xcited and angry,
scarcely able to stand on his feet.

"My daughter! . . . My beloved child! so you do not spurn your aged
father? . . . You press to your pure heart your criminal
father? . . . You do not flee from his tears and kisses?" came
floating from the stage Topolski's ardent whisper and struck the old
actor so forcibly that he stood still, thrilled by the acting,
forgot entirely about his envy, repeated those words in a whisper
and put into those quiet accents of fatherly love so much feeling
and tears, so much blood and inspiration and appeared at the same
time so funny standing in the dim light behind the scenes with hands
pathetically outstretched into empty space, with head bent forward
and eyes fixed upon the rope of the curtain, that Wicek, who saw
him, ran to the dressing-room crying: "Gentlemen, come and see
Stanislawski showing something new behind the scenes."

They all rushed in a crowd to view the sight and, seeing him still
standing in the same pathetic pose, burst out laughing in unison.

"Ha! ha! a South American monkey!"

"That is an African mammoth, that has lived for a hundred years,
devoured human beings, devoured paper, devoured roles, devoured fame
until it died from indigestion," cried Wawrzecki, imitating the
voice and speech of a provincial showman.

Stanislawski suddenly roused himself, glanced in back of him and
encountering the derisive gazes that were centered on him, trembled,
and sadly dropped his head upon his breast.

Janina who had witnessed this entire scene and who in the moments of
the old actor's ecstasy had not even dared to move a finger for fear
of disturbing him, could no longer restrain herself when she saw
tears in his eyes and that whole band of cattle jeering at him. She
walked up to Stanislawski and kissed his hand with involuntary
respect.

"My child! my child!" he whispered feebly turning his head to hide
the tears that were streaming from his eyes ever more profusely. He
pressed her hand tightly and went out.

A storm of wild sorrow, pain, and hatred shook Stanislawski so
violently that he could scarcely descend the stairs. He went out
into the hall, encompassed the stage and the public with a gaze of
unspeakable sadness and walked across the veranda toward the street,
but turned about abruptly and remained.

"He would make a very venerable guardian!" cried someone to Janina
after Stanislawski's departure.

"He might organize a new company and play