"What a stupid fellow!" said Nosdrieff, whilst standing at the window and looking after his brother-in-law\'s carriage as it was gradually disappearing in the distance. "Look here how he is driving off; one of his off horses is rather a fine animal, I have long had my eye upon it. However, it is quite impossible to come to any understanding with the man. He is such an odd fellow."

After saying this, Nosdrieff and Tchichikoff entered another room. Porphir brought in some candles, and Tchichikoff observed in the hands of his host a pack of cards, for the sudden appearance of which he could not possibly account.

"What do you say, my dear fellow," Nosdrieff remarked, whilst pressing the hack of the pack with his fingers in such a manner, that they got slightly bent, and the wrapper in which they were broke; "Now then, and in order to pass our time pleasantly, I propose to hold the bank with three hundred roubles in it."

But Tchichikoff pretended not to have heard the other\'s proposal, and said, as if suddenly recollecting something: "Ah! by the bye, and ere I forget it again; I have request to make."

"What is it?"

"Give me first your promise to fulfil it."

"But what is your request?"

"Never mind, give me your promise!"

"\'Tis granted."

"Your word of honour."

"My word of honour."

"And now hear my request: you have no doubt, my dear fellow, a number of dead serfs, that have not been yet struck out from the lists of the last census?"

"Yes, I have; but why?"

"Transfer them to me, to my name."

"And for what purpose do you want them?"

"Suffice it, if I tell you I want them."

"But for what purpose?"

"As I told you before I want them; the rest is my business, in a word then, I want to have them."

"No doubt you are up to something. Come, old fellow, confess it, eh?"

"To what should I be up? how could I be up to anything with such worthless trash, as dead serfs?"

"But why should you then tell me you want to have them?"

"Oh, what a curious fellow you are! you wish to touch everything, or rather thrash with your own hands, and smell at it besides!"

"But why don\'t you tell me?"

"And where would be the advantage if you knew it? well then if you must know it, it is a sudden fancy I have."

"Well then, look here, my dear fellow: unless you tell me the truth, you shall not have my dead serfs!"

"And now I must confess, that this is not honourable on your part: you gave me your word of honour, and now you try to back out of it."

"As you like, my dear fellow, but you shall not have them unless you tell me of what use they could be to you, dead as they are."

"What shall I tell him," said Tchichikoff to himself, and after a moment\'s reflection, stated, that he wanted those dead serfs for the purpose of gaining a greater influence in society, that he did not possess a large property, and that until his fortunes changed these dead serfs would be a consolation to him.

"Stuff, nonsense!" said Nosdrieff, not giving him even proper time to finish his phrase, "bosh, my dear fellow!"

Tchichikoff could not help making the observation to himself, that his invention was far from being clever, and that the pretence was a very weak one indeed.

"Well then, I will be more explicit," said he, whilst recovering himself from his first defeat, "but pray do not betray me in letting it out. I have come to the resolution of getting married; but I must tell you that the parents of my intended are very ambitious persons. \'Tis quite a bore to me. I am sorry even that I gave my promise; they insist that the future husband of their daughter should absolutely have, at least, three hundred serfs to call his Own, and as I am short of the round sum of hundred and fifty, I thought ..."

"Bosh! bosh!" Nosdrieff shouted again.

"Now, my dear fellow," said Tchichikoff, "in telling you this much, I have spoken the truth, there is not even this much of imposition in what I told you," and here he showed the extremest point of his little finger.

"I lay my head, that you told me a falsehood."

"This is offensive in reality! what do you take me for? And why should I absolutely tell a falsehood?"

"\'Tis all very fine, my dear fellow, but I know you; you are a gay deceiver. Allow me to tell you something between ourselves, and quite confidentially. If I was your commander-in-chief, I should have you hanged on the first and nearest tree."

Tchichikoff felt shocked and offended at this remark, for every observation, however slightly uncivil or offensive to propriety, was highly disagreeable to him. He avoided as much as possible allowing any familiarities to be taken with him, and in extreme cases would only permit such to be taken as might be termed the most delicate. And for that reason, he was now deeply offended, and sensibly hurt at the observation made by Nosdrieff.

"By heaven I should have you hanged," repeated Nosdrieff, "I tell you this candidly, not with the intention of offending you; oh no! but simply, friendly and confidentially."

"Every thing has its limits," said Tchichikoff, with an air of dignity. "If you like to boast in such language, I would advise you to go into a barrack;" and then he added, "if you don\'t like to let me have them for nothing, well then sell me them."

"Sell them! but I know you well, you are a gay deceiver. You will not offer me a fair price for them?"

"Eh! you are a fine bird too! look at them! what are they to you. Do you value them like diamonds?"

"It is as I thought, when I told you that I knew you."

"Pardon me, my dear fellow, but you have quite Jewish inclinations. You ought to let me have them for nothing."

"Now then, listen, in order to show you how far you are mistaken in me, and that I am no selfish animal, I shall take nothing for my dead serfs. Buy my stallion of me, and I\'ll give them to you into the bargain."

"But, my dear fellow, what am I to do with a stallion?" said Tchichikoff, quite bewildered by such a proposal.

"What to do? But remember, my dear fellow, I paid ten thousand roubles for the animal, and I\'ll let you have him for only four thousand."

"But of what use could a stallion be to me? I do not keep a horse-breeding institution, like his most glorious Majesty our Emperor does."

"But, my dear fellow, you seem not to understand me. I\'ll only take three thousand roubles of you now, and as for the remaining thousand, you may pay me later at your own convenience."

"But I do not want your stallion, nor any one else\'s. Heaven be with the whole race!"

"Well, wil............