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Updated: June 13, 2025
His wife will follow him: she is to be blamed for not having respected his character as a minister of the altar. The little girl will not leave her parents. "Annouschka, the attendant, will also go to Siberia for not having made known to her master his daughter's conduct. "I preserve all my esteem for the general, and I mourn with him for the deadly blow which has struck him.
About midnight he heard someone tapping at the door: much astonished, he got up and opened it. It was Annouschka, who came with a message from her mistress, that Vaninka wished to see him immediately. Although he was astonished at this message, which he was far from expecting, Foedor obeyed.
"True," murmured Vaninka in a strange tone, "I must go to Court this evening; to stay away would arouse suspicion. Oh, my God! my God!" "Help me, my lady," said Annouschka; "I am not strong enough alone."
"Let us go, then," said Vaninka; and, dragging out the heart-broken girl, she locked the door behind her and threw the key far away into the snow. "In the name of Heaven," said Annouschka, "let us go home quickly: I cannot gaze upon this awful sight!" "No, let us stay here!" said Vaninka, holding her back with a grasp of almost masculine strength.
Vaninka followed the progress of the fire with blazing eyes, fearing to see some half-burnt spectral shape rush out of the flames. At last the roof fell in, and Vaninka, relieved of all fear, then at last made her way to the general's house, into which the two women entered without being seen, thanks to the permission Annouschka had to go out at any hour of the day or night.
"We can do nothing this morning," said Annouschka, drawing back the window curtains. "Look, the dawn is breaking." "But what can we do with the body of this unhappy man?" cried Vaninka. "It must remain hidden where it is all day, and this evening, while you are at the Court entertainment, my brother shall remove it."
A hidden fever had been consuming her all the evening: never had she looked so lovely, and she had been overwhelmed by the homage of the most distinguished nobles and courtiers. When she returned, she found Annouschka in the vestibule waiting to take her cloak. As she gave it to her, Vaninka sent her one of those questioning glances that seem to express so much.
During the long conversation which the general had had with his daughter, and which had lasted more than half an hour, Foedor, unable to get out of the chest, as the lid was closed by a spring, had died for want of air. The position of the two girls shut up with a corpse was frightful. Annouschka saw Siberia close at hand; Vaninka, to do her justice, thought of nothing but Foedor.
"Let us stay until the house falls in on them, so that we may be certain that not one of them escapes." "Oh, my God!" cried Annouschka, falling on her knees, "have mercy upon my poor brother, for death will hurry him unprepared into Thy presence." "Yes, yes, pray; that is right," said Vaninka. "I wish to destroy their bodies, not their souls."
Hardly had he left the room when Vaninka ordered Annouschka, her foster-sister, who acted as her maid, to be on the watch for Foedor's return, and to let her know as soon as he came in. At eleven o'clock the gate of the mansion opened: Foedor got out of his sleigh, and immediately went up to his room. He threw himself upon a sofa, overwhelmed by his thoughts.
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