as, and orange trees, in green tubs, made a
background to the little scene.

The eager children with clumsy fingers, bent on being useful; the
pale, thin mother leaning back in her garden chair smiling at their
absorbed faces.

"Children, I have something I must tell you," commenced Madame
Olsheffsky, seriously, when the last seeds had been put away and
labelled. "It is something that will make you sad, but you must try
and bear it well for my sake, and for your poor father's--who I hope
will return to us one day. I think you are old enough to know
something about our affairs, Elena, for you are nearly thirteen. Even
my little Boris is almost eleven. Don't look so frightened, darling,"
continued Madame Olsheffsky, taking little Daria in her arms, "it is
nothing very dreadful. I am obliged to enter into a lawsuit--a
troublesome, difficult lawsuit. One of our distant cousins has just
found some papers which he thinks will prove that he ought to have had
this estate instead of your grandfather, and he is going to try and
take it from us. I have sent a great box of our title deeds to the
lawyer in Viletna, and he is to go through them immediately--but who
knows how it may turn out? Oh, children! you must help me bravely, if
more ill-fortune is to fall upon us!"

Elena rushed towards her mother, and threw her arms round her neck.
"We will! We will! Don't trouble about it, dear little mother," she
cried. "What does it matter if we are all together. _I_ will work and
dig in the garden, and Boris can be taught to groom Toulu, and be
useful--he really can be very sensible if he likes. Then Var-Vara will
cook, and Adam and Daria can do the dusting. Oh, we shall manage
beautifully!"

Madame Olsheffsky smiled through some tears.

"You are a dear child, Elena! I won't complain any more while I have
all my children to help me. But run now Boris, and tell Alexis to get
the boat ready. I must go to the other side of the lake, to see that
poor child who broke his arm the other day."

Boris ran off to the stables with alacrity. He found it difficult to
realize all that his mother had just told them. "Of course it was very
dreadful," he thought, "but very likely it wouldn't come true. Then,
as Elena said, nothing mattered much if they were all together; and
perhaps, if they were obliged to move into the village, they might
live near Volodia's shop; and the wicked cousin might let them come
and play sometimes in the garden."

"Al