ad not to interfere, but what shall
I do about the letter?"

"Give it to him by all means," Mariana put in. "How awfully good
Sergai Mihailovitch is! Will they kill him, Mashurina... or send him to
Siberia?"

"Well, what then? Don't people come back from Siberia? And as for losing
one's life; it is not all like honey to everybody. To some it is sweet,
to others bitter. His life has not been over-sweet."

Mashurina gave Mariana a fixed searching look.

"How beautiful you are!" she exclaimed, "just like a bird! I don't think
Alexai is coming... I'll give you the letter. It's no use waiting any
longer.

"I will give it him, you may be sure."

Mashurina rested her cheek in her hand and for a long, long time did not
speak.

"Tell me," she began, "forgive me for asking... do you love him?"

"Yes."

Mashurina shook her heavy head.

"There is no need to ask if he loves you. However, I had better be
going, otherwise I shall be late. Tell him that I was here... give him
my kind regards. Tell him Mashurina was here. You won't forget my name,
will you? Mashurina. And the letter... but say, where have I put it?"

Mashurina stood up, turned round as though she were rummaging in her
pockets for the letter, and quickly raising a small piece of folded
paper to her lips, swallowed it. "Oh, dear me! What have I done with
it? Have I lost it? I must have dropped it. Dear me! Supposing some one
should find it! I can't find it anywhere. It's turned out exactly as
Sergai Mihailovitch wanted after all!"

"Look again," Mariana whispered. Mashurina waved her hand.

"It's no good. I've lost it."

Mariana came up to her.

"Well, then, kiss me."

Mashurina suddenly put her arms about Mariana and pressed her to her
bosom with more than a woman's strength.

"I would not have done this for anybody," she said, a lump rising in her
throat, "against my conscience... the first time! Tell him to be more
careful... And you too. Be cautious. It will soon be very dangerous
for everybody here, very dangerous. You had better both go away, while
there's still time... Goodbye!" she added loudly with some severity.
"Just one more thing... tell him... no, it's not necessary. It's
nothing."

Mashurina went out, banging the door behind her, while Mariana stood
perplexed in the middle of the room.

"What does it all mean?" she exclaimed at last. "This woman loves him
more than I do! What did she want to convey by her hints? And why did
Solomi