duty. To do good is the wisest mathematics.
But Great Scott! What's the use of my making so much ado about it!"
he cried in irritation.

He continued to speak for a long while yet, scoffed, swore
occasionally, shouted: "May the deuce take me," and raged fiercely,
but in his voice there was so much sincere and deep friendliness,
such heartfelt kindness, that Janina, although she was not at all
convinced, accepted his proffered aid with a grateful handclasp only
because she did not wish to offend him by refusing.

"Well, that is what I like! And now . . . good-bye!" he said,
arising to go.

"Good-bye! I wish to thank you once more and I am so very grateful
and obligated to you . . ." murmured Janina.

"If you only knew how much kindness people have shown me! I would
like to repay only one hundredth part of it to others. I will add
yet that we shall no doubt meet each other in the spring."

"Where?" asked Janina.

"Bah! I don't know! but that it will be in the theater of that I am
sure, for I have determined to join the theater in the spring, if
only for a half year so that I may gain a better knowledge of the
stage."

"Oh, that's an excellent idea!"

"Now we are even with one another, as my father used to say after he
had massaged my hide so that it shone as though freshly tanned. I
leave you my address and say nothing, only remind you that you are
to tell me everything by letter . . . everything! Do you give me
your word?"

"I give you my word!" Janina answered gravely.

"I trust your word as though it were that of a man, although with
women a word of honor is usually an empty word only, which they make
use of, but never fulfill. Goodbye!"

Glogowski pressed both her hands firmly, raised them a little as
though he were eager to kiss them, but quickly dropped them again,
glanced into her eyes, laughed a trifle unnaturally and departed.

Janina sat thinking for a long time about him. She felt so deep a
gratitude toward him and felt so cheered and strengthened by her
talk with him that she regretted she did not know on what train
Glogowski was leaving, for she had a desire to see him once more.

Then again, there arose in her something that protested loudly
against the aid he had given her, something that saw in that
kindness an insult.

"Alms!" Janina whispered bitterly and felt a burning pain of
humiliation.

"Can't I live alone, can't I get along by my own unaided strength,
can't I be sufficient un