"I'm all right; I beg your pardon, I pushed you." "That's nothing; but see here, how much is the droshky?" "I don't know, ask him please, and pay him." She hurried away, and Ilya in a moment sprang on a chair, snatched away the packet of money, knew by the feel that it had not been tampered with, and dropped it in his pocket with a sigh of relief. He was ashamed now of his anxiety, and the precaution of the scrap of down seemed foolish and ridiculous. "Witchcraft!" he thought, and laughed to himself. Tatiana Vlassyevna appeared again. "I gave him twenty kopecks--but what's the matter? were you faint?" "Yes. I was standing in the church, and then all at once----" "Lie down," she said, and came into the room. "Lie down quietly. Don't worry! I'll sit by you a little. I'm at home alone. My husband's working late and going on to his club." Ilya sat down on the bed, while she took the only chair. "I disturbed you I'm afraid," said Ilya, with an embarrassed smile. "Doesn't matter," she answered, and looked in his face with frank curiosity. There was a pause. Ilya did not know what to talk about. She still looked at him, and suddenly laughed in an odd way. "What are you laughing at?" said Ilya, and dropped his eyes. "Shall I tell you?" she asked, mischievously. "Yes, tell me!" "You can't pretend well, d'you know?" Ilya started and looked at her uneasily. "No, you can't. You are not ill; only you've had a letter that troubles you. I saw--I saw----" "Yes, I've had a letter," said Ilya slowly. Something rustled in the branches outside. Tatiana looked quickly out at the window, then again at Ilya. "It was only the wind, or a bird," she said. "Now, young man, will you listen to my advice? I'm only a young woman, but I'm not a fool!" "If you'll be so good--please," said Lunev, and looked at her with curiosity. "Tear up the letter and throw it away," she said in a decided tone. "If she has written you your dismissal, she's acted well, and like a sensible girl. It's too soon for you to marry. You've no settled standing, and you ought not to marry without. You're a strong young man and you work, and you're good-looking. You're bound to get on. Only take care you don't fall in love. Earn a lot of money, and save, and try to get on to something bigger. Open a shop, and then, when you've got firm ground under your feet, you can marry. You're bound to get on. You don't drink, you're unassuming, you've no ties." Ilya listened, with bowed head and smiled quietly. He longed to laugh out loud. "There's nothing more silly than to hang your head down," continued Tatiana, in the tone of an experienced man of the world. "It will pass. Love is a disease that is easily cured. Before I was married I fell in love three times, fit to drown myself, but it passed. And when I saw that it was time for me to marry, I married without all that love." "Ilya raised his head and looked at the woman as she said this: