nd shall
leave him for ever and ever. He shall be cast out from the kingdom of
heaven, and his portion shall be in hell. Keep well my solemn word.'

"Every accent of Obrazetz fell upon Anastasia's heart like a drop of
molten pitch. She seemed to be summoned before the dreadful
judgment-seat of Christ, to hear her father's curse, and her own
eternal doom. She could restrain herself no longer, and sobbed
bitterly; the light grew dim in her eyes; her feet began to totter.
Obrazetz heard her sobs, and interrupted his exhortation. 'Nastia,
Nastia! what aileth thee?' he enquired, with lively sympathy, of his
daughter, whom he tenderly loved. She had not strength to utter a
word, and fell into her brother's arms. Crossing himself, the boyarin
put back the image into its former place, and then hastened to
sprinkle his child with holy water which always stood ready in the
oratory. Anastasia revived, and when she saw herself surrounded by
her father and brother, in a dark, narrow, sepulchral place, she
uttered a wild cry, and turned her dim eyes around. 'My life, my
darling child, my dove! what aileth thee?' cried the father.
'Recollect thyself: thou art in the oratory. 'Tis plain some evil eye
hath struck thee. Pray to the Holy Virgin: she, the merciful one,
will save thee from danger.'

"The father and son bore her to the image of the Mother of God. Her
brother with difficulty raised her arm, and she, all trembling, made
the sign of the cross. Deeply, heavily she sighed, applied her
ice-cold lips to the image, and then signed to them with her hand
that they should carry her out speedily. She fancied that she saw the
Holy Virgin shake her head with a reproachful air.

"When they had carried Anastasia to her chamber, she felt better."

Hitherto none had shared her secret thoughts; but the experienced eye of
the widow Selinova had detected the nature of her malady, and she longed
to know the object of her affection.

"One day, they were sitting alone together, making lace. A kind of
mischievous spirit whispered her to speak of the heretic. Imagine
yourself thrown by destiny on a foreign land. All around you are
speaking in an unknown tongue; their language appears to you a chaos
of wild, strange sounds. Suddenly, amid the crowd, drops a word in
your native language. Does not then a thrill run over your whole
being? does not your heart leap within you? Or plac