"She does; for as often as I see her, I speak of him. And what is characteristic is this,--that the memory of him does not ruffle her composure for an instant. She speaks of him as of any one else. If he expected from her even a posthumous sorrow, he was deceived in that also. I must show you, ladies, sometime, one of his letters. I strove to explain to him her feeling; he answered me, 'I estimate her coolly, but I cannot tear my soul from her.' He was a sceptic, a positive man, a child of the age; but it seems that feeling makes sport of all philosophies and tendencies. Everything passes; but feeling was, is, and will be. Besides, he said to me once, 'I would rather be unhappy with her than happy with another.' What is to be said in this case? The man looked at things soundly, but could not tear his soul away,--and that was the end of it." This conversation ended also. They came out now on to a road planted with chestnut-trees, the trunks of which seemed rosy in the light of the carriage lamps. "But if any one has misfortune, he must endure it," said Pan Stanislav, following evidently the course of his own thoughts. Meanwhile Pani Emilia bent over Litka,-- "Art sleeping, child?" inquired she. "No, mamma," answered Litka. CHAPTER XIV. "I have never run after wealth," said Plavitski; "but if Providence in its inscrutable decrees has directed that even a part of that great fortune should come to our hands, I shall not cross its path. Of this not much will come to me. Soon I shall need four planks and the silent tear of my child, for whom I have lived; but here it is a question of Marynia." "I would turn your attention to this," said Mashko, coldly,--"that, first of all, those expectations are very uncertain." "But is it right not to take them into consideration?" "Secondly, that Panna Ploshovski is living yet." "But sawdust is dropping out of the old woman. She is as shrivelled as a mushroom!" "Thirdly, she may leave her property for public purposes." "But is it not possible to dispute such a will?" "Fourthly, your relationship is immensely distant. In the same way all people in Poland are related to one another." "She has no nearer relatives." "But Polanyetski is your relative." "No. God knows he is not! He is a relative of my first wife, not mine." "And Bukatski?" "Give me peace! Bukatski is a cousin of my brother-in-law's wife." "Have you no other relatives?" "The Gantovskis claim us, as you know. People say that which flatters them. But there is no need of reckoning with the Gantovskis." Mashko presented difficulties purposely, so as to show afterward a small margin of hope, therefore he said,--