"Ye give a quarrel instead of an answer!" cried Lukash. But Stanislav interrupted;--
"An answer?" said he, "but to whom?"
"To Pan Gideon."
"An answer to what?"
"To what? How 'to what'?"
They looked at one another, with no small astonishment, and then turned to Lukash,--
"What dost thou wish of us?"
"But what do ye wish of me?"
"Adjourn this assembly till daylight," said Stanislav. "The fire here is dying, midnight is past now a long time. The beds are all ready at the walls there, and rest is ours honestly, for we have worked in the frost very faithfully."
The fire had gone out; it was dark in the chamber, so the advice of the host had power to convince the four brothers. Conversation continued some little time yet, but with decreasing intensity. Somewhat later a whispered "Our Father" was heard, at one moment louder, at another one lower, interrupted now and then with deep sighing.