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Betsy broke into unexpectedly mirthful and irrepressible

laughter, a thing which rarely happened with her.

"You're encroaching on Princess Myakaya's special domain now.

That's the question of an enfant terrible," and Betsy obviously

tried to restrain herself, but could not, and went off into peals

of that infectious laughter that people laugh who do not laugh

often. "You'd better ask them," she brought out, between tears of

laughter.

"No; you laugh," said Anna, laughing too in spite of herself,

"but I never could understand it. I can't understand the

husband's role in it."

"The husband? Liza Merkalova's husband carries her shawl, and is

always ready to be of use. But anything more than that in

reality, no one cares to inquire. You know in decent society one

doesn't talk or think even of certain details of the toilet.

That's how it is with this."

"Will you be at Madame Rolandak's fete?" asked Anna, to change

the conversation.