st simply threw her things out into the yard;
and when she had wandered the night through on the streets, without
sleep, under the rain, hiding from the policemen--only then, with
aversion and shame, did she resolve to turn to Lichonin's aid. But
Lichonin was no longer in town pusillanimously, he had gone away the
very same day when the unjustly wronged and disgraced Liubka had run
away from the flat. And it was in the morning that there came into her
head the desperate thought of returning into the brothel and begging
forgiveness there.

"Jennechka, you're so clever, so brave, so kind; beg Emma Edwardovna
for me--the little housekeeper will listen to you," she implored Jennka
and kissed her bare shoulders and wetted them with tears.

"She won't listen to anybody," gloomily answered Jennka. "And you did
have to tie up with a fool and a low-down fellow like that."

"Jennechka, but you yourself advised me to," timidly retorted Liubka.

"I advised you? ... I didn't advise you anything. What are you lying on
me for, just as though I was dead... Well, all right then--let's go."

Emma Edwardovna had already known for a long while about the return of
Liubka; and had even seen her at that moment when she had passed
through the yard of the house, looking all around her. At soul she was
not at all against taking Liubka back. It must be said, that she had
even let her go only because she had been tempted by the money,
one-half of which she had appropriated for herself. And in addition to
that, she had reckoned that with the present seasonal influx of new
prostitutes she would have a large choice; in which, however, she had
made a mistake, because the season had terminated abruptly. But in any
case, she had firmly resolved to take Liubka. Only it was necessary,
for the preservation and rounding out of prestige, to give her a scare
befittingly.

"Wha-at?" she began to yell at Liubka, scarcely having heard her out,
babbling in confusion. "You want to be taken on again? ... You wallowed
the devil knows with whom in the streets, under the fences; and now,
you scum, you're again shoving your way into a respectable, decent
establishment! ... Pfui, you Russian swine! Out! ..."

Liubka was catching her hands, aiming to kiss them, but the housekeeper
roughly snatched them away. Then, suddenly paling, with a distorted
face, biting her trembling, twisted lower lip, Emma calculatingly and
with good aim struck Liubka on her cheek, with a