The Oblonsky family was plunged into miserable confusion, for the wife, through detecting a flirtation between her husband and the French governess, declared she would no longer live with him.  She remained in her rooms, and the husband had not shown himself at home for three days.  Some of the servants quarrelled and others demanded their wages.

Prince Stepan Arkadyevitch (socially styled Stiva) had on returning one evening from the theatre found his Dolly sitting with a letter in her hand, and an expression of terror and despair on her countenance.  “What is this?  This?” she asked.  Instead of attempting a reply, Stepan smiled good-humouredly and stupidly; and Dolly, after a flow of passionate reproaches, rushed from the room.

Stepan had never imagined that any such discovery would have such an effect on his wife.  “How delightfully we were living till this happened!” said he, as on the third morning after the outbreak he awoke in his library, where he had rested on the lounge.  “I never interfered with Dolly, and she did as she pleased with the household and children.  What can be done?” He rose and put on his dressing gown and rang for his valet, who came in response to the summons, followed by the barber.  The valet handed him a telegram, which announced that his loving sister, Anna Arkadyevna, was coming on a visit.  He was pleased to receive the intelligence, for it might mean that she would effect a reconciliation.

Prince Stepan tranquilly partook of breakfast over his newspaper, and became absorbed in thought.  Suddenly two children’s voices roused him from his reverie.  They were those of Grisha, his youngest boy, and Tania, his eldest daughter.  The little girl, his favourite, ran in and laughingly and fondly embraced him.  “What is mamma doing?  Is she all right?” he asked of the girl.

“I don’t know,” was the reply.  “She told us we were not to have lessons to-day but were to go to grandmamma’s.”  He told the children to run along, and then said to himself, “To go, or not to go—­but it has to be done, sooner or later,” and straightening himself and lighting a cigarette, he opened the door into his wife’s room.  She was standing in the room removing the contents of a drawer, and turned her worn face on Stepan with a look of terror.  She had dreaded this moment, for though she felt she could not stay, yet she knew she loved him and that it was impossible to leave him.

“What do you want?  Go away, go away,” she cried.  He broke into sobs and began to beg forgiveness.  “Dolly, think for the love of God of the children.  They are not to blame.  I alone am to blame.  Now, Dolly, forgive me.”  But as the voice of one of the children was heard, she went out from him and slammed the door.

II

Stepan Arkadyevitch was naturally idle, yet his natural gifts had enabled him to do well at school, and he had gained an excellent position at Moscow as natchalnik, or president of one of the courts, through the influence of Aleksei Alexandrovitch Karenin, husband of his sister Anna, one of the most important members of the ministry.  In this office Stepan enjoyed a salary of 6,000 roubles.  Everyone who knew Oblonsky liked him, for his amiability, honesty, and brilliance, qualities which rendered him a most attractive character.