But Marynia heard with pain that her father had indeed appeared among the other heirs in the suit against the will. "Stas" was for her a rich man, and she had blind faith that he could make millions if he wished; her father had an income, and, besides, she had given him the life annuity from Magyerovka; hence poverty threatened no one. It would have been pleasant indeed for her to be able to buy Kremen, and take "Stas" there in summer, but not for money got in this way. "I am only pained by this," said she, with great animation. "That money was bequeathed so honestly. It is not right to change the will of the dead; it is not right to take bread from the poor, or schools. Panna Ploshovski's brother's son shot himself; it may have been for her a question of saving his soul, of gaining God's mercy. This breaking of the will is not right. People should think and feel differently." She grew even flushed somewhat. "How determined she is!" said Pan Stanislav. But she pushed forward her somewhat too wide mouth, and called out with the expression of a pouting child,-- "But say that I am right, Stas; say that I am right. 'T is thy duty to say so." "Without doubt," answered Pan Stanislav; "but Mashko may win the case." "I wish him to lose it." "How determined she is!" repeated Pan Stanislav. "And how honest, what a noble nature!" thought Zavilovski, framing in his plastic mind conceptions of goodness and nobility in the form of a woman with dark hair, blue eyes, a lithe form, and mouth a trifle too wide. After dinner Bigiel and Pan Stanislav went for a cigar and black coffee to the office, where they had to hold meanwhile the first consultation concerning the objects for which Bukatski's property had been bequeathed. Zavilovski, as a non-smoker, remained with the ladies in the drawing-roam. Then Marynia, who, as lady principal_ess_, felt it her duty to give courage to the future employee of the "house," approached him, and said,-- "I, as well as Pani Bigiel, wish that we should all consider one another as members of one great family; therefore I hope that you will count us too as your good acquaintances." "With the greatest readiness, if you permit me," answered Zavilovski. "As it is, I would have testified my respect." "I made the acquaintance of all the gentlemen in the office only at my wedding. We went abroad immediately after; but now it will come to a nearer acquaintance. My husband told me that he should like to have us meet one week at Pan Bigiel's, and the next week at our house. This is a very good plan, but I make one condition." "What is that?" asked Pani Bigiel. "Not to speak of any mercantile matter at those meetings. There will be a little music, for I hope that Pan Bigiel will attend to that; sometimes we'll read something, like 'On the Threshold.'" "Not in my presence," said Zavilovski, with a forced smile.