102 103
“Everything has been delightful. Alexander has been very good,
and Marie has grown very pretty. She’s very interesting.”
And she began telling him again of what interested her most—the
christening of her grandson, for which she had been staying in Peters-
burg, and the special favor shown her elder son by the Tsar.
“Here’s Lavrenty,” said Vronsky, looking out of the window; “now
we can go, if you like.”
The old butler who had traveled with the countess, came to the
carriage to announce that everything was ready, and the countess got
up to go.
“Come; there’s not such a crowd now,” said Vronsky.
The maid took a handbag and the lap dog, the butler and a porter
the other baggage. Vronsky gave his mother his arm; but just as they
were getting out of the carriage several men ran suddenly by with
panic-stricken faces. The station-master, too, ran by in his extraordi-
nary colored cap. Obviously something unusual had happened. The
crowd who had left the train were running back again.
“What?... What?... Where?... Flung himself!... Crushed!...” was
heard among the crowd. Stepan Arkadyevitch, with his sister on his
arm, turned back. They too looked scared, and stopped at the carriage
door to avoid the crowd.
The ladies go in, while Vronsky and Stepan Arkadyevitch followed
the crowd to find out details of the disaster.
A guard, either dunk or too much muffled up in the bitter frost, had
not heard the train moving back, and had been crushed.
Before Vronsky and Oblonsky came back the ladies heard the
facts from the butler.
Oblonsky and Vronsky had both seen the mutilated corpse.
Oblonsky was evidently upset. He frowned and seemed ready to cry.
“Ah, how awful! Ah, Anna, if you had seen it! Ah, how awful!” he
said.
Vronsky did not speak; his handsome face was serious, but per-
fectly composed.
“Oh, if you had seen it, countess,” said Stepan Arkadyevitch. “And
his wife was there.... It was awful to see her!.... She flung herself on the
body. They say he was the only support of an immense family. How
awful!”
“Couldn’t one do anything for her?” said Madame Karenina in an
agitated whisper.
Vronsky glanced at her, and immediately got out of the carriage.
“I’ll be back directly, maman,” he remarked, turning round in the
doorway.
When he came back a few minutes later, Stepan Arkadyevitch was
already in conversation with the countess about the new singer, while
the countess was impatiently looking towards the door, waiting for her
son.
“Now let us be off,” said Vronsky, coming in. They went out to-
gether. Vronsky was in front with his mother. Behind walked Madame
Karenina with her brother. Just as they were going out of the station
the station-master overtook Vronsky.
“You gave my assistant two hundred roubles. Would you kindly
explain for whose benefit you intend them?”
“For the widow,” said Vronsky, shrugging his shoulders. “I should
have thought there was no need to ask.”
“You gave that?” cried Oblonsky, behind, and, pressing his sister’s
hand, he added: “Very nice, very nice! Isn’t he a splendid fellow?
Good-bye, countess.”
And he and his sister stood still, looking for her maid.