guests, but not once had he spent the night, as had been his custom in previous years.
The day of the races was extremely engrossing for Alekseï Aleksandrovitch; but when in the morning he made out the program of the day, he decided to go to his wife's datcha after an early dinner, and thence to the hippodrome, where he expected to find the court, and where it was proper that he should be seen. He went to see his wife because he had resolved, for the sake of propriety also, to visit his wife every week. Moreover, it was the fifteenth of the month, and it was his custom at this time to place in her hands the money for the household expenses.
With his ordinary power over his thoughts he gave this much consideration to his wife's affairs, but beyond this point he would not permit them to pass.
His morning had been extremely full of business. The evening before he had received a pamphlet, written by a famous traveler, who had recently returned from China and was now in Petersburg; a note from the Countess Lidya, accompanying it, begged him to receive this traveler, who seemed likely to be, on many accounts, a useful and interesting man. Alekseï Aleksandrovitch had not been able to get through the pamphlet in the evening, and he finished it after breakfast. Then came petitions, reports, visits, nominations, removals, the distribution of rewards, pensions, salaries, correspondence, all that "workaday labor," as Alekseï Aleksandrovitch called it, which consumes so much time.
Then came his private business, a visit from his physician and a call from his steward. The steward did not stay very long. He only brought the money which Alekseï Aleksandrovitch needed, and a brief report on the condition of his affairs, which this year were not very satisfactory, since it happened that in consequence of various outlays there had been a heavy drain upon him and there was a deficit.
But the doctor, who was a famous physician of Petersburg, and had come into very friendly relations
