"Why?" Anninka objected, somewhat frightened.
"I mean it seriously. We must die," Lubinka repeated. "Understand, wake up, think!"
"Well—let us die," Anninka assented, hardly realizing the dismal meaning of her decision.
That same day Lubinka cut off the tips of some matches and prepared two glasses of the mixture. One of these she drank herself, the other she offered her sister. But Anninka immediately lost courage and refused to drink.
"Drink, you slut," Lubinka cried out. "Sister, dearest, darling, drink!"
Anninka, almost insane with fear, ran about the room, instinctively clutching at her throat as if trying to choke herself.
"Drink, drink—you street-walker!"
The artistic career of the two sisters was ended. That same evening Lubinka's corpse was taken into the field and buried. Anninka remained alive.