"True?" screamed his wife, and looked as though she could have thrown herself upon him and struck him. "True? Why doesn't God strangle the word in your throat?" she snarled, and hurriedly left the room. A few seconds later she returned with Ana. "Ana, hear your father say that it is true you took warm wine to Sandu." The haste with which her mother had called her, and her father's expression so overcame her, that she stood with drooping head, and raising a corner of her apron began to cry. "So this is where we have got to--get out of my sight that I may never see you again." Mistress Veta sank exhausted on to a chair, while Ana sobbed as if her heart would break. "Why all this to-do even if she did take wine to the poor man? What is the great harm in that? She took him wine because he was cold, and because I told her to go," said Master Dinu, going up to Ana. "Don't cry any more," and he stroked her forehead. Ana continued to sob, and clung more and more tightly to her father. Master Dinu felt as if his heart would break. "Go and kiss your mother's hand, it's nothing. Veta----" "No, let her get out of my sight, let her go. Ana has done this to me, my prudent daughter, my good daughter, my much-praised daughter, her mother's joy--she has done this," and Mistress Veta shook her head while everything seemed to turn black before her eyes. Master Dinu did not know what to do. To put an end to it, he drew Ana gently outside, and tried to quiet her sobs. A little later he returned to the house. His wife was exhausted and depressed, and sat gazing at the floor. Suddenly she rose. "Dinu, you must give Sandu notice to-day, do you hear? If you don't go now and tell him never to show himself here again, you'll never have any peace from me." "How can I dismiss the man in the middle of the night? You must see we cannot--and then, what harm has he done?" Mistress Veta could have killed him with a look. "You will give him notice, do you understand? Or I will turn him out." "All right, Veta, we will give him notice, but what stories will be told about us outside! How we dismiss workmen on feast days, and turn them out of the house in the dead of night. You must be patient. To-morrow I will give him all the money due to him, and tell him to go in God's name." "It's your business to deal with him; never let me see him again; if they make any fuss I'll scratch his eyes out. He has got us talked about, no other than he, do you hear? Let him get out of my workshop, or there will be trouble." Early next day, Master Dinu went to the workshop and called to Sandu. He found it difficult, and he much regretted having to part with him, but there was nothing else to be done. He asked him how long he had been in his workshop, what money he had drawn, and made the calculation as to how much he had still to receive. Sandu felt as if the house were falling about his ears--he could not keep him any longer? The blow was a heavy one.