w and fairly begging
for money, which she was now compelled to do, cast a shadow over
Janina's soul and filled her with bitterness. It made her all the
more eager to get a larger role so that she might get out of that
hated chorus, but Cabinski steadily put her off.

Kotlicki hovered about Janina incessantly, but did not renew his
proposal and seemed to be waiting his chance.

Wladek was, the most companionable of all in regard to Janina and
told everyone that she visited his mother. Niedzielska continually
spied on Wladek, for she already suspected him of liking Janina.

The girl received Wladek's attentions with the same indifference
that she received Kotlicki's, with the same indifference that she
received the bouquets and candy which the counselor sent her every
day. None of these three silent admirers interested her in the least
and she kept them at a respectable distance from herself by her
coolness.

The other actresses ridiculed Janina's inflexibility, but in their
hearts they sincerely envied her. She ignored their spiteful
remarks, for she knew that to answer them would be merely to invite
a greater avalanche of ridicule.

Janina liked only Glogowski, who because of the coming presentation
of his play would spend whole days at the theater. He openly singled
her out as an object of his special regard from among all the women,
spoke only with her on weighty subjects and treated her alone as a
human being. She felt highly flattered and grateful. She liked him
especially because he never mentioned love to her, nor boasted.
Often they would go together for walks in Lazienki Park. Janina
associated with him on a footing of sincere friendship.

After the final rehearsal of The Churls, Glogowski and Janina left
the theater together. He seemed to be more gloomy than usual. He was
racked with anxiety over his play that was to be given that evening,
yet he laughed aloud.

"Suppose we take a ride to the Botanical Gardens. Do you agree?" he
suggested.

Janina assented and they started off.

They found an unoccupied seat near one of the pools, under a huge
plane tree and for a time sat there in silence.

The garden was fairly empty. A few persons seated here and there
upon the benches appeared like shadows in the sultry air. The last
roses of summer gleamed with their bright hues through the foliage
of the low-hanging branches; the stocks in the central flower-bed
diffused a heavy fragrance. The birds twittere