s so tired." And, suddenly growing serious, she
concluded: "Anyway, let's give the sick man something to eat."

In an instant she was sitting at Ivan's bed, kindly and solicitously
inquiring, "Does your head ache badly?"

"Not very. Only everything is muddled up, and I'm weak," answered Ivan
in embarrassment. He pulled the blanket up to his chin, and screwed up
his eyes as if dazzled by too brilliant a light. Noticing that she
embarrassed him by her presence and that he could not make up his mind
to eat, Sasha rose and walked away. Then Ivan sat up in bed and looked
at the door through which she had left.

"Be-au-tiful!" he murmured.

His eyes were bright and merry; his teeth fine and compact; his young
voice was not yet steady as an adult's.

"How old are you?" the mother asked thoughtfully.

"Seventeen years."

"Where are your parents?"

"In the village. I've been here since I was ten years old. I got
through school and came here. And what is your name, comrade?"

This word, when applied to her, always brought a smile to the mother's
face and touched her.

"Why do you want to know?"

The youth, after an embarrassed pause, explained:

"You see, a student of our circle, that is, a fellow who used to read
to us, told us about Pavel's mother--a workingman, you know--and about
the first of May demonstration."

She nodded her head and pricked up her ears.

"He was the first one who openly displayed the banner of our party,"
the youth declared with pride--a pride which found a response in the
mother's heart.

"I wasn't present; we were then thinking of making our own
demonstration here in the city, but it fizzled out; we were too few of
us then. But this year we will--you'll see!"

He choked from agitation, having a foretaste of the future event. Then
waving his spoon in the air, he continued:

"So Vlasova--the mother, as I was telling you--she, too, got into the
party after that. They say she's a wonder of an old woman."

The mother smiled broadly. It was pleasant for her to hear the boy's
enthusiastic praise--pleasant, yet embarrassing. She even had to
restrain herself from telling him that she was Vlasova, and she thought
sadly, in derision of herself: "Oh, you old fool!"

"Eat more! Get well sooner for the sake of the cause!" She burst out
all of a sudden, in agitation, bending toward him: "It awaits powerful
young hands, clean hearts, honest minds. It lives by these forces!
With