Hold your tongue!" cried his companion roughly. "Why should you want to know? Don't you see that you're all hacked to pieces? Here I've been galloping with you for two weeks, without stopping to take breath; and all the while you've been burning up with fever, and jabbering nonsense. This is the first time you've slept quietly. Be silent, if you don't wish to do yourself an injury! "
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