At that moment Polenka forced her way through the crowd at the door.

She came in panting from running so fast, took off her kerchief,

looked for her mother, went up to her and said, "She's coming, I met

her in the street." Her mother made her kneel beside her.

Timidly and noiselessly a young girl made her way through the crowd,

and strange was her appearance in that room, in the midst of want,

rags, death and despair. She, too, was in rags, her attire was all

of the cheapest, but decked out in gutter finery of a special stamp,