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Updated: June 18, 2025
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.
"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."
Vaninka was in bed, paler perhaps than usual, but quite calm, with the loving smile on her lips with which she always welcomed her father. "To what fortunate circumstance," asked the young girl in her softest tones, "do I owe the pleasure of seeing you at so late an hour?"
Vaninka trembled with fear, for since that fatal night everything terrified her.
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.
"My father will do me the justice to believe that I am too submissive a daughter to be a rebellious subject." "Excellent, Vaninka, excellent," said the general. "So, then, poor Foedor has told you all?" "Yes," said Vaninka. "You knew that he addressed himself to me first?" "I knew it." "Then it was from him that you heard that your hand was engaged?" "It was from him."
"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.
Annouschka obeyed; and Vaninka, with flowers in her hair and her breast covered with jewels, glided like a phantom into her servant's room.
At seventeen Vaninka's education was finished, and her governess who had suffered in health through the severe climate of St. Petersburg, requested permission to leave. This desire was granted with the ostentatious recognition of which the Russian nobility are the last representatives in Europe. Thus Vaninka was left alone, with nothing but her father's blind adoration to direct her.
The two women uttered a loud cry: the chest was now a coffin; the young officer, stifled for want of air, lay dead within. For a long time the two women hoped it was only a swoon. Annouschka sprinkled his face with water; Vaninka put salts to his nose. All was in vain.
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