Marija had nothing on but a kimono and a pair of stockings; yet she proceeded to dress before Jurgis, and without even taking the trouble to close the door. He had by this time divined what sort of a place he was in; and he had seen a great deal of the world since he had left home, and was not easy to shock—and yet it gave him a painful start that Marija should do this. They had always been decent people at home, and it seemed to him that the memory of old times ought to have ruled her. But then he laughed at himself for a fool. What was he, to be pretending to decency!
“How long have you been living here?” he asked.
“Nearly a year,” she answered.
“Why did you come?”
“I had to live,” she said; “and I couldn’t see the children starve.”
He paused for a moment, watching her. “You were out of work?” he asked, finally.
“I got sick,” she replied, “and after that I had no money. And then Stanislovas died—”
“Stanislovas dead!”
“Yes,” said Marija, “I forgot. You didn’t know about it.”
“How did he die?”