this　inseparable　companion　went　on　rolling　with　me　in　the　south…
  east　direction　towards　the　Government　of　Kiev。
  At　that　time　there　was　an　eight…hours'　drive；　if　not　more；　from
  the　railway　station　to　the　country　house　which　was　my
  destination。
  〃Dear　boy〃　（these　words　were　always　written　in　English）；　so　ran
  the　last　letter　from　that　house　received　in　London；〃Get
  yourself　driven　to　the　only　inn　in　the　place；　dine　as　well　as　you
  can；　and　some　time　in　the　evening　my　own　confidential　servant；
  factotum　and　major…domo；　a　Mr。　V。S。　（I　warn　you　he　is　of　noble
  extraction）；　will　present　himself　before　you；　reporting　the
  arrival　of　the　small　sledge　which　will　take　you　here　on　the　next
  day。　　I　send　with　him　my　heaviest　fur；　which　I　suppose　with　such
  overcoats　as　you　may　have　with　you　will　keep　you　from　freezing　on
  the　road。〃
  Sure　enough；　as　I　was　dining；　served　by　a　Hebrew　waiter；　in　an
  enormous　barn…like　bedroom　with　a　freshly　painted　floor；　the　door
  opened　and；　in　a　travelling　costume　of　long　boots；　big　sheep…skin
  cap　and　a　short　coat　girt　with　a　leather　belt；　the　Mr。　V。S。　（of
  noble　extraction）；　a　man　of　about　thirty…five；　appeared　with　an
  air　of　perplexity　on　his　open　and　moustachioed　countenance。　　I
  got　up　from　the　table　and　greeted　him　in　Polish；　with；　I　hope；
  the　right　shade　of　consideration　demanded　by　his　noble　blood　and
  his　confidential　position。　　His　face　cleared　up　in　a　wonderful
  way。　　It　appeared　that；　notwithstanding　my　uncle's　earnest
  assurances；　the　good　fellow　had　remained　in　doubt　of　our
  understanding　each　other。　　He　imagined　I　would　talk　to　him　in
  some　foreign　language。　　I　was　told　that　his　last　words　on　getting
  into　the　sledge　to　come　to　meet　me　shaped　an　anxious　exclamation：
  〃Well！　　Well！　　Here　I　am　going；　but　God　only　knows　how　I　am　to
  make　myself　understood　to　our　master's　nephew。〃
  We　understood　each　other　very　well　from　the　first。　　He　took
  charge　of　me　as　if　I　were　not　quite　of　age。　　I　had　a　delightful
  boyish　feeling　of　coming　home　from　school　when　he　muffled　me　up
  next　morning　in　an　enormous　bear…skin　travelling…coat　and　took
  his　seat　protectively　by　my　side。　　The　sledge　was　a　very　small
  one　and　it　looked　utterly　insignificant；　almost　like　a　toy　behind
  the　four　big　bays　harnessed　two　and　two。　　We　three；　counting　the
  coachman；　filled　it　completely。　　He　was　a　young　fellow　with　clear
  blue　eyes；　the　high　collar　of　his　livery　fur　coat　framed　his
  cheery　countenance　and　stood　all　round　level　with　the　top　of　his
  head。
  〃Now；　Joseph；〃　my　companion　addressed　him；　〃do　you　think　we　shall
  manage　to　get　home　before　six？〃　　His　answer　was　that　we　would
  surely；　with　God's　help；　and　providing　there　were　no　heavy　drifts
  in　the　long　stretch　between　certain　villages　whose　names　came
  with　an　extremely　familiar　sound　to　my　ears。　　He　turned　out　an
  excellent　coachman　with　an　instinct　for　keeping　the　road　amongst
  the　snow…covered　fields　and　a　natural　gift　of　getting　the　best
  out　of　his　horses。
  〃He　is　the　son　of　that　Joseph　that　I　suppose　the　Captain
  remembers。　　He　who　used　to　drive　the　Captain's　late　grandmother
  of　holy　memory；〃　remarked　V。S。　busy　tucking　fur　rugs　about　my
  feet。
  I　remembered　perfectly　the　trusty　Joseph　who　used　to　drive　my
  grandmother。　　Why！　he　it　was　who　let　me　hold　the　reins　for　the
  first　time　in　my　life　and　allowed　me　to　play　with　the　great　four…
  in…hand　whip　outside　the　doors　of　the　coach…house。
  〃What　became　of　him？〃　I　asked。　　〃He　is　no　longer　serving；　I
  suppose。〃
  〃He　served　our　master；〃　was　the　reply。　　〃But　he　died　of　cholera
  ten　years　ago　nowthat　great　epidemic　we　had。　　And　his　wife　died
  at　the　same　timethe　whole　houseful　of　them；　and　this　is　the
  only　boy　that　was　left。〃
  The　MS。　of　〃Almayer's　Folly〃　was　reposing　in　the　bag　under　our
  feet。
  I　saw　again　the　sun　setting　on　the　plains　as　I　saw　it　in　the
  travels　of　my　childhood。　　It　set；　clear　and　red；　dipping　into　the
  snow　in　full　view　as　if　it　were　setting　on　the　sea。　　It　was
  twenty…three　years　since　I　had　seen　the　sun　set　over　that　land；
  and　we　drove　on　in　the　darkness　which　fell　swiftly　upon　the　livid
  expanse　of　snows　till；　out　of　the　waste　of　a　white　earth　joining
  a　bestarred　sky；　surged　up　black　shapes；　the　clumps　of　trees
  about　a　village　of　the　Ukrainian　plain。　　A　cottage　or　two　glided
  by；　a　low　interminable　wall　and　then；　glimmering　and　winking
  through　a　screen　of　fir…trees；　the　lights　of　the　master's　house。
  That　very　evening　the　wandering　MS。　of　〃Almayer's　Folly〃　was
  unpacked　and　unostentatiously　laid　on　the　writing…table　in　my
  room；　the　guest…room　which　had　been；　I　was　informed　in　an
  affectedly　careless　tone；　awaiting　me　for　some　fifteen　years　or
  so。　　It　attracted　no　attention　from　the　affectionate　presence
  hovering　round　the　son　of　the　favourite　sister。
  〃You　won't　have　many　hours　to　yourself　while　you　are　staying　with
  me；　brother；〃　he　saidthis　form　of　address　borrowed　from　the
  speech　of　our　peasants　being　the　usual　expression　of　the　highest
  good　humour　in　a　moment　of　affectionate　elation。　　〃I　shall　be
  always　coming　in　for　a　chat。〃
  As　a　matter　of　fact　we　had　the　whole　house　to　chat　in；　and　were
  everlastingly　intruding　upon　each　other。　　I　invaded　the
  retirement　of　his　study　where　the　principal　feature　was　a
  colossal　silver　inkstand　presented　to　him　on　his　fiftieth　year　by
  a　subscription　of　all　his　wards　then　living。　　He　had　been
  guardian　of　many　orphans　of　land…owning　families　from　the　three
  southern　provincesever　since　the　year　1860。　　Some　of　them　had
  been　my　schoolfellows　and　playmates；　but　not　one　of　them；　girls
  or　boys；　that　I　know　of　has　ever　written　a　novel。　　One　or　two
  were　older　than　myselfconsiderably　older；　too。　　One　of　them；　a
  visitor　I　remember　in　my　early　years；　was　the　man　who　first　put
  me　on　horseback；　and　his　four…horse　bachelor　turn…out；　his
  perfect　horsemanship　and　general　skill　in　manly　exercises　was　one
  of　my　earliest　admirations。　　I　seem　to　remember　my　mother　looking
  on　from　a　colonnade　in　front　of　the　dining…room　windows　as　I　was
  lifted　upon　the　pony；　held；　for　all　I　know；　by　the　very　Joseph
  the　groom　attached　specially　to　my　grandmother's　servicewho
  died　of　cholera。　　It　was　certainly　a　young　man　in　a　dark　blue；
  tail…less　coat　and　huge　Cossack　trousers；　that　being　the　livery
  of　the　men　about　the　stables。　　It　must　have　been　in　1864；　but
  reckoning　by　another　mode　of　calculating　time；　it　was　certainly
  in　the　year　in　which　my　mother　obtained　permission　to　travel
  south　and　visit　her　family；　from　the　exile　into　which　she　had
  followed　my　father。　　For　that；　too；　she　had　had　to　ask
  permission；　and　I　know　that　one　of　the　conditions　of　that　favour
  was　that　she　should　be　treated　exactly　as　a　condemned　exile
  herself。　　Yet　a　couple　of　years　later；　in　memory　of　her　eldest
  brother　who　had　served　in　the　Guards　and　dying　early　left　hosts
  of　friends　and　a　loved　memory　in　the　great　world　of　St。
  Petersburg；　some　influential　personages　procured　for　her　this
  permissionit　was　officially　called　the　〃Highest　Grace〃of　a
  three　months'　leave　from　exile。
  This　is　also　the　year　in　which　I　first　begin　to　remember　my
  mother　with　more　distinctness　than　a　mere　loving；　wide…browed；
  silent；　protecting　presence；　whose　eyes　had　a　sort　of　commanding
  sweetness；　and　I　also　remember　the　great　gathering　of　all　the
  relations　from　near　and　far；　and　the　grey　heads　of　the　family
  friends　paying　her　the　homage　of　respect　and　love　in　the　house　of
  her　favourite　brother　who；　a　few　years　later；　was　to　take　the
  place　for　me　of　both　my　parents。
  I　did　not　understand　the　tragic　significance　of　it　all　at　the
  time；　though　indeed　I　remember　that　doctors　also　came。　　There
  were　no　signs　of　invalidism　about　herbut　I　think　that　already
  they　had　pronounced　her　doom　unless　perhaps　the　change　to　a
  southern　climate　could　re…establish　her　declining　strength。　　For
  me　it　seems　the　very　happiest　period　of　my　existence。　　There　was
  my　cousin；　a　delightful　quick…tempered　little　girl；　some　months
  younger　than　myself；　whose　life；　lovingly　watched　over；　as　if　she
  were　a　royal　princess；　came　to　an　end　with　her　fifteenth　year。
  There　were　other　children；　too；　many　of　whom　are　dead　now；　and
  not　a　few　whose　very　names　I　have　forgotten。　　Over　all　this　hung
  the　oppressive　shadow　of　the　great　Russian　Empirethe　shadow
  lowering　with　the　darkness　of　a　new