"Ah, ah, que j'aime, que j'aime!
Que j'aime, les mili-mili-mili-taires!"
She almost broke down.
She ran to her cart, seated herself, and ordered the coachman to drive to Golovliovo as fast as possible.
_____ CHAPTER III
When Anninka returned to her uncle's, she was dull and silent, though she did feel a bit hungry (in the hurry, uncle had not given her some chicken to take along) and was very glad the table was already set for tea.
Of course, Porfiry Vladimirych was not slow to open a conversation.
"Well, were you there?"
"Yes, I was."
"Did you pray at the grave? Did you have the requiem sung?"
"Yes."
"So the priest was at home?"
"Of course he was, or who would have performed the requiem?"
"Oh, yes, certainly. And the two sextons, were they there? Did they sing: 'Eternal memory?'"
"Yes, they did."
"Yes, eternal memory! May she rest in peace.
She was a good, kind woman."
Yudushka rose from his seat, faced the ikon and offered up a prayer.
"Well, and how did you find things in Pogorelka, everything in good shape?"
"I don't know, really.
I think everything is in its proper place."
"Indeed, 'I think.'
You always 'think,' but when you take a good look you find this is wrong and that is wrong. That's how we judge of other people's business. We 'think' and we 'guess!'
But anyway, you've got a nice little estate. My late mother fixed it all up very nicely. She even spent a good deal of her own money on it. Well, it's only right to help orphans along."
Listening to these chants of praise, Anninka could not refrain from teasing her kindhearted uncle.
"Uncle, why did you take two cows away from Pogorelka?" she asked.
"Cows, what cows?
Oh, you mean the black and the spotted one?
Well, my dear, they belonged to my mother."
"And you are her legitimate heir?
Oh, well, you can have them.
Do you want me to send you a little calf? I will, if you want me to."
"Now, there! Look at her getting excited!
Let's talk business, whom do you think the cows belong to?"
"How do I know? They were in Pogorelka."
"And I do know. I have proof that the cows belonged to mother.
I found a memorandum written in her own hand. 'Mine,' is plainly written there."
"Oh, let's drop it.
It isn't worth talking about."
"There's a pony at Pogorelka, too, little old Baldy, you know. Well, about Baldy I am not sure.
I think Baldy belonged to mother, but I'm not sure.
And I can't speak of what I don't know."
"Let's drop it, uncle."
"No, why drop it?
I'm straight from the shoulder, my dear, I like to bring out the truth of things.
Why not talk it over?
Nobody wants to part with his own. I don't, you don't. Well, then, let's talk it over and see who's right.
And when it comes to talking, I'll tell you plainly: I don't want what's yours and I won't let go of mine, either.
Because, though you are not a stranger to me, still I——"
"And you even took the ikons," Anninka could not refrain from remarking.