making two people wretched.

At dinner-time Vaninka came downstairs and found her father alone. Foedor
had not enough courage to be present at the meal and to meet her again,
just when he had lost all hope: he had taken a sleigh, and driven out to
the outskirts of the city.

During the whole time dinner lasted Vaninka and the general hardly
exchanged a word, but although this silence was so expressive, Vaninka
controlled her face with her usual power, and the general alone appeared
sad and dejected.

That evening, just when Vaninka was going downstairs, tea was brought to
her room, with the message that the general was fatigued and had retired.
Vaninka asked some questions about the nature of his indisposition, and
finding that it was not serious, she told the servant who had brought her
the message to ask her father to send for her if he wanted anything. The
general sent to say that he thanked her, but he only required quiet and
rest. Vaninka announced that she would retire also, and the servant
withdrew.

Hardly had he left the room when Vaninka ordered Annouschka, her
foster-sister, who acted as her maid, to be on the watch for Foedor's
return, and to let her know as soon as he came in.

At eleven o'clock the gate of the mansion opened: Foedor got out of his
sleigh, and immediately went up to his room. He threw himself upon a
sofa, overwhelmed by his thoughts. About midnight he heard someone
tapping at the door: much astonished, he got up and opened it. It was
Annouschka, who came with a message from her mistress, that Vaninka
wished to see him immediately. Although he was astonished at this
message, which he was far from expecting, Foedor obeyed.

He found Vaninka seated, dressed in a white robe, and as she was paler
than usual he stopped at the door, for it seemed to him that he was
gazing at a marble statue.

"Come in," said Vaninka calmly.

Foedor approached, drawn by her voice like steel to a magnet. Annouschka
shut the door behind him.

"Well, and what did my father say?" said Vaninka.

Foedor told her all that had happened. The young girl listened to his
story with an unmoved countenance, but her lips, the only part of her
face which seemed to have any colour, became as white as the
dressing-gown she was wearing. Foedor, on the contrary, was consumed by
a fever, and appeared nearly out of his senses.

"Now, what do you intend to do?" said Vaninka in the same cold tone in
which she had as