They felt that all was lost; they sat like prisoners
summoned to hear the reading of their death-warrant.
There was nothing more that they could do -- they were
trapped! The lawyer read over the deed, and when he
had read it he informed Szedvilas that it was all perfectly
regular, that the deed was a blank deed such as was often
used in these sales. And was the price as agreed? the old
man asked -- three hundred dollars down, and the balance
at twelve dollars a month, till the total of fifteen hundred
dollars had been paid? Yes, that was correct. And it
was for the sale of such and such a house -- the house and
lot and everything? Yes, -- and the lawyer showed him
where that was all written. And it was all perfectly reg~
ular -- there were no tricks about it of any sort? They
were poor people, and this was all they had in the world,
and if there was anything wrong they would be ruined.
And so Szedvilas went on, asking one trembling question
after another, while the eyes of the women folks were
fixed upon him in mute agony. They could not under~
stand what he was saying, but they knew that upon it
their fate depended. And when at last he had questioned
until there was no more questioning to be done, and the
time came for them to make up their minds, and either
close the bargain or reject it, it was all that poor Teta
Elzbieta could do to keep from bursting into tears. Joku~
bas had asked her if she wished to sign; he had asked
her twice -- and what could she say? How did she know
if this lawyer were telling the truth -- that he was not in
the conspiracy? And yet, how could she say so -- what
excuse could she give? The eyes of everyone in the room
were upon her, awaiting her decision; and at last, half
blind with her tears, she began fumbling in her jacket,
where she had pinned the precious money. And she
brought it out and unwrapped it before the men. All of
this Ona sat watching, from a corner of the room, twisting
her hands together, meantime, in a fever of fright. Ona
longed to cry out and tell her stepmother to stop, that it
was all a trap; but there seemed to be something clutching
her by the throat, and she could not make a sound. And

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p059 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p060w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p061

v?