"What one?" "What pains you the more,--the loss of Miss Anney or your wounded self-love?" "I thank you, sir," answered Ladislaus, with irony. "In reality, only self-love. Through it, I do not sleep, do not eat; through it, in the course of a few days, I have grown lean like a shaving and were it not for this living wound, life for me would be one perpetual round of pleasure." And he began to laugh bitterly, while Gronski continued to gaze at him, not removing his hand from his ailing eyes, and thought: "That girl has an honest heart, and let her only see him; then she will forgive everything through compassion alone." After which he said: "Listen, after a quarter of an hour, I will put on those dark spectacles and go to the rehearsal. Come with me." "How will that help me, now?" exclaimed Ladislaus. "I do not know. I do not even guarantee that we will meet Miss Anney, for Marynia sometimes goes with a servant. But, in any event, you will not lose anything by it; so come." But further conversation was interrupted by the entrance of the doctor, the more unexpected, as he had announced, upon leaving Warsaw, that he would stay with his brother at least ten days. "How is this? You have already returned!" exclaimed Gronski. "A surprise, hey?" vociferated the doctor. "Yes! And for me it was a surprise! One medical visit, afterwards a fee supplemented with the amiable advice, 'Get out of here, while you are whole!' Lo, here I am. Oh, what a delightful journey!" "How did this happen?" "How did it happen? I will tell you immediately. But no! I know that at this hour you leave for that rehearsal: so I will go with you, gentlemen, and relate it to you on the way. That is such an amusing thing that it is worth while to hear it. Ha!" Accordingly after a while they went and the jovial doctor began to recite his Odyssey.