the goose, if it is too old."

"We shall certainly get ten rubles for it," said David, turning the
telescope over. "I will buy it of you; and here are fifteen kopecks
for the apothecary: is it enough?"

"I will borrow them of you," whispered Raissa, taking the fifteen
kopecks.

"Yes, indeed; with interest, perhaps? I have a pledge--a very heavy
one. These English are a great people."

"And yet people say we are going to war with them."

"No," answered David: "now we are threatening the French."

"Well, you know best. Don't forget. Good-bye!"

XIV.

One more conversation which I heard at the hedge. Raissa seemed more
than usually troubled. "Five kopecks for the very smallest head of
cabbage!" she said, supporting her head on her hand. "Oh, how dear!
and I have no money from my sewing!"

"Who owes you any?" asked David.

"The shopkeeper's wife, who lives behind the city wall."

"That fat woman who always wears a green sontag?"

"Yes."

"How fat she is!--too fat to breathe. She lights plenty of candles in
church, but she won't pay her debts."

"Oh, she'll pay them--but when? And then, David, I have other
troubles. My father has begun to narrate his dreams; and you know
what trouble he had with his tongue--how he tried to say one word and
uttered another. About his food and things around the house we have
got used to understanding him, but even ordinary people's dreams can't
be understood; and you may judge what his are. He said, 'I am very
glad. I was walking to-day with the white birds, and the Lord
handed me a bouquet, and in the bouquet was Andruscha with a little
knife.'--He always calls my little sister Andruscha.--'Now we shall
both get well: we only need a little knife, and just one cut. That's
the way.' And he pointed to his own throat. I didn't understand
him, but I said, 'All right, father!' but he grew angry and tried to
explain what he meant. At last he burst into tears."

"Yes, but you ought to have made up something--told him some trifling
lie," I interrupted.

"I can't lie," answered Raissa, raising her hands.

True, thought I to myself, _she_ cannot lie.

"There's no need of lying," said David, "nor is there any need of your
killing yourself in this way. Do you suppose any one will thank you
for it?"

Raissa looked at him: "What I wanted to ask you, David, was how do you
spell _should_?"

"What?--_should_?"

"Yes, for instance, 'Should you like to live?'"

"Oh!---_s-h-