Her words drew him closer to her. He nestled with his face against her breast, till he could hardly breathe, but would not loosen his embrace, for he felt she was the only human being that was really near to him, and that more than ever now he needed her. "When you stand there fresh and healthy, and look at me angrily, then I feel the degradation of my life, and I love you even for that, because of your pride." Great tears fell on Ilya's face, and as their falling moved him, over his own cheeks flowed a stream that freed his soul. She took his head in her hands, kissed eyes and cheeks, and lips, and said: "I know it's only my beauty holds you--your heart doesn't love me, and it condemns me. You can't forgive me my life, and that old man." "Don't speak of him," said Ilya. He dried his face with her kerchief and rose up calm. "Let come what may," he said slowly and firmly. "If God means to punish, He finds the way. I thank you, Lipa, for your words, what you say is right. I am guilty towards you. I thought you were--only such a one as----and you are----forgive me dear!" He stammered with dry lips and dim eyes. Slowly, he smoothed his disordered hair with a trembling hand, and said in a dull, hopeless way: "I am guilty of everything. Why? Why? Oh! Satan!" "Olympiada caught his hand; he sank on the divan beside her and said, not heeding her whispered words: "Do you understand? I strangled him; do you believe it?" "Sh!" cried Olympiada, in an anxious muffled voice. "What are you saying?" She embraced him closely, and looked into his face with troubled eyes. "Let me go! it--it happened all of a sudden--God knows I didn't mean to do it. I only wanted to see his hateful face again, that's why I went into the shop. I had no intention,--and then it came in a moment, the devil urged me and God did not hold me back. I shouldn't have taken the money, that was silly, ah!" He sighed deeply, and the hard rind of his heart seemed to loosen. Olympiada was quivering at his story, she held him even closer and whispered brokenly, disconnectedly. Presently she said: "It was a good thing you took the money, they'll think now it was for robbery, and not for jealousy; that would be worse for us." "I don't feel sorry," said Ilya thoughtfully. "I won't repent. God may punish me! Men are not my judges; what sort of judges would they be! I know no men without sin, not one. I'll wait." "O God," stammered Olympiada. "What is it? What will happen? Dear, I'm quite stupid. I can't think clearly--but let's go away from here--it's time." She stood up and swayed like a drunken woman. But when she had fastened her veil, she said of a sudden, quite calmly: "What's going to happen, Ilya? Will it go hard----?" Ilya shook his head. "Tell the magistrate everything, just as it was; that is, not everything, but----"