Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/985

 Anna tossed her head as if to get rid of a disagreeable thought.

"When shall we go? The sooner the better. Tomorrow we can't, but the day after,"

"Yes .... no .... wait! Day after to-morrow is Monday. I shall have to go to maman" said Vronsky, somewhat confused; because, as he mentioned his mother's name, he saw Anna's eyes fixed with a look of suspicion on him, and his confusion increased her distrust. She forgot the queen of Sweden's swimming-teacher in her alarm about the Princess Sorokin, who was living at a country seat in the suburbs of Moscow with the old countess.

"Can't you go there to-morrow?"

"Why, no! That 's impossible. There is some business that I must attend to,—a power of attorney; and the money will not be ready to-morrow."

"If that is so, we won't go at all."

"But why not?"

"I won't go if it is put off later. Sunday or never!"

"Why so?" cried Vronsky, in astonishment. "There's no sense in that."

"It has no sense for you, because you never take me into account at all. You can't understand my life. The only thing that interests me here is Hannah. You say that it is hypocrisy. You said last evening that I did not love my daughter, but that I pretended to love this English girl, that this was affectation. I should like to know what can be natural in the life I lead here?"

For an instant she came to herself, and was frightened because she had broken her vow. But, though she knew that she was dashing to destruction, she could not resist the temptation of proving to him that he was in the wrong, she could not help heaping insults on him.

"I never said that: I said that I did not sympathize with this sudden tenderness for her."

"Why do you, who boast of being straightforward, tell me a lie?"

"I never boast, and I never tell lies," said he, re-