! ANNA KARENINL i
ST COUNT IMF TOiffOl 1626
Korrnine" U fnnnOw a+nittod to »« :
Toletofe freatre t wor*. Hie admit we »«<*(!
I err •houfht Jr. J profound p/Uloifihp. rhat » <e*o
In not peUeve m ToLeiot nv t*« th» 'Ty mifht
hire Hern irWffen >y Mtrie OotylK On He 09-
praranoc it oroaied o great in dt. Ptloretmry
eortety. The cey eot Unounood Toietoi a»d nil
Me tcorlct. The element* «•*<<* ettll hod regard to
the Mortify of the m.rrrioffe relation hailed it j
rlt* applautt. A$ a pktlaoopher ToUtoi r*vn tm |
»«r meeeaffe to the world and oan hardly W eold
to dettoor on oU metnge in a note 'arm. Jet a*
• pMlaeophcr hie jdmirero and toUowrri oev a
multitude. A* o Uterory mn trhot hie piooo toitt j
»« • JMuu trod ee even 2V*«r year, honoe le oven
to I'.noaL Jutt ■» he huldo a oommam*nt
po&Men.
THERE was- -If In the Oblowaky
household That gay-youth Prince
Stepan, W jeears old and mar. y
year* married, hod been milreljr too »*-
tentlve to Ma children's. FV«mch governess.
The Prlnoess Darla, commonly oalled
Dolly. had discovered H. sent the oov
fmpsj p&cklng and deolarwd she would gp
heme to her mother. Step an was «Km«-.
frvely annoyed. He had to?d I>oHy thaft:
he wee sorry. But women. a« he to'd htn»-
aetf. are so unreasonable tn such ece.
He sent for his elrter Anna, the wire at
that rising state-*m«n Alexis Karenlne. to 1
pome from St. Petercrtnrrg to Moscow and
try to straighten things oat.
Everybody said that Anna ORHowafcy had
made a brilliant match when ehe married
Karenlne. Anna thought so herself. Kare
nlne wae a model husband, wealthy, the
jjlr.k of propriety, possessed power and In
fluence and hJ* name was already toio*s j
Chroughout Europe. He was eocnewha*
100 M. It la true, but petiCectly Just, and
never allowed hfcneelf to be moved by
transient emotions. Araui had the great
en respect for him. The Karentnes
mom! In two of the three circles of St.
Petersburg society. the official aod diplo
mats and that presided over by the
Counteee Dydla Tvaaovna. composed of
men distinguished In the arts, sciences,
literature <jr atareamajietiStp and middle
aged and old women of unimpeachable
chaoacter and charitable tendencies, wiiloa
'was someOmss alluded to as "the con
science of Bt Petersburg."
Anr.a'e oouslc. the Princess BeteyTwere-
Jtoi. was the pivot around which circled
the third set, the set that lived tor "»o
clely" atid tbemertves only, feasted aod
enjoyed, had ~ofEai»»"* ttnd worshipped
"ton"; people who went daoctng to the
grave and left behind them the memory of
a few goandalz and many good dinner*.
"When I am old and ugly." said the
Princess Betsy In speaking of the Coun
te?s Lydla's set. "I shall apply to that
asylum for aged females, but not before."
Naturally the Kaxenlnes were not inti
mate in the Princess Betsy's set. f
Anna Karenlne came to Moscow and
•tralghtened out tbe crooked afiaira of the
Oblowsky household; Polly and Stepiin |
were reconciled through her and. she went j
back to her husband and her little son. j
Serge, as a good wife should. But Anna
took back with her to St. Petersburg ,
something that a good wife should not—
a love newly bom for a man other than
her husband. It wae all a new and
strange sensation, the feettrqr which Anna
experienced for the yotuig Count Wronsky
whom she had chanced to meet while In
Moscow. He was an officer of the army,
an imperial, adjutant, had wealth and am
bition and a soheralng old mother who
adored her son and pushed his fortunes.
Be was easily the leader of the gilded
youth of the capital.
Anna felt with a sort of surprised terror
<h»t thers was danger in her a»uch
In the company of Wronsky and iokl her
self that see him oomors at the
sometime wondering when she would meet
him next. Wfronsky had been a» much
•mitten with Anna aa she with Poor
Kitty CherbOtsky, whom Constantino Le
vins had come from his country estate to
w-o, was broken liearted when she saw
in a Moecow drawing soom the infatuation
.of Wronaky for Anna Karenlne. For she
t4-.ad given poor faithful Constantlne the
'jnluenand fallen head over heels in love—
if such sui expression nr.ay be elloveu oi a
princess—with xlexls Wronaky.
lievlne lived alone upon his "va*t an
cestral estates, where he busied himself
I In Improved methods of farming, and all
; his servants and peasants called him
"little father" Kitty's rejection hurt him
.feed.y, but he aroused himself with the
*hougirt that he had doties ID this world
to perform and resumed his old lifs,
chastened and saddened, bat mora e:ier
i getlo than before. The Princess Kitty was
the sister of the Prlnoeas Dolly OtAowaky
and that good woman was also grieved
over the -rejection of L/evine's suit.
When Mme. Karenlne arrived at the sta
tion in 43L Petersburg Wronsky was there
to meet her, having traveled north by the
same train. Karenlne was there to meet
his wife afid the sight of hhn Irritated
Wronsky. He watched her face closely as
the husband and wife exchanged greetings.
"No. she does not love him," said the
Count to himself. "Count Wronsky," said
Anna introducing them. "Ah, I think we
bsT* met before," replied Karenlne. "I
suppose 70a are on leave. Count," and
without waiting for an answer turned to
his wife with some trivial (juestlon. Ac
cepting the evident hint, Wronaky took ;
his leave, saying to Anna* "I hops to 1
havs the honor of calling." Tt was Kare
nlne who replied: "We shoS bs most hap
py; ws receive on Mondays." "My hus
band is a good man and an honest and
loyal one," said Anna to henelf as ehe
entered her boudoir that night. But on
her face was no such smile ss she had
worn when she flm met Wtonaky and
the glad light was absent from her eyes.
Anna began to freqaent tbe cet of the
Princess Betsy—that was ths set to which
Wronsky moved. They met frequently
as a matter of cocuse and the young sol
dier fouad many opportunities of express
ing his love. Bhs on her part made no
•otual response or advance, but In her
heart was ever ths same feeling shs had
experienced when she first met him. Her
Joy la his presence was -visible In her eyes,
her smile, her glance. Do what she would
•he oould not conoeal it. The two would
■lt apart to crowded assemblies. People
HT WICHCD ItR"WT CLOSELY AS THE" HUSBAND AND Win IXCHAtKf P <JfeECTIN<U
began to nod their head* and talk. Tlie
Princess Betsy' * Ht accepted the situation >
a« an "affair" and -were highly delighted— i
as was natural. '"Why were you not at !
my dinner last night?" Betsy asked her '
am# day. "Ah, I know; a certain person
was not there. How I envy you lovers
your second sight."
Oa« evening Karenlne entered a crowd
ed drawing room and saw his wife sit
ting apart us u»ual with Wronsky. and
engaged with him In deep and earnest
conversation. Karenlne knew that the
oount wu a frequent caller at his house,
and that he met Anna often at social ;
fonotkms. But Jealousy :o the diplomat I
was one of the meanest of passions It j
warn, besides, an Insult to hie wife to !
Hanbor such a feeling. But that night i
the look on .Anna's face as Wronsky
murmured In her ear, the significant
looks cm the faces of the other guests,
oaused him to take a resolution. There
was nothing wrong, of course, but ehe
xnuat avoid the appearance of evil. So
he made ap tn hie mind a nice Utile
lezttwe for Anna, and going to her bou
doir that night started to deliver It But
Anna interrupted him and spoiled his
: speech. "What Is It you are talking
; about?" she asked. "That Is Just Ilk*
ycm. Sometimes you complain because I
am dull, and now to-night, because ' I
enjoyed myself, you are angry. But go
"on; I am Interested. What Is It you are
arXng at?" Karenlne felt alarm-d at
her manner and her words. "Anna.
Airaa, I do not seek to inquire Into your
feelings; it would be useless, perhaps |
daagerous. But our lives have be>en
Joined together not by man. but by Him,'
and onlv death or sin can break the tie. j
a eta w*iioh brings Its own punishment."
\ "I do not understand In the least what [
| you are talking about," said she. yawn-
I tag. "I only know that I am very tired
and sleapy." "Anna, for heaven's sake,
4o not taHc so. I speak as much for
your own sake as mine. I am your hus
band and I love you." The word "love" j
irritated Airoa.
"Tf he had never heard the word .used
he would have Ignored It,'" she thought. J
'"What does he know of love?" "If not j
for yourself or for me, then think of your
son, and give me your confidence," f=ald
Karenlne. "Alexia," replied Anna, with
a half repressed smile, "I have no con
fidences to make and It 1s reallv time to
think of sleep. Good night." "Too late, j
too late," she sighed, as Karenlne left the j
apartment.
Prom that night the relations between
• Karenlne and Ms wife were entirely
changed. Outwardly they lived as usual,
but a wall had arisen between them
That she loved WYonsky he was certain, j
but he believed that pride alone would j
pea rent her forgetting her wifely duty
As for Anna and Wronsky, they now
frankly told each other and themselves
that they loved and that there was notfc
lng else besides In the wide world that
mattered. The young soldier was offered
the governorship of a distant provlnoe,
but decllosA It lp order to be near Anna.
He was ordered to join his regiment and
resigned for the same reason Thus he
sacrlfloed the Imperial favor and his am
bition In his chosen profession st the false
shrine of hla illicit love Anna felt at
times terrtfled, at ethers supremely happy.
Her brother Stepan came to see her and
reasoned with her, but she baffled him, as
she had her husband- "And how is
"Kitty t" she asked at tver brother The
prince Informed her that his sister-in-law I
had been made very ill by grieving over I
her unrequited love for Wronsky. and that j
! her parents had taken her abroad. Anna |
'said: "Poor Kitty, I am really sorry fort
her. And Levlne?" "He was on his es
tates." "Poor Koetla; Kitty should have
married him," she said; "he would have!
made a model husband," and there was a
touch of Irony In her tone. Anna had de-,
veloped a sU-ange waywardness, obstinacy. ;
willfulness of character which made her
Incomprehensible.
A rear and more passed It was sum
• mer. Anna was living with her boy In a I
villa some leagues from St. Petersburg.
; Karenlne had plunged more deeply than
ever into affairs of state. Sometimes he
1 would not visit the vllts for days. Seeret
)ly Anna was receiving almost constant
visits from Wror.sky. One day. as she ana
the count sat alone upon the terrace, she
leaned over and. blushing, whispered In |
his ear. Wronsky started and turned pale, j
Finally he spoke "Nelrber you nor 1 j
have looked upon our liaison as a trvi-j
•lent happiness. The time has come to i
end all this lying and deceit. You must
confess all and leave your husband " "Mut
he does not know," said Anna. This was
not the first time that Wronsky had been
! struck with the lmp.ieslbtllty of making
Anna comprehend her own position. In
'he place of the real Anna hsd grown up
a being capricious. Incomprehensible, al
most repulsive to him.
"This cannot go on." said Wronsky, :
l "our lives must be united." "Are they I
not now united?" replied Anna "We
I should have to fly. to give up everything."
("Anna," said Wronskv solemnly, "I am <
1 sincerely sorry to make you unhappy,
i but " "There Is my happiness," cried
Anna, and she ran to meet her ttttle boy, j
Serge, who came dancing In from the
1 garden.
Hhortly after this Interview there was a j
day's racing at the fashionable track near
I &t. Petersburg. The Emperor was there
! In person, so, of couree. Karenlne. the :
rising minister, went along also and took
hts wife. There was a steeplechase race
! for gentlemen riders, and Wronsky rode j
in It on his English mare. The count j
rode with more fury than Judgment. At l
the last Jump the mare took It all right,
but when she landed on the other side
sank to the earth with a broken back.
Wronsky was unhurt, but the mare had
jto be shot. All that Anna from her seat
In the grand stand could see was the
count's mount had come down and he
with It. Bhe lost all control of herself In
] her te-ror and anxiety. "Let us go, let
l us go," she cried, starting up. "I am of
| ferlng you my arm to go if you wish it,"
said Karenlne. Anna sank back In her
seat, put her fan before her faoe and
burst Into tears. Karenlne placed himself
In front of her to shield her from the
curiosity of the crowd.
When she was calmer he escorted her
to their carriage. As they drove away
he said; "I wish to call your attention to
the fact that your conduct to-day was
hardly proper. There was a time when I
should have used the relations between
us as an argument. It Is now merely a
question of outward facts. Tou have
behaved with Impropriety, and It must
not happen again Perhaps I have been
I deceived. If so, I ask your pardon."
i "No," burst out Anna, "you have not
i been deceived. I love him. X am bis
I mistress. I hate you and fear you. Do
with m« what you will." Then »he sank
back Into her seat and burst Into tears.
Karenlne did not apeak, did not alter the
direction of hli look, but the grave ex
pression on hit countenance became ftxed
as In the rigidity of death. As fhey ap
proached the house he turned to his wife
and said: "Until the necessary measures
have been taken to protect my honor
measures of which you shall be Informed
—I Insist that decencies and appearances
be preserved." He left the carriage, as
sisted Anna to alight, re-entered the
vehicle and was driven to St. Petersburg.
Anna found a note from Betsv saying
"X have seen him. He Is unhurt." "Then
he will come." thought Anna, looking at
her watch. "My God, how I love him.
As for my husband—well, so much the
better. It Is all over now between us."
Naturally Karenlne's first Idea was a
challenge. But from his youth up he had
always had a horror of that mode of
avenging a wrong. Again, would he not
lor* like an Impostor In sending a chal
lenge when he knew that his friends
wouM not permit him to risk a life so val
uable to the country? There remained d'-
voroe. Against that he had religious scru
ples Also, he thought, divorce severs
completely the relations between husband
and wife and leaves her to her lover.
There would be a scandal and his political
enemies would make the most of It. He
would suffer and not Anna. Finally, after
many weary hours of thought, he wrote
his wife a letter in which he said: "My
decision Is this: Whatever your conduct
may have been I cannot recognize my
own right to .break a tie consecrated by
the Supreme Power. The family name
must not be exprsed Outwardly our so
cial life must remain as heretofore. I am
convinced that you are repentant end will
continue to repent. I desire that you re
turn to town by Tuesday at latest"
"He Is right," she thought, "always
right, always Chrlstlanllke and magnani
mous. Oh. what a mean and contemptible
man It Is." She sent a note to Wronsky
to come to her. When he arrived she
showed him her husband's letter and told
him of what she had done. "It Is a thou
sand times better." said Wronsky. "You
must leave him. Whatever he may think,
things can no longer go on as they have
been going." "And the child. Serge?"
"Take him and come to me. I must pro
vide for our future lives." "No," said
Anna slowly, "It must h/ as he says.
Thing* must go on as they have been go
ing."
i Anna was right—things went on as here
| tofore. Karenlne had a serious tslk with
: his wife when she reached Bt. Petersburg.
I Wronsky was forbidden the house and
j Anna waa ordered to pvold him when they
, met by chance In society. But secretly
i Anna and her lover disobeyed these oom
! mends.
Karenlne learned this. He went to
! Anna's room and said: *1 come to tell
you that I shall never again enter this
house. I am going to Mosoow for a time.
You will hear from my lawyer the steps
I shall take for a divorce. My son will be
taken care of by some of my relatives."
"Alexis," cried Anna, "leave me Berge—to
save me leave m* Berge." But be shook
off the hand that waa stretched to stay
him and left the room without another
word. Karenlne drove to the office of a
prominent lawyer and succinctly stated his
case. "You will please let me know,"
said be in conclusion, "within eight day*
whether you will take the oaae u4 upon
what terms." Then he made application
for permission to go abroad. Having to
pass through Moscow, he determined to
stop there for a few days. His brother
in-law, the gay Stepan. palled upon htm.
of course, and Invited him to dinner. "I
cannot come," said Karenlne. "Why?"
asked Stepan. "Because I am about to get
a divorce from your sbter."
"Oh. don't." said Oblowsky, "Dolly and
I had a deuce of a row once, you re
member, and see how happy we are now.
And Klttj*. you know, well, she has re
turned as well as ever and Levlne and
she are to be married. She found out
after all It was Levlne she really loved.
So, you see. If you only wait, how things
come out all right." But when Karenlne
had explained all to Stepan. Oblowsky
sighed and acknowledged that It was a
"hard case." Dolly, on being informed ot
the condition of affairs, appealed to Kire
nlne. saying: "Think what she will oe
come If you abandon her." But he could
only answer. "Alas! there la no other
way."
The next day a telegram was handed
to him. It read: "I am dying. Colne to
me. I shall die easier If I have your
forgiveness," and It was signed "Anna."
Was It some new trick of hers, he thought.
But he took the next train for 9t. Peters
burg All the way he could not get out
of his head the thought that if Anmi
should die it would solve all his present
perplexities "How Is your mistress?"
sild he to the servant who opened the
door. "Madam was safely confined last
night," was the answer. Karenlne turned
pale. He realised how much he had de
sired this death. "Who Is here?" he
asked. "The doctor, the nurse and Count
Wronsky," answered the servant. Anna
lay In her bed moaning and raving In
coherently. Near by lay a newly born
girl baby. At the head of the bed t
Wronsky, his face burled in his hands.
She turned her head toward her husband
and said:
"Aiex.H—is It not cruel that they both
should oe called Alexia?—Alexis, you are
a good man, you do not know how good
you are yourself. Give me the child.
No, he has not seen her yet. Take her
away. Alexia, come near me. The
time Is short. Now I understand every
thing Give me your hand. Forgive me.
Make Wronsky uncover his face There,
there, forgive him." With tears stream
ing down hies cheeks Karenlne extended
hts hand In silence to Wronsky. Tney
left the room together, and Wronsky
said: "Alex s Karenlne, I am Incapable
of speajjlnq: or of understanding Believe
me, my sufferings are great. Have pity
upon me. and. If you can. forgive."
"You are aware," replied Karenlne, "that
I have Intended gett.ng a divorce. I will
go even further, nr.d say that I have
wished for her death. But now I seo
clearly my duty. It Is to remain with
her. I only ask one thing—the loy of
forgiving."
Wronsky went away feeling humiliated
and confused, as If he had Just lost t. e
path along which he had been walklrg
proudly and contentedly. The betrayed
husband nad raised himself to a height
which compelled hie respect, and ap
peared to him honest, high minded and
generous, while he htmielf eeemei a
mean end" eplrlMees creature. All that
night Wronsky walked his room thinking,
thinking, and toward dawn tried to put a
bullet through hi* heart But hla aim
was bad, and he only sucoeeded In
wounding himself severely.
Anna, In spite of the prognostications
of the doctors, to mend. While she
was recovering the Princess Betsy came
bustling In to see her. She told her of
Wronsky's attempt at suicide and begged
her to see him. Anna said, "No, I can I
never see hit". again." "If he were not j
going away," urged Betsy, "I could un- i
derstand your refusal. But not to see the
man who has tried to kill himself for your j
sake and Is now going to exile himself I
for love of you—why that Is absurd. Let |
him aay goodby at least."
In a naoment of weakness Anna con
sented to an Interview with the Count.
Wronsky did not go away. Gradually'
the old relations were re-established. Ka- i
renine realized that njatters were drift- j
lng back to their former state and Anna's
oft-repeated exclamation, "Oh. why did I
not die?" found an echo In his heart. A
month later Karenlne was alone with fcls !
son. Anna had gone abroad with Wron
sky They settled down In Italy In an |
ancient palace with spacious grounds. j
Wronsky took up painting as a diversion. '
Their daughter they had with them and
as »he grew It became a source of grief
to them tfcat she could bear no other
name than Karenlne. Now and then
Wronsky brought traveling Russians to
1 the house, men of the world whom he
krjew would "understand." Of woman's
society Anna had none. The little paradise
they had planned where love should be
pveryth.ng did not, somehow, seem to
be a wholly satisfactory place after all.
Wronsky became bored with his palstlng
and gave up art In disgust at his own lack
•of ability. He would often visit the neigh
boring city alone to mingle with the world
I once more. Anna became lealous, suspl
: clous and would break out Into fits of
■furloun reproach against Wronsky,
I charging that he no longer loved her and
ending her outbursts with tears and
| caresses. Wronsky had letters from his
I s'Bter-ln-law, Dolly, telling him how Kitty
I and Levlne were living upon their estates
busy, happy and contented In each other
and the work they found to their hands.
: Theirs was an Isolated life, ae was the
! one he and Anna were leading—but what
[ a great gulf between them.
Anna suddenly demanded to be taken
j back to St. Petersburg. Ths count, know
j lng what she would he exposed to In that
; city, tried to reason with her. but she was
j Insistent and ths next winter saw tbem In
the Russian capital. Karenlne was lead
ing a lonely life. He dined abroad and
was at home onlv for his sleep and his
early breakfast. The Countess Lydla vis
ited the house dally, taking charge of the
upbringing of Serge and of the ordering
of the domeatloa. He knew that people
expected him to press for a divorce, but
his religious scruples against divorce be
came active and he hesitated. Anna
learned that Lydla bad taken the place
she should have filled with respect to
■Serge and wrote to her a letter begging
| to be allcwed to see the boy. Lydla, after
I consulting with Karenlne. wrote back that
! no good could come of the interview and
that It would Incite tbe boy to ask ques
tions concerning matters of whloh It wsra
better that he be kept In Ignorance.
Anna ordered a carriage and drove to
the house once her home, bribed the ser
vant at the door "and forced h»r way into
the sleeping room of Serge. "Oh!" cried
Serge, "do not go away again. They told
me you were dead—but I knew better."
Thae boy's tutor an*red the room. Anna
draw the veil over her face and fled to bar
oarrlage. Brooding In her room at th«
hotel she thought. "I am quite alone. I
am a burden on Wronsky. Mv eon In mine
no more." Wroneky had sounded his fam
ily upon the question of receiving Anna,
but had been rebuffed and had accepted
the situation. Generally Anna was Ig
nored by her former friends, but the Prin
cess B*tsy called. "T know they will
blame me." aald Betsy, "but I would coma
and see you. How about the divorce? Of
course I am not foolishly prejudiced. But
I warn you that others are not so liberal.
You leave on Thursday, you say. I am
sorry I shall not see more of you." That
night at dinner Anna suddenlv announced
that she wanted to go to the opera. It
was a subscription night, when the society
of the capital would be there. Wronsky
was aghast, but Anna Insisted, and th»
Prince Touehkewltch, who was dining
with the couple, politely said he had a bo*
at Anna's disposal. Wronsky said he had
an engagement for the evening. Anna
said the Prince would escort her and she
would take along her aunt—an elderly
spinster with a sad reputation—aa
chaperon. Warning was useless; Anna
would go.
Wronsky entered the theatre late and,
seeing his mother in her bo*, went to her.
"I see little of you of late." said ,«he. smil
ing. "But why are vou not In attendance
upon Mme. Karenlne? There she Is. over
there. But what Is taking place?"
Wronskv looked and turned pale Tn the
next box to Anna were the Kartasofs.
Mme Kartasof was standing up. talking
hurriedly and angrily, while her husband
was adjusting a cloak for her and looking
now and then at Anna, who was biting
her lips and staring straight before her.
All eyes were turned from the stage to
the little drama. Kartasof had bowed to
Anna, and his wife had mad© a/cene, ut
tering offensive words about Anna In a
loud tone of voice. Tn a minute the Kar
tasof box was empty. The count hastened
to Anna's box. "It seems to me." said
Anna, "that you have come very l*ta.
Tou have missed the best piece." "I am
a poor Judge." replied he. looking at he«
seriously.
When they reached the hotel Anna burst
out with: 'lt Is you who are the cause
of everything. It was horrible. She said
she waa disgraced by sitting near me. If
I live to be a hundred I cannot forget
it." "I begged you not to go," said
Wronsky. "And why should I not have
gone," replied Anna. "If you had any
love for me—you have driven me to this."
In short. Anna was utterly unreasonable!*
and made Wronsky feel angrv and bitter
toward ber. Two days later they left St.
Petersburg and went to live at a small
place of the count's In the country.
Here for a time they were happy again,
but Anna soon began to be haunted wltn
the fear that Wronskv had ceased to iova
her. While he. In spite of himself, wel
comed any excuse to absent himself from
home, and felt that things were getting
Into an impossible state. A divorce and
his marriage to Anna he thought might
make matters smoother. Anna herself
now gladly welcomed the Idea, and wrote
to Karenlne—but received no reply.
Wronsky had to go to Moscow on busi
ness. Anna Insisted upon going with him.
There their quarrels broke out afresh.
Wronsky'a mother was In Moscow, and
staying with her was the young Princess
Saroklne. whom the oountess wished her
■on to marry. Anna somehow knew of It,
and her fears and capriclousness In
creased. After a violent scene with Wron
sky he left the room, saying to himself:
"I have tvled everything. I will now eee
what a little Indifference will do." From
one of the servants Anna, suddenly re
pentant, learned that he had gone to the
stables. She dispatched a note after him
asking him to come back. He had left the
stables and gone to the station, taking a
train for Nijni. Anna wrote another note
and saJd to the servant: "Here, take this
to your master at iris mother's country
home at NlJnl." "I am afraid." she had
written; "come back All will be ex
plained." The last words ehe had said w
him were: "You will be sorry for this."
Now the Idea occurred to her that the only
way to make Wronsky sorry was to kill
herself. She could not get the Idea out of
her head. She hurried to the station and
took the next train for NlJnl. The man at
the station told her that Wronsky was
not at his mother's, but at the house of
the Prtticess Saroklne, near by.
Just then the man whom she had dis
patched with her note appeared and de
livered a message from the Count. It read:
"Horry your note did not reach me In
Moscow. Will return at 10 o'clock." She
walked down the platform. "My God."
she thought, "where shall I fly to? I will
not permit him to make me suffer like this
agalh." A hesvy train was approaching.
Suddenly She thought of a man she had
once seen run over. In an Instant her
resolve was made. She threw herself be
neath the wheels of the train and life was
crushed out of her. Wronsky, oomlng to
the station, saw her body, all mangled ex
cept the face, lying In the freight shed
where they had carried It.
Two months later the tarmlnus of ths
Koursk Railway was crowded with troops
Colng off to the Turkish war. The old
Countess Wronsky waa there, come to see
ofT her soa who had volunteered and
equipped a battery at his own expense.
"You have no Idea what we have been
through," said the Countess to a frieniL
'Tor si* weeks Alexis would not speajJ
and It was all I oould do to make him eat
anything. Yes, that woman died as she
had lived— shamelessly. She ruined ths
lives of two men. both of exceptional
merit, and went to perdition herself. What
did she expect to prove by her death? Oh,
beliave me, she was thoroughly bad."
Wronsky oasne up to his mother. Hs
showed the sffeoU of llln«v and despair,
"I go," said hs as ths train moved off, "t<
lose honorably a life wbloh has been spaal
dishonorably."