screamedthegeneral'slady;"youareill!youaretalkingwildly,andishallhaveamostterribleheadache!oh,whatamisfortuneiscominguponourhouse!don'tmakeyourmotherdie,emily,oryouwillhavenomother."

andtheeyesofthegeneral'sladywerewet,forshecouldnotbeartothinkofherowndeath.

inthenewspaperstherewasanannouncement."mr.georgehasbeenelectedprofessorofthefifthclass,numbereight."

"it'sapitythathisparentsaredeadandcannotreadit,"saidthenewporterpeople,whonowlivedinthecellarunderthegeneral'sapartments.theyknewthattheprofessorhadbeenbornandgrownupwithintheirfourwalls.

"nowhe'llgetasalary,"saidtheman.

"yes,that'snotmuchforapoorchild,"saidthewoman.

"eighteendollarsayear,"saidtheman."why,it'sagooddealofmoney."

"no,imeanthehonorofit,"repliedthewife."doyouthinkhecaresforthemoney?thosefewdollarshecanearnahundredtimesover,andmostlikelyhe'llgetarichwifeintothebargain.ifwehadchildrenofourown,husband,ourchildshouldbeanarchitectandaprofessortoo."

georgewasspokenwellofinthecellar,andhewasspokenwellofinthefirstfloor.theoldcounttookuponhimselftodothat.

thepictureshehaddrawninhischildhoodgaveoccasionforit.buthowdidtheconversationcometoturnonthesepictures?why,theyhadbeentalkingofrussiaandofmoscow,andthusmentionwasmadeofthekremlin,whichlittlegeorgehadoncedrawnformissemily.hehaddrawnmanypictures,butthecountespeciallyrememberedone,"emily'scastle,"whereshewastosleep,andtodance,andtoplayatreceivingguests.

"theprofessorwasatrueman,"saidthecount,"andwouldbeaprivycouncillorbeforehedied,itwasnotatallunlikely;andhemightbuildarealcastlefortheyoungladybeforethattimecame:whynot?"

"thatwasastrangejest,"remarkedthegeneral'slady,whenthecounthadgoneaway.thegeneralshookhisheadthoughtfully,andwentoutforaride,withhisgroombehindhimataproperdistance,andhesatmorestifflythaneveronhishighhorse.

itwasemily'sbirthday.flowers,books,letters,andvisitingcardscamepouringin.thegeneral'sladykissedheronthemouth,andthegeneralkissedherontheforehead;theywereaffectionateparents,andtheyandemilyhadtoreceivegrandvisitors,twooftheprinces.theytalkedofballsandtheatres,ofdiplomaticmissions,ofthegovernmentofempiresandnations;andthentheyspokeoftalent,nativetalent;andsothediscourseturnedupontheyoungarchitect.

"heisbuildingupanimmortalityforhimself,"saidone,"andhewillcertainlybuildhiswayintooneofourfirstfamilies".

"oneofourfirstfamilies!"repeatedthegeneralandafterwardsthegeneral'slady;"whatismeantbyoneofourfirstfamilies?"

"iknowforwhomitwasintended,"saidthegeneral'slady,"butishallnotsayit.idon'tthinkit.heavendisposes,butishallbeastonished."

"iamastonishedalso!"saidthegeneral."ihaven'tanideainmyhead!"andhefellintoareverie,waitingforideas.

thereisapower,anamelesspower,inthepossessionoffavorfromabove,thefavorofprovidence,andthisfavorlittlegeorgehad.butweareforgettingthebirthday.

emily'sroomwasfragrantwithflowers,sentbymaleandfemalefriends;onthetablelaybeautifulpresentsforgreetingandremembrance,butnonecouldcomefromgeorge-nonecouldcomefromhim;butitwasnotnecessary,forthewholehousewasfullofremembrancesofhim.evenoutoftheash-bintheblossomofmemorypeepedforth,foremilyhadsatwhimperingthereonthedaywhenthewindow-curtaincaughtfire,andgeorgearrivedinthecharacteroffireengine.aglanceoutofthewindow,andtheacaciatreeremindedofthedaysofchildhood.flowersandleaveshadfallen,buttherestoodthetreecoveredwithhoarfrost,lookinglikeasinglehugebranchofcoral,andthemoonshoneclearandlargeamongthetwigs,unchangedinitschangings,asitwaswhengeorgedividedhisbreadandbutterwithlittleemily.

outofaboxthegirltookthedrawingsoftheczar'spalaceandofherowncastle-remembrancesofgeorge.thedrawingswerelookedat,andmanythoughtscame.sherememberedthedaywhen,unobservedbyherfatherandmother,shehadgonedowntotheporter'swifewholaydying.onceagainsheseemedtositbesideher,holdingthedyingwoman'shandinhers,hearingthedyingwoman'slastwords:"blessinggeorge!"