kindled strangely--I began to expect, if not a story, at least some word of approval, of sympathy. . . .

"But I, sir, must be going to die soon," he said in an undertone.

I was utterly nonplussed.

"Why, Vassily Fomitch," I brought out at last, "what makes you . . . suppose that?"

The brigadier suddenly flung his arms violently up and down.

"Because, sir . . . I, as maybe you know . . . often in my dreams see Agrippina Ivanovna--Heaven's peace be with her!--and never can I catch her; I am always running after her--but cannot catch her. But last night--I dreamed--she was standing, as it were, before me, half-turned away, and laughing. . . . I ran up to her at once and caught her . . . and she seemed to turn round quite and said to me: 'Well, Vassinka, now you have caught me.'"

"What do you conclude from that, Vassily Fomitch?"

"Why, sir, I conclude: it has come, that we shall be together. And glory to God for it, I tell you; glory be to God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (the brigadier fell into a chant): as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, Amen!"

The brigadier began crossing himself. I could get nothing more out of him, so I went away.

XV