________________________________________________
_ Unconsciously going over in his memory the conversations that had
taken place during and after dinner, Alexey Alexandrovitch
returned to his solitary room. Darya Alexandrovna's words about
forgiveness had aroused in him nothing but annoyance. The
applicability or non- applicability of the Christian precept to
his own case was too difficult a question to be discussed
lightly, and this question had long ago been answered by Alexey
Alexandrovitch in the negative. Of all that had been said, what
stuck most in his memory was the phrase of stupid, good-natured
Turovtsin--"ACTED LIKE A MAN, HE DID! CALLED HIM OUT AND SHOT
HIM!" Every one had apparently shared this feeling, though from
politeness they had not expressed it.
"But the matter is settled, it's useless thinking about it,"
Alexey Alexandrovitch told himself. And thinking of nothing but
the journey before him, and the revision work he had to do, he
went into his room and asked the porter who escorted him where
his man was. The porter said that the man had only just gone out.
Alexey Alexandrovitch ordered tea to be sent him, sat down to the
table, and taking the guide-book, began considering the route of
his journey.
"Two telegrams," said his manservant, coming into the room. "I
beg your pardon, your excellency; I'd only just that minute gone
out."
Alexey Alexandrovitch took the telegrams and opened them. The
first telegram was the announcement of Stremov's appointment to
the very post Karenin had coveted. Alexey Alexandrovitch flung
the telegram down, and flushing a little, got up and began to
pace up and down the room. "Quos cult perdere dementat," he said,
meaning by quos the persons responsible for this appointment. He
was not so much annoyed that he had not received the post, that
he had been conspicuously passed over; but it was
incomprehensible, amazing to him that they did not see that the
wordy phrase-monger Stremov was the last man fit for it. How
could they fail to see how they were ruining themselves, lowering
their prestige by this appointment?
"Something else in the same line," he said to himself bitterly,
opening the second telegram. The telegram was from his wife. Her
name, written in blue pencil, "Anna," was the first thing that
caught his eye. "I am dying; I beg, I implore you to come. I
shall die easier with your forgiveness," he read. He smiled
contemptuously, and flung down the telegram. That this was a
trick and a fraud, of that, he thought for the first minute,
there could be no doubt.
"There is no deceit she would stick at. She was near her
confinement. Perhaps it is the confinement. But what can be their
aim? To legitimize the child, to compromise me, and prevent a
divorce," he thought. "But something was said in it: I am dying .
. ." He read the telegram again, and suddenly the plain meaning
of what was said in it struck him.
"And if it is true?" he said to himself. "If it is true that in
the moment of agony and nearness to death she is genuinely
penitent, and I, taking it for a trick, refuse to go? That would
not only be cruel, and every one would blame me, but it would be
stupid on my part."
"Piotr, call a coach; I am going to Petersburg," he said to his
servant.
Alexey Alexandrovitch decided that he would go to Petersburg and
see his wife. If her illness was a trick, he would say nothing
and go away again. If she was really in danger, and wished to see
him before her
death, he would forgive her if he found her alive, and pay her
the last duties if he came too late.
All the way he thought no more of what he ought to do.
With a sense of weariness and uncleanness from the night spent in
the train, in the early fog of Petersburg Alexey Alexandrovitch
drove through the deserted Nevsky and stared straight before him,
not thinking of what was awaiting him. He could not think about
it, because in picturing what would happen, he could not drive
away the reflection that her death would at once remove all the
difficulty of his position. Bakers, closed shops, night-cabmen,
porters sweeping the pavements flashed past his eyes, and he
watched it all, trying to smother the thought of what was
awaiting him, and what he dared not hope for, and yet was hoping
for He drove up to the steps. A sledge and a carriage with the
coachman asleep stood at the entrance. As he went into the entry,
Alexey Alexandrovitch, as it were, got out his resolution from
the remotest corner of his brain, and mastered it thoroughly. Its
meaning ran: "If it's a trick, then calm contempt and departure.
If truth, do what is proper."
The porter opened the door before Alexey Alexandrovitch rang. The
porter, Kapitonitch, looked queer in an old coat, without a tie,
and iD skippers.
"How is your mistress?"
"A successful confinement yesterday."
Alexey Alexandrovitch stopped short and turned white. He felt
distinctly now how intensely he had longed for her death.
"And how is she?"
Korney in his morning apron ran down-stairs.
"Very ill," he answered. "There was a consultation yesterday, and
the doctor's here now."
"Take my things," said Alexey Alexandrovitch, and feeling some
relief at the news that there was still hope of her death, he
went into the hall
On the hat-stand there was a military overcoat. Alexey
Alexandrovitch noticed it and asked:
"Who is here?"
"The doctor, the midwife and Count Vronsky."
Alexey Alexandrovitch went into the inner rooms.
In the drawing-room there was no one; at the sound of his steps
there came out of her boudoir the midwife in a cap with lilac
ribbons.
She went up to Alexey Alexandrovitch, and with the familiarity
given by the approach of death took him by the arm and drew him
towards the bedroom.
"Thank God you've come! She keeps on about you and nothing but
you," she said.
"Make haste with the ice!" the doctor's peremptory voice said
from the bedroom. Alexey Alexandrovitch went into her boudoir.
At the table, sitting side-ways in a low chair, was Vronsky, his
face hidden in his hands, weeping. He jumped up at the doctor's
voice, took his hands from his face, and saw Alexey
Alexandrovitch. Seeing the husband, he was so overwhelmed that he
sat down again, drawing his head down to his shoulders, as if he
wanted to disappear; but he made an effort over himself, got up
and said:
"She is dying. The doctors say there is no hope. I am entirely in
your power, only let me be here ...though I am at your
disposal. I . . ."
Alexey Alexandrovitch, seeing Vronsky's tears, felt a rush of
that nervous emotion always produced in him by the sight of other
people's suffering, and turning away his face, he moved hurriedly
to the door, without hearing the rest of his words. From the
bedroom came the sound of Anna's voice saying something. Her
voice was lively, eager, with exceedingly distinct intonations.
Alexey Alexandrovitch went into the bedroom, and went up to the
bed. She was lying turned with her face towards him. Her cheeks
were flushed crimson, her eyes glittered, her little white hands
thrust out from the sleeves of her dressing-gown were playing
with the quilt, twisting it about. It seemed as though she were
not only well and blooming, but in the happiest frame of mind.
She was talking rapidly, musically, and with exceptionally
correct articulation and expressive intonation.
"For Alexey--I am speaking of Alexey Alexandrovitch (what a
strange and awful thing that both are Alexey, isn't it?)--Alexey
would not refuse me. I should forget, he would forgive.... But
why doesn't he come? He's so good he doesn't know himself how
good he is. Ah, my God, what agony! Give me some water, quick!
Oh, that will be bad for her, my little girl! Oh, very well then,
give her to a nurse. Yes, I agree, it's better in fact. He'll be
coming; it will hurt him to see her. Give her to the nurse."
"Anna Arkadyevna, he has come. Here he is!" said the midwife,
trying to attract her attention to Alexey Alexandrovitch.
"Oh, what nonsense!" Anna went on, not seeing her husband. "No,
give her to me; give me my little one! He has not come yet. You
say he won't forgive me, because you don't know him. No one knows
him. I'm the only one, and it was hard for me even. His eyes I
ought to know--Seryozha has just the same eyes--and I can't bear
to see them because of it. Has Seryozha had his dinner? I know
every one will forget him. He would not forget. Seryozha must be
moved into the corner room, and Mariette must be asked to sleep
with him."
All of a sudden she shrank back, was silent; and in terror, as
though expecting a blow, as though to defend herself, she raised
her hands to her face. She had seen her husband.
"No, no!" she began. "I am not afraid of him; I am afraid of
death. Alexey, come here. I am in a hurry, because I've no time,
I've not long left to live; the fever will begin directly and I
shall understand nothing more. Now I understand, I understand it
all, I see it all!"
Alexey Alexandrovitch's wrinkled face wore an expression of
agony; he took her by the hand and tried to say something, but he
could not utter it; his lower lip quivered, but he still went on
struggling with his emotion, and only now and then glanced at
her. And each time he glanced at her, he saw her eyes gazing at
him with such passionate and triumphant tenderness as he had
never seen in them.
"Wait a minute, you don't know ...stay a little, stay! . . ."
She stopped, as though collecting her ideas. "Yes," she began;
"yes, yes, yes. This is what I wanted to say. Don't be surprised
at me. I'm still the same ...But there is another woman in me,
I'm afraid of her: she loved that man, and I tried to hate you,
and could not forget about her that used to be. I'm not that
woman. Now I'm my real self, all myself. I'm dying now, I know I
shall die, ask him. Even now I feel--see here, the weights on my
feet, on my hands, on my fingers. My fingers--see how huge they
are! But this will soon all be over.... Only one thing I want:
forgive me, forgive me quite. I'm terrible, but my nurse used to
tell me; the holy martyr--what was her name? She was worse. And
I'll go to Rome; there's a wilderness, and there I shall be no
trouble to any one, only I'll take Seryozha and the little
one.... No, you can't forgive me! I know, it can't be forgiven!
No, no, go away, you're too good!" She held his hand in one
burning hand,while she pushed him away with the other.
The nervous agitation of Alexey Alexandrovitch kept increasing,
and had by now reached such a point that he ceased to struggle
with it. He suddenly felt that what he had regarded as nervous
agitation was on the contrary a blissful spiritual condition that
gave him all at once a new happiness he had never known. He did
not think that the Christian law that he had been all his life
trying to follow, enjoined on him to forgive and love his
enemies; but a glad feeling of love and forgiveness for his
enemies filled his heart. He knelt down, and laying his head in
the curve of her arm, wbuch burned him as with fire through the
sleeve, he sobbed like a little child. She put her arm around his
head, moved towards him, and with defiant pride lifted up her
eyes.
"That is he. I knew him! Now, forgive me, every one, forgive me!
...They've come again; why don't they go away? ...Oh, take
these cloaks off me!"
The doctor unloosed her hands, carefully laying her on the
pillow, and covered her up to the shoulders. She lay back
submissively, and looked before her with beaming eyes.
"Remember one thing, that I needed nothing but forgiveness, and I
want nothing more.... Why doesn't he come?" she said, turning to
the door towards Vronsky. "Do come, do come! Give him your hand."
Vronsky came to the side of the bed, and seeing Anna, again hid
his face in his hands. "Uncover your face--look at him! He's a
saint," she said. "Oh! uncover your face, do uncover itl" she
said angrily. "Alexey Alexandrovitch, do uncover his face! I want
to see him."
Alexey Alexandrovitch took Vronsky's hands and drew them away
from his face, which was awful with the expression of agony and
shame upon it.
"Give him your hand. Forgive him."
Alexey Alexandrovitch gave him his hand, not attempting to
restrain the tears that streamed from his eyes.
"Thank God, thank God!" she said, "now everything is ready. Only
to stretch my legs a little. There, that's capital. How badly
these flowers are done--not a bit like a violet," she said,
pointing to the hangings. "My God, my God! when will it end? Give
me some morphine. Doctor, give me some morphine! Oh, my God, my
God!"
And she tossed about on the bed.
The doctors said that it was puerperal fever, and that it was
ninety-nine chances in a hundred it would end in death. The whole
day long there was fever, delirium, and unconsciousness. At
midnight the patient lay without consciousness, and almost
without pulse.
The end was expected every minute.
Vronsky had gone home, but in the morning he came to inquire, and
Alexey Alexandrovitch meeting him in the hall, said: "Better
stay, she might ask for you," and himself led him to his wife's
boudoir. Towards morning, there was a return again of excitement,
rapid thought and talk, and again it ended in unconsciousness. On
the third day it was the same thing, and the doctors said there
was hope. That day Alexey Alexandrovitch went into the boudoir
where Vronsky was sitting, and closing the door sat down opposite
him.
"Alexey Alexandrovitch," said Vronsky, feeling that a statement
of the position was coming, "I can't speak, I can't understand.
Spare me! However hard it is for you, believe me, it is more
terrible for me."
He would have risen; but Alexey Alexandrovitch took him by the
hand and said:
"I beg you to hear me out; it is necessary. I must explain my
feelings, the feelings that have guided me and will guide me, so
that you may not be in error regarding me. You know I had
resolved on a divorce, and had even begun to take proceedings. I
won't conceal from you that in beginning this I was in
uncertainty, I was in misery; I will confess that I was pursued
by a desire to revenge myself on you and on her. When I got the
telegram, I came here with the same feelings; I will say more, I
longed for her death. But . . ." He paused, pondering whether to
disclose or not to disclose his feeling to him. "But I saw her
and forgave her. And the happiness of forgiveness has revealed to
me my duty. I forgive completely. I would offer the other cheek,
I would give my cloak if my coat be taken. I pray to God only not
to take from me the bliss of forgiveness!"
Tears stood in his eyes, and the luminous, serene look in them
impressed Vronsky.
"This is my position: you can trample me in the mud, make me the
laughing-stock of the world, I will not abandon her, and I will
never utter a word of reproach to you," Alexey Alexandrovitch
went on. "My duty is clearly marked for me; I ought to be with
her, and I will be. If she wishes to see you, I will let you
know, but now I suppose it would be better for you to go away."
He got up, and sobs cut short his words. Vronsky too was getting
up, and in a stooping, not yet erect posture, looked up at him
from under his brows. He did not understand Alexey
Alexandrovitch's feeling, but he felt that it was something
higher and even unattainable for him with his view of life. _
Read next: Part Four: Chapter 18
Read previous: Part Four: Chapter 16
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