"Well?"
"Helena is no longer alive—she was drowned."
Some sort of indefinite impression shot over Yosef's face; he made an effort as if to rise in the bed, but after a while he dropped his head on the pillow.
"By accident or design?" asked he.
"Rest, old man, rest; it is not permitted thee to talk much. Later I will tell everything."
Yosef turned to the wall and sank into silence. At that moment a servant of the hospital entered.
"Pani Visberg wishes to see you," said he to Augustinovich.
Augustinovich went out; in the corridor Pani Visberg was waiting.
"What has happened?" inquired he, with concern. "Is some one sick?"
"No, no!"
"What then?"
"Lula has gone away!" said Pani Visberg, in a sad voice.
"Long ago?"
"Yesterday evening. I should have come here at once, for during the whole week I had not heard from Yosef, but Malinka was so
