on the floor by the side of his couch.  Oh yes, I can sleep quite soundly on bare boards.  That is nothing, and I am only mentioning it to you so that you should not think I am a sybarite.  It was infinitely less killing than the task of sitting for hours at a table in a cold study to take the books of Peter Ivanovitch from dictation.  But you shall see yourself what that is like, so I needn’t say any more about it.”

“It is by no means certain that I will ever take Peter Ivanovitch from dictation,” said Miss Haldin.

“No!” cried the other incredulously.  “Not certain?  You mean to say that you have not made up your mind?”

When Miss Haldin assured her that there never had been any question of that between her and Peter Ivanovitch, the woman with the cat compressed her lips tightly for a moment.

“Oh, you will find yourself settled at the table before you know that you have made up your mind.  Don’t make a mistake, it is disenchanting to hear Peter Ivanovitch dictate, but at the same time there is a fascination about it.  He is a man of genius.  Your face is certain not to irritate him; you may perhaps even help his inspiration, make it easier for him to deliver his message.  As I look at you, I feel certain that you are the kind of woman who is not likely to check the flow of his inspiration.”

Miss Haldin thought it useless to protest against all these assumptions.

“But this man—­this workman did he die under your care?” she said, after a short silence.

The dame de compagnie, listening up the stairs where now two voices were alternating with some animation, made no answer for a time.  When the loud sounds of the discussion had sunk into an almost inaudible murmur, she turned to Miss Haldin.

“Yes, he died, but not, literally speaking, in my arms, as you might suppose.  As a matter of fact, I was asleep when he breathed his last.  So even now I cannot say I have seen anybody die.  A few days before the end, some young men found us out in our extremity.  They were revolutionists, as you might guess.  He ought to have trusted in his political friends when he came out of prison.  He had been liked and respected before, and nobody would have dreamed of reproaching him with his indiscretion before the police.  Everybody knows how they go to work, and the strongest man has his moments of weakness before pain.  Why, even hunger alone is enough to give one queer ideas as to what may be done.  A doctor came, our lot was alleviated as far as physical comforts go, but otherwise he could not be consoled—­poor man.  I assure you, Miss Haldin, that he was very lovable, but I had not the strength to weep.  I was nearly dead myself.  But there were kind hearts to take care of me.  A dress was found to clothe my nakedness.  I tell you, I was not decent—­and after a time the revolutionists placed me with a Jewish family going abroad, as governess.  Of course I could teach the children, I finished the sixth class