Page 100 (1/2)

"This coldness--this pretense of feeling!" she said to herself

"They must needs insult me and torture the child, and I am to

submit to it! Not on any consideration! She is worse than I am

I don't lie, anyway" And she decided on the spot that next day,

Seryozha's birthday, she would go straight to her husband's

house, bribe or deceive the servants, but at any cost see her son

and overturn the hideous deception hich they were

enco the unhappy child

She went to a toy shop, bought toys and thought over a plan of

action She would go early in the ht o'clock, when

Alexey Alexandrovitch would be certain not to be up She would

have ive the hall porter and the foot her veil, she

would say that she had coratulate hied to leave the toys

at his bedside She had prepared everything but the words she

should say to her son Often as she had drea

The next day, at eight o'clock in theat the front entrance of her former home

"Run and see what's wanted Some lady," said Kapitonitch, who,

not yet dressed, in his overcoat and galoshes, had peeped out of