Intsapho yehlobo ityelele i-St. Petersburg. Okokuqala wangena ePerhof. Iindawo zembali zihlala zinexhala. Khawufane ucinge ukuba xa uPeter omkhulu wayelapha. Ezi ndawo aziziqokeleli, kodwa imibongo yomtsalane. Abazange bahambe njengenxalenye yohambo lokuhambo ekufuneka sijoyine nexesha labo, ukuba sijoyine ubuhle obukhethekileyo. Meteo-eyona ndlela ilungileyo yokuhamba. Bona bahlawule iiruble ezingamakhulu asixhenxe amashumi mahlanu ee-rora, ikhulu elinamakhulu amathathu anamakhulu mathathu. Umendo uthathe imizuzu engamashumi amathathu. I-meteoret ithenga isikhokelo ukuze sikhawuleze ukuba senziwe endaweni. Ulonwabo luxabisa ikhulu le-rubles. Itikiti elithengiweyo ekuphumeni ukuya kwi-perhof. Ixabiso letikiti lahlukile. Abangabemi bamakhulu amane anamashumi mahlanu eeruble, hayi abahlali-amakhulu amathandathu. Umntwana wangena simahla. Imithombo ye-bhley inomdla. Mhlawumbi ngumlawuli ogqibeleleyo kwaye uvakalelwe kukuba yonke into yeyakho. Kukuphinda iphinde kakhulu ingxolo yokuwa amanzi, ngaphezu koko, imithambo emangalisayo inomdla. EPuterhof, ukutyelela wonke umntu. Nakuphi na iminyaka iyakufumana amehlo oyoliswa. Iintsana ziya kuncoma imithombo. Ulutsha kunye nabantu abadala bakonwabele izimvo ezintle. Ngaphandle kokuba abantu bekukho kakhulu, sasinethamsanqa ukuya kwibhotwe elikhulu. Ihlathi abafuna abakhenkethi bafuna apha kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo zehlabathi. Kumnandi ukubona izinto eziye zafunyanwa nguPeter. Eyona nto yabethwa kakhulu, lo mngxubuli wawusaziwa ngezo ntsuku. Ubomi obunomdla bokholo lwe-tsarist. Umntwana, ngethamsanqa, akazange aphoswe, wonwaba, wabaleka kumthombo omnye komnye. Ngesizathu esithile, inkanuko yadlalwa, isibonelelo ngawo onke amabanga kukho cafe apho unokuthi unokuthi matominize. Ngokumangalisayo, yayinethamsanqa ukufumana indlu yangasese yasimahla. Kwipaki ephezulu yokutyala ngaphantsi, oko kuphele elangeni. Ebusika, kungokwemvelo apha akukho mhle kakhulu ukuba ube lapha ngexesha lokufudumala. Anditsho ukuba siyayithanda. Sachukumiseka, kwaye andifuni ukuhamba kwaphela. Ukufika kwethu ekhaya kwabelana ngeemvakalelo zakhe nabahlobo, babamba umlilo ukuba baye kuhambo ngehlobo elizayo. Ndicebisa wonke umntu ukuba achukumise imbali yembali entle.
