my darling!'

'God is merciful, Matrona; perhaps you will be better soon. Did you take
the medicine I sent you?'

The old woman groaned painfully, and did not answer. She had hardly
heard the question.

'She has taken it,' said the old man who was standing at the door.

Alexandra Pavlovna turned to him.

'Is there no one with her but you?' she inquired.

'There is the girl--her granddaughter, but she always keeps away. She
won't sit with her; she's such a gad-about. To give the old woman a
drink of water is too much trouble for her. And I am old; what use can I
be?'

'Shouldn't she be taken to me--to the hospital?'

'No. Why take her to the hospital? She would die just the same. She has
lived her life; it's God's will now seemingly. She will never get up
again. How could she go to the hospital? If they tried to lift her up,
she would die.'

'Oh!' moaned the sick woman, 'my pretty lady, don't abandon my little
orphan; our master is far away, but you----'

She could not go on, she had spent all her strength in saying so much.

'Do not worry yourself,' replied Alexandra Pavlovna, 'everything shall
be done. Here is some tea and sugar I have brought you. If you can
fancy it you must drink some. Have you a samovar, I wonder?' she added,
looking at the old man.

'A samovar? We haven't a samovar, but we could get one.'

'Then get one, or I will send you one. And tell your granddaughter not
to leave her like this. Tell her it's shameful.'

The old man made no answer but took the parcel of tea and sugar with
both hands.

'Well, good-bye, Matrona!' said Alexandra Pavlovna, 'I will come and
see you again; and you must not lose heart but take your medicine
regularly.'

The old woman raised her head and drew herself a little towards
Alexandra Pavlovna.

'Give me your little hand, dear lady,' she muttered.

Alexandra Pavlovna did not give her hand; she bent over her and kissed
her on the forehead.

'Take care, now,' she said to the old man as she went out, 'and give her
the medicine without fail, as it is written down, and give her some tea
to drink.'

Again the old man made no reply, but only bowed.

Alexandra Pavlovna breathed more freely when she came out into the
fresh air. She put up her parasol and was about to start homewards, when
suddenly there appeared round the corner of a little hut a man about
thirty, driving a low racing droshky and wearing an old overcoat of
grey linen, and a foraging cap of