‘For God’s sake, don’t get angry,’ said Stepan Arkadyich, touching his brother-in-law’s knee. ‘The matter is not ended. If you will allow me to recapitulate, the matter stood like this: when you parted, you were great, you could not have been more magnanimous; you granted her everything - freedom, and even a divorce. She appreciated that. Don’t think she didn’t. She precisely appreciated it. So much so that in those first moments, feeling herself guilty before you, she did not and could not think it all over. She renounced everything. But reality and time have shown her that her situation is tormenting and impossible.’
‘Anna Arkadyevna’s life cannot interest me,’ Alexei Alexandrovich interrupted, raising his eyebrows.
‘Allow me not to believe that,’ Stepan Arkadyich objected softly. ‘Her situation is tormenting to her and that without the slightest profit to anyone. She has deserved it, you will say. She knows that and asks nothing of you; she says directly that she dares not ask anything. But I, and all the family, all those who love her, beseech you. Why must she suffer? Who is the better for it?’
‘Excuse me, sir, but you seem to be putting me in the position of the accused,’ said Alexei Alexandrovich.
‘No, no, not at all. Do understand me,’ said Stepan Arkadyich, touching his hand, as if he were sure that this touching would soften his brother-in-law. ‘I’m saying only one thing: her situation is tormenting, and you can relieve it, and you won’t lose anything. I’ll arrange it all for you so that you won’t even notice. You did promise.’
‘The promise was given earlier. And I thought that the question of our son had settled the matter. Besides, I hoped that Anna Arkadyevna would be magnanimous enough...’ Pale, his lips trembling, Alexei Alexandrovich barely got the words out.
‘She leaves it all to your magnanimity. She begs, she beseeches you for one thing - to bring her out of the impossible situation in which she finds herself. She no longer asks to have the boy. Alexei Alexandrovich, you are a kind man. Put yourself in her situation for a moment. The question of divorce in her situation is for her a question of life and death. If you hadn’t given your promise earlier, she would have reconciled herself to her situation, she would be living in the country. But you promised, she wrote to you and moved to Moscow. And now for six months she’s been living in Moscow, where every meeting is like a stab in the heart, waiting each day for the decision to come. It’s like keeping a man condemned to death for months with a noose around his neck, promising him maybe death, maybe mercy. Take pity on her, and then I undertake to arrange everything so that ...
‘I’m not speaking of that, not of that...’ Alexei Alexandrovich interrupted squeamishly. ‘But I may have promised what I had no right to promise.’
‘So you refuse what you promised?’
‘I have never refused to do what was possible, but I would like to have time to consider how far what was promised is possible.’
‘No, Alexei Alexandrovich!’ Oblonsky said, jumping up. ‘I won’t believe it! She’s as unhappy as a woman can be, and you can’t deny her such a ...’
‘How far what was promised is possible.
‘But in Christian societies, and even in ours as far as I know, divorce is permitted,’ said Stepan Arkadyich. ‘Divorce is also permitted by our Church. And we see ...’
‘Permitted, but not in this sense.’
‘Alexei Alexandrovich, I don’t recognize you,’ Oblonsky said, after a silence. ‘Wasn’t it you (and didn’t we all appreciate it?) who forgave everything and, moved precisely by Christian feeling, were ready to sacrifice everything? You yourself talked about “giving a caftan when your shirt was taken”, and now ...’
‘I beg you, sir,’ Alexei Alexandrovich said, pale and with a trembling jaw, in a squeaky voice, suddenly getting to his feet, ‘I beg you to stop, to stop ... this conversation.’
‘Oh, no! Well, forgive me, forgive me if I’ve upset you,’ Stepan Arkadyich said, smiling abashedly and holding out his hand, ‘but in any case, as an ambassador, I have merely conveyed my message.’
Alexei Alexandrovich gave him his hand, reflected a little, and said:
‘I must think it over and look for guidance. I’ll give you a decisive answer the day after tomorrow,’ he added, having thought of something.
XIX
Stepan Arkadyich was about to leave when Kornei came in and announced:
‘Sergei Alexeich!’
‘Who is Sergei Alexeich?’ Stepan Arkadyich was about to ask, but remembered at once.
‘Ah, Seryozha!’ he said. “‘Sergei Alexeich” - I thought it was the director of some department.’ And he remembered, ‘Anna did ask me to see him.’
