soul should be required from her? When she reached the archway, she had made up her mind that she would tell her aunt first, and that she would do so early on the following day. Were she to tell her father first, her father might probably forbid her to speak on the subject to Madame Zamenoy, thinking that his own eloquence and that of the priest might prevail to put an end to so terrible an iniquity, and that so Madame Zamenoy might never learn the tidings. Nina, thinking of all this, and being quite determined that the Zamenoys should know what she intended to tell them, resolved that she would say nothing on that night at home.  

"You are very late, Nina," said her father to her, crossly, as soon as she entered the room in which they lived. It was a wide apartment, having in it now but little furniture — two rickety tables, a few chairs, an old bureau in which Balatka kept, under lock and key, all that still belonged to him personally, and a little desk, which was Nina's own repository.  

"Yes, father, I am late; but not very late. I have been with Anton Trendellsohn."  

"And what have you been there for now?"  

"Anton Trendellsohn has been talking to me about the papers which uncle Karil has. He wants to have them himself. He says they are his."  "I suppose he means that we are to be turned out of the old house."  

"No, father; he does not mean that. He is not a cruel man. But he says that — that he cannot settle anything about the property without having the papers. I suppose that is true."  

"He has the rent of the other houses," said Balatka.  

"Yes; but if the papers are his, he ought to have them."  

"Did he send for them?"  

"No, father; he did not send."  

"And what made you go?"  

"I am so of often going there. He had spoken to me before about this. He thinks you do not like him to come here, and you never go there yourself."  

After this there was a pause for a few minutes, and Nina was settling herself to her work. Then the old man spoke again.  

"Nina, I fear you see too much of Anton Trendellsohn." The words were the very words of Souchey; and Nina was sure that her father and the servant had been discussing her 

 Prev. P 19/173 next