"Surely that is the best way."
And they embraced Yatsek one after another. Then Mateush continued,--"Yatsus! we know that thou art no Pilate, and thou knowest that after losing Kieff regions we are poor fellows, in short we are naked. Here is all that we can give, and accept with thankful heart even this."
Then they handed him some object wound up in a piece of red satin, and at that moment the three younger brothers repeated, with feeling,--
"Accept it, Yatsus, accept! Accept!"
"I accept, and God repay you," answered Yatsek.
Thus speaking, he put the object on the table, and began to unroll the satin. All at once he started back, and cried,--
"As God lives, it is the ear of a man!"
"But dost thou know whose ear? Martsian Krepetski's!" thundered the brothers.
"Ah!"
All present were so tremendously astonished that silence followed immediately.