'What the deuce does he want?' he repeated, objecting to the short skirt. The cavalier rode off the bridge with no little difficulty and reined up beside the woman. Slimak was now watching breathlessly. Suddenly the young man stretched out his hand towards Slimakowa's neck, but she raised her stick so threateningly that the scared horse started away at a gallop, and the rider was left clinging to his neck. 'Jagna! what are you doing?' shouted Slimak; 'that's the squire's brother-in-law, you fool!' But the shout did not reach her, and the young man did not seem at all offended. He kissed his hand to Slimakowa and dug his heels into the horse, which threw up its head and started in the direction of the cottage at a sharp trot. But this time success did not attend the rider, his feet slipped out of the stirrups, and clutching his charger by the mane, he shouted: 'Stop, you devil!' Jendrek heard the cry, clambered on to the gate, and seeing the strange performance, burst out laughing. The rider's jockey cap fell off. 'Pick up the cap, my boy,' the horseman called out in passing. 'Pick it up yourself,' laughed Jendrek, clapping his hands to excite the horse still more. The father listened to the boy's answer speechless with astonishment, but he soon recovered himself. 'Jendrek, you young dog, give the gentleman his cap when he tells you!' he cried. Jendrek took the jockey cap between two fingers, holding it in front of him and offering it to the rider when he had succeeded in stopping his horse. 'Thank you, thank you very much,' he said, no less amused than Jendrek himself. 'Jendrek, take off your cap to the gentleman at once,' called Slimak. 'Why should I take off my cap to everybody?' asked the lad saucily. 'Excellent, that's right!...' The young man seemed pleased. 'Wait, you shall have twenty kopeks for that; a free citizen should never humble himself before anybody.' Slimak, by no means sharing the gentleman's democratic theories, advanced towards Jendrek with his cap in one hand and the whip in the other. 'Citizen!' cried the cavalier, 'I beg you not to beat the boy...do not crush his independent soul...do not...' he would have liked to have continued, but the horse, getting bored, started off again in the direction of the bridge. When he saw Slimakowa coming towards the cottage, he took off his dusty cap and called out: 'Madam, do not let him beat the boy!' Jendrek had disappeared. Slimak stood rooted to the spot, pondering upon this queer fish, who first was impertinent to his wife, then called her 'Madam', and himself 'Citizen', and praised Jendrek for his cheek. He returned angrily to his horses.