I said that I did not feel cold, and when he reached out his hand again I stepped back quickly. He came in earlier from that day onwards, and spent much time in the nursery. He talked chiefly with the children, but all the while his eyes wandered over me, and I felt that each look he gave me was like a new offense. One afternoon when my mistress was out, the children at school, and I was sitting in the nursery busy over some mending, the door opened and the master came in. It was not his wont to leave his office during the daytime, and bowing my head a little I looked at him with some surprise. He closed the door very carefully and leaned against the table. I had taken up my work again, but my fingers trembled. He did not speak, and the silence became unbearable to me. "Why," he said at last, "why don't you look at me?" "Because the children need the things," I replied, bending my face still closer over my darning. "Quite so; but if I want to speak to you, you ought to have a little time." I thought that I had been rude, perhaps, since after all he was the master, so I got up from the chair and looked at him submissively. "You know," he said very slowly and with a peculiar inflection in his voice--"you know that I mean to be kind to you, that your welfare interests me, and that I would not mind a little sacrifice on my part if you would only appreciate it." I opened my mouth to make some clumsy reply, but with his hand he waved to me to be silent, and continued: "You must know yourself that you are in somewhat pressed circumstances, and I am quite willing to give you a large advance. There is, of course, no need that you should mention that to my wife...." And while he finished the last sentence he produced a small bundle of bank-notes and put it on the table. At that I lost my head and flew into a terrible rage. "Take that money away," I shouted, "or I will tear it up!" and because he did not take it away at once, I flung it at his feet. He stooped to pick it up, but his eyes as he turned them to me were shining with anger. "I am going to tell my wife at once," he said, "to get a lady and no servant-girl for my children." After that he went. I was determined to leave the house immediately, and could scarcely wait for the evening when the mistress would come in. But before she came in I received a letter from home that contained most pitiable news about the financial side of their circumstances. "Could not I send a little money, just to keep the little ones from starving?" was their humble yet urgent request. I had received my salary a few days ago and not spent it yet. I took every penny of it and hurried to a post-office. After the receipt was handed to me I felt somewhat relieved, and having hidden it in my pocket very carefully I hastened home.