" After Countess Lidia Ivanovna another friend came, the wife of a chief secretary, who told her all the news of the town.

At three o'clock she too went away, promising to come to dinner.

Alexey Alexandrovitch was at the ministry.

Anna, left alone, spent the time till dinner in assisting at her son's dinner (he dined apart from his parents) and in putting her things in order, and in reading and answering the notes and letters which had accumulated on her table.