RUSSIAN SILHOUETTES MORE STORIES OF RUSSIAN LIFE BY ANTON TCHEKOFF TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN BY MARIAN FELL LONDON DUCKWORTH & CO. 1915 Copyright, 1915, by Charles Scribner’s Sons, for the United States of America Printed by the Scribner Press New York, U. S. A. CONTENTS STORIES OF CHILDHOOD PAGE THE BOYS 3 GRISHA 14 A TRIFLE FROM REAL LIFE 20 THE COOK’S WEDDING 29 SHROVE TUESDAY 38 IN PASSION WEEK 46 AN INCIDENT 54 A MATTER OF CLASSICS 63 THE TUTOR 68 OUT OF SORTS 73 STORIES OF YOUTH A JOKE 79 AFTER THE THEATRE 86 VOLODIA 91 A NAUGHTY BOY 111 BLISS 115 TWO BEAUTIFUL GIRLS 119 LIGHT AND SHADOW THE CHORUS GIRL 135 THE FATHER OF A FAMILY 144 THE ORATOR 151 IONITCH 157 AT CHRISTMAS TIME 187 IN THE COACH HOUSE 195 LADY N——’S STORY 205 A JOURNEY BY CART 212 THE PRIVY COUNCILLOR 227 ROTHSCHILD’S FIDDLE 255 A HORSEY NAME 272 THE PETCHENEG 278 THE BISHOP 295 STORIES OF CHILDHOOD THE BOYS “Volodia is here!” cried some one in the courtyard. “Voloditchka is here!” shrieked Natalia, rushing into the dining-room.