Page:Leskov - The Sentry and other Stories.djvu/119

 Rh or whenever she went to the early liturgy to get him consecrated bread, Katerina Lvovna would sit by the invalid, give him cooling drinks and administer his medicine at the proper time.

So the old woman went to the evening service and to vespers on the eve of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, and begged Katerinushka to look after Fedyushka. At that time the boy was already recovering.

Katerina Lvovna came into Fedia's room. He was sitting up in bed in his squirrel coat, reading the "Lives of the Fathers."

"What are you reading, Fedia?" Katerina Lvovna asked, as she sat down in an arm chair.

"I'm reading the 'Lives,' auntie."

"Are they interesting?"

"Very interesting, auntie."

Katerina Lvovna leaned on her hand and watched Fedia's moving lips, when suddenly she was seized, as by demons escaped from their chains, by her former thoughts of all the evil that this boy had caused her, and what a good thing it would be if he were not there.

"Well, what then?" thought Katerina Lvovna, "he is ill, he has to take medicine all sorts of things can happen during illness One has but to say that the doctor made a mistake with the medicine."