Arthur Gride muttered an imprecation on his housekeeper’s deafness, as he roared in her ear:

"There are some like ourselves and some worse," she thought.

But the word always seemed to her to imply: "Yes, I am angry but I won`t tell you why."

When they came out onto the beaten highroadpolished by sleigh runners and cut up by rough-shod hoofs, the marks of which were visible in the moonlightthe horses began to tug at the reins of their own accord and increased their pace. The near side horse, arching his head and breaking into a short canter, tugged at his traces. The shaft horse swayed from side to side, moving his ears as if asking: "Isn`t it time to begin now?" In front, already far ahead the deep bell of the sleigh ringing farther and farther off, the black horses driven by Zakhar could be clearly seen against the white snow. From that sleigh one could hear the shouts, laughter, and voices of the mummers.