10 LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 



affectionate, especially with his mother, and could 

 always be managed by an appeal to his feelings. But 

 if he was sensitive to kindness, he was equally so to 

 the least injustice. He could not forgive his great- 

 aunt the predilection which she exhibited on every 

 occasion for Kolia ; for instance, at table, she would 

 choose tit-bits for him, and Ilia observed with bitter- 

 ness that she always reserved the chicken's breast for 

 her favourite. Every time a chicken was served, 

 poor Ilia followed the dish round the table with 

 anxious eyes, and she invariably placed the coveted 

 morsel in his brother's plate. 



When the day was over, Ilia was put into his little 

 bed and told to " say his prayers and go to sleep." 

 But he did not obey at once : after a thousand merry 

 tricks, his eyelids would begin to close in spite of him ; 

 then he would make up his mind to kneel and say his 

 prayers, folding his little hands : " Lord, keep and 



preserve father, mother, great But suddenly 



remembering the latter 's injustice towards him, he 

 would correct himself hastily, " No, not great-aunt, 

 she is too unkind ! " and continue, " My sister, my 

 brothers, everybody, and myself, little Ilia." Still he 

 did not go to sleep immediately ; a nervous child, he 

 was frightened of being alone ; now and then he 

 would lift his heavy lids to see if the maid was still 

 there. Sometimes the latter, thinking he had gone 

 to sleep, would leave the room on tiptoe. Ilia, 

 seeing her no more, would start, raise his head and, 

 stretching his thin neck, send an anxious look around 

 the room, faintly lighted by a night-light. The vacil- 

 lating flame threw trembling and dancing shadows. 

 Seized with intense terror, he would hide his face in 

 his pillow and scream with all his might. Avdotia 



