第188页 / 共2288页

She mentioned them, not only remembering the names, but the

years, months, characters, illnesses of all the children, and

Dolly could not but appreciate that.

"Very well, we will go to them," she said. "It's a pity Vassya's

asleep."

After seeing the children, they sat down, alone now, in the

drawing-room, to coffee. Anna took the tray, and then pushed it

away from her.

"Dolly," she said, "he has told me."

Dolly looked coldly at Anna; she was waiting now for phrases of

conventional sympathy, but Anna said nothing of the sort.

"Dolly, dear," she said, "I don't want to speak for him to you,

nor to try to comfort you; that's impossible. But, darling, I'm

simply sorry, sorry from my heart for you!"

Under the thick lashes of her shining eyes tears suddenly

glittered. She moved nearer to her sister-in-law and took her

hand in her vigorous little hand. Dolly did not shrink away, but

her face did not lose its frigid expression. She said: