"I do not know if thou love her, and I care not; but to-day, when her arm and face approached thee, thou wert near jumping out of thy skin. Why is it that such a shiver does not pass through thee when thou art near another? Think what a difference in that." But to everything Pan Stanislav answered: "A fish, a duty-bound fish." And again the thought came to him, "Catch her, if thou prefer that to any other kind. People marry; and for thee, it is time. What more dost thou want, is it a kind of love which thou wouldst be the first to laugh into ridicule? Thy love has died out. Suppose it has; but the attraction remains, and the conviction, too, that this woman is reliable and honest." "True," thought he further, "but from love, whether stupid or wise, comes choice, and have I that at present? No, for I hesitate, while formerly I did not hesitate; second, I ought to decide which is better,--Panna Plavitski, or debit and credit in the house of Bigiel and Polanyetski. Money gives power and freedom; the best use is made of freedom when a man carries no one in his heart or on his shoulders." Thus meditating, he reached home, and lay down to sleep. During the night he dreamed of birches on sand hills, calm blue eyes, and a forehead shaded with dark hair, from which warmth was beating. CHAPTER XXI. Some mornings later, before Pan Stanislav had gone to his office, Mashko appeared. "I come to thee on two affairs," said he, "but I will begin with money, so as to leave thee freedom of action; shall I, or not?" "My dear friend, I attend to money questions in my office, so begin with the other." "The money matter is not a question of thy house, but a private one; for this reason I prefer to speak of it privately. I am going to marry, as thou knowest; I need money. I have to make payments as numerous as the hairs on my head, and the wherewithal does not correspond. The term is near to pay the first instalment of my debt to thee for the claim on Kremen; canst thou extend the time another quarter?" "I will be frank," replied Pan Stanislav; "I can, but I am unwilling to do so." "Well, I will be equally sincere, and ask what thou wilt do in case I fail to pay." "The like happens in the world," answered Pan Stanislav; "but this time thou art looking on me as simpler than I am, for I know that thou wilt pay." "Whence is that certainty?" "Thou art going to marry, and marry a fortune; how expose thyself to the evil fame of bankruptcy? Thou wilt squeeze money from under the earth, perhaps, but thou wilt pay." "Even Solomon could not pour out of the empty." "Because he did not take lessons from thee. My dear friend, no one is listening to us, so I may say that all thy life thou hast been doing nothing else." "Then thou art sure that I will pay thee?" "I am."