Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/581



Stepan Arkadyevitch gave the letter back to his brother-in-law; and with the same perplexity, he simply stared at his brother-in-law, not knowing what to say. This silence was so uncomfortable to both that Stepan Arkadyevitch's lips trembled convulsively, while he did not take his eyes from Karenin's face.

"That is what I wanted to say to her," said Alekseï Aleksandrovitch, turning away.

"Yes, yes," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, but he could not go on, the tears so choked his utterance. "Yes, yes, I understand you."

"I should like to know what she wishes," said he, at last.

"I am afraid that she herself does not realize her own situation. She is not a judge of the matter," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, trying to recover himself." She is crushed, literally crushed, by your magnanimity; if she should read your letter, she would be unable to say a word, and could only bow her head still lower."

"Yes! But what is to be done in such a case? How can it be settled? How can I know what she wishes?"

"If you will allow me to express my opinion, I think it is for you to state clearly what measure you believe necessary to put an end to this situation at once."

"Consequently, you think it ought to be ended at once?" interrupted Alekseï Aleksandrovitch. "But how?" he added, passing the back of his hand over his eyes in an unusual way. "I see no possible way out of it!"

"There is a way out of every difficulty, however serious it may be," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, rising, and growing more animated. "There was a time when you wished for a divorce .... if you are convinced now that you can never be happy together again ...."

"Happiness may be understood in different ways. Let us grant that I agree to everything, that I have no