Left alone, Darya Alexandrovna, with a good housewife's eye,

scanned her room. All she had seen in entering the house and

walking through it, and all she saw now in her room, gave her an

impression of wealth and sumptuousness and of that modern

European luxury of which she had only read in English novels, but

had never seen in Russia and in the country. Everything was new

from the new French hangings on the walls to the carpet which

covered the whole floor. The bed had a spring mattress, and a

special sort of bolster and silk pillowcases on the little

pillows. The marble washstand, the dressing table, the little

Advertisement..

sofa, the tables, the bronze clock on the chimney piece, the

window curtains, and the _portières_ were all new and expensive.

The smart maid, who came in to offer her services, with her hair

done up high, and a gown more fashionable than Dolly's, was as

new and expensive as the whole room. Darya Alexandrovna liked

her neatness, her deferential and obliging manners, but she felt

ill at ease with her. She felt ashamed of her seeing the patched

dressing jacket that had unluckily been packed by mistake for

her. She was ashamed of the very patches and darned places of

which she had been so proud at home. At home it had been so

clear that for six dressing jackets there would be needed

twenty-four yards of nainsook at sixteen pence the yard, which

was a matter of thirty shillings besides the cutting-out and

making, and these thirty shillings had been saved. But before

the maid she felt, if not exactly ashamed, at least

uncomfortable.

Darya Alexandrovna had a great sense of relief when Annushka,

whom she had known for years, walked in. The smart maid was sent

for to go to her mistress, and Annushka remained with Darya

Alexandrovna.

Annushka was obviously much pleased at that lady's arrival, and

began to chatter away without a pause. Dolly observed that she

was longing to express her opinion in regard to her mistress's

position, especially as to the love and devotion of the count to

Anna Arkadyevna, but Dolly carefully interrupted her whenever she

began to speak about this.

"I grew up with Anna Arkadyevna; my lady's dearer to me than

anything. Well, it's not for us to judge. And, to be sure,

there seems so much love..."

"Kindly pour out the water for me to wash now, please," Darya

Alexandrovna cut her short.

"Certainly. We've two women kept specially for washing small

things, but most of the linen's done by machinery. The count

goes into everything himself. Ah, what a husband!..."




Most Popular