" Yes, to die!... And the shame and disgrace of Alexey Alexandrovitch and of Seryozha, and my awful shame, it will all be saved by death.

To die! and he will feel remorse; will be sorry; will love me; he will suffer on my account.

" With the trace of a smile of commiseration for herself she sat down in the armchair, taking off and putting on the rings on her left hand, vividly picturing from different sides his feelings after her death.

Approaching footsteps--his steps--distracted her attention.

As though absorbed in the arrangement of her rings, she did not even turn to him.