“What do you think of the fellow!” cried Chyenke, casting a venomous glance in Drabkin’s direction. “A public benefactor!” Drabkin seized his coat and dashed through the door. VII He ran to Chashke. He was terribly pale, and Chashke and her mother were frightened when he entered. “What is the matter?” cried Chashke. He threw himself upon the wooden lounge, lowered his head and was silent. Both women stared at him. “Is your tongue paralysed?” asked the old woman, finally breaking the silence. “What’s happened over at your place? Speak, man,” entreated Chashke. “What should happen?” he asked angrily. “It happened! My wife is no better than the rest! She’d like to run everything. Everything!” He recounted all that had taken place in his home. “His wife is a wise woman, upon my word,” offered the old woman after hearing the story. But Drabkin was anxious to know what Chashke thought. “Well, what do you think of the reckoning?” he asked, eyeing her intently. “I never studied mathematics——” He made a gesture of impatience, and she added,—“but I believe that the figures are correct.” “And suppose they _are_ correct,—then what?” He was growing angry. “What do I know?” replied Chashke, coldly. “If they are correct, then from the looks of things, matters can’t be otherwise.” “What do you mean,—‘can’t be otherwise?’ Am I, then, to do just like all the other bosses?” “Who’s telling you to become a boss?” He looked at her in astonishment. “Well, what are you staring at? Keep on working as you’ve done up to now. Don’t take it into your head to run a factory....” “There’s talk for you!” “Certainly!” Seething with fury, he left Chashke. Such ideas she could take into her head! VIII Chyenke knew that Drabkin had run off to Chashke, so when he returned home she was ready to welcome him. “Well? So you’ve been to your sweetheart, have you?” But his countenance was so dark and sinister that she began to doubt whether he really had been to Chashke. If he had been there, she thought, he had probably met with a frigid reception. And if this was so, she was sure he would talk otherwise now. She cautioned him sternly not to make any scenes and not to give cause for tongue-wagging and people’s laughter. “What a madness to fall into a man’s head! Why, folks would run after us in the street! Really! Who? What? When? To go simply crazy and slave away for our employés! Then what do I need the whole business for? I may as well not run a factory altogether!” The last words recalled to his mind Chashke’s advice. Only—that was sheer nonsense.... Neither of the women knew what she was talking about. He would do as he pleased. He would ask advice of nobody. Chyenke continued: “To-morrow, you tell your workingmen that if they’re willing to work under the same conditions as they’ve known hitherto, they may come here ready for business. If not, let them be off in the best of health. We don’t need them. Such bargains may be picked up any day!”