agreed to be back at seven o'clock to escort his sister to the train.
Kitty did not put in an appearance, but sent word that she had a headache. Dolly and Anna dined alone with the children and the English governess. Either the children were fickle or they were very sensitive and felt that Anna was not at all as she had been on the day when they had taken so kindly to her, that she no longer cared for them, for they suddenly ceased playing with their aunt, seemed to lose their affection for her, and cared very little that she was going away.
Anna spent the whole morning in making the preparations for her departure. She wrote a few notes to her Moscow acquaintances, settled her accounts, and packed. To Dolly especially it seemed that she was not in a happy frame of mind, but in that state of mental agitation which Dolly knew from experience arose, not without excellent reason, from dissatisfaction with herself.
After dinner Anna went to her room to dress, and Dolly followed her.
"How strange you are to-day!" said Dolly.
"I? Do you think so? I am not strange, but I am cross. This is common with me. I should like to have a good cry. It is very silly, but it will pass away," said Anna, speaking quickly, and hiding her blushing face in a little bag where she was packing her toilet articles and her handkerchiefs. Her eyes shone with tears which she could hardly keep back. "I was so loath to come away from Petersburg, and now I don't want to go back!"
"You came here and you did a lovely thing," said Dolly, attentively observing her.
Anna looked at her with eyes wet with tears.
"Don't say that, Dolly. I have done nothing, and could do nothing. I often ask myself why people say things to spoil me. What have I done? What could I do? You found that your heart had enough love left to forgive." ....
"Without you, God knows what would have been! How fortunate you are, Anna!" said Dolly. "All is serene and pure in your soul."
