Augustinovich looked at his comrade with a face which was despairingly stupid, and he would have liked, as the saying is, to take himself by his own collar and throw himself out of doors. All at once some decision was outlined on Yosef's face. The case was lost. "Augustinovich!" "What?" "Thou wilt go this moment to Pani Visberg's and tell Lula that I am going to marry, that the ceremony will take place in a month, and that I never shall return to her, never. Dost understand?" Augustinovich rose up and went. Malinka received him in the way known to us. Lula was to hear their conversation from behind the door. Malinka, full of imaginings from her recent talk with Lula, was gladsome and smiling; she pressed Pan Adam's hand cordially. But he did not respond with a like cordiality. "It is well that you have come," said she. "I have much to tell you, much." "And I too have much to tell, much. I have come as an envoy." "From Pan Yosef?" "From Pan Yosef." "Is he better?" "He is sick. Has Pelski been here?" "He has. I have wanted to talk of this." "I am listening, Panna Malinka." "He proposed to Lula." "And what then?" "She refused him. Oh, Pan Adam, she loves no man but Pan Yosef, she wants to belong to him only. My dear, honest Lula!" Silence lasted a moment. Pan Adam's voice quivered when he pronounced the following words deliberately,-- "She will not belong to him." "Pan Adam!" "Yosef, according to promise, is going to marry." This news struck both young ladies like a thunderbolt. For a moment there was deep silence. All at once the door of the adjoining chamber opened. Lula entered the drawing-room. On her face a blush of offended womanly dignity was playing, in her eyes pride was gleaming. It seemed to her that everything which she held sacred in her heart had been trampled. "Malinka," cried she, "ask no more, I implore thee! Enough, enough! This gentleman has delivered his message. Why lower one's self by an answer?" And taking Malinka by the hand, she led her out of the chamber almost with violence. Augustinovich followed them awhile with his eyes, then nodded a couple of times. "By the prophet!" said he, "I understand her. She is right, but so is Yosef. Hei! I must fly before everything breaks." In a moment he ran to Pelski, told him the whole story. "Some fatality weighed on them," concluded Augustinovich. "Yosef could not act otherwise, could he?" "He acted as was fitting, but what inclined you to tell me of this?" "A bagatelle. One question: Did not Lula act nobly in rejecting your hand?" "I will leave the answer to myself." "Leave it, my dear sir! The answer is all one to me, Lula is nothing to me; I know only that if my friend withdraws her future will not be enviable, and you are her cousin--The case is too bad." Pelski thought awhile. "Too bad? Ha, what is too bad?" "That your proposal did not come a little later." Pelski walked with quick step through the room.