demanderais pas mieux que de relacher cette pauvre fillette, mais vous
savez le devoir." And in the meantime Katia Turchaninova was kept
in prison. She was at times in a quiet mood, communicated with her
fellow-prisoners by knocking on the walls, and read the books that were
sent to her. But then came days when she had fits of desperate fury,
knocking with her fists against the wall, screaming and laughing like a
mad-woman.


XXIII

ONE day Maria Semenovna came home from the treasurer's office, where she
had received her pension. On her way she met a schoolmaster, a friend of
hers.

"Good day, Maria Semenovna! Have you received your money?" the
schoolmaster asked, in a loud voice from the other side of the street.

"I have," answered Maria Semenovna. "But it was not much; just enough to
fill the holes."

"Oh, there must be some tidy pickings out of such a lot of money," said
the schoolmaster, and passed on, after having said good-bye.

"Good-bye," said Maria Semenovna. While she was looking at her friend,
she met a tall man face to face, who had very long arms and a stern look
in his eyes. Coming to her house, she was very startled on again seeing
the same man with the long arms, who had evidently followed her. He
remained standing another moment after she had gone in, then turned and
walked away.