"If you had any sins," she said, "they would all be forgiven you

for your coming to see me and these words."

And Dolly saw that tears stood in her eyes. She pressed Anna's

hand in silence.

"Well, what are these buildings? How many there are of them!"

After a moment's silence she repeated her question.

"These are the servants' houses, barns, and stables," answered

Anna. "And there the park begins. It had all gone to ruin, but

Alexey had everything renewed. He is very fond of this place,

and, what I never expected, he has become intensely interested in

Advertisement..

looking after it. But his is such a rich nature! Whatever he

takes up, he does splendidly. So far from being bored by it, he

works with passionate interest. He--with his temperament as I

know it--he has become careful and businesslike, a first-rate

manager, he positively reckons every penny in his management of

the land. But only in that. When it's a question of tens of

thousands, he doesn't think of money." She spoke with that

gleefully sly smile with which women often talk of the secret

characteristics only known to them--of those they love. "Do you

see that big building? that's the new hospital. I believe it

will cost over a hundred thousand; that's his hobby just now.

And do you know how it all came about? The peasants asked him

for some meadowland, I think it was, at a cheaper rate, and he

refused, and I accused him of being miserly. Of course it was

not really because of that, but everything together, he began

this hospital to prove, do you see, that he was not miserly about

money. _C'est une petitesse_, if you like, but I love him all the

more for it. And now you'll see the house in a moment. It was

his grandfather's house, and he has had nothing changed outside."

"How beautiful!" said Dolly, looking with involuntary admiration

at the handsome house with columns, standing out among the

different-colored greens of the old trees in the garden.

"Isn't it fine? And from the house, from the top, the view is

wonderful."

They drove into a courtyard strewn with gravel and bright with

flowers, in which two laborers were at work putting an edging of

stones round the light mould of a flower bed, and drew up in a

covered entry.

"Ah, they're here already!" said Anna, looking at the saddle

horses, which were just being led away from the steps. "It is a

nice horse, isn't it? It's my cob; my favorite. Lead him here

and bring me some sugar. Where is the count?" she inquired of

two smart footmen who darted out. "Ah, there he is!" she said,

seeing Vronsky coming to meet her with Veslovsky.




Most Popular