A few hours later the chaplain of the hospital anointed Yosef. Augustinovich had not strength to be present at the ceremony; he ran out into the city. He needed to collect his thoughts, he needed to draw breath; he felt that his thoughts were beginning to grow dim--very likely the loss of Yosef would destroy his balance. He had expected everything, but not that Yosef would die. He did not know himself whither he was hurrying; a number of times he halted as if in fear that he would return too late. All at once some thought flashed through his head; he noticed that he was standing before Helena's lodgings. "I will go in. Let her take farewell of him!" Half an hour later Helena was kneeling at Yosef's bed. Her unbound hair was lying in broad tresses on the bed; she was embracing the sick man's feet with her hands, her face resting on them. In that room of the hospital reigned a silence of the grave; nothing was heard but the quick broken breath of Yosef. So passed the long, cursed night, every moment of which seemed the last one for Yosef. Finally, on the thirteenth day from the first the disease was vanquished. Yosef was decidedly better. At his bed sat, without leaving it, Augustinovich and Helena; the latter seemed to forget the world at that bed. With Yosef's life life returned to Helena also. She was delighted to ecstasy with even the smallest proof of improvement. At last Yosef regained consciousness. Augustinovich was not present at that moment; the first person whom he saw was Helena. The sick man looked at her for a moment; on his forehead a certain working of thought became evident. At last he recalled her to mind. He smiled. Evidently the smile was forced; still Helena threw herself on her knees with tears of delight. But Augustinovich when he returned noticed that her presence disquieted the sick man and even tortured him. Yosef did not take his eyes from Helena for an instant; he followed every movement of hers. With that inane gesticulation peculiar to old or to sick people he moved his lips. Augustinovich followed Yosef's eyes carefully. He had a foreboding of evil. Meanwhile, as usual, toward evening the fever increased; still the sick man fell asleep. Augustinovich strove to persuade Helena to go home for rest. "I will not leave him for a moment," answered she, with what for her was uncommon decision. Augustinovich took his seat in the armchair in silence and meditated deeply; soon his head began to weigh on him, his lids became leaden, an invincible drowsiness seized him with increasing force, his head dropped on his breast, he nodded to the right, to the left, and fell asleep. After a while he woke again. "Is he sleeping?" inquired he, looking at Yosef. "He is sleeping, but unquietly," answered Helena. Augustinovich again dropped his head. Suddenly a shriek from Helena roused him.