PART SECOND (continued 3)

"But in the name of God, what is it?" cried Ladislaus; "why should I suffer a week of torments? What does this mean?"

"And for me it also will be a torment," she answered in a soft voice. "But it is necessary, it is imperative. You will have to explain everything to yourself; weigh everything, unravel and decide everything--and form a resolution--afterwards you may return or may not return--and a week for all that will be rather too little."

And perceiving the agitation on Ladislaus' face, she hurriedly added, as if alarmed:

"Sir, you promised--you pledged me your word!"

Ladislaus drew his hand across the hair of his head; after which he began to rub his forehead with his palm.

"I gave the word," he said at last, "because you requested it, lady--but why?"

And Miss Anney turned pale to the eyes; for a while her lips quivered as though she struggled vainly to draw the words from her bosom, and only after an interval did she reply:

"Because--atone time I--did not bear the name of Anney."

"You did not bear the name of Anney?"

"I--am--Hanka Skibianka."

Ladislaus rose, staggered like a drunken man, and began to stare at her with a bewildered look.

And she added in almost a whisper:

"Little master!--'tis I--of the mill."

And tears coursed quietly over her pallid countenance.