Chapter 4

Whilethetrainwasstoppingattheprovincialtown,SergeyIvanovitchdidnotgototherefreshmentroom,butwalkedupanddowntheplatform.

ThefirsttimehepassedVronsky’scompartmenthenoticedthatthecurtainwasdrawnoverthewindow;butashepasseditthesecondtimehesawtheoldcountessatthewindow.ShebeckonedtoKoznishev.

“I’mgoing,yousee,takinghimasfarasKursk,”shesaid.

“Yes,soIheard,”saidSergeyIvanovitch,standingatherwindowandpeepingin.“Whatanobleactonhispart!”headded,noticingthatVronskywasnotinthecompartment.

“Yes,afterhismisfortune,whatwasthereforhimtodo?”

“Whataterriblethingitwas!”saidSergeyIvanovitch.

“Ah,whatIhavebeenthrough!Butdogetin....Ah,whatIhavebeenthrough!”sherepeated,whenSergeyIvanovitchhadgotinandsatdownbesideher.“Youcan’tconceiveit!Forsixweekshedidnotspeaktoanyone,andwouldnottouchfoodexceptwhenIimploredhim.Andnotforoneminutecouldweleavehimalone.Wetookawayeverythinghecouldhaveusedagainsthimself.Welivedonthegroundfloor,buttherewasnoreckoningonanything.Youknow,ofcourse,thathehadshothimselfoncealreadyonheraccount,”shesaid,andtheoldlady’seyelashestwitchedattherecollection.“Yes,herswasthefittingendforsuchawoman.Eventhedeathshechosewaslowandvulgar.”