WhenhegotoutofthetrainatPeterburg,hefeltafterhissleeplessnightaslivelyandfreshasafteracoldbath。Hepausednearhiscar,waitingforhertoemerge。`Oncemore,’hesaidtohimself,smilingunconsciously,`oncemoreIshallseeherwalk,herface;shemaysaysomething,turnherhead,glance,smile,perhaps。’Butbeforehecaughtsightofher,hesawherhusband,whomthestationmasterwasdeferentiallyescortingthroughthecrowd。`Ah,yes。Thehusband。’Onlynow,forthefirsttime,didVronskyrealizeclearlythefactthattherewassomeoneattachedtoher-ahusband。
Hehadknownthatshehadahusband,buthadhardlybelievedinhisexistence,andonlynow,whenhesawhim,didhefullybelieveinhim,withhishead,andshoulders,andhisblack-trouseredlegs;especiallywhenhesawthishusbandplacidlytakeherarm,withaconsciousnessofproprietorship。
SeeingAlexeiAlexandrovichwithhisspick-and-spanPeterburgfaceandausterelyself-confidentfigure,inhisroundhat,withhisratherprominentspine,hebelievedinhim,andwasawareofadisagreeablesensation,suchasmightbefeltbyamanwho,torturedbythirst,finds,onreachingaspring,adog,asheeporapigthereinthathasnotonlydrunkofit,butalsomuddiedthewater。AlexeiAlexandrovich’smannerofwalking,gyratinghiswholepelvisandhisflatfeet,wasespeciallyoffensivetoVronsky。
Hecouldrecognizeinnoonebuthimselfanindubitablerighttoloveher。
Butshewasstillthesame,andthesightofheraffectedhimthesameway,physicallyrevivinghim,stirringhim,andfillinghissoulwithhappiness。
HetoldhisGermanvalet,whoranuptohimfromthesecondclass,totakehisthingsandgoon,hehimselfwentuptoher。Hesawthefirstmeetingbetweenthehusbandandwife,andnoted,withalover’sinsight,thesignoftheslightembarrassmentwithwhichshespoketoherhusband。`No,shedoesnotlovehim,andcannotlovehim,’hedecidedtohimself。
AttheverymomentthathewasapproachingAnnaArkadyevnafromtheback,henoticedwithjoythatshewasconsciousofhisdrawingnear,andthatshelookedround;afterwhich,seeinghim,sheturnedagaintoherhusband。
`Haveyouhadagoodnight?’hesaid,bowingbothtoherandtoherhusband,andleavingittoAlexeiAlexandrovichtoacceptthebowonhisownaccount,andtoreturnitornot,ashemightseefit。
`Thankyou-averygoodone,’sheanswered。
Herfaceseemedtired,andlackinginthatplayofanimationwhichusuallyhoveredbetweenhersmileandhereyes;butforasingleinstant,assheglancedathim,somethingflashedinhereyes,andalthoughthisflashdiedawayatonce,hewasmadehappybythatmoment。Sheglancedatherhusband,tofindoutwhetherheknewVronsky。AlexeiAlexandrovichwasregardingVronskywithdispleasure,absent-mindedlytryingtorecallwhohewas。Vronsky’scalmnessandself-confidencehadhererunup,likeascytheagainstastone,onthefrigidself-confidenceofAlexeiAlexandrovich。
`CountVronsky,’saidAnna。
`Ah!Weareacquainted,Ibelieve,’saidAlexeiAlexandrovichapathetically,profferinghishand。`Yousetoutwiththemotherandreturnwiththeson,’hesaidtoAnna,articulatingdistinctly,asthougheachwordwereacoinofhighvaluebestowedbyhimonhishearers-`You’rebackfromleave,Isuppose?’hesaid,andwithoutwaitingforareply,headdressedhiswifeinhisbanteringtone:`Well,wereagreatmanytearsshedinMoscowatparting?’
ByaddressinghiswifethushemeantVronskytoperceivethathewishedtobeleftalone,and,turningslightlytowardhim,hetouchedhishat;butVronskyturnedtoAnnaArkadyevna:
`Ihopetohavethehonorofcallingonyou,’hesaid。
AlexeiAlexandrovichglancedwithhiswearyeyesatVronsky。
`Delighted,’hesaidcoldly。`We’reathomeMondays。’Then,dismissingVronskyentirely,hesaidtohiswife:`Iamratherluckytohavejusthalfanhourtomeetyou,sothatIcanprovetoyoumyfondness,’hewenton,inthesamebanteringtone。
`Youlaytoogreatastressonyourfondnessformetovalueitverymuch,’sherespondedinthesamebanteringtone,involuntarilylisteningtothesoundofVronsky’sstepsbehindthem。`ButwhathaveItodowiththat?’shesaidtoherself,andbeganquestioningherhusbandastohowSeriozhahadgotonwithouther。
`Oh,capitally!Mariettesayshehasbeenaverydarlingboy,and……Imustdisappointyou……Buthehasnotlanguishedforyouasyourhusbandhas。Butoncemoremerci,mydear,forbestowingawholedayuponme。OurdearSamovarwillbeenraptured。’HecalledtheCountessLidiaIvanovna,wellknowninsociety,asamovar,becauseshewasbubblingoverwithexcitementonanyandeveryoccasion。`Shehasbeenaskingforyou。And,d’youknow,ifImayventuretoadviseyou,yououghttogotoseehertoday。Youknowhowshetakeseverythingtoheart。Justnow,withallherowncares,she’sanxiousaboutthereconciliationoftheOblonskys。’
TheCountessLidiaIvanovnawasafriendofherhusband’s,andthecenterofthatoneofthecoteriesofthePeterburgbeaumondewithwhichAnnawas,throughherhusband,intheclosestrapport。
`ButIwrotetoher。’
`Yes,butshemusthavefulldetails。Gotoseeher,ifyou’renottootired,mydear。Well,Kondratiiwilltakeyouinthecarriage,whileIgotomycommittee。OncemoreIshallnotbealoneatdinner,’
AlexeiAlexandrovichcontinued,butnolongerinajestingtone。`Youwouldn’tbelievehowI’vegrownusedtoyou……’
And,withaprolongedpressureofherhand,andaparticularsmile,hehelpedherintohercarriage。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart1,Chapter32[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter32ThefirstpersontomeetAnnaathomewasherson。Hedasheddownthestairstoher,inspiteofthegovernes’sscall,andwithfrenziedraptureshrieked:
`Mother!mother!’Runninguptoher,hehungonherneck。
`Itoldyouitwasmother!’heshoutedtothegoverness。`Iknewit!’
Andherson,likeherhusband,arousedinAnnaafeelingakintodisappointment。Inherimaginationhehadbeenbetterthanhewasinreality。Shehadtodescendtorealitytoenjoyhimashewas。But,evenso,hewascharming,withhisfaircurls,hisblueeyesandhischubby,gracefullittlelegsintightlypulled-upstockings。Annaexperiencedanalmostphysicaldelightinthesensationofhisnearness,andhiscaresses;
andamoralreassurance,whenshemethisingenuous,trustingandlovingglance,andheardhisnaivequestions。AnnatookoutthepresentsDolly’schildrenhadsenthim,andtoldhersonaboutTania,alittlegirlinMoscow,andhowTaniacouldread,andeventaughttheotherchildren。
`Why,amInotasgoodasshe?’askedSeriozha。
`Tomeyou’rebetterthananyoneelseinthewholeworld。’
`Iknowthat,’saidSeriozha,smiling。
AnnahadscarcelydrunkhercoffeewhentheCountessLidiaIvanovnawasannounced。TheCountessLidiaIvanovnawasatall,fleshywoman,withanunwholesomelyyellowcomplexionandbeautiful,pensiveblackeyes。Annalikedher,buttodaysheseemed,forthefirsttime,toseeherwithallhershortcomings。
`Well,myfriend,wereyouthebeareroftheolivebranch?’askedCountessLidiaIvanovna,theminutesheenteredtheroom。
`Yes,it’sallover,butitwasnotatallasseriousaswethought,’
answeredAnna。`Mybelle-soeuris,ingeneral,muchtoocategorical。’
ButCountessLidiaIvanovna,whowasinterestedineverythingthatdidnotconcernher,hadahabitofneverlisteningtowhatinterestedher;sheinterruptedAnna:
`Yes,there’splentyofsorrowandevilintheworld-andIamsofatiguedtoday!’
`Oh,why?’askedAnna,tryingtorepressasmile。
`I’mbeginningtowearyofvainlybreakinglancesforthetruth,andattimesI’maltogetherunstrung。TheaffairwithourDearSisters[thiswasareligiouslypatriotic,philanthropicinstitution]startedoffsplendidly,butit’simpossibletodoanythingwithsuchpeople,’addedCountessLidiaIvanovna,withamockingsubmissivenesstofate。`Theypouncedontheidea,andmangledit,andafterwardtheythrashitoutsopettilyandtrivially。Twoorthreepeople,yourhusbandamongthem,graspallthesignificanceofthisaffairbuttheothersmerelydegradeit。YesterdayPravdinwrotetome……’
Pravdinwasawell-knownPan-Slavistabroad,andCountessLidiaIvanovnatoldthegistofhisletter。
NexttheCountessspokeofotherunpleasantnessesandintriguesagainsttheworkoftheunificationofthechurches,anddepartedinhaste,sincethatdayshehadtoattendthemeetingofanothersociety,andalsoaSlavoniccommittee。
`Allthisisasithasalwaysbeen;buthowisitIdidn’tnoticeitbefore?’Annaaskedherself。`Orhasshebeenverymuchirritatedtoday?
It’sreallyludicrous:herobjectistodogood;she’saChristian;yetshe’sforeverangry,andforeverhavingenemies-andalwaysenemiesinthenameofChristianityanddoinggood。’
AfterCountessLidiaIvanovnaanotherfriendcame,thewifeofadirectoroftheDepartment,whotoldherallthenewsofthetown。Atthreeo’clockshetoowentaway,promisingtocometodinner。AlexeiAlexandrovichwasattheMinistry。Anna,leftalone,spentthetimetilldinnerinlendingherpresencetoherson’sdinnerhedinedapartfromhisparents,inputtingherthingsinorder,andinreadingandansweringthenotesandletterswhichhadaccumulatedonherescritoire。
Thefeelingofunreasoningshame,whichshehadfeltduringthejourney,andheragitation,hadcompletelyvanished。Intheaccustomedconditionsofherlifesheagainfeltherselffirmandirreproachable。
Sherecalledwithwonderherstateofmindonlyyesterday。`Whatwasit?Nothing。Vronskysaidsomethingsilly,whichitwaseasytoputanendto,andIansweredjustasIshouldhave。Tospeakofittomyhusbandwouldbeunnecessaryandimpermissible。Tospeakofitwouldbetoattachimportancetothatwhichhasnone。’SherememberedhowshehadtoldherhusbandofwhatwasalmostdeclarationmadeherinPeterburgbyayoungman,asubordinateofherhusband’s,andhowAlexeiAlexandrovichhadansweredthateverywomanoftheworldwasexposedtothissortofthing,butthathehadthefullestconfidenceinhertact,andwouldneverpermithimselftodegradeherandhimselfbyjealousy。`Sothen,there’snoreasontosayanything?And,thankGod,thereisn’tanythingtosay,’shetoldherself。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart1,Chapter33[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter33AlexeiAlexandrovichcamebackfromtheMinistryatfouro’clock,butasoftenhappened,hadnochancetodropinatherroom。Hewentintohisstudytoseethepeoplewaitingforhimwithpetitions,andtosigncertainpapersbroughthimbyhisheadclerk。AtdinnertimetherewerealwaysatleastthreepeoplediningwiththeKareninstherearrivedanoldlady,acousinofAlexeiAlexandrovich;thedirectoroftheDepartmentandhiswife;andayoungmanwhohadbeenrecommendedtoAlexeiAlexandrovichforapost。Annawentintothedrawingroomtoentertaintheseguests。
Preciselyatfiveo’clock,beforethebronzePetertheFirstclockhadfinishedthefifthstroke,AlexeiAlexandrovichmadehisentry,inwhitetieandeveningcoatwithtwostars,ashehadtogooutdirectlyafterdinner。EveryminuteofAlexeiAlexandrovich’slifewastakenupandapportioned。
Andinordertoaccomplishallthateachdayheldforhim,headheredtothestrictestorderliness。`Norhastenorrest,’washisdevice。Heenteredthedininghall,bowedtoall,andhurriedlysatdown,smilingtohiswife:
`Yes,mysolitudeisover。Youwouldn’tbelievehowuncomfortable[helaidstressontheworduncomfortable]itistodinealone。’
AtdinnerhechattedwithhiswifeaboutthingsatMoscow,andasked,withhismockingsmile,aboutStepanArkadyevich;buttheconversationwasforthemostpartgeneral,dealingwiththeofficialandpublicnewsofPeterburg。Afterdinnerhespenthalfanhourwithhisguests,and,againwithasmile,pressedhiswife’shand,withdrew,anddroveofftotheCouncil。AnnawentthateveningneithertothePrincessBetsyTverskaia,who,hearingofherreturn,hadinvitedher,nortothetheater,whereshehadaboxforthatevening。Herprincipalreasonfornotgoingoutwasbecausethedressshehadexpectedtowearwasnotready。Allinall,Annawasexceedinglyannoyedwhenshestartedtodressfortheeveningafterthedepartureofherguests。BeforeherdepartureforMoscowshe,whowasgenerallyamistressoftheartofdressingwellyetinexpensively,hadgivenherdressmakerthreedressestomakeover。Thedressesweretobemadeoversothattheiroldselveswouldbeunrecognizable,andtheyshouldhavebeenreadythreedaysago。Itturnedoutthattwodresseswerenowherenearready,whiletheotheronehadnotbeenmadeovertoAnna’sliking。Thedressmakercametoexplain,assertingthatherwaywasbest,andAnnahadbecomesoheatedthatsheblushedattherecollection。Toregainhercomposurefullyshewentintothenurseryandspentthewholeeveningwithherson,puttinghimtobedherself,makingthesignofthecrossoverhim,andtuckinghimin。Shewasgladshehadnotgoneoutanywhere,andhadspenttheeveningsowell。Shefeltsolightheartedandcalm,shesawsoclearlythatallthathadseemedtohersosignificantonherrailwayjourneywasmerelyoneoftheordinarytrivialincidentsoffashionablelife,andthatshehadnocausetofeelashamedbeforeanyoneelseorbeforeherself。AnnasatdownnearthefireplacewithanEnglishnovelandwaitedforherhusband。Exactlyathalf-pastninesheheardhisring,andheenteredtheroom。
`Hereyouareatlast!’sheobserved,extendingherhandtohim。
Hekissedherhandandsatdownbesideher。
`Allinall,Icanseeyourtripwasasuccess,’hesaidtoher。
`Yes,verymuchso,’saidshe,andshebegantellinghimeverythingfromthebeginning:herjourneywithCountessVronskaia,herarrival,theaccidentatthestation。Thenshedescribedthepityshehadfelt,firstforherbrother,and,afterward,forDolly。
`Idonotsupposethereisanyexcuseforsuchaman,eventhoughheisyourbrother,’saidAlexeiAlexandrovichsternly。
Annasmiled。Sheknewthathesaidthispreciselytoshowthatfamilyconsiderationscouldnotpreventhimfromexpressinghissincereopinion。Sheknewthistraitinherhusbandandlikedit。
`Iamgladeverythinghasendedsowell,andthatyouhavereturned,’
hewenton。`Well,andwhatdotheysaythereaboutthenewbillIhavegotpassedintheCouncil?’
Annahadheardnothingofthisbill,andshefeltconscience-strickenthatshecouldsoreadilyforgetwhatwastohimofsuchimportance。
`Here,ontheotherhand,thishascreatedagreatdealoftalk,’
saidhe,withaself-satisfiedsmile。
ShesawthatAlexeiAlexandrovichwantedtotellhersomethingthatpleasedhimaboutit,andshebroughthimbyquestionstotellingit。Withthesameself-satisfiedsmilehetoldheroftheovationshehadreceivedasaconsequenceofthebillhehadpassed。
`Iwasvery,veryhappy。Itshowsthatatlastanintelligentandfirmviewofthematterisformingamongus。’
Afterhissecondcupoftea,withcreamandbread,AlexeiAlexandrovichgotup,andwenttowardhisstudy。
`Andyouwentnowherethisevening?Weren’tYoureallybored?’
hesaid。
`Oh,no!’sheanswered,gettingupafterhimandaccompanyinghimacrosstheroomtohisstudy。`Whatareyoureadingnow?’sheasked。
`JustnowI’mreadingDucdeLille-Poé;siedesenfers,’
heanswered。`Amostremarkablebook。’
Annasmiled,aspeoplesmileattheweaknessesofthosetheylove,and,puttingherhandinhis,shekepthimcompanytothedoorofhisstudy。
Sheknewhishabit,nowbecomeanecessity,ofreadingintheevening。
Sheknew,too,thatinspiteofhisofficialduties,whichengrossedalmostallhistime,hedeemedithisdutytokeepupwitheverythingofnotethatappearedintheintellectualsphere。Sheknew,too,thathisactualinterestlayinbooksdealingwithpolitics,philosophyandtheology,thatartwasutterlyforeigntohisnature;but,inspiteofthis-orrather,inconsequenceofit-AlexeiAlexandrovichnevermissedanythingwhichcreatedasensationintheworldofart,butmadeithisdutytoreadeverything。
Sheknewthatinpolitics,inphilosophy,intheology,AlexeiAlexandrovichwasadoubterandaseeker;yetinmattersofartandpoetry-and,aboveall,ofmusic,ofwhichhewastotallydevoidofunderstanding-hehadthemostdefiniteanddecidedopinions。HewasfondofdiscoursingonShakespeare,Raphael,Beethoven,onthesignificanceofnewschoolsofpoetryandmusic,allofwhichwereclassifiedbyhimwithmostobviousconsistency。
`Well,Godbewithyou,’shesaidatthedoorofthestudy,whereashadedcandleandadecanterofwaterwerealreadyplacednearhisarmchair。
`Asforme,I’mgoingtowritetoMoscow。’
Hesqueezedherhand,andagainkissedit。
`Still,he’sagoodman;truthful,kindhearted,andremarkableinhisownsphere,’Annasaidtoherself,backinherroom,asthoughdefendinghimbeforesomeonewhoaccusedhim,sayingthatonecouldnotlovehim。
`Butwhyisithisearsstickoutsoqueerly?Orhashehadhishaircut?……’
Exactlyattwelve,asAnnawasstillsittingatherdeskfinishingalettertoDolly,sheheardthesoundofmeasured,slipperedsteps,andAlexeiAlexandrovich,washedandcombed,abookunderhisarm,approachedher。
`Come,come,’saidhe,withaparticularsmile,andpassedonintotheirbedroom。
`Andwhatrighthadhetolookathimlikethat?’reflectedAnna,recallinghowVronskyhadlookedatAlexeiAlexandrovich。
Havingdisrobed,shewentintothebedroom;butherfacehadnoneoftheanimationwhich,duringherstayatMoscow,hadfairlyspurtedfromhereyesandhersmile;onthecontrary,nowthefireseemedextinctinher,orhiddensomewherefaraway。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart1,Chapter34[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter34UponhisdeparturefromPeterburgVronskyhadlefthislargeapartmentsonMorskaiatohisfriendandfavoritecomradePetritsky。
Petritskywasayounglieutenant,notparticularlywell-connected,andnotmerelynotwealthy,butindebtallaround。Towardeveninghewasalwaysdrunk,andhehadoftenfoundhimselfintheguardhousebecauseofsortsofludicrousanddisgracefulscrapes,buthewasafavoritebothofhiscomradesandhissuperiorofficers。Attwelveo’clock,asVronskywasdrivingupfromthestationtohisquarters,hesaw,neartheentranceofthehouse,ahiredcarriagefamiliartohim。Evenasherangheheard,beyondthedoor,masculinelaughter,thetwitterofafemininevoice,andPetritsky’sshout:`Ifthat’soneofthevillains,don’tlethimin!’Vronskytoldtheservantnottoannouncehim,andslippednoiselesslyintothefirstroom。BaronessShilton,afriendofPetritsky’s,witharosylittlefaceandflaxen-fair,resplendentinalilacsatingown,andfillingthewholeroom,likeacanary,withherParisianaccents,satataroundtable,brewingcoffee。Petritsky,inhisovercoat,andthecavalrycaptainKamerovsky,infulluniform,probablyjustcomefromduty,weresittingnearher。
`Bravo!Vronsky!’shoutedPetritsky,jumpingup,scrapinghischair。`Ourhosthimself!Baroness,somecoffeeforhimoutofthenewcoffeepot。There,wedidn’texpectyou!IHopeyou’resatisfiedwiththeadornmentofyourstudy,’hesaid,indicatingtheBaroness。`Youknoweachother,ofcourse?’
`Ishouldsayso!’saidVronsky,withabrightsmile,squeezingtheBarones’sslittlehand。`Why,we’reoldfriends。’
`You’vejustreturnedaftertraveling,’saidtheBaroness,`soI’llrunalong。Oh,I’llbeoffthisminute,ifI’mintheway!’
`You’rehome,whereveryouare,Baroness,’saidVronsky。`Howdoyoudo,Kamerovsky?’headded,coldlyshakinghandswithKamerovsky。
`There,youcanneversaysuchcharmingthings,’saidtheBaroness,turningtoPetritsky。
`No-whynot?AfterdinnerevenIcansaythingsquiteasgood。’
`Afterdinnerthere’snomeritinthem!Well,then,I’llgiveyousomecoffee;gowashandtidyup,’saidtheBaroness,sittingdownagain,andanxiouslyturningagadgetinthenewcoffeeurn。`Pierre,givemethecoffee,’shesaid,addressingPetritsky,whomshecalledPierre,playingonhissurname,makingnosecretofherrelationswithhim。`I
wanttoputsomemorein。’
`You’llspoilit!’
`No,Iwon’tspoilit!Well,andhowisyourwife?’saidtheBaronesssuddenly,interruptingVronsky’sconversationwithhiscomrade。`We’vebeenmarryingyouoffhere。Haveyoubroughtyourwifealong?’
`No,Baroness。Iwasbornagypsy,andagypsyI’lldie。’
`Somuchthebetter-somuchthebetter。Shakehandsonit。’
AndtheBaroness,detainingVronsky,begantellinghim,interspersingherstorywithmanyjokes,aboutherlatestplansoflife,andseekinghiscounsel。
`Hepersistsinrefusingtogivemeadivorce!Well,whatamI
todo?’Hewasherhusband。`NowIwanttobeginasuitagainsthim。
Whatwouldyouadvise?Kamerovsky,lookafterthecoffee-it’sboiledout;youcanseeI’mtakenupwithbusiness!Iwantalawsuit,becauseImusthavemyproperty。YoucanunderstandthestupidityofhissayingthatIamunfaithfultohim,’shesaidcontemptuously,`yetthroughithewantstogetthebenefitofmyfortune。’
Vronskyheardwithpleasurethislightheartedprattleofaprettywoman,saidyestoeverything,gaveherhalf-jokingcounsel,andaltogetherdroppedatonceintothetonehabitualtohimintalkingtosuchwomen。
InhisPeterburgworldallpeopleweredividedintotwoutterlyopposedkinds。One,thelower,consistedofvulgar,stupidand,aboveall,ridiculouspeople,whobelievethatonehusbandoughttolivewiththeonewifewhomhehaslawfullywedded;thatagirlshouldbeinnocent,awomanmodest,andamanmanly,self-controlled,andstrong;thatoneoughttobringupone’schildren,earnone’sbreadandpayone’sdebts;andvarioussimilarabsurdities。Thosepeoplewereofanold-fashionedandridiculouskind。
Buttherewasanotherkindofpeople-realpeople,towhichtheyallbelonged,andherethechiefthingwastobeelegant,magnanimous,daring,gay,andtoabandononeselfwithoutablushtoeverypassion,andtolaughateverythingelse。
Forthefirstmomentonly,Vronskywasstartled,aftertheimpressionsofaquitedifferentworldthathehadbroughtwithhimfromMoscow;butimmediately,asthoughhehadthrusthisfeetintooldslippers,hesteppedintohisformerlighthearted,pleasantworld。
Thecoffeewasreallynevermade,butsplutteredovereveryoneandboiledaway,doingjustwhatwasrequiredofit-thatis,providingcauseformuchnoiseandlaughter,andspoilingacostlyrugandtheBarones’ssgown。
`Well,good-bynow-orelseyou’llnevergetwashed,andIshallhaveonmyconsciencetheworstoffenseanydecentpersoncancommit-
uncleanliness。Soyouwouldadviseaknifeathisthroat?’
`Absolutely-andinsuchawaythatyourlittlehandmaynotbefarfromhislips。He’llkissit,andallwillendwell,’answeredVronsky。
`So,theFranç;aistonight!’and,witharustleofherskirts,shevanished。
Kamerovskygotuptoo,andVronsky,withoutwaitingforhimtogo,shookhandsandwentofftohisdressingroom。Whilehewaswashing,Petritskybrieflyoutlinedtohimhisposition,asfarasithadchangedsinceVronsky’sdeparturefromPeterburg。Nomoneywhatsoever。Hisfathersaidhewouldn’tgivehimany,norpayhisdebts。Histailorwastryingtogethimlockedup,andanotherfellow,too,wasthreateningtodosowithoutfail。Thecolonelofhisregimenthadannouncedthatifthesescandalsdidnotceasearesignationwouldbeinevitable。AsfortheBaroness,hewasfedupwithher,particularlybecauseshewasforeverwantingtogivehimmoney。Buttherewasanothergirl-heintendedshowinghertoVronsky-amarvel,exquisite,inthestrictOrientalstyle,`genreoftheslaveRebecca,yousee。’Hehadhadarow,too,withBerkoshev,andthelatterintendedsendingseconds,but,ofcourse,itwouldallcometonothing。
Altogethereverythingwasgoingsplendidlyandwasmostjolly。And,withoutlettinghiscomradeenterintofurtherdetailsofhisposition,Petritskyproceededtotellhimalltheinterestingnews。AshelistenedtoPetritsky’sfamiliarstories,inthefamiliarsettingoftheroomshehadspentthelastthreeyearsin,VronskyfeltthedelightfulsensationofcomingbacktotheinsouciantandcustomarylifeofPeterburg。
`Impossible!’hecried,releasingthepedalofthewashbasininwhichhehadbeensousinghisstalwartredneck。`Impossible!’hecried,atthenewsthatLaurahaddroppedFertinghofandhadtiedupwithMileev。
`Andisheasstupidandsatisfiedasever?Well,andwhat’sBuzulukovdoing?’
`Oh,Buzulukovgotintoascrape-simplylovely!’criedPetritsky。
`Youknowhispassionforballs-andhenevermissesasingleoneatcourt。
Hewenttoabigballinanewcasque。Haveyouseenthenewcasques?Verygood,andlighter。Well,he’sstanding……No-dolisten。’
`Iamlistening,’answeredVronsky,rubbinghimselfwitharoughtowel。
`TheGrandDuchesspassesbywithsomeambassadororother,and,asillluckwouldhaveit,theirtalkveerstothenewcasques。AndsotheGrandDuchesswantedtoshowthenewcasquetotheambassador……Justthentheycatchsightofourdearboystandingthere。’Petritskymimickedhim,standingwithhiscasque。`TheGrandDuchessrequestedhimtogiveherthecasque-hedoesn’tdoso。What’sup?Well,theyallwinkathim,andnodandfrown-giveittoher,do!Hestilldoesn’t。Juststandsthere,stock-still。Youcanpictureittoyourself!……Well,this……what’shisname……triestotakethecasquefromhim……Hewon’tgiveitup!……Thischaptoreitfromhim,andhandsittotheGrandDuchess。`Thisisthenewcasque,’saystheGrandDuchess。Sheturnedthecasqueover,and-
justpictureit!-bangwentapearandcandyoutofit-twopoundsofcandy!……He’dcollectedallthat-ourdearboy!’
Vronskyrolledwithlaughter。And,longafterward,evenwhenhewastalkingofotherthings,hewouldgooffintopealsofhisheartylaughterbaringhisstrong,closelysetteeth,wheneverhethoughtofthecasque。
Havinglearnedallthenews,Vronsky,withtheassistanceofhisvalet,gotintohisuniform,andwentofftoreporthimself。Heintended,afterward,togotohisbrotherandtoBetsy,andtopayseveralvisits,asanenteringwedgeintothatsocietywherehemightmeetMadameKarenina。
AsalwaysinPeterburg,helefthomewithoutanyintentionofreturningbeforeverylateatnight。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart2,Chapter01[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]PARTTWOChapter1Towardtheendofwinter,inthehouseoftheShcherbatskys,aconsultationwasbeingheld,whichwastodeterminethestateofKitty’shealth,andwhatwastobedonetorestoreherfailingstrength。Shehadbeenill,and,asspringcameon,shegrewworse。Thefamilydoctorgavehercod-liveroil,theniron,thenlunarcaustic;butsinceneitherthefirst,northesecond,northethirdavailed,andsincehisadvicewastogoabroadbeforethebeginningofthespring,acelebrateddoctorwascalledin。Thecelebrateddoctor,notyetoldandaveryhandsomeman,demandedanexaminationofthepatient。Hemaintained,withspecialsatisfaction,itseemed,thatmaidenmodestyismerelyarelicofbarbarism,andthatnothingcouldbemorenaturalthanforamanwhowasnotyetoldtohandleayounggirlinthenude。Hedeemedthisnatural,becausehediditeveryday,andneitherfeltnorthought,asitseemedtohim,anythingevilashediditand,consequently,heconsideredgirlishmodestynotmerelyasarelicofbarbarism,but,aswell,aninsulttohimself。
Itwasnecessarytosubmit,for,althoughallthedoctorsstudiedinthesameschool,allusingthesametextbooks,andalllearnedinthesamescience,andthoughsomepeoplesaidthiscelebrateddoctorwasbutapoordoctor,inthePrincess’shouseholdandcircleitwasforsomereasonheldthatthiscelebrateddoctoralonehadsomepeculiarknowledge,andthathealonecouldsaveKitty。Afterthoroughexaminationandtappingofthepatient,distraughtanddazedwithshame,thecelebrateddoctor,havingpainstakinglywashedhishands,wasstandinginthedrawingroomtalkingtothePrince。ThePrincefrownedandcoughedashelistenedtothedoctor。Asamanwhohadseensomethingoflife,andneitherafoolnoraninvalid,hehadnofaithinmedicine,andatsoulwaswroughtupwithallthiscomedy,especiallyashewasprobablytheonlyonewhofullyunderstoodthecauseofKitty’sillness。`You’rebarkingupthewrongtree,’
hementallyappliedthisphrasefromthehunter’svocabularytothecelebrateddoctor,ashelistenedtothelatter’spatteraboutthesymptomsofhisdaughter’scomplaint。Thedoctor,forhispart,founddifficultyinrestrainingtheexpressionofhiscontemptforthisoldgrandee,aswellasincondescendingtothelowlevelofhiscomprehension。Heperceivedthatitwasuselesstotalktotheoldman,andthattheheadofthishousewasthemother-andsheitwasbeforewhomheintendedtoscatterhispearls。ItwasatthispointthatthePrincessenteredthedrawingroomwiththefamilydoctor。ThePrinceretreated,doinghisbestnottobetrayhowridiculousheregardedthewholecomedy。ThePrincesswasdistraught,anddidnotknowwhattodo。ShefeltherselfatfaultbeforeKitty。
`Well,doctor,decideourfate,’saidthePrincess。`Tellmeeverything。’-
`Isthereanyhope?’waswhatshehadwantedtosay,butherlipsquivered,andshecouldnotutterthisquestion。`Well,doctor?’
`Immediately,Princess-Iwilldiscussthematterwithmycolleague,andthenhavethehonoroflayingmyopinionbeforeyou。’
`Thenwehadbetterleaveyou?’
`Asyouplease。’
ThePrincess,withasigh,steppedoutside。
Whenthedoctorswereleftalone,thefamilydoctorbegantimidlyexplaininghisopinion,thattherewasanincipienttubercularprocess,but……andsoon。Thecelebrateddoctorlistenedtohim,andinthemiddleoftheother’sspeechlookedathisbiggoldwatch。
`Thatisso,’saidhe。`But……’
Thefamilydoctorrespectfullyceasedinthemiddleofhisspeech。
`Asyouknow,wecannotdeterminetheincipienceofthetubercularprocess;untiltheappearanceofvomicaethereisnothingdeterminate。
Butwemaysuspectit。Andthereareindications:malnutrition,nervousexcitability,andsoon。Thequestionstandsthus:ifwesuspectatubercularprocess,whatmustwedotomaintainnutrition?’
`Butthen,youknow,therearealwaysmoral,spiritualcausesatthebackofthesecases,’thefamilydoctorpermittedhimselftointerpolatewithasubtlesmile。
`Yes,that’stobetakenforgranted,’retortedthecelebrateddoctor,againglancingathiswatch。`Begpardon-butistheIauzskybridgefinishedyet,ormustonestillmakeadetour?’heasked。`Ah!Itisfinished。
Well,inthatcaseIcanmakeitintwentyminutes。Asweweresaying,thequestionmaybepositedthus:thenutritionmustbemaintainedandthenervesimproved。Theoneisboundwiththeother;onemustworkuponbothsidesofthiscircle。’
`Butwhataboutthetripabroad?’askedthefamilydoctor。
`Iamafoetotripsabroad。Andtakenotice:ifthereisanyincipienttubercularprocess,whichwecannotknow,atripabroadwillnothelp。Wemusthavearemedythatwouldimprovenutrition,anddonoharm。’
AndthecelebrateddoctorexpoundedhisplanoftreatmentwithSodenwaters,indesignatingwhichhismainendwasevidentlytheirharmlessness。
Thefamilydoctorheardhimoutattentivelyandrespectfully。
`ButinfavorofforeigntravelIwouldurgethechangeofhabits,theremovalfromconditionswhichevokememories。Andthen-themotherwishesit,’headded。
`Ah!Well,inthatcase,onemightgo;well,letthemgo;butthoseGermancharlatansmaydoharm……Ourinstructionsoughttobefollowed……
Well,letthemgothen。’
Heagainglancedathiswatch。
`Oh!it’stimetogo,’andhewenttothedoor。
ThecelebrateddoctorinformedthePrincesspromptedbyafeelingofproprietythathemustseethepatientoncemore。
`What!Anotherexamination!’themotherexclaimedinhorror。
`Oh,no-Imerelyneedcertaindetails,Princess。’
`Comethisway。’
Andthemother,followedbythedoctor,wentintothedrawingroomtoKitty。Wastedandblushing,withapeculiarglitterinhereyes-aconsequenceoftheshameshehadgonethrough,Kittywasstandinginthemiddleoftheroom。Whenthedoctorcameinsheturnedcrimson,andhereyesfilledwithtears。Allherillnessanditstreatmentseemedtoherathingsostupid-evenfunny!Treatmentseemedtoherasfunnyasreconstructingthepiecesofabrokenvase。Itwasherheartthatwasbroken。
Why,then,didtheywanttocureherwithpillsandpowders?Butshecouldnothurthermother-allthemoresosincehermotherconsideredherselftoblame。
`MayItroubleyoutositdown,Princess?’thecelebrateddoctorsaidtoher。
Smiling,he,satdownfacingher,feltherpulse,andagainstartedinwithhistiresomequestions。Sheansweredhim,andsuddenly,becomingangry,gotup。
`Youmustpardonme,doctor-butreally,thiswillleadusnowhere。
Youaskmethesamethings,threetimesrunning。’
Thecelebrateddoctordidnottakeumbrage。
`Sicklyirritability,’saidhetothePrincess,whenKittyhadlefttheroom。`However,Ihadfinished……’
AndthedoctorscientificallydefinedtothePrincess,astoanexceptionallycleverwoman,theconditionoftheyoungPrincess,andconcludedbyexplainingthemodeofdrinkingtheunnecessarywaters。Whenthequestionofgoingabroadcameup,thedoctorwasplungedintoprofoundconsiderations,asthoughdecidingaweightyproblem。Finallyhisdecisionwasgiven:theymightgoabroad,butmustputnofaithincharlatans,butturntohimineverything。
Itseemedasthoughsomecheerfulinfluencehadsprungupafterthedoctor’sdeparture。Themothergrewmorecheerfulwhenshereturnedtoherdaughter,whileKittytoopretendedtobemorecheerful。Shehadfrequent,almostconstant,occasionstobepretendingnow。
`Really,I’mquitewell,maman。Butifyouwanttogoabroad,let’s!’shesaid,and,tryingtoshowthatshewasinterestedintheproposedtrip,shebegantalkingofthepreparationsforthedeparture。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart2,Chapter02[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter2RightafterthedoctorDollyarrived。Sheknewthattheconsultationwasscheduledforthatday,and,despitethefactthatshehadonlyrecentlygottenupfromherlying-inshehadhadanotherlittlegirlattheendofthewinter,despiteherhavingenoughtroubleandcaresofherown,shehadleftherbreastbabyandanailinggirltocomeandlearnKitty’sfate,whichwasbeingdecidedthatday。
`Well,what’swhat?’saidshe,enteringintothedrawingroom,withouttakingoffherhat。`You’reallingoodspirits。Thatmeansgoodnews,then?’
Anattemptwasmadetotellherwhatthedoctorhadsaid,butitprovedthat,eventhoughthedoctorhadtalkedcoherentlyandlong,itwasutterlyimpossibletoconveywhathehadsaid。Theonlypointofinterestwasthatgoingabroadwasdefinitelydecidedupon。
Dollycouldnothelpsighing。Herdearestfriend,hersister,wasgoingaway。Andherlifewasfarfromgay。HerrelationswithStepanArkadyevichaftertheirreconciliationhadbecomehumiliating。TheweldingAnnahadmadeprovednotatallsolid,andfamilyconcordhadbrokendownagainatthesamepoint。Therewasnothingdefinite,butStepanArkadyevichwashardlyeverathome;also,therewashardlyeveranymoney,andDollywasconstantlybeingtorturedbysuspicionsofinfidelities,andbynowshedrovethemawayfromher,dreadingtheagonyofjealousyshehadalreadyexperienced。Thefirstexplosionofjealousy,oncelivedthrough,couldneverreturn,andeventhediscoveryofinfidelitiescouldneveraffecthernowasithadthefirsttime。Suchadiscoverynowwouldonlymeanbreakingupherfamilyhabits,andshepermittedhimtodeceiveher,despisinghim-andstillmoreherself-forthisweakness。Besidesthis,thecaresofherlargefamilywereaconstanttormenttoher:nowthenursingofherbreastbabydidnotgowell;nowthenursewouldleave,nowasatthepresenttimeoneofthechildrenwouldfallill。
`Well,how’severybodyinyourfamily?’askedhermother。
`Ah,maman,wehaveenoughtroubleofourown。Lilihastakenill,andI’mafraidit’sscarlatina。IhavecomeherenowtofindoutaboutKitty,andthenIshallshutmyselfupentirely,if-Godforbid-itreallybescarlatina。’
TheoldPrincetoohadcomeinfromhisstudyafterthedoctor’sdeparture,and,afterofferinghischeektoDolly,andchattingawhilewithher,heturnedtohiswife:
`Whathaveyoudecided-areyougoing?Well,andwhatdoyouwanttodowithme?’
`Ithinkyouhadbetterstayhere,Alexandre,’saidhiswife。
`Justasyouwish。’
`Maman,whyshouldn’tfathercomewithus?’saidKitty。`He’llfeelbetter,andsowillwe。’
TheoldPrincegotupandstrokedKitty’shair。Sheliftedherheadandlookedathimwithaforcedsmile。Italwaysseemedtoherthatheunderstoodherbetterthananyoneelseinthefamilydid,thoughhespokebutlittlewithher。Beingtheyoungest,shewasherfather’sfavorite,andshefanciedthathisloveforhergavehiminsight。Whennowhergazemethisblue,kindlyeyes,scrutinizingherintently,itseemedtoherthathesawrightthroughher,andunderstoodalltheevilthingsthatwereatworkwithinher。Reddening,shewasdrawntowardhim,expectingakiss;buthemerelypattedherhairandsaid:
`Thesesillychignons!Onecan’tasmuchasgetnearone’srealdaughter,butsimplystrokethehairofdefunctfemales。WellDolinka,’
heturnedtohiselderdaughter,`what’syouraceuptonow?’
`Nothing,papa,’answeredDolly,whoknewthatthisreferredtoherhusband。`He’salwaysout;Ihardlyeverseehim,’shecouldnotresistaddingwithamockingsmile。
`Why,hasn’thegoneintothecountryyet-aboutthesaleoftheforest?’
`No;he’sstillgettingready。’
`Oh,that’sit!’saidthePrince。`AndsoI’mtobegettingready,too?Atyourservice,’hesaidtohiswife,sittingdown。`Andasforyou,Katia,’hewenton,addressinghisyoungerdaughter,`youmustwakeuponefinedayandsaytoyourself:Why,I’mquitewell,andmerry,andI’mgoingoutagainwithpapaforanearlymorningstrollinthefrost。Eh?’
Whatherfathersaidseemedsimpleenough,yetatthesewordsKittygrewconfusedandupset,likeacriminalcaughtred-handed。`Yes,heknowsall,heunderstandsall,andinthesewordshe’stellingmethatthoughI’mashamed,Imustlivethroughmyshame。’Shecouldnotpluckupspiritenoughtomakeanyanswer。Shemadeanattemptbutsuddenlyburstintotears,andranoutoftheroom。
`Seewhatcomesofyourjokes!’thePrincesspouncedonherhusband。
`You’realways……’shelaunchedintoherreproachfulspeech。
ThePrincelistenedtothePrincess’sreproachesratheralongwhileandkeptsilent,buthisfacegrewmoreandmoreglowering。
`She’ssomuchtobepitied,poorthing,somuchtobepitied,yetyoudon’tfeelhowitpainshertoheartheleasthintastothecauseofitall。Ah!tobesomistakeninpeople!’saidthePrincess,andbythechangeinhertonebothDollyandthePrinceknewshemeantVronsky。
`Idon’tknowwhytherearen’tlawsagainstsuchvile,dishonorablepeople。’
`Ah,Ioughtn’ttolistentoyou!’saidthePrinceglumly,gettingupfromhischair,asiftogo,yetpausinginthedoorway。`Therearelaws,mydear,andsinceyou’vechallengedmetoit,I’lltellyouwho’stoblameforitall:you-you,youalone。Lawsagainstsuchyounggallantshavealwaysexisted,andstillexist!Yes,ifthereweren’tanythingthatoughtnottohavebeen,I,oldasIam,wouldhavecalledhimouttothebarrier,thisswell。Yes,andnowgoaheadandphysicher,andcallinthesecharlatans。’
ThePrince,itseemed,hadplentymoretosay,butnosoonerhadthePrincesscaughthistonethanshesubsidedatonce,andbecamepenitent,aswasalwaysthecaseinseriousmatters。
`Alexandre,Alexandre,’shewhispered,approachinghimandburstingintotears。
AssoonasshebegantoweepthePrince,too,calmeddown。Hewentuptoher。
`There,that’senough,that’senough!Youfeelbadlytoo,Iknow。
Nothingcanbedoneaboutit!It’snotsoverybad。Godismerciful……
thanks……’hesaid,withoutknowinghimselfwhathewassayingnow,respondingtothemoistkissofthePrincessthathefeltonhishand。AndthePrincewentoutoftheroom。
NosoonerhadKittygoneoutoftheroom,intears,thanDolly,withhermotherly,domestichabit,hadpromptlyperceivedthathereawoman’sworklaybeforeher,andgotreadyforit。Shetookoffherhat,and,morallyspeaking,tuckeduphersleevesandgotreadyforaction。Whilehermotherwasattackingherfather,shetriedtorestrainhermother,sofarasdaughterlyreverencewouldallow。DuringthePrince’soutburstshewassilent;shefeltashamedforhermotherandtendertowardherfatherforsoquicklybeingkindagain。Butwhenherfatherleft,shemadereadyforwhatwasmostnecessary-togotoKittyandcomposeher。
`I’veintendedlongsincetotellyousomething,maman:didyouknowthatLevinmeanttoproposetoKittywhenhewasherelast?HetoldStivaso。’
`Well,whatofit?Idon’tunderstand……’
`Why,perhapsKittyrefusedhim?……Didshesaynothingtoyou?’
`No,shesaidnothingtomeeitheroftheoneortheother;she’stooproud。ButIknowit’sallonaccountofthis……’
`Yes,butsupposeshehasrefusedLevin-andshewouldn’thaverefusedhimifithadn’tbeenfortheother,Iknow。Andthen,thisfellowhasdeceivedhersohorribly。’
ItwastoofrightfulforthePrincesstothinkhowmuchatfaultshewasbeforeherdaughter,andshegrewangry。
`Oh,nowIreallyunderstandnothing!Nowadayseverybodythinkstoliveafterhisownway;amotherisn’ttoldathing,andthenyouhave……’
`Maman,I’llgotoher。’
`Do。AmIforbiddingyou?’
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart2,Chapter03[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter3WhenshewentintoKitty’slittlesanctum,apretty,rosylittleroom,fullofknickknacksinvieuxsaxe,asyouthfulandrosyandgayasKittyherselfhadbeenonlytwomonthsago,Dollyrecalledhowtheyhadtogetherdecoratedtheroomtheyearbefore,withwhatgaietyandlove。
HerheartturnedcoldwhenshebeheldKittysittingonthelowchairnearestthedoor,hereyesfixedimmovablyonacorneroftherug。Kittyglancedathersister,andthecold,ratheraustereexpressionofherfacedidnotchange。
`I’mgoingnow,andshallentrenchmyselfathome,andyouwon’tbeabletocometoseeme,’saidDaryaAlexandrovnasittingdownbesideher。`Iwanttotalktoyou。’
`Whatabout?’Kittyaskedswiftly,liftingherheadinfright。
`Whatshoulditbe,savewhat’sgrievingyou?’
`Ihavenogrief。’
`Come,Kitty。DoyoupossiblythinkIcannotknow?Iknowall。
And,believeme,thisissoinsignificant……We’veallbeenthroughit。’
Kittydidnotspeak,andherfacehadasternexpression。
`He’snotworthyoursufferingonhisaccount,’pursuedDaryaAlexandrovna,comingstraighttothepoint。
`Yes-becausehehasdisdainedme,’saidKitty,inajarringvoice。`Don’tsayanything!Please,don’tsayanything!’
`Butwhoevertoldyouthat?Noonehassaidthat。I’mcertainhewasinlovewithyou,andremainedinlovewithyou,but……’
`Oh,themostawfulthingofallformearethesecondolences!’
criedoutKitty,inasuddenfitofanger。Sheturnedroundonherchair,turnedred,andherfingersmovedquickly,asshepinchedthebuckleofthebeltsheheld,nowwithonehand,nowwiththeother。Dollyknewthistrickhersisterhadofgraspingsomethinginturnwitheachofherhands,wheninexcitement;sheknewthat,inamomentofexcitementKittywascapableofforgettingherselfandsayingagreatdealtoomuchandmuchthatwasunpleasant,andDollywouldhavecalmedher;butitwasalreadytoolate。
`What-whatisityouwanttomakemefeel,eh?’saidKittyquickly。
`ThatI’vebeeninlovewithamanwhodidn’tevencaretoknowme,andthatI’mdyingforloveofhim?Andthisissaidtomebymyownsister,whoimaginesthat……that……thatshe’ssympathizingwithme!……Idon’twantthesecondolencesandhypocrisies!’
`Kitty,you’reunjust。’
`Whydoyoutormentme?’
`ButI……Onthecontrary……Icanseeyou’rehurt……’
ButKittyinherheatdidnothearher。
`I’venothingtodespairoverandbecomfortedabout。I’msufficientlyproudnevertoallowmyselftocareforamanwhodoesnotloveme。’
`Why,Idon’tsayanythingofthekind……Only,tellmethetruth,’
saidDaryaAlexandrovna,takingherbythehand,`tellme-didLevinspeaktoyou?……’
ThementionofLevinseemedtodepriveKittyofthelastvestigeofself-control。Sheleapedupfromherchair,and,flingingthebuckletotheground,gesticulatingrapidlywithherhands,shesaid:
`WhybringLevinintoo?Ican’tunderstand-whatyouwanttotorturemefor?I’vetoldyou,andIrepeatit-Ihavesomepride,andnever,neverwouldIdowhatyou’redoing-goingbacktoamanwho’sdeceivedyou,whohascometoloveanotherwoman。Ican’tunderstandthis!Youmay-butIcan’tdoit!’
And,havingsaidthesewords,sheglancedathersister,andseeingthatDollysatsilent,herheadmournfullybowed,Kitty,insteadofleavingtheroom,asshehadintended,satdownnearthedoor,and,hidingherfaceinhershawl,letherheaddrop。
Thesilencelastedfortwominutes。Dolly’sthoughtswereofherself。
Thathumiliationofwhichshewasalwaysconsciouscamebacktoherwithspecialpainwhenhersisterremindedherofit。Shehadnotexpectedsuchcrueltyfromhersister,andwasresentful。Butsuddenlysheheardtherustleofaskirt,and,simultaneously,anoutburstofsmotheredsobbing,andfeltarmsclaspingherneckfrombelow。Kittywasonherkneesbeforeher。
`Dolinka,Iamso,sounhappy!’shewhisperedpenitently。
Andtheendearingface,coveredwithtears,hiditselfinDaryaAlexandrovna’sskirt。
Itwasasiftearsweretheindispensableoilwithoutwhichthemachineryofmutualcommunioncouldnotrunsmoothlybetweenthetwosisters;
thesisters,aftertheirtears,discussedeverythingbutthatwhichengrossedthem;but,evenintalkingofoutsidematters,theyunderstoodoneanother。
Kittyknewthatwhatshehadutteredinangeraboutherhusband’sinfidelityandherhumiliatingpositionhadstruckherpoorsistertotheverydepthsofherheart,butshealsoknewthatthelatterhadforgivenher。Dollyforherparthadcomprehendedallshehadwantedtofindout。Shehadbecomeconvincedthathersurmiseswerecorrect;thatKitty’smisery,herincurablemisery,wasduepreciselytothefactthatLevinhadproposedtoherandshehadrefusedhim,whileVronskyhaddeceivedher,andthatshestoodreadytoloveLevinandtohateVronsky。Kittysaidnowordofthis;shespokeofnothingsaveherownspiritualstate。
`Ihavenothingtogrieveover,’shesaid,calmingdown,`butyoucouldunderstandthateverythinghasbecomeloathsome,hateful,coarsetome-andImyselfmostofall。Youcan’timaginewhatloathsomethoughtsIhaveabouteverything。’
`Why,whateverloathsomethoughtscanyouhave?’askedDolly,smiling。
`Most,mostloathsomeandcoarse:Icouldn’ttellyou。Thisisnotmelancholy,norboredom,butfarworse。AsifeverythingofgoodthatIhadweregoneoutofsight,whileonlythatwhichwasmostloathsomewereleft。Well,howshallIputittoyou?’shewenton,seeingincomprehensioninhersister’seyes。`Papabegansayingsomethingtomejustnow……ItseemstomehethinksallIneedistomarry。Ifmammatakesmetoaball-itseemstomeshetakesmeonlytomarrymeoffasfastaspossible,andgetmeoffherhands。Iknowthisisn’tso,butIcan’tdriveawaysuchthoughts。Thesesuitorssocalled-Ican’tbearthesightofthem。
Itseemstomeasifthey’realwaystakingstockofme。Formerly,togoanywhereinaballdresswasadownrightjoytome;Iusedtoadmiremyself;
nowIfeelashamed,inatease。Well,takeanyexampleyoulike……Thisdoctor……Now……’
Kittyhesitated;shewantedtosayfurtherthateversincethischangehadtakenplaceinher,StepanArkadyevichhadbecomeunbearablyrepulsivetoher,andthatshecouldnotseehimwithoutimaginingthegrossestandmosthideousthings。
`Wellnow,everythingappearstome,inthecoarsest,mostloathsomeaspect,’shewenton。`Thatismyailment。Perhapsallthiswillpass……’
`Trynottothinkofsuchthings……’
`Ican’thelpit。IfeelwellonlywhenIamwiththechildren,atyourhouse。’
`Whatapityyoucan’tvisitme!’
`Oh,yes,I’llcome-I’vehadscarlatina,andI’llpersuademamantoletmecome。’
Kittyinsistedonhavingherway,andwenttostayathersister’sandnursedthechildrenallthroughthescarlatina-foritreallyprovedtobescarlatina。Thetwosistersbroughtallthesixchildrensuccessfullythroughit;Kitty’shealth,however,didnotimprove,andinLenttheShcherbatskyswentabroad。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart2,Chapter04[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter4ThereisreallyonlyonecircleofPeterburguppersociety:everyoneknowseveryoneelse,evenvisitseachother。Butthisgreatcirclehassubdivisionsofitsown。AnnaArkadyevnaKareninahadfriendsandclosetiesinthreedifferentcircles。Onecirclewasherhusband’ssetofcivilservantsandofficials,consistingofhiscolleaguesandsubordinates,broughttogetherinamostdiversifiedandcapriciousmanner,yetseparatedbysocialconditions。
Annacouldnowrecallonlywithdifficultythefeelingofalmostpiousreverencewhichshehadatfirstborneforthesepersons。Nowsheknewallofthem,aspeopleknowoneanotherinaprovincialtown;sheknewtheirhabitsandweaknesses,andwheretheshoepinchedeachoneofthem。
Sheknewtheirattitudestowardoneanotherandtothechiefcenter;knewwhobackedwhom,andhowandwherewithaleachonemaintainedhisposition,andwhoagreedordisagreedwithwhom;butthiscircleofpolitical,masculineinterestscouldnotinteresther,and,inspiteofCountessLidiaIvanovna’ssuggestions,sheavoidedit。
Anothersmallcircle,withwhichAnnawasintimate,wastheonebymeansofwhichAlexeiAlexandrovichhadmadehiscareer。ThecenterofthiscirclewastheCountessLidiaIvanovna。Thiswasacircleofelderly,homely,virtuousandpiouswomen,andclever,learnedandambitiousmen。
Oneofthecleverpeoplebelongingtothissmallcirclehadcalledit`theconscienceofPeterburgsociety。’AlexeiAlexandrovichappreciatedthiscircleverymuch,andAnna,whoknewsowellhowtogetonwithall,hadintheearlydaysofherlifeinPeterburgfoundfriendseveninthiscircle。
Butnow,uponherreturnfromMoscow,thissethadbecomeunbearabletoher。Itseemedtoherthatbothsheandallofthemweredissimulating,andsheexperiencedsuchboredomandlackofeaseintheirsocietythatshetriedtovisittheCountessLidiaIvanovnaasinfrequentlyaspossible。
And,finally,thethirdcirclewithwhichAnnahadtieswasthereallyfashionableworld-theworldofballs,ofdinners,ofsumptuousdresses;theworldthathungontothecourtwithonehand,inordernottosinktothelevelofthedemimonde,whichthemembersofthefashionableworldbelievedtheydespised-yetthetastesofbothwerenotonlysimilar,butpreciselythesame。HerconnectionwiththiscirclewasmaintainedthroughPrincessBetsyTverskaia,hercousin’swife,whohadanincomeofahundredandtwentythousandroubles,andwhohadtakenagreatlikingtoAnnaeversinceshefirstcameout,lookingafterheranddrawingherintoherowncircle,pokingfunatthatofCountessLidiaIvanovna。
`WhenI’moldandshallhavelostmylooks,I’llbethesame,’
Betsyusedtosay;`butforayoungandprettywomanlikeyouit’smuchtooearlytojointhatOldLadies’Home。’
Annahadatfirstavoided,asmuchasshecould,PrincessTverskaia’sworld,becauseitnecessitatedexpendituresabovehermeans-and,besides,atsoulshepreferredthefirstcircle;butafterhertriptoMoscow,thingsfelloutquitetheotherway。Sheavoidedhermoralfriends,andwentoutintothefashionableworld。ThereshewouldmeetVronsky,andexperiencedanagitatingjoyatsuchmeetings。EspeciallyoftendidshemeetVronskyatBetsy’s,forBetsywasaVronskybybirth,andhiscousin。VronskywenteverywherewherehemightmeetAnna,and,ateverychancehehad,spoketoherofhislove。Sheofferedhimnoencouragement,yeteverytimeshemethimtherewaskindledinhersoulthatsamefeelingofanimationwhichhadcomeuponherthatdayintherailwaycarriagewhenshehadseenhimforthefirsttime。Shefeltherselfthatherdelightshoneinhereyesandpuckeredherlipsintoasmile-andshecouldnotquenchtheexpressionofthisdelight。
AtfirstAnnahadsincerelybelievedthatshewasdispleasedwithhimfordaringtopursueher;butnotlongafterherreturnfromMoscow,onarrivingatasoireewhereshehadanticipatedmeetinghim,yetnotfindinghimthere,sherealizedclearly,fromthefeelingofsadnesswhichovercameher,thatshehadbeendeceivingherself,andthatthispursuitwasnotmerelynotdistastefultoher,butthatitconstitutedalltheinterestofherlife。
Itwasthesecondperformanceofacelebratedcantatrice,andallthefashionableworldwasinthetheater。Vronsky,seeinghiscousinfromhisseatinthefrontrow,didnotwaittilltheentr’acte,butwenttoherbox。
`Whydidn’tyoucometodinner?’shesaidtohim。`Imarvelatthisclairvoyanceoflovers,’sheaddedwithasmile,sothatnoonebuthecouldhear,`shewasn’tthere。Butdocomeaftertheopera。’
Vronskylookedinquiringlyather。Shenodded。Hethankedherbyasmile,andsatdownbesideher。
`ButhowIrememberyourjeers!’continuedPrincessBetsy,whotookspecialdelightinfollowinguptheprogressofthispassion。`What’sbecomeofallthat?You’recaught,mydearfellow。’
`That’smyonedesire-tobecaught,’answeredVronsky,withhiscalm,good-naturedsmile。`IfIcomplainatall,it’sonlythatI’mnotcaughtenough,ifthetruthweretold。Ibegintolosehope。’
`Why,whateverhopecanyouexpect?’saidBetsy,offendedonbehalfofherfriend。`Entendonsnous……’Butinhereyesflittedgleamsoflight,whichproclaimedthatsheunderstoodverywell,evenasmuchashedid,whathopehemightentertain。
`Nonewhatever,’saidVronsky,laughingandshowinghiscloselysetteeth。`Excuseme,’headded,takingthebinocularsoutofherhand,andproceedingtoscrutinize,overherbareshoulder,therowofboxesoppositethem。`I’mafraidI’mbecomingridiculous。’
HewasverywellawarethatherannoriskofbeingridiculousintheeyesofBetsyandallotherfashionablepeople。Hewasverywellawarethatintheeyesofthesepeopletheroleofthehaplessloverofagirl,oringeneral,ofanywomanfreetomarry,mightberidiculous;
buttheroleofamanpursuingamarriedwoman,and,regardlessofeverything,stakinghislifeondrawingherintoadultery-thatrolehassomethingbeautifulandmajesticaboutit,andcanneverberidiculous,andsoitwaswithaproudandgaysmileunderhismustachesthatheloweredthebinocularsandlookedathiscousin。
`Butwhydidn’tyoucometodinner?’shesaid,admiringhim。
`Imusttellyouaboutthat。Iwasbusy-andwithwhat,doyousuppose?I’llgiveyouahundredguesses,athousand……you’dneverguess。
I’vebeenreconcilingahusbandwithamanwho’dinsultedhiswife。Yes,really!’
`Well,didyoureconcilethem?’
`Almost。’
`Youreallymusttellmeaboutit,’shesaid,gettingup。`Cometomeinthenextentr’acte。’
`Ican’t;I’mgoingtotheFrenchtheater。’
`LeavingNilsson?’Betsyqueriedinhorror,thoughshecouldnotherselfhavedistinguishedNilssonfromanychorusgirl。
`WhatcanIdo?I’veanappointmentthere,allbecauseofmymissionofpeace。’
`’Blessedarethepeacemakers;’’``theyshallbesaved’,’saidBetsy,recallingsomethingofthatsortshehadheardfromsomebodyorother。`Verywell,then,sitdown,andtellmewhatit’sallabout。’
Andsheresumedherseat。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart2,Chapter05[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter5`Thisisratherindiscreet,butit’ssocharmingthatoneisawfullytemptedtotellthestory,’saidVronsky,lookingatherwithlaughingeyes。`I
don’tintendtomentionanynames。’
`ButIshallguessthem-somuchthebetter。’
`Listen,then:twofestiveyoungmenweredrivingalong……’
`Officersofyourregiment,ofcourse?’
`Ididn’tsaytheywereofficers-justtwoyoungmenwhohadbeenlunching。’
`Inotherwords,drinking。’
`Possibly。Theyweredrivingontheirwaytodinnerwithafriendinthegayestofmoods。Andtheycatchsightofaprettywomaninahiredsleigh,whoovertakesthem,looksbackatthem,and-soitseemedtothem,atanyrate-nodstothemandlaughs。They,ofcourse,followher-gallopingatfullspeed。Totheiramazement,thefaironealightsattheentranceoftheveryhousetowhichtheyweregoing。Thefaironedartsupstairstothetopfloor。Alltheygotwasaglimpseofrosebudlipsunderashortveil,andofexquisitelittlefeet。’
`Youtellthiswithsuchfeelingthatitseemstomeyouyourselfmusthavebeenoneofthetwo。’
`Butwhatdidyoutellmejustnow?……Well,theyoungmenentertheircomrade’sapartment-hewasgivingafarewelldinner。Theretheycertainlydidtakeadroptoomuch,asisalwaysthecaseatfarewelldinners。
Andatdinnertheyinquirewholivesatthetopinthathouse。Nooneknows;
onlytheirhost’svalet,inanswertotheirinquirywhetherany``youngladies’arelivingonthetopfloor,answeredthattherewereagreatmanyofthem。Afterdinnerthetwoyoungmengointotheirhost’sstudy,andwritealettertothefairunknown。Theycomposedapassionateepistle,reallyadeclaration,andthencarrytheletterupstairsthemselves,soastoexplainwhatevermightprovenotaltogetherclearintheletter。’
`Whydoyoutellmesuchnastythings?Andthen?’
`Theyring。Amaidservantopensthedoor,theyhandhertheletter,andassureherthatthey’rebothsoenamoredthatthey’lldieonthespotatthedoor。Themaid,stupefied,carriesonthenegotiations。Suddenlyagentlemanappears-withsidewhiskerslikecountrysausages,heisasredasalobsterand,informingthemthatthereisnoonelivinginthatflatexcepthiswife,hesendsthembothpacking。’
`Howdoyouknowhehadsidewhiskerslikesausages,asyouputit?’
`Ah,dobutlisten。RecentlyIwenttomakepeacebetweenthem。’
`Well,andwhatwastheupshot?’
`That’sthemostinterestingpart。Thiscoupleturnedouttobeamosthappyone-agovernmentclerkandhislady。Thegovernmentclerklodgesacomplaint,whereuponIbecomeamediator-andwhatamediator!……
IassureyouTalleyrandwasanobodycomparedtome。’
`Justwhatwasthedifficulty?’
`Ah,dobutlisten……Wemakefittingapologies:``Weareindespair;weentreatforgivenessfortheunfortunatemisunderstanding。’’
Thegovernmentclerkwiththecountrysausagesbeginstomelt,andhe,too,desirestoexpresshissentiments,butnosoonerdoeshebegintoexpressthemthanhegetsheatedandsaysnastythings,andagainI’mobligedtotrotoutallmydiplomatictalents。``Iagreethattheiractionwasbad,butIbegofyoutotakeintoconsiderationthemisunderstanding,andtheiryouth;besides,theyoungmenhadjustcomefromtheirlunch。
Youunderstand。Theirrepentanceisheartfeltandtheybegyoutoforgivetheirmisbehavior。’’Thegovernmentclerkwassoftenedoncemore。``Iconsent,Count,andamreadytoforgivebutyoumustunderstandthatmywife-mywife!-arespectablewomanissubjectedtoannoyances,andinsults,andimpertinencesbycertainmilksops,scou……’’Yet,youunderstand,themilksopispresent,anditisuptometomakepeacebetweenthem。AgainItrotoutallmydiplomacy,andagain,justasthematterisabouttobeconcluded,ourfriendthegovernmentclerkgetsheatedandturnsredwhilehiscountrysausagesbristleup,andIoncemoreexertdiplomaticfinesse。’
`Ah,youmusthearthisstory!’saidBetsy,laughing,toaladywhowasenteringthebox。`Hehasmademelaughsomuch……Well,bonnechance!’sheadded,givingVronskytheonefingerfreefromholdingherfan,andwithashrugofhershoulderslettingdownthebodiceofhergown,thathadworkedup,soastobefittinglyandfullynudeasshemovedforward,towardthefootlights,intothelightsofthegas,andwithinthekenofall。
VronskydrovetotheFrenchtheater,wherehereallyhadtoseethecolonelofhisregiment,whonevermissedasingleperformancethere;
hewantedtotalkoverhispeacemaking,whichhadbeenoccupyingandamusinghimforthelastthreedays。Petritsky,whomheliked,wasimplicatedintheaffair,aswellasanotherfinefellowandexcellentcomrade,whohadlatelyjoinedtheregiment-theyoungPrinceKedrov。But,mainly,theinterestsoftheregimentwereinvolvedaswell。
BothculpritswereinVronsky’ssquadron。Thecoloneloftheregimenthadreceivedacallfromthegovernmentclerk,Venden,withacomplaintagainsthisofficers,whohadinsultedhiswife。Hisyoungwife,asVendentoldthestory-hehadbeenmarriedhalfayear-hadbeenatchurchwithhermother,and,suddenlyfeelingindisposed,duetoherinterestingcondition,foundthatshecouldnotremainstandinganddrovehomeinthefirstsleighwiththemettlesomecoachmanshecameacross。Itwasthenthattheofficerssetoffinpursuitofher;shewasalarmed,and,feelingstillworse,ranhomeupthestaircase。Vendenhimself,onreturningfromhisoffice,hadheardaringattheirbellandvoices,hadsteppedout,andseeingtheintoxicatedofficerswithaletter,hehadpushedthemout。Hewasaskingthattheculpritsbeseverelypunished。
`Youmaysaywhatyouwill,’saidthecoloneltoVronsky,whomhehadinvitedtocomeandseehim。`Petritskyisbecomingimpossible。
Notaweekgoesbywithoutsomescrape。Thisclerkchapwon’tletmattersdrop-he’llgoonwiththething。’
Vronskysawallthethanklessnessofthebusiness,andthataduelwasoutofthequestionhere;thateverythingmustbedonetosoftenthisgovernmentclerk,andhushthematterup。ThecolonelhadcalledinVronskypreciselybecauseheknewhimtobeanhonorableandintelligentman,but,aboveall,onetowhomthehonoroftheregimentwasdear。Theytalkeditover,anddecidedthatPetritskyandKedrovmustgowithVronskytothisgovernmentclerkandapologize。ThecolonelandVronskywerebothfullyawarethatVronsky’snameandinsigniaofaide-de-campwereboundtogoalongwaytowardsofteningthegovernmentclerk。Andthesetwoinfluencesprovedinfactnotwithouteffect;thoughtheresultofthemediationremained,asVronskyhaddescribed,uncertain。
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