Free Fire in the Steppe by Henryk Sienkiewicz, Jeremiah Curtin

wherewith Panna Barbara nodded like a young colt.
    "Let us take our seats in the carriage, and drive on!" said the little knight. "Pan Zagloba lives with me. I asked him to have supper prepared for us."
    "That famous Pan Zagloba?" asked Panna Basia, all at once.
    "Basia, be quiet!" said the lady. "I am afraid that there will be annoyance."
    "Oh, if Pan Zagloba has his mind on supper," said the little knight, "there will be enough, even if twice as many were to come. And, young ladies, will you give command to carry out the trunks? I brought a wagon too for things, and Ketling's carriage is so wide that we four can sit in it easily. See what comes to my head; if your attendants are not drunken fellows, let them stay here till morning with the horses and larger effects. We'll take now only what things are required most."
    "We need leave nothing," said the lady, "for our wagons are still unpacked; just attach the horses, and they can move at once. Basia, go and give orders!"
    Basia sprang to the entrance; and a few "Our Fathers" later she returned with the announcement that all was ready.
    "It is time to go," said Pan Michael.
    After a while they took their seats in the carriage and moved on toward Mokotov. Pan Michael's sister and Panna Krysia occupied the rear seats; in front sat the little knight at the side of Basia. It was so dark already that they could not see one another's features.
    "Young ladies, do you know Warsaw?" asked Pan Michael, bending toward Panna Krysia, and raising his voice above the rattle of the carriage.
    "No," answered Krysia, in a low but resonant and agreeable voice. "We are real rustics, and up to this time have known neither famous cities nor famous men."
    Saying this, she inclined her head somewhat, as if giving to understand that she counted Pan Michael among the latter; he received the answer thankfully. "A polite sort of maiden!" thought he, and straightway began to rack his head over some kind of compliment to be made in return.
    "Even if the city were ten times greater than it is," said he at last, "still, ladies, you might be its most notable ornament."
    "But how do you know that in the dark?" inquired Panna Basia, on a sudden.
    "Ah, here is a kid for you!" thought Pan Michael.
    But he said nothing, and they rode on in silence for some time; Basia turned again to the little knight and asked, "Do you know whether there will be room enough in the stable? We have ten horses and two wagons."
    "Even if there were thirty, there would be room for them."
    "Hwew! hwew!" exclaimed the young lady.
    "Basia! Basia!" said Pani Makovetski, persuasively.
    "Ah, it is easy to say, 'Basia, Basia!' but in whose care were the horses during the whole journey?"
    Conversing thus, they arrived before Ketling's house. All the windows were brilliantly lighted to receive the lady. The servants ran out with Pan Zagloba at the head of them; he, springing to the wagon and seeing three women, inquired straightway,—
    "In which lady have I the honor to greet my special benefactress, and at the same time the sister of my best friend, Michael?"
    "I am she!" answered the lady.
    Then Zagloba seized her hand, and fell to kissing it eagerly, exclaiming, "I beat with the forehead,—I beat with the forehead!"
    Then he helped her to descend from the carriage, and conducted her with great attention and clattering of feet to the ante-room. "Let me be permitted to give greeting once more inside the threshold," said he, on the way.
    Meanwhile Pan Michael was helping the young ladies to descend. Since the carriage was high, and it was difficult to find the steps in the darkness, he caught Panna Krysia by the waist, and bearing her through the air, placed her on the ground; and she, without resisting, inclined during the twinkle of an eye her breast on his, and said, "I thank you."
    Pan Michael turned then to Basia; but she had already jumped down on the other side of the carriage, therefore he gave his arm to Panna Krysia. In the room