"You will have to take this," said the Princess, giving me a letter
so that she wouldn't touch my hand, "and be sure they don't catch you
with the letter. Be careful, don't drink, Alexei. It's bad to drink;
when you come back we'll give you 500 rubles."
"_Je né le tolère pas_," she said to the Prince, "_il a l'air si
commun! Il nous vendrait tous, s'il etait assez intelligent_!"
The Prince did not answer (I guess he knows more than her Highness)
and looked aside, grumbling something just to calm his better half.
I stared at her, just to scare this bad female, from under my
eyebrows.
"_Vous voyez_," the Princess almost cried, "_Vous voyez! Mon Dieu!
Quel type horrible! J'ai peur de lui! C'est un dégénéré! il nous
trahira_!" She complimented me in this manner for a while, and then
started to give me some silly instructions,--how to get there, etc.
Finally, I left the house, went to Schmelin and got his permission in
a minute, and tonight--I am leaving.
My house and all in it will be taken good care of,--Schmelin promised
to look after it.
Good-by, my humble hut! Good-by Tumen!