_Kore._ [_Turning back to her_] My little one! I'm a jealous fool! He will not hunt out you, poor little you. [_Holds her to him, and shakes a clenched fist behind her back. Adrian enters by street door and goes up to Korelenko_] _Adrian._ You would hold love in your heart and hate in your hand, Alexander? _Vera._ [_Freeing herself_] O, Adrian! [_Takes his hat and stick_] You are tired. I will bring you some tea. _Adr._ No, little sister. Lay the table in the garden. It makes one hungry to walk from Petoff. _Vera._ So far! Sit down, you bad little brother! [_Leads him, to the large chair, and goes toward kitchen_] In three minutes! [_Listens at door and says softly_] Uliana is gone. [_Exit_] _Kore._ What of Petoff? _Adr._ [_Looks about and sees Vasil at his book_] Vasil, lad, a cup of water from the garden well. The roads are unusually dusty for the first of June. [_Exit Vasil, kitchen way_] _Kore._ You are wrong, Adrian. It is time for him to know man's work. This is not a day for dreamers. _Adr._ For dreamers, no,--but a dreamer, yes. Can we not spare _one_ to step out of the days to a place in the ages? We shall die, indeed, if there is none to sing us. _Kore._ He must know his theme then. _Adr._ He shall know it,--when he knows art so well that life can not tempt him to die. I will save his youth, his enthusiasm, and then ... he may please himself. _Kore._ No use. Our prisons are full of buried enthusiasms. He must take his fate with the rest of us. This is the world, not a fairy's cockle-shell. You can't save him. _Adr._ I must. In him Heaven has given me back my own youth. I shall not surrender it a second time. _Kore._ He belongs to himself, and he will soon find out that he is a man and a Russian. But Petoff? What did you find there? _Adr._ Despair, desolation, death. That is all they have gained by revolt. _Kore._ No! They have gained the name of men. To have submitted to be stripped and turned bleeding under the skies would have proved them lower than beasts. [_Enter Vetrova, right, with cup of water_] _Vet._ I begged the cup of Vasil. Let me die when I can not serve Adrian Lavrov. _Adr._ [_Advancing to him and taking the cup_] Thank you, Petrovich. I would rather serve you. [_Drinks_] _Vet._ Are we safe, Adrian Lavrov? Is Lonz at peace? _Adr._ Yes, Petrovich. I have Prince Travinski's word that we shall not be molested so long as we are patient under the law. _Kore._ The law? Under robbery and the rod! Patience under the foot of your master! _Adr._ The slave can always rise above the master by forgiving him. Go among our neighbors, Petrovich, and let them know they need fear nothing while they themselves keep the peace. _Vet._ Heaven, and the Shepherd of Lonz, be praised! [_Places cup on table and goes out street door_] _Kore._ You saw Travinski? How did you manage it? He has steadily refused to see any one from the people.