"Perhaps, too, Providence decided that those properties should pass to other hands, which are able to make better use of them." "I met Ploshovski abroad once," said Pan Stanislav; "and on me he made the impression of a man altogether uncommon. I remember him perfectly." "He was so brilliant and sympathetic," added Pani Bigiel. "May God show him mercy!" said Professor Vaskovski. "I too knew him; he was a genuine Aryan." "Azoryan," said Plavitski. "Aryan," repeated the professor. "Azoryan," corrected Plavitski, with emphasis and dignity. And the two old men looked at each other with astonishment, neither knowing what the other wanted, and this to the great delight of Bukatski, who, raising his monocle, said,-- "How is that, Aryan or Azoryan?" Pan Stanislav put an end to the misunderstanding by explaining that Azorya was the name of the family escutcheon of the Ploshovskis, that therefore it was possible to be at once an Aryan and an Azoryan; to which Plavitski agreed unwillingly, making the parenthetical remark that whoso bears a decent name, need not be ashamed of it, nor modify it. Bukatski, turning to Pani Emilia, began to converse in his usual frigid tone,-- "One kind of suicide alone do I consider justifiable, suicide for love; therefore I am persuading myself for a number of years to it, but always in vain." "They say that suicide is cowardice," put in Marynia. "This is a reason too why I do not take my life: I am excessively brave." "Let us not speak of death, but of life," said Bigiel, "and of that which is best in it, health. To the health of Pani Emilia!" "And Litka," added Pan Stanislav. Then he turned to Marynia and said, "To the health of our mutual friends!" "Most willingly," answered Marynia. Then he lowered his voice and continued, "For see, I consider them not only as friends of mine, but also--how is it to be expressed?--as advocates. Litka is a child yet, but Pani Emilia knows to whom friendship may be offered. Therefore if a certain person had a prejudice against me, even justly; if I had acted with that person not precisely as I should, or simply ill, and if that person knew me to be suffering from my act,--that person ought to think that I am not the worst of men, since Pani Emilia has sincere good-will for me." Marynia was confused at once; she was sorry for him. He finished in a still lower voice,-- "But in truth I am suffering. This is a great question for me." Before she had answered, Plavitski raised a health to Pani Bigiel, and made a whole speech, the substance of which was that the Queen of Creation is no other than woman; therefore all heads should incline before woman, as the queen, and, for this reason, he had bowed down all his life before woman in general, and at present he bowed before Pani Bigiel in particular.