"All the way to Pashutno, I say — he did the whole distance in half an hour."
"That's something to talk about! A good horse he is, and no mistake!" said Nikita.
They were silent for a time, but Vasily Andreich had a talking fit upon him.
"Well, how does your old woman get on with her friend the cooper?" said Vasily Andreich, so convinced that it ought to be very pleasant for Nikita to converse with such a sensible and distinguished man as himself, and so pleased with his own joke that it never entered his head whether his conversation might not be disagreeable to Nikita. Nikita, however, did not catch his master's words distinctly, as the wind carried the sound away from him.
Vasily Andreich repeated his jest about the cooper in his deep, full voice.
"God be with them, Vasily Andreich! I don't meddle in the matter. So long as she is kind to the little one, God be with her."
"Oh! that's it, is it?" said Vasily Andreich. "Well, are you going to buy that horse in the spring?" he asked, broaching another subject.
"I should like to have the chance," answered Nikita, turning aside the collar of his kaftan, and bending over towards his master.
The conversation had now grown interesting to Nikita, and he did not want to lose a word of it.
"He's very small, not much good even at ploughing, he's so very small," said he.
"Take him as he stands. I won't put too big a price upon it," shouted Vasily Andreich, feeling him-
13
