"And Anna?"
"Your daughter will call to-morrow afternoon on my sister——"
"Your sister?" cried the man in the deepest astonishment.
"My sister," I repeated, "at this address"—I wrote it down—"and the course to be taken will depend on what is then decided. You understand that the whole story will be sifted, so she must be careful to tell the truth.
"The discreet truth, your honour?" he asked with another leer.
"No, the whole truth, without a single lie of yours. Mind, one lie by either of you, and not a kopeck shall you have."
With that I sent him about his business. I resolved to have the whole story investigated; and it occurred to me that it would be a good test of my sister's womanliness to let her deal with the case. I reflected too that it would do her no harm to know a little of the undercurrent of her brother's life.
That done, I turned into bed after as full a day as I had ever lived, and slept well.
Reflection led me to approve the plan of sending the old Jew's daughter to Olga; and after breakfast the next morning I wrote a little note to prepare her for the visit.
"This afternoon," I wrote, "you will have a visit from a girl whose name is Anna Prashil, and she will tell you something about your brother's history which I think your woman's wit will let you deal with better than I can. We will have the story sifted, but you can do two things in the matter better than I—judge whether the girl is an impostor; and if not, what is the best thing to do for her. I will see you afterwards."