il_.

The doctor went away. Bersenyev walked a few times up and down the
street; he felt in need of fresh air. He went back and took up a book
again. Raumer he had finished long ago; he was now making a study of
Grote.

Suddenly the door softly creaked, and the head of the landlord's
daughter, covered as usual with a heavy kerchief, was cautiously thrust
into the room.

'Here is the lady,' she whispered, 'who gave me a silver piece.'

The child's head vanished quickly, and in its place appeared Elena.

Bersenyev jumped up as if he had been stung; but Elena did not stir, nor
cry out. It seemed as if she understood everything in a single instant.
A terrible pallor overspread her face, she went up to the screen, looked
behind it, threw up her arms, and seemed turned to stone.

A moment more and she would have flung herself on Insarov, but Bersenyev
stopped her. 'What are you doing?' he said in a trembling whisper, 'you
might be the death of him!'

She was reeling. He led her to the sofa, and made her sit down.

She looked into his face, then her eyes ran over him from head to foot,
then stared at the floor.

'Will he die?' she asked so coldly and quietly that Bersenyev was
frightened.

'For God's sake, Elena Nikolaevna,' he began, 'what are you saying? He
is ill certainly--and rather seriously--but we will save him; I promise
you that.'

'He is unconscious?' she asked in the same tone of voice as before.

'Yes, he is unconscious at present. That's always the case at the early
stage of these illnesses, but it means nothing, nothing--I assure you.
Drink some water.'

She raised her eyes to his, and he saw she had not heard his answer.

'If he dies,' she said in the same voice,' I will die too.'

At that instant Insarov uttered a slight moan; she trembled all over,
clutched at her head, then began untying the strings of her hat.

'What are you doing?' Bersenyev asked her.

'I will stay here.'

'You will stay--for long?'

'I don't know, perhaps all day, the night, always--I don't know.'

'For God's sake, Elena Nikolaevna, control yourself. I could not of
course have any expectation of seeing you here; but still I--assume you
have come for a short time. Remember they may miss you at home.'

'What then?'

'They will look for you--find you----'

'What then?'

'Elena Nikolaevna! You see. He cannot now protect you.'

She dropped her head, seemed lost in thought, raised a handkerchief
to her lips, an