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A BIOGRAPHY
165
though it was not a society in the ordinary sense of the
word, still united in one indissoluble bond the hearts of
all those who were devoted to the same cause. Some
fifteen years later, when Madame Kovalévsky was at
the height of her celebrity, she met the professor
in Petersburg society, and jested with him about the
rejected offer of marriage.
Just at this time one of Aniuta’s friends committed
the crime of a love-marriage. How they despised her,
and bewailed her lot! Sonya’s heart swelled with
anger at such a mean failure of her ideal. Even the
newly married couple were as shamefaced before their
young friends as though they had committed a
veritable crime. They never dared to talk to them about
their wedded bliss, and the wife even forbade her
husband to show the least sign of affection in their
presence.
Meanwhile an unexpected circumstance occurred in
Sonya’s life. Aniuta and Inez, who still kept to their
original plan, not allowing themselves to be defeated
by their first rebuff, had chosen another young man
as their "liberator." He was only a student, but
an exceptionally clever one, who also desired to go to
Germany to complete his studies. He was of good
family, and generally considered to be a " rising man."
They therefore hoped that, if it came to pass, neither
Inez’s nor Aniuta’s parents would have any serious
objection to urge against the marriage. This time the
proposal was made in a less formal manner. Once,
when they met, as they often did, at the house of
mutual friends, Aniuta took the opportunity of putting
her proposal to the young man during the course of
conversation. He replied, much to her astonishment,
that he quite agreed to the suggestion, with, however,
a slight variation in the program. He would like to
ii*
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