`Here's Lavrentii,' said Vronsky, looking out of the window; `now we can go, if you like.'

The old butler who had traveled with the Countess came to the carriage to announce that everything was ready, and the Countess got up to go.

`Come; there's not such a crowd now,' said Vronsky.

The maid took a handbag and the lap dog, the butler and a porter the other baggage. Vronsky gave his mother his arm; but just as they were getting out of the carriage several men ran suddenly by with panic- stricken faces. The stationmaster, too, ran by in his extraordinarily colored cap. Obviously something unusual had happened. The crowd was running to the tail end of the train.

`What?... What?... Where?... Flung himself!... Crushed!...' was heard among the crowd.

Stepan Arkadyevich, with his sister on his arm, turned back. They too looked scared, and stopped at the carriage door to avoid the crowd.

The ladies got in, while Vronsky and Stepan Arkadyevich followed the crowd to find out details of the disaster.

A watchman, either drunk or too much muffled up in the bitter frost, had not heard the train moving back, and had been crushed.

Before Vronsky and Oblonsky came back the ladies heard the facts from the butler.

Oblonsky and Vronsky had both seen the mutilated corpse. Oblonsky was evidently distressed. He frowned and seemed ready to cry.

`Ah, how awful! Ah, Anna, if you had seen it! Ah, how awful!' he kept repeating.

Vronsky did not speak; his handsome face was serious, but perfectly calm.

`Ah, if you had seen it, Countess,' said Stepan Arkadyevich. `And his wife was there.... It was awful to see her!... She flung herself on the body. They say he was the only support of an immense family. How awful!'

`Couldn't one do anything for her?' said Madame Karenina in an agitated whisper.

Vronsky glanced at her, and immediately got out of the carriage.

`I'll be back directly, maman,' he remarked, turning round in the doorway.

When he came back a few minutes later, Stepan Arkadyevich was already in conversation with the Countess about a new singer, while she was impatiently looking toward the door, waiting for her son.

`Now let us be off,' said Vronsky, coming in.

They went out together. Vronsky was in front with his mother. Behind walked Madame Karenina with her brother. Just as they were going out of the station the stationmaster overtook Vronsky.

`You gave my assistant two hundred roubles. Would you kindly explain for whose benefit you intend them?'

`For the widow,' said Vronsky, shrugging his shoulders. `I should have thought there was no need to ask.'

`You gave that?' cried Oblonsky behind, and, pressing his sister's hand, he added: `Most charming, most charming! Isn't he a fine fellow? Good-by, Countess.'