comforted herself by the reflection that the necklace would produce for her enough to repay her father that present from Ziska which she had taken from him. Her father had pleaded sorely to be allowed to keep the notes. In her emotion at the moment she had been imperative with him, and her resolution had prevailed. But she thought of his entreaties as she returned home, and of his poverty and wants, and she determined that the necklace should go. It would produce for her at any rate as much as Ziska had given. She wished that she had brought it with her, as she passed the open door of a certain pawnbroker, which she had entered often during the last six months, and whither she intended to take her treasure, so that she might comfort her father on her return with the sight of the money. But she had it not, and she went home empty-handed. "And now, Nina, I suppose we may starve," said her father, whom she found sitting close to the stove in the kitchen, while Souchey was kneeling before it, putting in at the little open door morsels of fuel which were lamentably insufficient for the poor man's purpose of raising a fire. The weather, indeed, was as yet warm — so warm that in the middle of the day the heat was matter of complaint to Josef Balatka; but in the evening he would become chill; and as there existed some small necessity for cooking, he would beg that he might thus enjoy the warmth of the kitchen.  

"Yes, we shall starve now," said Souchey, complacently. "There is not much doubt about our starving."  

"Souchey, I wonder you should speak like that before father," said Nina.  

"And why shouldn't he speak?" said Balatka. "I think he has as much right as any one."  

"He has no right to make things worse than they are."  

"I don't know how I could do that, Nina," said the servant. "What made you take that money back to your aunt?"  

"I didn't take it back to my aunt."  

"Well, to any of the family then? I suppose it came from your aunt?"  

"It came from my cousin Ziska, and I thought it better to give it back. Souchey, do not you come in between father and me. There are troubles enough; do not you make them worse."  

"If I had been here you should never have taken it back again," said Souchey, obstinately.  

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