t I must do what I thought
best. I remember I could not sleep all that night, so great was my
anxiety. It was hard to part with the watch. I put it on the table at
my bedside, and it ticked so pleasantly! But then to feel that David
despised me--and there was no doubt that he did--was unendurable. By
morning I had come to a determination. It made me cry, but I went to
sleep as soon as I had made it, and when I awoke I put on my clothes
quickly and ran out in the street. I had determined to give my watch
to the first poor person I met.

IV.

I had not gone far from the house when I met what I wanted. A boy
about ten years old ran across my path--a ragged, barefooted little
fellow, who was often idling in front of our windows. I sprang toward
him, and without giving him or myself time for reflection I offered
him my watch. The boy stared at me, and raised one hand to his mouth
as if he was afraid of burning his fingers, while he held out the
other.

"Take it, take it!" I murmured: "it's mine--I give it to you. You
can sell it and get something with the money, whatever you want.
Good-bye!"

I thrust the watch into his hand, and ran quickly home. I stood for a
minute behind the door of our common bedroom, and when I had recovered
my breath I went up to David, who had nearly dressed himself and was
combing his hair. "Do you know, David," I began with as calm a voice
as I could muster, "I have given Nastasa's watch away?"

David looked at me and went on arranging his hair.

"Yes," I added in the same business-like tone, "I have given it away.
There's a little boy very poor and miserable, and I've given it to
him."

David put the brush down on the washstand.

"For the money he will get for it he can buy himself something useful.
He will certainly get something for it." I was silent.

"Well, that's good," said David at last; and he went into our study, I
following him.

"And if they ask you what you have done with it?" he suggested.

"I shall say I have lost it," I answered, as if that did not trouble
me a bit. We spoke no more about the watch that day, but it seemed to
me that David not only approved of what I had done, but that he really
admired it to some extent. I was sure he did.

V.

Two days went by. It happened that no one in the house thought about
the watch. My father had some trouble with his clients, and did not
concern himself with me or my watch. I, on the contrary, was thinking