The princess, hearing that Varenka had a good voice, asked her to come and sing to them in the evening.

"Kitty plays, and we have a piano; not a good one, it's true, but you will give us so much pleasure," said the princess with her affected smile, which Kitty disliked particularly just then, because she noticed that Varenka had no inclination to sing.

Varenka came, however, in the evening and brought a roll of music with her.

The princess had invited Marya Yevgenyevna and her daughter and the colonel.