174 A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 



of gloomy preoccupation which generally means that 

 the guest has intruded into a family dispute. We 

 were invited into the bedroom, and the demeanour of 

 the whole company was so portentous that the state 

 meal which followed was as imposing as a sacramental 

 rite. Anastasia in particular neither spoke nor ate, 

 but only glowered at us from the end of the 

 table. 



Scarcely had we left the house than Marusia ran 

 after us, crying hysterically. Her aunt had just 

 attempted her own life by drinking a bottleful of 

 strong essence of vinegar. The patient was lying 

 outside the door, evidently in great pain. The women 

 of the household, who were all weeping loudly, made 

 no attempt to help her. Old Prokopchuk was hovering 

 round with a glass of raw cognac, which, if he had been 

 allowed to administer it, would probably have killed 

 the sufferer outright, for her mouth was terribly burned 

 with the acid. Rather dim recollections of the instruc- 

 tions received some years previously during a course of 

 lectures on " First Aid to the Injured," counselled the 

 administration of an emetic, and the directions in the 

 medical chest prescribed mustard, magnesia, or baking- 

 soda and water for the purpose. None of these things 

 could be found in the house, however. Then someone 

 remembered that in emergencies plaster from the 

 wall, powdered and mixed with water, was a good 

 substitute. We immediately turned to the walls, but, 

 alas ! these had been painted bright blue, and we dare 

 not administer such a fearful and unknown dye on 

 the top of a dose of acid. In the end Miss Czaplicka 



