d the coffee on the table and, pointing to the
bouquet, remarked with a smile: "What beautiful flowers! Are they
from that gentleman who was here yesterday?"

"Yes," came the curt reply.

"I know someone who would be very pleased to send you the same kind
every day. . . ." Sowinska spoke in a tone of pretended
indifference, as she tidied the room.

"Flowers?" asked Janina.

"Well . . . and something more, if it were accepted."

"That person would have to be quite a fool."

"Don't you know that love makes fools of everyone?"

"That may be," answered Janina curtly.

"Don't you surmise who it is?"

"I'm not at all curious."

"Yet, you know him very well."

"Thank you, but I don't need any information."

"Don't get angry. . . . What is there wrong in it? . . ." slowly
drawled Sowinska.

"Ah, so it is you who presume to tell me that? . . ."

"Yes I, and you know that I wish you as well as I wish my own
daughter."

"You wish me as well as your own daughter?" slowly repeated Janina,
looking straight into the other's face.

Sowinska dropped her eyes and silently left the room, but behind the
door she paused and shook her fist threateningly.

"You saint! Wait!" she hissed.

When Janina reached the theater she found only Piesh, Topolski, and
Glogowski present.

Glogowski approached her with a smile, extending his hand.

"Good morning. I was thinking about you yesterday; you must
unfailingly thank me for that. . . ."

"I do thank you! But I'm curious to know . . ."

"I assure you I didn't think ill about you. . . . I didn't think
about you as others of my sex would think about such beautiful women
as you, no! May I croak if I did! I thought . . . 'Where does your
strength come from?'"

"No doubt from the same source as weakness comes from; it's
inherent," answered Janina seating herself.

"You must have some nice little dogma and with your mind fixed on
that you go forward. That dogma has reddish-yellow hair, a yearly
income of about ten thousand rubles, he wears binoculars and . . ."
jested Topolski.

"And . . . forget the rest of it! It's always time enough for
nonsense, that never grows old," Glogowski interrupted Topolski.

"You'll also drink with us, won't you, Miss Janina?"

"Thank you! I don't drink."

"But you must . . . if it be only to moisten your lips. It is the
beginning of the funeral celebration over my play," joked Glogowski.

"Exaggeration!" mumbled Piesh.

"Well, we shall