Anna Karenina - Part 5

Meanwhile Vassily Lukitch had not at first understood who this

lady was, and had learned from their conversation that it was no

other person than the mother who had left her husband, and whom

he had not seen, as he had entered the house after her departure.

He was in doubt whether to go in or not, or whether to

communicate with Alexey Alexandrovitch. Reflecting finally that

his duty was to get Seryozha up at the hour fixed, and that it

was therefore not his business to consider who was there, the

mother or anyone else, but simply to do his duty, he finished

dressing, went to the door and opened it.

But the embraces of the mother and child, the sound of their

voices, and what they were saying, made him change his mind.

He shook his head, and with a sigh he closed the door. "I'll

wait another ten minutes," he said to himself, clearing his

throat and wiping away tears.

Among the servants of the household there was intense excitement

all this time. All had heard that their mistress had come, and

that Kapitonitch had let her in, and that she was even now in the

nursery, and that their master always went in person to the

nursery at nine o'clock, and every one fully comprehended that it

was impossible for the husband and wife to meet, and that they

must prevent it. Korney, the valet, going down to the

hall porter's room, asked who had let her in, and how it was he

had done so, and ascertaining that Kapitonitch had admitted her

and shown her up, he gave the old man a talking-to. The

hall porter was doggedly silent, but when Korney told him he

ought to be sent away, Kapitonitch darted up to him, and waving

his hands in Korney's face, began: "Oh yes, to be sure you'd not have let her in! After ten years'

service, and never a word but of kindness, and there you'd up and

say, 'Be off, go along, get away with you!' Oh yes, you're a

shrewd one at politics, I dare say! You don't need to be taught

how to swindle the master, and to filch fur coats!"

"Soldier!" said Korney contemptuously, and he turned to the nurse

who was coming in. "Here, what do you think, Marya Efimovna: he

let her in without a word to anyone," Korney said addressing

her. "Alexey Alexandrovitch will be down immediately--and go

into the nursery!"

"A pretty business, a pretty business!" said the nurse. "You,

Korney Vassilievitch, you'd best keep him some way or other, the

master, while I'll run and get her away somehow. A pretty

business!"