Strona 526 z 2288

"Tell him everything, and leave him."

"Very well, let us suppose I do that," she said. "Do you know

what the result of that would be? I can tell you it all

beforehand," and a wicked light gleamed in her eyes, that had

been so soft a minute before. "'Eh, you love another man, and

have entered into criminal intrigues with him?'" (Mimicking her

husband, she threw an emphasis on the word "criminal," as Alexey

Alexandrovitch did.) "'I warned you of the results in the

religious, the civil, and the domestic relation. You have not

listened to me. Now I cannot let you disgrace my name,-'" "and my

son," she had meant to say, but about her son she could not

jest,-"'disgrace my name, and'-and more in the same style," she

added. "In general terms, he'll say in his official manner, and

with all distinctness and precision, that he cannot let me go,

but will take all measures in his power to prevent scandal. And

he will calmly and punctually act in accordance with his words.

That's what will happen.