the earth would open and swallow him. Now what was he to do? While his mind was in such disorder and despair, a letter from Julie brought healing balm to his wound; a ray of hope shone into the impenetrable darkness; a solid road opened through the quagmire under the feet of the sinking man. "Oh! she can; she is the cleverest woman; she can bring anything about! She is the noblest of women!"
At ten minutes before seven he was standing before her door. "She is waiting for you, and gave orders to have you admitted."
How majestically she is sitting! how stern she looks! She scarcely bends her head in reply to his bow: "I am very glad to see you; take a seat."
Not a muscle moved in her face. "It will be a good scolding [lit. head-washing], I suppose; no matter, scold away, only save me."
"Monsieur Storeshnik," she began in a cold, slow way, "you know my opinion of the matter in regard to which we have come together now, and which, of course, I see no need of characterizing again. I have seen that young lady whom you were talking about last night; I have heard about your visit to them to-day; consequently, I know all about everything, and I am very glad, because it saves me from asking you any questions. Your position is perfectly clear, not only to you, but to me."
"Lord! I'd rather she would scold," thought the victim.
"It seems to me," she went on, "that you cannot get out of it without somebody's help, and that you cannot expect anybody to help you successfully but me. If you have anything to say in your defence, I will listen." "And so," after a pause, "you, as well as I, suppose that no one else is able to help you; just listen to what I am able and willing to do for you: if my supposititious help is going to be of any use to you, I will tell you the terms on which I agree to accomplish it."
And in the long, long style of an official explanation, she told him that she could send a letter to Jean in which she would say, "that, after last night's caprice, she had thought things over; that she wanted to take part in the supper, but that she was engaged for this evening, and therefore she asked Jean to persuade Storeshnikof to postpone the supper till some time that should be agreed upon with Jean." She read the letter over; the letter expressed a conviction that
