Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/892

 he is here; and when he is here he cannot help loving me; he does not dare not to love me."

The evening passed pleasantly and merrily in the presence of the Princess Varvara, who complained to him that when he was away Anna took morphine.

"What can I do? I cannot sleep,—my thoughts are distracting; when he is here, I never take it,—almost never."

Vronsky told about the elections, and Anna, by her questions, cleverly led him to talk about what especially pleased him, his own success. Then she told him all the interesting things that had happened since he went away, and took care to speak of nothing unpleasant.

But late in the evening, when they were alone, Anna, seeing that she had him at her feet again, wished to efface the unpleasant effect of her letter; she said:—

"Confess that you were displeased to receive my letter, and that you did not believe me."

As soon as she spoke she saw that, though he was affectionately disposed toward her, he did not forgive this.

"Yes," answered he, "your letter was strange. Ani was sick, and yet you yourself wanted to come."

"Both were true."

"Well, I do not doubt it."

"Yes, you do doubt. I see that you are angry."

"Not for one minute; but what vexes me is that you will not admit that there are duties ...."

"What duties? Going to concerts?"

"We won't talk about it."

"Why not talk about it?"

"I only mean that imperious duties may meet us. Now, for instance, I shall have to go to Moscow on business. .... Akh! Anna, why are you so irritable? Don't you know that I cannot live without you?"

"If this is the way," said Anna, changing her tone suddenly, "then you are tired of this kind of life. .... Yes, you come home one day and go away the next ...."

"Anna, this is cruel; I am ready to give up my whole life...."