"Mademoiselle Varenka?" asked Kitty.

"Yes, yes. She came to the rescue before anyone; she took the

man by the arm and led him away."

"There, mamma," said Kitty; "you wonder that I'm enthusiastic

about her."

The next day, as she watched her unknown friend, Kitty noticed

that Mademoiselle Varenka was already on the same terms with

Levin and his companion as with her other _protégés_. She went up

to them, entered into conversation with them, and served as

interpreter for the woman, who could not speak any foreign

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language.

Kitty began to entreat her mother still more urgently to let her

make friends with Varenka. And, disagreeable as it was to the

princess to seem to take the first step in wishing to make the

acquaintance of Madame Stahl, who thought fit to give herself

airs, she made inquiries about Varenka, and, having ascertained

particulars about her tending to prove that there could be no

harm though little good in the acquaintance, she herself

approached Varenka and made acquaintance with her.

Choosing a time when her daughter had gone to the spring, while

Varenka had stopped outside the baker's, the princess went up to

her.

"Allow me to make your acquaintance," she said, with her

dignified smile. "My daughter has lost her heart to you," she

said. "Possibly you do not know me. I am..."

"That feeling is more than reciprocal, princess," Varenka

answered hurriedly.

"What a good deed you did yesterday to our poor compatriot!" said

the princess.

Varenka flushed a little. "I don't remember. I don't think I

did anything," she said.

"Why, you saved that Levin from disagreeable consequences."

"Yes, _sa compagne_ called me, and I tried to pacify him, he's

very ill, and was dissatisfied with the doctor. I'm used to

looking after such invalids."

"Yes, I've heard you live at Mentone with your aunt--I think--

Madame Stahl: I used to know her _belle-soeur_."

"No, she's not my aunt. I call her mamma, but I am not related

to her; I was brought up by her," answered Varenka, flushing a

little again.

This was so simply said, and so sweet was the truthful and candid

expression of her face, that the princess saw why Kitty had taken

such a fancy to Varenka.

"Well, and what's this Levin going to do?" asked the princess.

"He's going away," answered Varenka.

At that instant Kitty came up from the spring beaming with

delight that her mother had become acquainted with her unknown

friend.




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