eally stolen, was that our
business, I would like to know? Nobody would ever have supposed, seeing it
in our window, that it had been stolen. And it could have been mended, as
I say, and might have been worth something after all. You never really
tried to sell it, as you ought to have done from the very first. And now
you have got nothing at all, nothing but that insolent maniac's promise.
If I were you I would take the money out of his wages, I would indeed!"

"No doubt you would," said Fischelowitz, with sincere conviction.

Meanwhile Schmidt had gone into the back shop, where Dumnoff was still
doggedly working, making up for the time he had lost by coming late in the
morning. He was alone at his little table.

"How much money have you got?" asked the Cossack, briefly. Dumnoff looked
up rather stupidly, dropped the cigarette he was making, and felt in his
pocket for his change. He produced five marks, an unusual sum for him to
have in his possession, and which would not have found itself in his hands
had not his arrest on the previous evening prevented his spending
considerably more than he had spent in his favourite corn-brandy.

"I want it all," said Schmidt.

"You are a cool-blooded fellow," laughed Dumnoff, making as though he
would return the coins to his pocket.

"Look here, Dumnoff," answered the Cossack, his bright eyes gleaming. "I
want that money. You know me, and you had better give it to me without
making any trouble."

Dumnoff seemed confused by the sharpness of the demand, and hesitated.

"You seem in a great hurry," he said, with an awkward laugh, "I suppose
you mean to give it back to me?"

"You shall have it at the rate of a mark a day in the next five work days.
You will get your pay this evening and that will be quite enough for you
to get drunk with to-night."

"That is true," said Dumnoff, thoughtfully. "Well, take it," he added,
slipping the money into the other's outstretched palm.

"Thank you," said the Cossack. "You are not so bad as you look, Dumnoff.
Good-night." He was gone in a moment.

Dumnoff stared at the door through which he had disappeared.

"After all," he muttered, discontentedly, "he could not have taken it by
force. I wonder why I was such a fool as to give it to him!"

"I tell you," said Akulina to her husband as Schmidt passed through the
outer shop, "that he will end by costing us so much in money lent, and
squandered in charity, that the business will go to dus