village of Viletna,
tearing up everything it passed upon its way.

Elena turned, and, almost falling downstairs in her terror, ran
headlong towards the group of peasants who had gathered on the grass
before the wooden verandah, and in despairing silence were watching
the destruction of their fields and houses.

Beside them stood the old Priest, his long white hair shining in the
sunshine.

"My children, let us pray to the good God for any living things that
are in danger!" he said.

The peasants fell upon their knees.

"Save them! Save them!" they cried, imploringly, "and save our cattle
and houses!"

The blue sky stretched overhead, all round the garden the birch trees
shed their quivering glory; the very flowers that the three children
had picked for their mother, in the morning, lay on a table fresh and
unfaded; yet it seemed to Elena that years must have passed by since
she stood there, careless and happy.

"Oh, Boris, come with me!" she cried, passionately, "I can't bear it!"

Boris, with the tears falling slowly from his eyes, followed his
sister up to the tower, and there they remained till evening,
straining their eyes over the wide stretch of desolate-looking water.

CHAPTER IV.

It was some months afterwards. The flood was over, and the people of
Viletna had begun to rebuild their log houses, and collect what could
be found of their scattered belongings.

A portion of the great dyke had remained standing, so that the lake
did not completely empty itself; and the peasants were able, with some
help from the Government, to rebuild it.

Everyone had suffered; but the heaviest blow had fallen upon the great
house, for Madame Olsheffsky never returned to it. Her boat had been
upset and carried away, with the sudden force of the current, and
though Alexis managed to save himself by clinging to an uprooted pine
tree, Madame Olsheffsky had been torn from him, and sucked under by
the rush of the furious water.

Elena's face had grown pale and thin during these sad weeks,
and she and Boris looked older; for they had begun to face the
responsibilities of life, with no kind mother to stand between them
and the hard reality.

To add to their misfortunes, the wooden box containing the title-deeds
of their estate, and all their other valuable papers; had been swept
away with the rest of Lawyer Drovnine's property, and there seemed no
chance that it would ever be recovered again.

In the interval, as no