“Oh, of course! Naturally the sight impressed him, and proved to him that not all the aristocracy had left Moscow; that at least some nobles and their children had remained behind.”

“Just so! just so! He wanted to win over the aristocracy! When his eagle eye fell on me, mine probably flashed back in response. ‘ Voilà un garçon bien éveillé! Qui est ton père? ’ I immediately replied, almost panting with excitement, ‘A general, who died on the battlefields of his country!’ ‘ Le fils d’un boyard et d’un brave, pardessus le marché. J’aime les boyards. M’aimes-tu, petit? ’