Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART EIGHT CHAPTER 4
free. But my poor son was utterly given up to her. He had thrown up everything, his
career, me, and even then she had no mercy on him, but of set purpose she made his
ruin complete. No, say what you will, her very death was the death of a vile woman,
of no religious feeling. God forgive me, but I can’t help hating the memory of her,
when I look at my son’s misery!”
“But how is he now?”
“It was a blessing from Providence for us–this Servian war. I’m old, and I don’t
understand the rights and wrongs of it, but it’s come as a providential blessing to
him. Of course for me, as his mother, it’s terrible; and what’s worse, they say, ce n’est
pas très bien vu a Pétersbourg. But it can’t be helped! It was the one thing that could
rouse him. Yashvin–a friend of his–he had lost all he had at cards and he was going
to Servia. He came to see him and persuaded him to go. Now it’s an interest for him.
Do please talk to him a little. I want to distract his mind. He’s so low-spirited. And
as bad luck would have it, he has toothache too. But he’ll be delighted to see you.
Please do talk to him; he’s walking up and down on that side.”
Sergey Ivanovitch said he would be very glad to, and crossed over to the other
side of the station.
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