"If you can really help," said Pavel, with a trembling voice, "help us. I'll never forget it as long as I live; although I don't believe it can come to a good end, yet I _will_ believe it!" "Come to me at seven o'clock, will you? Gavrik will tell you where." "I'll come. I don't know how to thank you." "Why--thank me?" "But I feel----" "Don't say anything! we ought to help one another." "Yes, men think that, don't they?" cried Ilya, ironically. The girl turned round on him quickly. But Gavrik, who felt himself in this confusion the only healthy, sensible person, caught her hand and said: "There, get on, you chatterbox!" "Yes, Masha, get your things on!" "I haven't anything to put on," said Masha shyly. "Ah! well, anyhow, let's go. You'll come then, Gratschev, eh? Good-bye Ilya Jakovlevitch." The men pressed her hand respectfully and silently, then she went out leading Masha. In the door, however, she turned round, threw her head up, and said to Ilya: "I forgot, but it's important! I didn't acknowledge your greeting when I came in. That was abominable. I beg your pardon." Her face flamed red, and her eyes were lowered; Ilya looked at her and his heart rejoiced. "I'm sorry, very sorry! I thought you had a drinking party; it was very stupid, but----" She broke off as though the words choked her. "When you blamed me for not speaking, I thought he's speaking as the employer, and I was wrong. I'm very glad it was a real human feeling that spoke." She broke into a bright happy smile and said sincerely, and as though it gave her pleasure to say it: "Oh! it is so good to recognise human feeling in any one. I'm very glad, very; everything has come right, so splendidly--splendidly." She disappeared like a little grey cloud, lighted with the rays of the morning sun. The friends looked after her; both faces were solemn and withal a little comic. Lunev looked round the room and said: "Quite jolly here? eh?" Pavel laughed softly. "Well, she's a good sort!" Lunev continued with a little sigh. "How she----ah!" "She just swept everything clean like the wind!" "There, did you see?" cried Ilya in triumph, pulling at his curly hair, "How she apologised, eh? You see what it's like to be really cultivated; you can respect a person, but you're never the first to make advances, see?" "She's good," Gratschev confirmed him. "How long was she here? Close on an hour; it seems like a minute or two." "Like a star." "Yes, and put everything straight in no time; told us how and where and when." Lunev laughed excitedly; he was delighted that this proud girl should have shown herself so capable and cheerful, and he was pleased with himself for knowing how to conduct himself worthily. "Ah, yes," he cried regretfully. "I forgot; she took me by surprise with her apology." "What did you forget?" "I ought to have kissed her hand; that's what they do, educated people; it shows special respect." Gavrik came in apparently loafing aimlessly.