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 Kitty stopped; she wanted to say further that, since she had felt this great change in herself, Stepan Arkadyevitch had become unendurably distasteful to her, that she could not see him without the most repulsive and unbecoming conjectures arising in her mind.

"Indeed, everything takes the most repulsive, disgusting aspect in my sight," she continued. "It is a disease,—perhaps it will pass away."

"But don't for a moment think .... "

"I cannot help it. I do not feel at ease except with you and the children."

"What a pity that you can't come home with me now!"

"Well, I will go. I have had scarlatina. I will persuade maman."

Kitty insisted so eagerly, that she was allowed to go to her sister's, and throughout the course of the disease,—which proved to be the scarlatina,—she looked after the children. The two sisters successfully nursed all the six children; but Kitty's health did not improve, and at Lent the Shcherbatskys went abroad.

CHAPTER IV

highest Petersburg society is remarkably united. Every one knows every one else, and every one exchanges visits. But in this great circle there are subdivisions. Anna Arkadyevna Karenina had friends and close relations with three different circles. One was the official circle, to which her husband belonged, composed of his colleagues and subordinates, bound together, or even further subdivided, by the most varied, and often the most capricious, social relations. It was now difficult for Anna to call back the sentiment of almost religious respect which at first she felt for all these personages. Now she knew them all, as one knows people in a provincial city. She knew what habits and weaknesses were characteristic of each, and what feet the shoe pinched. She knew what were their relations among