et
loose this wild beast in cases where we don't want our own hands to be
soiled. When he has lots of brandy he would shoot his own father if you
put a gun in his hands. And if anything goes wrong we can lay all the
blame on him."

The master regarded his pupil with a look of solemn reproach.

"And you are capable," said he, "capable of saying in cold blood, 'if
anything goes wrong'? Ivan, you are not a true believer. Ivan, you are a
worthless fellow."

The youth was greatly taken aback at these words, and made a feeble
attempt to defend himself.

"Ivan, you are a worthless fellow, I say. I regret that I chose you out
to take part in this great work."

Ivan grew angry.

"What! you chose me! Why, it was I who chose you! Am I not the head of
the conspiracy?"

"And am I not its soul?"

"What! with those weak pipe-stem arms of yours! Look at my arms! Look!"
said Ivan, turning up his shirt sleeves and exposing his fleshy arms. "I
could do more with one of my arms than you could with your whole body."

"And yet you are a coward if you ask, shall we succeed?"

"I'll show what I am when I am on the spot," said Ivan, sticking out his
brawny chest and boastfully thumping it with his clenched fist; at that
moment he wore the expression of a savage proud of his bones and sinews.

"Till then, however, let there be peace between us," said Bodza,
extending his dry and skinny hand towards Ivan in token of
reconciliation, and Ivan squeezed the hand with all his might, not so
much to convince the master of the firmness of his friendship as to give
him some idea of the expressive vigour of his grip.

Bodza did not move a muscle of his face during this violent tension;
but, all at once, Ivan began writhing, his features contracted with
pain, and he placed one hand on his stomach.

"Well, what is the matter?" inquired Bodza.

The fellow doubled up with pain.

"I have a sudden stitch, in the side."

"What! is that all? and you make so much fuss over it! I didn't flinch
just now, when you nearly crushed my fingers, did I?"

"But this is horrible--such spasms."

"Perchance, Ivan, you too have been poisoned."

"Oh, don't joke like that," said the fellow with a pale and agitated
face.

"Why you know the whole thing to be a fable."

Ivan gave a great sigh with an air of relief.

"It has gone now. I felt so odd. It is a fable, of course. But what a
peculiar pain it was!"

"Drive the idea out of your head and swallow