I ate more than I meant to, and so found myself in no rush to leave the table when I was finished. My full belly would not have allowed me to. So I sat and conversed with Mr and mrs Milyutin for a period of about fifteen minutes, and then Mrs Milyutina quitted our company so that her husband and I could smoke cigars.
"You might meet my children today, if you like, once they have had their lessons." He said, taking a deep drag on one of my cigars.
"Thank you. I should like that very much. What did you say their names were, again? I am so sorry, but I was so very tired last night."
"Do not be sorry, my friend, I understand totally. They are Dmitri and Vasiliy."
"Ah, yes." I said, "That was it." I let out a puff of smoke from one of the cigars. "Well?" I said, when he had finished the cigar that I had given to him. "What do you think?"
"It is very string." He said, putting down the stub. "I do not know how you English can sit and smoke them all day long."
"With all due respect, Sir, we can stand and smoke them all day long, too." He laughed and laughed very loudly and animatedly when I said this, slamming his hand down on the table, throwing his head back and stamping his foot.
"I am sure you can, Sir! And they say that in this region we are hardy!"
I smiled and we retired to the sitting room when he had recovered himself. His wife was sitting there in an armchair, embroidering a tablecloth.
"Everything alright, gentlemen?" She asked, not looking up from her embroidery. "I heard quite a commotion taking place in there - if you had not come in here when you did, I would have left my armchair and come to see what was the matter."
"All was well, Victoria, my dear, I was simply laughing at something that Mr Harewood said to me. He let me try one of his cigars in exchange for one of ours."
"That was nice of him."
"Indeed it was." He said, taking a seat.
"How did you find it, dear?"
"Rather too strong for me, I am afraid. Nice for an occasion, perhaps, but it could not make a habit of it."
"Perhaps Mr Harewood is a tougher man than you, darling."
"Perhaps he is." He chuckled and went forward to kiss his wife's little, pale forehead. I was quite happy watching this sweet display, feeling rather privileged to be allowed into their home and to be as accepted as I was in such a short period of time. My benefactors were boundlessly kind, and were constantly offering me more comfort and refreshment.
"You might meet my children today, if you like, once they have had their lessons." He said, taking a deep drag on one of my cigars.
"Thank you. I should like that very much. What did you say their names were, again? I am so sorry, but I was so very tired last night."
"Do not be sorry, my friend, I understand totally. They are Dmitri and Vasiliy."
"Ah, yes." I said, "That was it." I let out a puff of smoke from one of the cigars. "Well?" I said, when he had finished the cigar that I had given to him. "What do you think?"
"It is very string." He said, putting down the stub. "I do not know how you English can sit and smoke them all day long."
"With all due respect, Sir, we can stand and smoke them all day long, too." He laughed and laughed very loudly and animatedly when I said this, slamming his hand down on the table, throwing his head back and stamping his foot.
"I am sure you can, Sir! And they say that in this region we are hardy!"
I smiled and we retired to the sitting room when he had recovered himself. His wife was sitting there in an armchair, embroidering a tablecloth.
"Everything alright, gentlemen?" She asked, not looking up from her embroidery. "I heard quite a commotion taking place in there - if you had not come in here when you did, I would have left my armchair and come to see what was the matter."
"All was well, Victoria, my dear, I was simply laughing at something that Mr Harewood said to me. He let me try one of his cigars in exchange for one of ours."
"That was nice of him."
"Indeed it was." He said, taking a seat.
"How did you find it, dear?"
"Rather too strong for me, I am afraid. Nice for an occasion, perhaps, but it could not make a habit of it."
"Perhaps Mr Harewood is a tougher man than you, darling."
"Perhaps he is." He chuckled and went forward to kiss his wife's little, pale forehead. I was quite happy watching this sweet display, feeling rather privileged to be allowed into their home and to be as accepted as I was in such a short period of time. My benefactors were boundlessly kind, and were constantly offering me more comfort and refreshment.