Marie Tarnowska

and entered. She was a pert, pretty creature, and after surveying me from head to foot

name?" he as

ur service, sir

evening we shall do without you. Possibly i

ight curtsey, and went out,

ked, feeling very much out of countena

Vassili. "Don't be so tedious. You'

dered about the room in great trepidation and embarrassment. I was about to kneel down

u doing now?

say my prayer

id. "Try not to be such an awful little

t importance. Olga and I used to say them aloud in unison morning and evening. And now that Olga was f

s that came to us in Otrada had taught us new ones; and Olga and I were afraid to leave any out, le

ome to an En

y me dow

, Lord, my

d die befo

of our own invention: "Please, dear God, do not on any acco

ing his arm round my neck. "You are ve

g. At seventeen one is not always clever and entertaining, especially outside the family circle. At home I had

on his coat and ventured to question him about it-"You are an insufferable little bore," would be all the answer I got. When he went out (taking the music of "My

hat he had had a chil

er to you, silly creature, since you have not got one yourself?" he excl

-what did he mean?

s on the walls of his castle, "you will never have any children. You are not a woman. Your mo

nting to t

en I came to myself the room was filled with women: there was Rosalia, and two Hungarian girls from the adjoining apartment, and there was also the German baroness, and little Julia Terlezkaja, the latest and f

hand and touc

e and kissed me. The women stood round us in a semi-circ

hate you to be like everybody else." And in French he added, looking at Mada

the fair Terlezkaja, who seemed to be the k

whispered. "I think he h

ntered with a resolute authoritative air. At the sight of him the women disappe

e secret which Vassili had disclosed

ild, a little child

ctor, with a soothing smile. "There is no reason why

me prescription

will go to Franzensbad. Within a year

Franzensbad. Vassili wanted to go to Petersbur

ere there a number of his f

e and spoke to him in undertones. I heard him mention the name of a famous restaurant and the words: "A jolly supper-party to-nig

o me, and bowing deeply and

! Why are you trying to lure my husband from me?" But social conventions prevailed over this element

Vassili. "Looks just like one of Botticelli's diaphanous ange

ssili, sleek, trim and immaculate,

rs and gilded decorations. What was the good of being a bewitching creature?