lips at
his very ears, burning him with her hot breath:

"Lock up this nastiness, my treasure! Let's go! .... Let's go! ..."

And she was the first to go out into the dining room.

"Come here, now, Volodya!" she cried out from there. "Come quicker! I
want wine and after that love, love, love without end! ... No! Drink it
all, to the very bottom! Just as we will drain our love to the very
bottom today!"

The notary clinked glasses with her and at one gulp drank off his
glass. Then he drew in his lips and remarked:

"Strange ... The wine seems to be sort of bitter to-day."

"Yes!" agreed Tamara and looked attentively at her lover. "This wine is
always the least bit bitter. For such is the nature of Rhine wines..."

"But to-day it's especially strong," said the notary. "No, thanks, my
dear--I don't want any more!"

After five minutes he fell asleep, sitting in his chair; his head
thrown back against its back, and his lower jaw hanging down. Tamara
waited for some time and started to awaken him. He was without motion.
Then she took the lit candle, and, having placed it on the window sill
giving out upon the street, went out into the entrance hall and began
to listen, until she heard light steps on the stairs. Almost without a
sound she opened the door and let in Senka, dressed like a real
gentleman, with a brand new leather hand-bag in his hands.

"Ready?" asked the thief in a whisper.

"He's sleeping," answered Tamara, just as quietly. "Look and here are
the keys."

They passed together into the study with the fireproof safe. Having
looked over the lock with the aid of a flashlight, Senka swore in a low
voice:

"The devil take him, the old animal! ... I just knew that it would be a
lock with a combination. Here you've got to know the letters ... It's
got to be melted with electricity, and the devil knows how much time
it'll take."

"It's not necessary," retorted Tamara hurriedly. "I know the word ...
Pick it out: m-o-r-t-g-a-g-. Without the e."

After ten minutes they descended the steps together; went in purposely
broken lines through several streets, hiring a cab to the depot only in
the old city; and rode out of the city with irreproachable passports of
citizens and landed proprietors--the Stavnitzkys, man and wife. For a
long time nothing was heard of them until, a year later, Senka was
caught in Moscow in a large theft, and gave Tamara away during the
interrogation. They were both tried and sentence