h particular gravity.
"I ask you to marry me. If, however, you do not wish to, and so long
as you do not wish to, I will be wherever you will be, and follow you
wherever you may be sent."

"That is your business. I will speak no more," she said, and again her
lips quivered.

He was also silent, feeling that he had no strength to speak.

"I am now going to the country, and from there to St. Petersburg," he
said finally. "I will press your--our case, and with God's help the
sentence will be set aside."

"I don't care if they don't. I deserved it, if not for that, for
something else," she said, and he saw what great effort she had to
make to repress her tears.

"Well, have you seen Menshova?" she asked suddenly, in order to hide
her agitation. "They are innocent, are they not?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Such a wonderful little woman!" she said.

He related everything he had learned from Menshova, and asked her if
she needed anything. She said she needed nothing.

They were silent again.

"Well, and as to the hospital," she said suddenly, casting on him her
squinting glance, "if you wish me to go, I will go; and I will stop
wine drinking, too."

Nekhludoff silently looked in her eyes. They were smiling.

"That is very good," was all he could say.

"Yes, yes; she is an entirely different person," thought Nekhludoff,
for the first time experiencing, after his former doubts, the to him
entirely new feeling of confidence in the invincibility of love.

* * * * *

Returning to her ill-smelling cell, Maslova removed her coat and sat
down on her cot, her hands resting on her knees. In the cell were only
the consumptive with her babe, the old woman, Menshova, and the
watch-woman with her two children. The deacon's daughter had been
removed to the hospital; the others were washing. The old woman lay on
the cot sleeping; the children were in the corridor, the door to which
was open. The consumptive with the child in her arms and the
watch-woman, who did not cease knitting a stocking with her nimble
fingers, approached Maslova.

"Well, have you seen him?" they asked.

Maslova dangled her feet, which did not reach the floor, and made no
answer.

"What are you whimpering about?" said the watch-woman. "Above all,
keep up your spirits. Oh, Katiousha! Well?" she said, rapidly moving
her fingers.

Maslova made no answer.

"The women went washing. They say that to-day's alms were larger.