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already. The first onslaught of jealousy, once lived through, could never
come back again, and even the discovery of infidelities could never
now affect her as it had the first time. Such a discovery now would only
mean breaking up family habits, and she let herself be deceived, de-
spising him and still more herself, for the weakness. Besides this, the
care of her large family was a constant worry to her: first, the nursing of
her young baby did not go well, then the nurse had gone away, now one
of the children had fallen ill.
“Well, how are all of you?” asked her mother.
“Ah, mamma, we have plenty of troubles of our own. Lili is ill, And
I’m afraid it’s scarlatina. I have come here now to hear about Kitty, And
then I shall shut myself up entirely, if—God forbid—it should be
scarlatina.”
The old prince too had come in from his study after the doctor’s
departure, and after presenting his cheek to Dolly, and saying a few
words to her, he turned to his wife:
“How have you settled it? you’re going? Well, and what do you
mean to do with me?”
“I suppose you had better stay here, Alexander,” said his wife.
“That’s as you like.”
“Mamma, why shouldn’t father come with us?” said Kitty. “It would
be nicer for him and for us too.”
The old prince got up and stroked Kitty’s hair. She lifted her head
and looked at them with a forced smile. It always seemed to her that
he understood her better than anyone in the family, though he did not
say much about her. Being the youngest, she was her father’s favorite,
and she fancied that his love gave him insight. When now her glance
meet his blue kindly eyes looking intently at her, it seemed to her that
he saw right through her, and understood all that was not good that
was passing within her. Reddening, she stretched out towards him
expecting a kiss, but he only patted her hair and said:
“These stupid chignons! There’s no getting at the real daughter.
One simply strokes the bristles of dead women. Well, Dolinka,” he
turned to his elder daughter, “what’s your young buck about, hey?”
“Nothing, father,” answered Dolly, understanding that her hus-
band was meant. “He’s always out; I scarcely ever see him,” she could
not resist adding with a sarcastic smile.
“Why, hasn’t he gone into the country yet—to see about selling
that forest?”
“No, he’s still getting ready for the journey.”
“Oh, that’s it!” said the prince. “And so am I to be getting ready for
a journey too? At your service,” he said to his wife, sitting down. “And
I tell you what, Katia,” he went on to his younger daughter, “you must
wake up one fine day and say to yourself: Why, I’m quite well, and
merry, and going out again with father for an early morning walk in the
frost. Hey?”
What her father said seemed simple enough, yet at these words
Kitty became confused and overcome like a detected criminal. “Yes, he
sees it all, he understands it all, and in these words he’s telling me that
though I’m ashamed, I must get over my shame.” She could not pluck
up spirit to make any answer. She tried to begin, and all at once burst
into tears, and rushed out of the room.
“See what comes of your jokes!” the princess pounced down on her
husband. “You’re always...” she began a string of reproaches.
The prince listened to the princess’s scolding rather a long while
without speaking, but his face was more and more frowning.
“She’s so much to be pitied, poor child, so much to be pitied, and
you don’t feel how it hurts her to hear the slightest reference to the