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Night had couished St Petersburg began to sleep, or at least to give itself

the appearance of sleeping The regent, Anna Leopoldowna, also,

had already dismissed her household and withdrawn into her private

apartht Anna leaned upon the -fra up at the heavens Her eyes gradually

filled with tears, which slowly rolled down her cheeks and fell upon her

hands She was startled by the falling of these war of Lynar, of the distant, warladly have devoted her whole existence, but to whoht it would be nobler and

greater to renounce hiation, while actually devoting her life to the duties enjoined

by the laws and the Church But these thoughts filled her bosom with a

nameless sorrow, and it was involuntarily that she wept

"No," she murmured low, "I cannotof bear of a coive up a love which God Himself has inspired in e and the priests condemn

me I will not sacrifice my love to a prejudice I know that this is

sinful, but God will have compassion on the sinner who has no other

happiness on earth than this only one--a love that controls her whole

being And if this sin must be punished, oh, my Maker, I pray you to