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By Root 1258 0

their mistake by their trust in the inspection commission directed by Alexei Alexandrovich, which had presented the report, and said that the report of this commission was nonsense and nothing but waste paper. Alexei Alexandrovich, with a party of people who saw the danger of such a revolutionary attitude towards official papers, continued to support the data provided by the inspection commission. As a result, everything became confused in higher spheres and even in society, and, despite great interest on everyone’s part, no one could make out whether the minorities were flourishing or were actually in need and perishing. Alexei Alexandrovich’s position, as a result of that and partly as a result of the scorn that fell on him owing to his wife’s infidelity, became quite shaky. And in that position Alexei Alexandrovich took an important decision. He announced, to the surprise of the commission, that he would request permission to go personally to investigate the matter on the spot. And, having received permission, Alexei Alexandrovich set out for the distant provinces.

Alexei Alexandrovich’s departure caused a great stir, the more so as at his departure he officially returned under receipt the travelling money allotted him for twelve horses to take him to his destination.

‘I find it very noble,’ Betsy said of it to Princess Miagky. ‘Why provide for post horses when everyone knows there are railways everywhere now?’

But Princess Miagky disagreed, and Princess Tverskoy’s opinion even vexed her.

‘It’s all very well for you to talk,’ she said, ‘since you have I don’t know how many millions, but I like it very much when my husband goes inspecting in the summer. It’s very healthy and pleasant for him to ride around, and I make it a rule that the money goes for keeping a coach and coachman.’

On his way to the distant provinces Alexei Alexandrovich stopped for three days in Moscow.

The day after his arrival he went to visit the governor general. At the intersection of Gazetny Lane, where there is always a crowd of carriages and cabs, Alexei Alexandrovich suddenly heard his name called out in such a loud and merry voice that he could not help turning round. On the corner pavement, in a short, fashionable coat, with his short, fashionable hat cocked to one side, the gleam of a white-toothed smile between his red lips, merry, young and beaming, stood Stepan Arkadyich, resolutely and insistently shouting and demanding that he stop. He was holding on with one hand to the window of a carriage that had stopped at the corner, out of which peered a woman’s head in a velvet hat and two children’s heads, and was smiling and beckoning to his brother-in-law with the other hand. The lady smiled a kindly smile and also waved her hand to Alexei Alexandrovich. It was Dolly with the children.

Alexei Alexandrovich did not want to see anyone in Moscow, least of all his wife’s brother. He raised his hat and was about to drive on, but Stepan Arkadyich told his coachman to stop and ran to him across the snow.

‘How wicked of you not to send word! Have you been here long? And I was at the Dussot yesterday and saw “Karenin” on the board, and it never occurred to me that it was you!’ said Stepan Arkadyich, thrusting his head inside the carriage. ‘Otherwise I’d have called on you. I’m so glad to see you!’ he said, knocking one foot against the other to shake off the snow. ‘How wicked of you not to let us know!’ he repeated.

‘I had no time, I’m very busy,’ Alexei Alexandrovich replied drily.

‘Let’s go to my wife, she wants so much to see you.’

Alexei Alexandrovich removed the rug in which his chill-prone legs were wrapped and, getting out of the carriage, made his way over the snow to Darya Alexandrovna.

‘What is it, Alexei Alexandrovich, why do you avoid us like this?’ Dolly said, smiling sadly.

‘I’ve been very busy. Very glad to see you,’ he said, in a tone which showed clearly that he was upset by it. ‘How are you?’

‘And how is my dear Anna?’

Alexei Alexandrovich mumbled something and was about to leave. But Stepan Arkadyich stopped him.