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 "I know what he meant. He meant by affected that I did not love my daughter, but loved another's child. What does he know of the love a child can inspire? Has he the least idea what I sacrificed for him in giving up Serozha? But this desire to wound me! No, he loves another woman; it must be so."

And seeing that, even while she wanted to calm herself she was once more going over the circle she had so many times traversed, and was once more returning to the same state of irritation, she was horror-struck.

"Is it wholly out of the question? Can I not attach him to myself?" she queried, and then she began at the beginning again. "He is true, he is honorable, he loves me. I love him; in a day or two dissension will be ended. What is necessary? Calmness, gentleness, and I shall bring him back to me. Yes; now, when he comes, I will tell him that I was to blame .... although I was not to blame; .... and we will go off."

And, in order not to think any more, and not to give way to her irritation, she gave orders to bring down her trunks, to begin preparations for departure.

At ten o'clock Vronsky came in.

CHAPTER XXIV

did you have a gay time?" asked Anna, going to meet him with an apologetic and affectionate look on her face.

"As such things usually are," answered he, noticing at once by her face that she was in one of her best moods. He was already accustomed to such metamorphoses, and this time he was particularly glad, because he himself was in his happiest frame of mind. "What do I see? This is good," he added, pointing to the trunks in the entry.

"Yes, we must go. I went out to walk to-day, and it was so good that I longed to get back to the country. There's nothing to keep you here, is there?"