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"You have no sort of skeleton, have you? Everything is so clear

in you."

"I have!" said Anna suddenly, and, unexpectedly after her tears,

a sly, ironical smile curved her lips.

"Come, he's amusing, anyway, your skeleton, and not depressing,"

said Dolly, smiling.

"No, he's depressing. Do you know why I'm going today instead of

tomorrow? It's a confession that weighs on me; I want to make it

to you," said Anna, letting herself drop definitely into an

armchair, and looking straight into Dolly's face.

And to her surprise Dolly saw that Anna was blushing up to her

ears, up to the curly black ringlets on her neck.

"Yes," Anna went on. "Do you know why Kitty didn't come to

dinner? She's jealous of me. I have spoiled ... I've been the

cause of that ball being a torture to her instead of a pleasure.

But truly, truly, it's not my fault, or only my fault a little

bit," she said, daintily drawling the words "a little bit."

"Oh, how like Stiva you said that!" said Dolly, laughing.

Anna was hurt.