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But the circle of political, masculine interests had never

interested her, in spite of countess Lidia Ivanovna's influence,

and she avoided it.

Another little set with which Anna was in close relations was the

one by means of which Alexey Alexandrovitch had made his career.

The center of this circle was the Countess Lidia Ivanovna. It was

a set made up of elderly, ugly, benevolent, and godly women, and

clever, learned, and ambitious men. One of the clever people

belonging to the set had called it "the conscience of Petersburg

society." Alexey Alexandrovitch had the highest esteem for this

circle, and Anna with her special gift for getting on with

everyone, had in the early days of her life in Petersburg made

friends in this circle also. Now, since her return from Moscow,

she had come to feel this set insufferable. It seemed to her that

both she and all of them were insincere, and she felt so bored

and ill at ease in that world that she went to see the Countess

Lidia Ivanovna as little as possible.