be things of the past, to be things
which had righted themselves and grown old, to be things concerning
which we needed to trouble ourselves no longer, since, for us, life was
about to begin anew. Yet I had just reached the end of the Avenue when
there DID come upon me a fear of being robbed or murdered. With each
step the fear increased until, in my terror, I almost started to run.
Suddenly, as I issued from the Avenue, there burst upon me the lights
of the hotel, sparkling with a myriad lamps! Yes, thanks be to God, I
had reached home!

Running up to my room, I flung open the door of it. Polina was still
on the sofa, with a lighted candle in front of her, and her hands
clasped. As I entered she stared at me in astonishment (for, at the
moment, I must have presented a strange spectacle). All I did, however,
was to halt before her, and fling upon the table my burden of wealth.

XV

I remember, too, how, without moving from her place, or changing her
attitude, she gazed into my face.

"I have won two hundred thousand francs!" cried I as I pulled out my
last sheaf of bank-notes. The pile of paper currency occupied the whole
table. I could not withdraw my eyes from it. Consequently, for a moment
or two Polina escaped my mind. Then I set myself to arrange the pile in
order, and to sort the notes, and to mass the gold in a separate heap.
That done, I left everything where it lay, and proceeded to pace the
room with rapid strides as I lost myself in thought. Then I darted to
the table once more, and began to recount the money; until all of a
sudden, as though I had remembered something, I rushed to the door, and
closed and double-locked it. Finally I came to a meditative halt before
my little trunk.

"Shall I put the money there until tomorrow?" I asked, turning sharply
round to Polina as the recollection of her returned to me.

She was still in her old place--still making not a sound. Yet her eyes
had followed every one of my movements. Somehow in her face there was a
strange expression--an expression which I did not like. I think that I
shall not be wrong if I say that it indicated sheer hatred.

Impulsively I approached her.

"Polina," I said, "here are twenty-five thousand florins--fifty
thousand francs, or more. Take them, and tomorrow throw them in De
Griers' face."

She returned no answer.

"Or, if you should prefer," I continued, "let me take them to him
myself tomorrow--yes, early tomorrow morning.