"Why! have you come already?" she cried, kissing her.
"Dolly, how glad I am to see you!"
"And I am glad to see you," replied Dolly, with a faint smile, and trying to read, by the expression of Anna's face, how much she knew. "She knows all," was her thought, as she saw the look of compassion on her features. "Well! let us go up-stairs; I will show you to your room," she went on to say, trying to postpone, as long as possible, the time for explanations.
"Is this Grisha? Heavens! how he has grown!" said Anna, kissing him. Then, not taking her eyes from Dolly, she added, with a blush, "No, please let us not go yet."
She took off her handkerchief and her hat, and when it caught in the locks of her dark curly hair she shook her head and released it.
"How brilliantly happy and healthy you look," said Dolly, almost enviously.
"I?".... exclaimed Anna. "Ah!.... Heavens! Tania! is that you, the playmate of my little Serozha?" said she, speaking to a little girl who came running in. She took her by the hand, and kissed her. "What a charming little girl! Charming! But you must show them all to me."
She recalled not only the name, the year, and the month of each, but their characteristics and their little ailments, and Dolly could not help feeling touched.
"Come! let us go and see them," said she; "but Vasya is having her nap now; it's too bad."
After they had seen the children, they came back to the sitting-room alone for coffee. Anna drew the tray toward her, and then she pushed it away.
"Dolly," said she, "he has told me."
Dolly looked at Anna coldly. She now expected some expression of hypocritical sympathy, but Anna said nothing of the kind.
"Dolly, my dear," she said, "I do not intend to speak to you in defense of him, nor to console you; it is impossible. But, dushenka, dear heart, I am sorry, sorry for you with all my soul!"
