Anna gazed at him and did not know what to say.

Princess Betsy came to her rescue.

"No, Alexey Alexandrovitch; I brought Anna and I promised to take her home," put in Betsy.

"Excuse me, princess," he said, smiling courteously but looking her very firmly in the face, "but I see that Anna's not very well, and I wish her to come home with me.

" Anna looked about her in a frightened way, got up submissively, and laid her hand on her husband's arm.