I have said they were in great spirits,
particularly Count Theodore; indeed he was generally the gayer of the
pair--his sister being evidently the more prudent--and in this respect
they resembled the Lorenskis. Many a jest, however, on the
non-appearance of the wolves went round our sledge, of which I
remember nothing now except that we all laughed till the old wood
rang.
'Be quiet, good children,' said the priest, turning in his seat of
command: 'you make noise enough to frighten all the wolves in
creation.'
'They won't come to-night, father; they are preparing for mass,' cried
Count Theodore. 'Juana, if the old Finn were here now, wouldn't he be
useful?'
'Perhaps he might,' said the countess, with a forced laugh; but she
cast a look of strange warning and reproof on her brother.
'What Finn?' said the priest, catching the count's words.
'Oh, he is talking of an old nursery-tale we had in St Petersburg,'
hastily interposed the lady, though I thought her face had no memory
of the nursery in it.
'About the Finns I'll warrant,' said Father Cassimer. 'They are a
strange people. My brother the merchant told me that he knew one of
them at Abo who said he had a charm for the wolves; but somebody
informed against him for smuggling, and the Russian government sent
him to the lead-mines in Siberia.
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