She sat for a while gazing into the stove with pinched brow, and then with bewildering suddenness she flamed out again. "And this--this Madame Roskova, who lives with you?" But Paul was past the point of upsetting by any unexpected exhibition of the vagaries of the feminine mind. Woman had always been to him as a dainty sealed book. The high hopes he had once had of a loving study of the sacred leaves had been ruthlessly nipped in the bud. He was to learn in harder ways. "Anna Vassilievna is the wife of Dr. Feodor Roskof, whom we all know," he answered gravely. "They were working among the poor in Petersburg, as we were in Odessa. They sent him to Yakutsk and her here. Her one desire in life is to join him, but they will not permit it, and it is perhaps just as well, for it would kill her if she went." "But why is she here--with you?" "She is here because it is not safe for any woman to live alone in Kara, nor for only women to live together. Madame Roskova lived alone with Marya Verskaïa in a little house up the valley. But the Cossacks entered their room night after night, on any pretext or none, so Dmitri Polokof took Marya into his house and Anna Vassilievna came here. She is a good woman and a true wife. She occupies that room. I sleep here before the stove." "You will tell her how matters stand with us?" "I think not," he said thoughtfully. "No!-- If ever it comes out it will be better for her that she has not known." "But--Paul!"--in a tone of pained remonstrance at his obtuseness. "Serge." And then, with a discreet preliminary knock, and a hitherto unknown difficulty in finding the latch, the door opened and Madame Roskova came in. "Da, now! That is better!" she said, beaming benevolently upon them. "Madame understands things, and is no longer jealous of me. Oh yes, you were, my dear! I could see it in your eyes. And quite right too. I would have felt just the same myself. But there was no reason, I assure you, my dear. He is a fine man is your man, and easier to get on with than most. But my own dear man still stands first with me, and will do as long as I live. Now it's all right. I have arranged matters with Marya and Dmitri. They can make room for me with a little squeezing, so I'll just take with me what I need now, and the rest can wait till to-morrow," and she bustled away towards the inner room. "What does she mean? You are not going, Madame?" cried Hope, with the eyes of a startled deer. "Why, child, you don't surely think I know no better than that? Da! It is like your kind heart, but it's ill coming in between man and wife. I've not been married twenty years without learning one or two little things, and that's one of them. Why, it'll be quite like a new honeymoon for you. No, indeed! How would I like it myself, and don't I wish I had the chance! Ah God! Yes!" "Don't go, Madame! Pray don't go!" cried Hope desperately. "There is no need whatever for you to go."