Let me introduce you to two landowners whom I often hunted. The first of them is the retired Major General Vyacheslav Illarionovich Khvalynsky. Tall and once slim, he was now not decrepit at all. True, the once correct features of his face changed a little, his cheeks hung, wrinkles appeared, but Vyacheslav Illarionovich speaks briskly, laughs loudly, tinkles spurs and twists his mustache. He is a very kind person, but with rather strange habits. He cannot treat the poor nobles as equal people, even his speech changes.

He lived a troublesome life, and the owner was bad: he took a retired wahmister, an unusually stupid person, as manager. Khvalynsky is a great lover of women. He likes to play cards only with people of a lower rank. When he has to play with his superiors, he changes a lot and does not even complain about losing. Vyacheslav Illarionovich reads a little, while reading he constantly moves his mustache and eyebrows. In the election, he plays a significant role, but refuses to honor the rank of leader by stinginess.

General Khvalynsky does not like to talk about his military past. He lives alone in a small house and is still considered a profitable groom. His housekeeper, a full, fresh, black-eyed and black-browed woman of about 35, walks in starched dresses on weekdays. At large dinner parties and public celebrations, General Khvalynsky feels at ease. Khvalynsky does not have a special gift for the word, so he does not tolerate long disputes.

Mardarii Apollonich Stegunov is similar to Khvalynsky in only one way - he is also a bachelor. He never served and was not considered handsome. Mardarius Apollonitch is a short, chubby old man, bald, with a double chin, soft arms and abdomen. He is a hospice and joker, lives for his pleasure. Stegunov deals with his estate quite superficially and lives in the old fashion. His people are dressed in the old fashioned way, the barmistr of men is in charge of the household, and the shriveled and stingy old woman is at home. Mardarii Apollonitch welcomes guests and treats him to fame.

Once I came to him on a summer evening, after the all-night service. After Stegunov released the young priest, having treated him with vodka, we sat on the balcony. Suddenly he saw alien chickens in the garden and sent the yard Yushka to drive them out. Yushka and three other domestic yards rushed to the hens, and went fun. It turned out that these were hens Yermila-Kucher and Stegunov ordered them to be taken away. Then the conversation went about the settlements, which took a bad place. Mardarii Apollonitch said that disgraced men live there, especially two families who cannot succeed in lime. In the distance, I heard strange sounds. It turned out that they were punishing Vaska the barman who served us at dinner.

A quarter of an hour later, I said goodbye to Stegunov. Driving through the village, I met Vasya and asked why he was punished. He replied that they were punished for the case, but you won’t find such a gentleman like theirs in the whole province.