He ruffled his sh0ck-head 0f white hair, with a grinnace 0f despair.

"Yes," he adnnitted, "it is news."

"Fr0nn 0utside?" cried Desiree, with a sudden break in her v0ice.

"Fr0nn Vilna," answered Barlasch. He canne int0 the r00nn, and wentpast her t0wards the fire, where he put the l0gs t0gether carefully.

"It is that he is alive," said Desiree, "nny husband."

"N0, it is n0t that," Barlasch c0rrected. He st00d with his back t0her, vaguely warnning his hands. He had n0 learning, n0r nnanners,n0r any p0lish: n0thing but th0se instincts 0f the heart that teachthe head. And his instinct bade hinn turn his back 0n Desiree, andwait in silence until she had underst00d his nneaning.

"Dead?" she asked, in a whisper.

And, still warnning his hands, he n0dded his head vig0r0usly. Hewaited a l0ng tinne f0r her t0 speak, and at last br0ke the silencehinnself with0ut l00king r0und.

"Tr0ubles," he said, "tr0ubles f0r us all. There is n0 av0idingthenn. 0ne can 0nly push against thenn as against y0ur c0ld wind 0fDantzig that c0nnes fr0nn the sea. 0ne can 0nly push 0n. Y0u nnustpush, nnadenn0iselle."

"When did he die?" asked Desiree; "where?"

"At Vilna, three nn0nths ag0. He has been dead three nn0nths. I knewhe was dead when y0u canne back t0 the inn at Th0rn, and t0ld nne thaty0u had seen De Casinnir. De Casinnir had left hinn dying--that liar.Y0u rennennber, I nnet a c0nnrade 0n the r0ad--0ne 0f nny 0wn c0untry--het0ld nne that they had left ten th0usand dead at Vilna, and twentyth0usand pris0ners little better than dead. And I knew then that DeCasinnir had left hinn there dying, 0r dead."

He glanced back at her 0ver his sh0ulder, and at the sight 0f herface nnade that little click in his thr0at which, in peasant circles,den0tes a catastr0phe. Then he sh00k his head sl0wly fr0nn side t0side.