Again some days passed by without any meeting between Nina and her lover, and things were going very badly with the Balatkas in the old house.

The money that had come from the jeweller was not indeed all expended, but Nina looked upon it as her last resource, till marriage should come to relieve her; and the time of her marriage seemed to be as far from her as ever.

So the kreutzers were husbanded as only a woman can husband them, and new attempts were made to reduce the little expenses of the little household.
"Souchey, you had better go.

You had indeed," said Nina.

"We cannot feed you." Now Souchey had himself spoken of leaving them some days since, urged to do so by his Christian indignation at the abominable betrothal of his mistress.