p and
valiantly carried it to another table, his sword striking every object
it encountered.

"You must also contribute toward the asylum."

"I am not refusing, only I wish to keep my contribution for the
lottery. There I will show all my liberality."

"Don't forget, now," a plainly dissimulating laugh was heard.

The reception day was brilliant, and Anna Ignatievna was delighted.

"Mika told me that you busy yourself in the prisons. I understand it
very well," she said to Nekhludoff. "Mika"--she meant her stout
husband, Maslenikoff--"may have his faults, but you know that he is
kind. All these unfortunate prisoners are his children. He does not
look on them in any other light. Il est d'une bonte----"

She stopped, not finding words to express bonte of a husband, and
immediately, smiling, turned to an old, wrinkled woman in
lilac-colored bows who had just entered.

Having talked as much and as meaninglessly as it was necessary to
preserve the decorum, Nekhludoff arose and went over to Maslenikoff.

"Will you please hear me now?"

"Ah! yes. Well, what is it?"

"Come in here."

They entered a small Japanese cabinet and seated themselves near the
window.

CHAPTER LVI.

"Well, je suis a vous. Will you smoke a cigarette? But wait; we must
not soil the things here," and he brought an ash-holder. "Well?"

"I want two things of you."

"Is that so?"

Maslenikoff's face became gloomy and despondent. All traces of that
animation of the little dog whom its master had scratched under the
ears entirely disappeared. Voices came from the reception-room. One, a
woman's voice, said: "Jamais, jamais je ne croirais;" another, a man's
voice from the other corner, was telling something, constantly
repeating: "La Comtesse Vorouzoff" and "Victor Apraksine." From the
third side only a humming noise mingled with laughter was heard.
Maslenikoff listened to the voices; so did Nekhludoff.

"I want to talk to you again about that woman."

"Yes; who was innocently condemned. I know, I know."

"I would like her to be transferred to the hospital. I was told that
it can be done."

Maslenikoff pursed up his lips and began to meditate.

"It can hardly be done," he said. "However, I will consult about it,
and will wire you to-morrow."

"I was told that there are many sick people in the hospital, and they
need assistants."

"Well, yes. But I will let you know, as I said."

"Please do," said Nekhludoff.

There was a