The room, dusty and dark, was wretched enough. Two rickety chairs, a torn haircloth sofa, with a greasy pillow, and the bare table at the window, were its entire furniture. Several scattered lithographs, two or three engravings, two slabs of lithographer's stone on the table, and engraver's tools sufficiently showed the occupation of the young man. He was florid, with red hair; of Polish descent, and his name was Kasimir Bodlevski. On the wall, over the sofa, between the overcoat and the cloak hanging on the wall, was a pencil drawing of a young girl. It was the portrait of Natasha.
The young man was so absorbed in his examination of the twenty-five ruble note that when a gentle knock sounded on the door he started nervously, as if coming back to himself, and even grew pale, and hurriedly crushed the banknote into his pocket.
The knock was repeated--and this time Bodlevski's face lit up. It was evidently a well-known and expected knock, for he sprang up and opened the door with a welcoming smile.
Natasha entered the room.
"What were you dreaming about that you didn't open the door for me?" she asked caressingly, throwing aside her hat and cloak, and taking a seat on the tumble-down sofa. "What were you busy at?""You know, yourself."
And instead of explaining further, he drew the banknote from his pocket and showed it to Natasha.
"This morning the master paid me, and I am keeping the money," he continued in a low voice, tilting back his chair. "I pay neither for my rooms nor my shop, but sit here and study all the time.""It's so well worth while, isn't it?" smiled Natasha with a contemptuous grimace.
"You don't think it is worth while?" said the young man. "Wait!
I'll learn. We'll be rich!
"Yes, if we aren't sent to Siberia!" the girl laughed. "What kind of wealth is that?" she went on. "The game is not worth the candle. I'll be rich before you are.""All right, go ahead!"
"Go ahead? I didn't come to talk nonsense, I came on business.
You help me, and, on my word of honor, we'll be in clover!"Bodlevski looked at his companion in astonishment.
"I told you my Princess Anna was going to run away. She's gone!
And her mother has cut her off from the inheritance," Natasha continued with an exultant smile. "I looked through the scrap basket, and have brought some papers with me.""What sort of papers?"
"Oh, letters and notes. They are all in Princess Anna's handwriting. Shall I give them to you?" jested Natasha. "Have a good look at them, examine them, learn her handwriting, so that you can imitate every letter. That kind of thing is just in your line;you are a first-class copyist, so this is just the job for you."The engraver listened, and only shrugged his shoulders.
"No, joking aside," she continued seriously, drawing nearer Bodlevski, "I have thought of something out of the common; you will be grateful. I have no time to explain it all now. You will know later on. The main thing is--learn her handwriting.""But what is it all for?" said Bodlevski wonderingly.
"So that you may be able to write a few words in the handwriting of Princess Anna; what you have to write I'll dictate to you.""And then?"
"Then hurry up and get me a passport in some one else's name, and have your own ready. But learn her handwriting. Everything depends on that!""It won't be easy. I'll hardly be able to!" muttered Bodlevski, scratching his head.
Natasha flared up.
"You say you love me?" she cried energetically, with a glance of anger. "Well, then, do it. Unless you are telling lies, you can learn to do banknotes."The young man strode up and down his den, perplexed.
"How soon do you want it?" he asked, after a minute's thought. "In a couple of days?""Yes, in about two days, not longer, or the whole thing is done for!" the girl replied decisively. "In two days I'll come for the writing, and be sure my passport is ready!""Very well. I'll do it," consented Bodlevski. And Natasha began to dictate to him the wording of the letter.
As soon as she was gone the engraver got to work. All the evening and a great part of the night he bent over the papers she had brought, examining the handwriting, studying the letters, and practicing every stroke with the utmost care, copying and repeating it a hundred times, until at last he had reached the required clearness. At last he mastered the writing. It only remained to give it the needed lightness and naturalness. His head rang from the concentration of blood in his temples, but he still worked on.
Finally, when it was almost morning, the note was written, and the name of Princess Anna was signed to it. The work was a masterpiece, and even exceeded Bodlevski's expectations. Its lightness and clearness were remarkable. The engraver, examining the writing of Princess Anna, compared it with his own work, and was astonished, so perfect was the resemblance.
And long he admired his handiwork, with the parental pride known to every creator, and as he looked at this note he for the first time fully realized that he was an artist.
III
THE CAVE
