r real feelings by asking his mother
directly for an explanation of her inexplicable demeanour.

When, therefore, Say asked again, "What ails you, mot[=a]tza, why don't
you eat?" he turned to her with a heavy sigh, placed both hands on his
knees, and replied,--

"I cannot eat until I have asked a question of you. Tell me, yaya, how
it is that this morning, when I said to you that I was going with Mitsha
Koitza, you grew angry at me, and now you say it is right? Tell me,
sanaya, how it comes about that you like the girl in the evening,
whereas in the morning she was not precious to you?"

His mother smiled. She sat down beside him, and her face almost touched
his own. The glare of the fire illuminated her features, so that their
expression became fully visible to him. Then she spoke softly,--

"Umo, have I not often said to you, 'Beware of Tyope'? Is it not so, sa
uishe?"

Okoya nodded affirmatively.

"Can you suppose that I should feel easy at heart, if you go to the
house where dwells the woman of that man?"

Okoya trembled. This was a discouraging beginning. Had he mistaken his
mother's views? In a faltering voice he replied,--

"No."

Say continued, "When for the first time you said, 'Mitsha and I see each
other,' I felt afraid. My heart spoke to me and said, Your child is
lost; and then sa nashka became angry. This was early in the morning;
but afterward, when I was sitting alone here and the Shiuana called
loudly above during the storm, it seemed to me as if some kopishtai
whispered, 'Mitsha is good,--she is as good as Okoya; she will belong to
him, and not to her mother, much less to her father.' And as I was
thinking, I heard the kopishtai again, saying to me, 'Okoya is good; he
is your child, and Mitsha will become your daughter, for she is of your
father's own blood.' And as the kopishtai thus spoke, the Shiuana
thundered louder and more loud. Then I thought it must be right and good
for the mot[=a]tza to go to the girl, and I was no longer angry. And
then you came, and I asked you what I wanted to know, and you told me
what Hayoue had said. So it is well, and thus it shall remain."

The sigh of relief heaved by Okoya at hearing these words was as sincere
as it was deep. He had barely strength to ask in the meekest manner
possible,--

"Then you have nothing against my going to Mitsha?"

"Nothing; I like to see you go, for Mitsha is good and"--her voice
became a whisper--"the Shiuana have thus dis