Augustinovich's eyes opened to their full width, and with an indescribable expression of malice he turned toward the countess.
"I thought," said he, "that you knew perfectly whence Pan Yosef came, and what his family is."
Lula's confusion reached the highest degree.
"I—do not remember," groaned she.
"Do you not? Then I will remind you. Pan Yosef was born in Zvinogrodets, where his father in his day was a blacksmith."
Pelski looked at his cousin, and bending toward her said with sympathy,—
"I am pained, cousin, at the fatality which forced you to live with people of a different sphere."
Lula sighed.
Oh, evil, evil was that sigh. Lula knew that among those people of a different sphere she had found aid, protection, and kindness; that for this reason they should be for her something more than that cousin of recent acquaintance. But she was ashamed to tell him this, and she remained silent, a little angry and a little grieved.
Meanwhile Pani Visberg invited her guests to tea. Lula ran for a while to her own chamber, and sitting on her bed covered her face with her hands. At that moment she was in Yosef's chamber mentally. "He is toiling there," thought she, "and here they speak of him as of some one strange to me. Why did that other say that he was the son of a blacksmith?"