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"If it were not for my sincere affection and devotion to Uncle,"

said she, uttering the word with peculiar assurance and

unconcern, "I know his character: noble, upright ... but you see

he has no one with him except the young princesses.... They are

still young...." She bent her head and continued in a whisper:

"Has he performed his final duty, Prince? How priceless are those

last moments! It can make things no worse, and it is absolutely

necessary to prepare him if he is so ill. We women, Prince," and

she smiled tenderly, "always know how to say these things. I

absolutely must see him, however painful it may be for me. I am

used to suffering."

Evidently the prince understood her, and also understood, as he

had done at Anna Pavlovna's, that it would be difficult to get

rid of Anna Mikhaylovna.

"Would not such a meeting be too trying for him, dear Anna

Mikhaylovna?" said he. "Let us wait until evening. The doctors

are expecting a crisis."