They were noisy and hilarious, and had evidently been
drinking; one of them, who wore a bright red kimono,
shouted and screamed in a voice that drowned out all the
other sounds in the hall -- and Jurgis took a glance at her,
and then gave a start, and a cry, "Marija!"

She heard him, and glanced around; then she shrank
back and half sprang to her feet in amazement. "Jurgis!"
she gasped.

For a second or two they stood staring at each other.
"How did you come here?" Marija exclaimed.

"I came to see you," he answered.

"When?"

"Just now."

"But how did you know -- who told you I was here?"

"Alena Jasaityte. I met her on the street."

Again there was a silence, while they gazed at each other.
The rest of the crowd was watching them, and so Marija
got up and came closer to him. "And you?" Jurgis
asked. "You live here?"

"Yes," said Marija, "I live here."

Then suddenly came a hail from below: "Get your
clothes on now, girls, and come along. You'd best begin,
or you'll be sorry -- it's raining outside."

"Br-r-r!" shivered someone, and the women got up and
entered the various doors which lined the hallway.

"Come," said Marija, and took Jurgis into her room,
which was a tiny place about eight by six, with a cot and
a chair and a dressing-stand and some dresses hanging be~
hind the door. There were clothes scattered about on the
floor, and hopeless confusion everywhere, -- boxes of rouge
and bottles of perfume mixed with hats and soiled dishes
on the dresser, and a pair of slippers and a clock and a
whisky bottle on a chair.

Marija had nothing on but a kimono and a pair of stock~
ings; yet she proceeded to dress before Jurgis, and with~
out 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

[[345]]

p344 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p345w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p346

v?