Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 1the town, especially of the tradespeople, tried to clothe her
better, and always rigged her out with high boots and sheep-
skin coat for the winter. But, although she allowed them to
dress her up without resisting, she usually went away, pref-
erably to the cathedral porch, and taking off all that had
been given her — kerchief, sheepskin, skirt or boots — she
left them there and walked away barefoot in her smock as
before. It happened on one occasion that a new governor of
the province, making a tour of inspection in our town, saw
Lizaveta, and was wounded in his tenderest susceptibilities.
And though he was told she was an idiot, he pronounced
that for a young woman of twenty to wander about in noth-
ing but a smock was a breach of the proprieties, and must
not occur again. But the governor went his way, and Liza-
veta was left as she was. At last her father died, which made
her even more acceptable in the eyes of the religious per-
sons of the town, as an orphan. In fact, everyone seemed
to like her; even the boys did not tease her, and the boys of
our town, especially the schoolboys, are a mischievous set.
She would walk into strange houses, and no one drove her
away. Everyone was kind to her and gave her something. If
she were given a copper, she would take it, and at once drop
it in the alms-jug of the church or prison. If she were given
a roll or bun in the market, she would hand it to the first
child she met. Sometimes she would stop one of the rich-
est ladies in the town and give it to her, and the lady would
be pleased to take it. She herself never tasted anything but
black bread and water. If she went into an expensive shop,
where there were costly goods or money lying about, no one