Kirila Petrovic [father of the heroine, Masha] was favourably impressed with the tutor's pleasant appearance and simple conduct. The Frenchman presented him his credentials and a letter from a relative of the Troyekurovs at whose house he had served as a tutor for four years. Kirila Petrovich looked at all this carefully, and was dissatisfied only with the Frenchman's youth: not because he thought this enviable shortcoming indicated that the young man would lack the patience and experience so very necessary in a tutor's unfortunate profession, but because he had his own doubts in this connection, which he decided to voice at once. To this end, he sent for Masha. (Since he himself did not speak French, she served as an interpreter for him.)

"Come here, Masha: tell this-monsieur that, all right, I'll take him on, but only under the condition that he doesn't start running after my girls, or else I'll teach him, the son of a bitch... Translate this for him, Masha."

Masha blushed and, turning to the tutor, said to him in French that her; father counted on his modest and proper behaviour.

The Frenchman bowed and answered that he hoped he would deserve respect, even if he did not win favour.

Masha translated his answer word for word.

"Very well, very well," said Kirila Petrovich. "He needn't bother about either favour and respect. His business is to look after Sasha; and teach him grammar and geography. Translate this for him."

Maria Kirilovna softened her father's rude expressions in her translation, and Kirila Petrovich let his tutor proceed to the wing of the house where a room had been assigned to him.

Masha paid no attention to the young Frenchman: brought up with aristocratic prejudices, she regarded a tutor as a kind of servant or artisan, who were not men in her eyes. She noticed neither the impression she made on Monsieur Desforges, nor his embarrassment, nor his trembling, nor his changed voice. During the days following his arrival she met him quite frequently, but did not bestow any greater attention on him. As a result of an unexpected incident, however, she formed an entirely new idea of him.

Several bear cubs were usually being raised at Kirila Petrovich's house, serving as one of the chief sources of amusement for the master of Pokrovskoye. When still little, they were brought into the living room daily, where Kirila Petrovich played with them for hours at a time, setting them at cats and puppies. When they grew up, they were put on a chain, awaiting the real baitings they were destined for. From time to time they were led out in front of the windows of the manor house, where an empty wine barrel studded with nails was rolled out toward them: the bear would sniff at the barrel, then gently touch it, which would hurt its paw; angered, it would push the barrel with greater force, and the pain
would become greater. It would get into a blind rage and keep throwing itself on the barrel with growls until at last they separated the poor beast from the target of its futile frenzy. At other times a pair of bears would be harnessed to a cart, and some guests, put in the cart against their will, would be driven off heaven knows where. But the joke Kirila Petrovich considered best was the following.

They would lock a hungry bear in an empty room, tying it with a rope to a
ring screwed into the wall. The rope would be long enough to reach to any
point in the room except the opposite corner, which would be the only place safe from the ferocious beast's attack. They would lead some novice up to the door of this room, suddenly push him in, and lock the door behind him, leaving the hapless victim alone with the shaggy hermit, The poor guest, with the skirt of his coat torn and he himself bleeding from scratches, would soon find the safe corner, but would be compelled, sometimes for as long as three hours, to stand there, two steps from the bear, flattening himself against the wall, and from this position to watch the frenzied beast growl, leap, and rear up, tearing at its rope and straining to reach him. Such were the noble pastimes of a Russian gentleman! Some days after the tutor's arrival it occurred to Troyekurov to entertain him, too, with a visit to the bear's room. With this purpose in mind, he summoned the Frenchman one morning, and led him along some dark corridors, suddenly a side door opened, two servants pushed the Frenchman in, and locked the door after him. The Frenchman, unruffled, did not flee, but awaited the attack. When the bear came close, he pulled a small pistol from his pocket, held to the hungry beast's ear and fired. The bear rolled over. People came running to open the door; Kirila Petrovich appeared, astonished by the outcome of his joke. He demanded a full explanations of the whole business, wanting to know if someone had alerted Desforges to the practical joke set up for him, and if not, why was he carrying a loaded pistol in his pocket. Masha was sent for. She came running and translated her father's questions to the Frenchman.

"I had not heard of the bear," answered Deforges, "but I always carry a pistol on me because I do not intend to tolerate offences for which, in view of my position, I cannot demand satisfaction."

Masha looked at him in amazement and translated his words for Kirila Petrovich. The latter made no answer. He gave orders to have the bear
removed and skinned, and then, turning to his men, said, "Quite a character, isn't he! He didn't funk, did he, I'll be sworn.

From that time on he took a liking to Desforges and never thought of testing him again.

The incident made an even deeper impression on Maria Kirilovna. It stirred
her imagination: she kept seeing in her mind's eye the dead bear, and Desforges, as he calmly stood over it and calmly conversed with her. She came to realise that courage and proud self-respect were not the exclusive attributes of one social class; and from that time on she began to show the young tutor her esteem, which was fast turning into favour. A certain relationship was established between them. Masha had a beautiful voice and great musical talent; Desforges offered to give her lessons. The reader will easily guess that after this Masha fell in love with the Frenchman, though for the time being she did not confess it even to herself.