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 folk and asked them whether they would object to being removed into the two chambers by the coach-house, and allow her relations to occupy the pension house. On this old Loyka asked if she had anything more at heart? and whether she knew what it was to be banished to those two chambers—and by what sort of people they had previously been occupied. On this Barushka said that she did know, and that since the musicians whom he was so fond of had previously dwelt there well enough, perhaps he also would do there well enough, and that if he felt lonely and out of spirits he might invite the musicians to share the rooms with him. On this old Loyka went to his son and asked him whether he knew what the young mistress of the house had just been saying. “I do know”, replied his son, and repeated to his father everything which the father had heard from Barushka, because the young people had agreed between themselves what Barushka should say to the old man.

“Well, and what dost thou think of it all, my son?” inquired old Loyka.

“I think the rooms would suit you admirably”, said the young hospodar. “You see, of course, that I could not put my wife’s relations there.”

“And so I am to dwell there with Vena”, laughed old Loyka.

“As you please. But for my part I think that it would be an excellent opportunity of ridding the house of Vena altogether.”

Just as the neighbours had reached this point, they heard a banging of doors at the Loykas’s house, and from the gate ran old Loyka with dishevelled hair. The moon shone over the village green with its first rays; Loyka ran direct to the neighbours there assembled.

“Neighbours, for the love of Heaven, I implore you, lend me a match”, he shouted. “In all the house I cannot find one little match wherewith to kindle the roof above the head of this son of mine!” shouted old Loyka, and kept constantly feeling in his pockets to see if there was anything like a match in them.

It was quite an awful spectacle to look upon the poor old man, and yet more awful to listen to him.

None of the neighbours answered him.

“What, then, will none of you lend me one little match?” shouted Loyka. “Oh! fie! the shame of it. I lent to each one of you whoever came to me at any time; whithout usury I lent to all. Who of you can say I ever refused to lend him what he wanted? If any one needed stock I lent him live stock. If any one needed