"Ah, never mind! He is old, the time of his death is not distant, let him have a care lest he be stopped by Saint Peter in heaven's gateway. Oh take our part! holy Peter, and say this to him: 'Thou didst not know during life, thou son of a such a one, how to respect my blood relatives; kiss now the dog's snout for thy conduct.' Let that be said after death to Pan Gideon. But meanwhile we will not let him belittle us in his lifetime." "How! because we have no fortune must we be despised and treated like peasants?" "Is that the pay for our blood, for our wounds, for our service to the country?" "O my brothers, ye orphans of God! many an injustice has met you, but one more grievous than this no man has ever yet put on us." "That is true, that is true!" exclaimed Lukash and Marek and Yan in sad accents. And tears of grief flowed down their faces afresh and abundantly, but when they had wept out their fill they fell to storming, for it seemed to them that such an offence to men of birth should not be forgotten. Lukash, the most impulsive of all the four brothers, was the first to make mention of this matter. "It is difficult to challenge him to sabres," said he, "for he has lost an arm and is old, but if he has contemned us, we must have satisfaction. What are we to do? Think of this!" "My feet have been frozen to-night," said Lukash, "and are burning tremendously. But for this, I could think out a remedy." "My feet are not burning, but my head is on fire," added Marek. "From that which is empty thou wilt never pour anything." "Gland is blamed always by Katchan!" said Mateush. "Ye give a quarrel instead of an answer!" cried Lukash. But Stanislav interrupted;-- "An answer?" said he, "but to whom?" "To Pan Gideon." "An answer to what?" "To what? How 'to what'?" They looked at one another, with no small astonishment, and then turned to Lukash,-- "What dost thou wish of us?" "But what do ye wish of me?" "Adjourn this assembly till daylight," said Stanislav. "The fire here is dying, midnight is past now a long time. The beds are all ready at the walls there, and rest is ours honestly, for we have worked in the frost very faithfully." The fire had gone out; it was dark in the chamber, so the advice of the host had power to convince the four brothers. Conversation continued some little time yet, but with decreasing intensity. Somewhat later a whispered "Our Father" was heard, at one moment louder, at another one lower, interrupted now and then with deep sighing. The coals in the chimney began to grow dark and be covered with ashes; at moments something squeaked near the fire, and the crickets chirped sadly in the corners, as if mourning for the light which had left them. Next the sound of boots cast from feet to the floor, after that a short interval of silence, and then immense snoring from the four sleeping brothers. But Stanislav could not sleep, all his thoughts whirled about Panna Anulka, like active bees about blossoms.