"Well, don't go then--I don't send you," replied Matrona quietly. "Anyhow, I know that you are glad I am going," continued Orloff with a sneer. She was for once silent. This silence aggravated his rage, but he controlled himself so as not to destroy this moment of resolution by a horrid scene of wife-beating. And suddenly there entered his mind a thought, which appeared to him more diabolical than the aggravating mood of his wife. "I feel certain you want me to be underground," he said, "but just wait a little--we'll see who gets there first!--yes, that we will! I'll do something that will settle your business, my good woman!" He jumped up from the table, took his cap in his hand, and hurried out. Matrona remained behind alone. She was dissatisfied with the result of her manoeuvres, and upset by his threats. With a steadily growing feeling of fear, she thought about the future. She looked out of the window and whispered softly to herself, "Oh! Lord God! King of heaven! Holy Mother of God!" She sat for a long time at the table, filled with terror-stricken presentiments, trying in vain to guess what was really the matter with Grigori. Before her stood the clean tea-things. The setting sun threw a great streak of light across the massive wall of the neighbour's house, which stood opposite the window of their room; the whiteness of the wall reflected this light, causing it to fall straight across the cellar and sparkle on the glass sugar-basin standing in front of Matrona. She watched with wrinkled brow this glimmer of light till her eyes grew tired. Then she rose, put the tea-things away, and lay down on the bed; she was feeling anxious and heavy-hearted. When Grigori returned it was already dark. She could tell by the way he walked that he was in a good temper. He did not swear at the darkness of the room, but called Matrona by her name, and then went up to the bed and sat down on it Matrona raised herself and sat by his side. "Guess what's the latest news!" began Orloff, smiling. "Well, what is it?" "You are going to take a situation also." "Where?" she asked with stammering lips. "In the same Infirmary as I shall be in," he explained in an impressive tone of voice. She fell on his neck, pressed him closely to her breast, and kissed his lips. He did not expect this and pushed her away. "She is only pretending," he said to himself. "The cunning creature, she does not really want to be with me! She thinks me a fool, the little serpent!" "Well, why are you so pleased about it?" he asked in a rough voice that was hill of distrust He would have liked to have pushed her off the bed. "I am only so pleased," she said, smiling happily. "Don't try and humbug me; I know you!" "My dear brave knight!" "Shut up--or I'll give you something!" "My dear, dear Grischanja!" "Just say straight out what you want from me!" Finally, when her endearments had appeased him a little, he asked her anxiously-- "Are you not frightened then at all?"