Page 391 sur 2288

On reaching home Alexey Alexandrovitch went to his study, as he

usually did, seated himself in his low chair, opened a book on

the Papacy at the place where he had laid the paper-knife in it,

and read till one o'clock, just as he usually did. But from time

to time he rubbed his high forehead and shook his head, as though

to drive away something. At his usual time he got up and made his

toilet for the night. Anna Arkadyevna had not yet come in. With a

book under his arm he went upstairs. But this evening, instead of

his usual thoughts and meditations upon official details, his

thoughts were absorbed by his wife and something disagreeable

connected with her. Contrary to his usual habit, he did not get

into bed, but fell to walking up and down the rooms with his

hands clasped behind his back. He could not go to bed, feeling

that it was absolutely needful for him first to think thoroughly

over the position that had just arisen.