“Litka’s will! She does not even admit that Litka’s will can remain unaccomplished; and how was I to tell her that the other is not for me now what she once was?”
Still Pan Stanislav felt with increasing distinctness that it was not right to remain as he was any longer, and that those bonds connecting him with Marynia ought soon to be tightened, or broken, so as to end the strange condition, and the misunderstandings and sorrows which might rise from it. He felt the need of doing this quickly, so as to act with honor; and new alarm seized him, for it seemed that, no matter how he acted, his action would not bring him happiness.
When he reached home, he found a letter from Mashko, which read as follows,—
“I have called on thee twice to-day. Some lunatic has insulted me before my subordinates on account of the oak which I sold thee. His name is Gantovski. I need to speak with thee, and shall come again before evening.”
In fact, he ran in before the expiration of an hour, and asked, without removing his overcoat,—
“Dost thou know that Gantovski?”
“I know him; he is a neighbor and relative of the Plavitskis. What has happened, and how has it happened?”
Mashko removed his overcoat, and said,—
“I do not understand how news of the sale could get out, for I have not spoken of it to any one; and it was important for me that it should not become known.”
“Our agent, Abdulski, went to Kremen to look at the oak. Gantovski must have heard of the sale from him.”