cause Nina will be my wife."

"It is impossible, whether Nina should become your wife or should not
become your wife. I do not say this from any girlish pride. Before I
knew that you loved a Christian woman, I would willingly have been--as
our friends wished. You see I can trust you enough for candour. When
I was young they told me to love you, and I obeyed them. They told
me that I was to be your wife, and I taught myself to be happy in
believing them. I now know that they were wrong, and I will endeavour
to teach myself another happiness."

"Rebecca, if I have been in fault--"

"You have never been in fault. You are by nature too stern to fall into
such faults. It has been my misfortune--perhaps rather I should say
my difficulty--that till of late you have given me no sign by which I
could foresee my lot. I was still young, and I still believed what they
told me, even though you did not come to me as lovers come. Now I know
it all; and as any such thoughts--or wishes, if you will--as those I
used to have can never return to me, I may perhaps be felt by you to be
free to use what liberty of counsel old friendship may give me. I know
you will not misunderstand me--and that is all. Do not come further
with me."

He called to her, but she was gone, escaping from him with quick
running feet through the dark night; and he returned to his father's
house, thinking of the girl that had left him.

CHAPTER XII

Again some days passed by without any meeting between Nina and her
lover, and things were going very badly with the Balatkas in the old
house. The money that had come from the jeweller was not indeed all
expended, but Nina looked upon it as her last resource, till marriage
should come to relieve her; and the time of her marriage seemed to be
as far from her as ever. So the kreutzers were husbanded as only a
woman can husband them, and new attempts were made to reduce the little
expenses of the little household.

"Souchey, you had better go. You had indeed," said Nina. "We cannot
feed you." Now Souchey had himself spoken of leaving them some days
since, urged to do so by his Christian indignation at the abominable
betrothal of his mistress. "You said the other day that you would do
so, and it will be better."

"But I shall not."

"Then you will be starved."

"I am starved already, and it cannot be worse. I dined yesterday on
what they threw out to the dogs in the meat-market."

"And where will you di