The risk is not great at all, but it is serious. From the whole lottery only one ticket is a blank. And there is no probability of its being drawn—but supposing it were drawn? Whoever runs a risk must be ready not to wink if he draws the blank. Kirsánof saw the girl's calm, quiet firmness, and he was sure of her. But had he the right to subject her to the risk? Of course he had. Now, out of a hundred chances, there is only one that she will not lose her health in this case. More than half of them are that she will lose it rapidly. But here, out of a thousand chances, one would be against her. Let her risk the lottery, though it is apparently more terrible because it is more rapid, but in reality it is incomparably less dangerous.
"All right," said Kirsánof. "You do not want to cure her by those means which are in your power; I shall cure her with mine. To-morrow I shall have another consultation."
After he returned to the sick girl, he told her that her father was stubborn, more stubborn than he expected, and that it would be necessary to act towards him with severe measures.
"No; it is of no use," said the sick girl, despondently.
"Are you sure of it?"
"Yes."
"Are you ready to die?"
"Yes."
"Now supposing that I decide to subject you to the risk of death. I told you briefly, in order to gain your confidence, to show you that I am ready for everything that may be for your good; now I speak positively. Supposing that it be necessary to administer poison?"
"I have seen this long time that my death is inevitable; that I have only a few days longer to live."
"Supposing it were to-morrow morning?"
"So much the better." She spoke with perfect calmness.
"When there is only one salvation left, and that is your readiness to die, this support will almost always save you. If you say to any one, 'Give in, or I shall die,' you almost always gain what you wish. But you know that one should not play with such a lofty principle; and besides, it is impossible for you to lower your self-respect if they don't yield. And therefore it is necessary to die." He explained to her the plan, which was perfectly comprehensible from this conversation.
