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"To comfort me's impossible. Everything's lost after what has

happened, everything's over!"

And directly she had said this, her face suddenly softened. Anna

lifted the wasted, thin hand of Dolly, kissed it and said:

"But, Dolly, what's to be done, what's to be done? How is it best

to act in this awful position-that's what you must think of."

"All's over, and there's nothing more," said Dolly. "And the

worst of all is, you see, that I can't cast him off: there are

the children, I am tied. And I can't live with him! it's a

torture to me to see him."

"Dolly, darling, he has spoken to me, but I want to hear it from

you: tell me about it."

Dolly looked at her inquiringly.

Sympathy and love unfeigned were visible on Anna's face.