reason at all.

"I kissed her for the last time, pressed her hand, and parted for ever.
The train had already started. I went into the next compartment--it was
empty--and until I reached the next station I sat there crying. Then I
walked home to Sofino...."

While Alehin was telling his story, the rain left off and the sun came
out. Burkin and Ivan Ivanovitch went out on the balcony, from which
there was a beautiful view over the garden and the mill-pond, which was
shining now in the sunshine like a mirror. They admired it, and at the
same time they were sorry that this man with the kind, clever eyes, who
had told them this story with such genuine feeling, should be rushing
round and round this huge estate like a squirrel on a wheel instead of
devoting himself to science or something else which would have made
his life more pleasant; and they thought what a sorrowful face
Anna Alexyevna must have had when he said good-bye to her in the
railway-carriage and kissed her face and shoulders. Both of them had met
her in the town, and Burkin knew her and thought her beautiful.

THE LOTTERY TICKET

IVAN DMITRITCH, a middle-class man who lived with his family on an
income of twelve hundred a year and was very well satisfied with his
lot, sat down on the sofa after supper and began reading the newspaper.

"I forgot to look at the newspaper today," his wife said to him as she
cleared the table. "Look and see whether the list of drawings is there."

"Yes, it is," said Ivan Dmitritch; "but hasn't your ticket lapsed?"

"No; I took the interest on Tuesday."

"What is the number?"

"Series 9,499, number 26."

"All right... we will look... 9,499 and 26."

Ivan Dmitritch had no faith in lottery luck, and would not, as a rule,
have consented to look at the lists of winning numbers, but now, as
he had nothing else to do and as the newspaper was before his eyes,
he passed his finger downwards along the column of numbers. And
immediately, as though in mockery of his scepticism, no further than the
second line from the top, his eye was caught by the figure 9,499! Unable
to believe his eyes, he hurriedly dropped the paper on his knees without
looking to see the number of the ticket, and, just as though some one
had given him a douche of cold water, he felt an agreeable chill in the
pit of the stomach; tingling and terrible and sweet!

"Masha, 9,499 is there!" he said in a hollow voice.

His wife looked at his astonished