Children of the Soil

able for Mashko. He bound himself to pay at the end of a year thirty-five thousand rubles, which were to come from the parcelling of Magyerovka, and besides to pay thr

ell; if not, in the most favorable event he will fall behind in payment, and Plavitski may not see a copper for years. What will he do then? He will take Kremen back. But before that time Mashko will contract new debts, even to pay the old ones; and, in case of his bankruptcy, God knows how many creditors will stretch their hands after Kremen. Finally, all depends on

the Plavitskis always," said Pan Stanislav, as if

not eat it up, or pla

ething. I caused the

onishment. "I thought that thy

them. I will visit the

at they will be g

self do n

eceive thee alone. It is a pity that my wife is not here. I sit by myself whole evenings

d though usually he did not think much of this, he resolved now to omit nothing which might speak in his favor. On the way he had his head

as possible," said he to himself; "

himself at the Hotel Rome. His hea

t find them at home. I could leave a card and see

nt forward. Learning from the servant that Plavitski was at hom

oke from a pipe with a great amber mouthpiece. At sight of Pan Stanislav

g, I

a Plavitski were in Warsaw," said Pan St

d not expect it. We parted in a bitter manner and through thy fault. But since thou h

d to reaching across the table a hand, which

I feel toward thee any obligation!" After a while he ask

to work in the fields; it will be grievous for me in your Warsaw. But it w

; he passed this, however, in silence, for he had a head occupied with something else at that moment. From the chamber which Plavitski occupied, an open door led to another, which must b

e the pleasure of se

of steps distant. Imagine to thyself a plaything, not lodgings. I shall have a cabinet and a sleeping-room; Marynia

ith the volubility of a child amused by something, or of an old l

found myself at home. Dear Warsaw

some one entered

said Plavitski. "Marynia,

wered a you

e; we hav

d; and when she approached the table, he stretched out his hand in greeting. She gave him her own with as

neat and comfortable, but I am not s

" answered Plavitski. "

," said Marynia. And, returning to her

herself again," tho

air before the mirror, after removing her

interr

r which, speaking in parenthesis, I am very glad.

little, and, wishing to

u greetings from Pani Emilia and Litka, and

self-possession on M

itka's heart attack," sa

ot been a se

come; but I have not received it, for Em

lavitski; "I gave direction

to the country, then

ia, whose eyes recovered their ex

one, that she is the type of his chosen woman, and all the more her coldness became unendurable. He would give now, God knows what, to find again in those features the expression which he saw in Kremen, the interest in his words, and the attention, the transparency

penly that I regret the act acutely, and shall never cease to regret it. In my defence I cannot even say that I did it while excited, and without

hing interpreted for evil or good, recognized as true or false; stupidity may be counted reason, reason stupidity, egotism devotion, devotion egotism, rudeness sincerity, sincerity lack of delicacy. The man who in a given moment rouses dislike, cannot be right with a woman, cannot be sincere, cannot be just, cannot be well-bred. So Marynia, feeling deep aversion and resentment toward Pan Stanislav from the time of Mashko's coming to Kremen, took sin

e extended to him, with a clear feeling that one such stretching forth of a hand might decide his fa

"On the contrary, papa is very much satisfied with the

e stood a moment stricken, disappointed, full of resentment and suppressed an

rue, I desire

d a good business,"

number of steps at a time with hat press

will not be in y

ke of that loved one. Pan Stanislav did not even admit that Marynia could be such as she had shown herself that day; hence there was in his anger a certain surprise. Knowing his own undeniable worth, and being conceited enough, he carried within him a conviction, which he would not acknowledge to himself, that it was enough for him to extend his hand to have it seized. This time it turned out differently. That mild Marynia appeared suddenly, not only in the r?le of a judge, who utters sentences and condemns, but also in the r?le, as it were, of a queen, with whom it is possible to be in favor or disfavor. Pan Stanislav could not accustom himself to this thought, and he struggled with it; but such is human nature that, when he learned that for that lady he was not so much desired as he had thought, that she not only did not over-value him, but esteemed him lower than herself, in spite of his displeasure, offence, and anger, her value increased in his eyes. His self-love was wounded; but, on the other hand, his will, in reality strong, was ready to ru

at she would have done h

rness really, and he regretted it. In this sorrow his anger began to scatter and vanish as mist. His conscience whis

mbered what Vaskovski had said of himself, that his nature, like Pan Stanislav's, could not fix its whole power on the acquisition of money. Never had he felt with

s opening on the garden veranda; he was playing on a violoncello in such fashion that everything thr

n at the Plavi

es

the you

On such a hot day that is agreeable

resaw

ay

the moon. In the stillness the music seemed to fill with sweetness the house, the garde

will ask her to the country, and with her Maryn

Tr?umerei'

to be somewhat of a dreamer; hence he imagined that Marynia was listening with him to the "Tr?umerei,"