He pleased the Englishmen in these arguments, also, so that they again began to clap him on the shoulders and the knees, with pleasantness, and asked: "We would just like to know, out of mere curiosity: what defect have you observed in our girls, and why do you shun them?" Thereupon the left-handed man answered them frankly: "I accuse them of no defect, but what does not please me is that their dress sort of flutters about them, and one cannot make out what they have on, and for what purpose; first there is some sort of thing or other, and underneath there's another pinned on, and on their arms are some sort of leglets or other. Their plush cloak is exactly like an ape--a sapajou." The Englishmen burst out laughing and say: "Where's the objection in that?" "There's no objection," replies the left-handed man, "only I'm afraid it would make me blush to watch and wait while she is getting herself out of all that." "Is it possible," say they, "that your fashion is better?" "Our fashion," he replies, "in Tula is simple: every woman wears a roundabout,[32] and even the greatest ladies wear our roundabouts." They also showed him to their ladies, and there they poured tea for him, and inquired: "Why do you frown?" He replies: "Because," says he, "we are not used to taking it very sweet." Then they gave him a lump of sugar to nibble at, in Russian fashion. They argued with him that it could not be as nice that way, but he said: "To our taste it is more tasty thus." In no way could the English disconcert him, or make him feel attracted by their manner of life, and merely succeeded in persuading him to remain their guest for a short time, by promising that during that time they would take him about to divers factories, and show him all their art. "And then," said they, "we will take him to his ship, and _deliver him alive in Petrograd_." To this he agreed. FOOTNOTES: [26] A very bad rhyme in the original. [27] Plum-Pudding. [28] The old gunsmith contrives to say "scandal." [29] Literally, "The Half-Dreamer." [30] The usual expression for "join our Church." [31] In the Catacombs at Kieff are a number of chrism-exuding skulls. [32] He probably means a garment like the _sarafan_, composed of many straight breadths gathered into a narrow band at the arm-pits, and suspended by straps over shoulders; or the ancient Russian gown, without gathers, cut with gores from neck to heel. What he manages to say is, that they wear lace gowns--or something approximating that. XVI The Englishmen took charge of the left-handed man, but sent the Russian Courier back to Russia. Although the Courier had a rank[33] and was skilled in divers languages, they took no interest in him, but they did find the left-handed man interesting, and set about taking him everywhere and showing him everything.