Lubov, pale with emotion and anger, feeling herself stupid and powerless before him, listening to his whisper, and her heart palpitated wildly.
"I am left alone, alone, like Job.

Oh Lord! What shall I do?
Oh, alone! Am I not wise?
Am I not clever?
But life has outwitted me also.

What does it love?
Whom does it fondle?
It beats the good, and suffers not the bad to go unpunished, and no one understands life's justice." The girl began to feel painfully sorry for the old man; she was seized with an intense yearning to help him; she longed to be of use to him.
Following him with burning eyes, she suddenly said in a low voice: "Papa, dear! do not grieve.

Taras is still alive.

Perhaps he--" Mayakin stopped suddenly as though nailed to the spot, and he slowly lifted his head.
"The tree that grew crooked in its youth and could not hold out will certainly break when it's old.