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Updated: June 13, 2025
Vaninka was no sooner in her room, with the door once closed, than she tore the flowers from her hair, the necklace from her throat, cut with scissors the corsets which suffocated her, and then, throwing herself on her bed, she gave way to her grief. Annouschka thanked God for this outburst; her mistress's calmness had frightened her more than her despair.
Meanwhile, Annouschka had re-entered her mistress's room, as she had been ordered, and closed the door carefully behind her. Vaninka immediately sprang out of bed and went to the door, listening to the retreating footsteps of the general.
At this moment she heard steps approaching. It was a groom of the chambers coming from the general to ask if she were ready. Annouschka let the lid of the chest fall, and Vaninka going herself to open the door, followed the messenger, who walked before her, lighting the way.
There she reminded him of all that Vaninka, haughty but generous, had allowed his sister to do for him. Ivan protested his devotion so warmly that Annouschka hesitated no longer, and, raising the lid of the chest, showed him the corpse of Foedor.
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.
At this terrible sight Ivan remained an instant motionless, but he soon began to calculate how much money and how many benefits the possession of such a secret would bring him. He swore by the most solemn oaths never to betray his mistress, and offered, as Annouschka had hoped, to dispose of the body of the unfortunate aide-decamp. The thing was easily done.
The first crisis over, Vaninka was able to pray. She spent an hour on her knees, then, yielding to the entreaties of her faithful attendant, went to bed. Annouschka sat down at the foot of the bed. Neither slept, but when day came the tears which Vaninka had shed had calmed her. Annouschka was instructed to reward her brother.
"That is true," said Annouschka; "but where will you find a slave who is not? My brother gets drunk less than most, and is therefore more to be trusted than the others. Besides, in the position in which we are we must risk something." "You are right," said Vaninka, recovering her usual resolution, which always grew in the presence of danger. "Go and seek your brother."
He found Vaninka seated, dressed in a white robe, and as she was paler than usual he stopped at the door, for it seemed to him that he was gazing at a marble statue. "Come in," said Vaninka calmly. Foedor approached, drawn by her voice like steel to a magnet. Annouschka shut the door behind him. "Well, and what did my father say?" said Vaninka. Foedor told her all that had happened.
Annouschka opened the door, and they could see, as Ivan had said, that the snow was falling heavily. "Yes, madam," said the girl; "my brother is there, with Daniel and Alexis." Vaninka entered. "My friends," said she, with a strange smile, "I am told that you were drinking my health, and I have come to bring you something to drink it again.
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