adopted and then Stremof's tactics were revealed. Caried to extremes, these measures seemed so ridiculous that the government officials, and public opinion, and ladies of influence, and the daily papers, all attacked them and expressed the greatest indignation both at the measures themselves and at their avowed promoter, Alekseï Aleksandrovitch.
Stremof slipped out of sight, pretending that he only blindly followed Karenin's plan, and that he himself was amazed and dumfounded at what had happened. This greatly weakened Alekseï Aleksandrovitch. But notwithstanding his enfeebled health, notwithstanding his family annoyances, he did not give up. The committee was split into two factions: some of them, with Stremof at their head, explained their mistake by the fact that they had placed full confidence in the Revisionary Committee which, under the lead of Alekseï Aleksandrovitch, had brought in its report, and they declared the report of this committee of inspection was rubbish and so much wasted paper. Alekseï Aleksandrovitch, with a party of men who saw the peril of such a revolutionary reference to documents, continued to support the data worked out by the Revisionary Committee.
As a result of this, the highest circles and even society was thrown into confusion, and although this was a question of the greatest interest to every one, no one could make out whether the foreign populations were in reality suffering and dying out or flourishing.
Karenin's position in consequence of this and partly in consequence of the contempt which people felt for him by reason of his wife's unfaithfulness became very precarious. In this state of affairs he made an important resolution: to the great astonishment of the commission, he announced that he demanded the right to go and study these questions himself on the spot; and, permission having been granted him, Alekseï Aleksandrovitch set out for the distant provinces.
