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"O auntie, it is so long since I have seen any guests! Since I

have been living here with the hens and turkeys, the only guest

that I have seen was a wild dove. I'm just a little tired of

sitting in the chamber; the Judge even says that it is bad for

the health."

"The Judge," interrupted her aunt, "has continually been

bothering me with requests to take you out into society; has

continually been mumbling under his breath that you are already

grown up. He doesn't know what he is talking about himself; he is

an old fellow who never had any experience in the great world. I

know better how much preparation a young lady needs, in order to

make an impression when she comes out in society. You see, Zosia,

that any one who grows up in the sight of men, even though she

may be beautiful and clever, produces no impression, since all

have been accustomed to seeing her ever since she was small. But

if a well-trained, grown-up young lady suddenly appears

glittering before the world from no one knows where, then

everybody crowds up to her out of curiosity, observes all her

movements, each glance of her eye, attends to her words and

repeats them to others; and when a young person gets to be in

fashion, every one must praise her, even if he does not like her.