"On one occasion, the old prince himself came to invite us to the wedding of his eldest daughter; and, as we were guest-friends with him, it was impossible to decline, Tartar though he was. We set off. In the village we were met by a number of dogs, all barking loudly. The women, when they saw us coming, hid themselves, but those whose faces we were able to get a view of were far from being beauties. "'I had a much better opinion of the Circassian women,' remarked Grigori Aleksandrovich. "'Wait a bit!' I answered, with a smile; I had my own views on the subject.
