"Here, Pelagea! Come and show this gentleman the way." Selifan helped the girl to ascend to the box-seat.

Placing one foot upon the step by which the gentry mounted, she covered the said step with mud, and then, ascending higher, attained the desired position beside the coachman.

Chichikov followed in her wake (causing the britchka to heel over with his weight as he did so), and then settled himself back into his place with an "All right! Good-bye, madam!" as the horses moved away at a trot.
Selifan looked gloomy as he drove, but also very attentive to his business.

This was invariably his custom when he had committed the fault of getting drunk.

Also, the horses looked unusually well-groomed.