Part One: Chapter 18

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Vronsky followed the guard to the carriage, and at the door ofthe compartment he stopped short to make room for a lady who wasgetting out.

　　With the insight of a man of the world, from one glance at thislady's appearance Vronsky classified her as belonging to the bestsociety. He begged pardon, and was getting into the carriage,but felt he must glance at her once more; not that she was verybeautiful, not on account of the elegance and modest grace whichwere apparent in her whole figure, but because in the expressionof her charming face, as she passed close by him, there wassomething peculiarly caressing and soft. As he looked round, shetoo turned her head. Her shining gray eyes, that looked darkfrom the thick lashes, rested with friendly attention on hisface, as though she were recognizing him, and then promptlyturned away to the passing crowd, as though seeking someone. Inthat brief look Vronsky had time to notice the suppressedeagerness which played over her face, and flitted between thebrilliant eyes and the faint smile that curved her red lips. Itwas as though her nature were so brimming over with somethingthat against her will it showed itself now in the flash of hereyes, and now in her smile. Deliberately she shrouded the lightin her eyes, but it shone against her will in the faintlyperceptible smile.

　　Vronsky stepped into the carriage. His mother, a dried-up oldlady with black eyes and ringlets, screwed up her eyes, scanningher son, and smiled slightly with her thin lips. Getting up fromthe seat and handing her maid a bag, she gave her little wrinkledhand to her son to kiss, and lifting his head from her hand,kissed him on the cheek.

　　"You got my telegram? Quite well? Thank God."

　　"You had a good journey?" said her son, sitting down beside her,and involuntarily listening to a woman's voice outside the door.He knew it was the voice of the lady he had met at the door.

　　"All the same I don't agree with you," said the lady's voice.

　　"It's the Petersburg view, madame."

　　"Not Petersburg, but simply feminine," she responded.

　　"Well, well, allow me to kiss your hand."

　　"Good-bye, Ivan Petrovitch. And could you see if my brother ishere, and send him to me?" said the lady in the doorway, andstepped back again into the compartment.

　　"Well, have you found your brother?" said Countess Vronskaya,addressing the lady.

　　Vronsky understood now that this was Madame Karenina.

　　"Your brother is here," he said, standing up. "Excuse me, I didnot know you, and, indeed, our acquaintance was so slight," saidVronsky, bowing, "that no doubt you do not remember me."

　　"Oh, no," said she, "I should have known you because your motherand I have been talking, I think, of nothing but you all theway." As she spoke she let the eagerness that would insist oncoming out show itself in her smile. "And still no sign of mybrother."

　　"Do call him, Alexey," said the old countess. Vronsky steppedout onto the platform and shouted:

　　"Oblonsky! Here!"

　　Madame Karenina, however, did not wait for her brother, butcatching sight of him she stepped out with her light, resolutestep. And as soon as her brother had reached her, with a gesturethat struck Vronsky by its decision and its grace, she flung herleft arm around his neck, drew him rapidly to her, and kissed himwarmly. Vronsky gazed, never taking his eyes from her, andsmiled, he could not have said why. But recollecting that hismother was waiting for him, he went back again into the carriage.

　　"She's very sweet, isn't she?" said the countess of MadameKarenina. "Her husband put her with me, and I was delighted tohave her. We've been talking all the way. And so you, Ihear...vous filez le parfait amour. Tant mieux, mon cher, tantmieux."

　　"I don't know what you are referring to, maman," he answeredcoldly. "Come, maman, let us go."

　　Madame Karenina entered the carriage again to say good-bye to thecountess.

　　"Well, countess, you have met your son, and I my brother," shesaid. "And all my gossip is exhausted. I should have nothingmore to tell you."

　　"Oh, no," said the countess, taking her hand. "I could go allaround the world with you and never be dull. You are one ofthose delightful women in whose company it's sweet to be silentas well as to talk. Now please don't fret over your son; youcan't expect never to be parted."

　　Madame Karenina stood quite still, holding herself very erect,and her eyes were smiling.

　　"Anna Arkadyevna," the countess said in explanation to her son,"has a little son eight years old, I believe, and she has neverbeen parted from him before, and she keeps fretting over leavinghim."

　　"Yes, the countess and I have been talking all the time, I of myson and she of hers," said Madame Karenina, and again a smilelighted up her face, a caressing smile intended for him.

　　"I am afraid that you must have been dreadfully bored," he said,promptly catching the ball of coquetry she had flung him. Butapparently she did not care to pursue the conversation in thatstrain, and she turned to the old countess.

　　"Thank you so much. The time has passed so quickly. Good-bye,countess."

　　"Good-bye, my love," answered the countess. "Let me have a kissof your pretty face. I speak plainly, at my age, and I tell yousimply that I've lost my heart to you."

　　Stereotyped as the phrase was, Madame Karenina obviously believedit and was delighted by it. She flushed, bent down slightly, andput her cheek to the countess's lips, drew herself up again, andwith the same smile fluttering between her lips and her eyes, shegave her hand to Vronsky. He pressed the little hand she gavehim, and was delighted, as though at something special, by theenergetic squeeze with which she freely and vigorously shook hishand. She went out with the rapid step which bore her ratherfully-developed figure with such strange lightness.

　　"Very charming," said the countess.

　　That was just what her son was thinking. His eyes followed hertill her graceful figure was out of sight, and then the smileremained on his face. He saw out of the window how she went upto her brother, put her arm in his, and began telling himsomething eagerly, obviously something that had nothing to dowith him, Vronsky, and at that he felt annoyed.

　　"Well, maman, are you perfectly well?" he repeated, turning tohis mother.

　　"Everything has been delightful. Alexander has been very good,and Marie has grown very pretty. She's very interesting."

　　And she began telling him again of what interested her most--thechristening of her grandson, for which she had been staying inPetersburg, and the special favor shown her elder son by theTsar.

　　"Here's Lavrenty," said Vronsky, looking out of the window; "nowwe can go, if you like."

　　The old butler who had traveled with the countess, came to thecarriage to announce that everything was ready, and the countessgot up to go.

　　"Come; there's not such a crowd now," said Vronsky.

　　The maid took a handbag and the lap dog, the butler and a porterthe other baggage. Vronsky gave his mother his arm; but just asthey were getting out of the carriage several men ran suddenly bywith panic-stricken faces. The station-master, too, ran by inhis extraordinary colored cap. Obviously something unusual hadhappened. The crowd who had left the train were running backagain.

　　"What?... What?... Where?... Flung himself!... Crushed!..."was heard among the crowd. Stepan Arkadyevitch, with his sisteron his arm, turned back. They too looked scared, and stopped atthe carriage door to avoid the crowd.

　　The ladies go in, while Vronsky and Stepan Arkadyevitch followedthe crowd to find out details of the disaster.

　　A guard, either dunk or too much muffled up in the bitter frost,had not heard the train moving back, and had been crushed.

　　Before Vronsky and Oblonsky came back the ladies heard the factsfrom the butler.

　　Oblonsky and Vronsky had both seen the mutilated corpse.Oblonsky was evidently upset. He frowned and seemed ready tocry.

　　"Ah, how awful! Ah, Anna, if you had seen it! Ah, how awful!"he said.

　　Vronsky did not speak; his handsome face was serious, butperfectly composed.

　　"Oh, if you had seen it, countess," said Stepan Arkadyevitch."And his wife was there.... It was awful to see her!.... Sheflung herself on the body. They say he was the only support ofan immense family. How awful!"

　　"Couldn't one do anything for her?" said Madame Karenina in anagitated whisper.

　　Vronsky glanced at her, and immediately got out of the carriage.

　　"I'll be back directly, maman," he remarked, turning round in thedoorway.

　　When he came back a few minutes later, Stepan Arkadyevitch wasalready in conversation with the countess about the new singer,while the countess was impatiently looking towards the door,waiting for her son.

　　"Now let us be off," said Vronsky, coming in. They went outtogether. Vronsky was in front with his mother. Behind walkedMadame Karenina with her brother. Just as they were going out ofthe station the station-master overtook Vronsky.

　　"You gave my assistant two hundred roubles. Would you kindlyexplain for whose benefit you intend them?"

　　"For the widow," said Vronsky, shrugging his shoulders. "Ishould have thought there was no need to ask."

　　"You gave that?" cried Oblonsky, behind, and, pressing hissister's hand, he added: "Very nice, very nice! Isn't he asplendid fellow? Good-bye, countess."

　　And he and his sister stood still, looking for her maid.

　　When they went out the Vronsky's carriage had already drivenaway. People coming in were still talking of what happened.

　　"What a horrible death!" said a gentleman, passing by. "They sayhe was cut in two pieces."

　　"On the contrary, I think it's the easiest--instantaneous,"observed another.

　　"How is it they don't take proper precautions?" said a third.

　　Madame Karenina seated herself in the carriage, and StepanArkadyevitch saw with surprise that her lips were quivering, andshe was with difficulty restraining her tears.

　　"What is it, Anna?" he asked, when they had driven a few hundredyards.

　　"It's an omen of evil," she said.

　　"What nonsense!" said Stepan Arkadyevitch. "You've come, that'sthe chief thing. You can't conceive how I'm resting my hopes onyou."

　　"Have you known Vronsky long?" she asked.

　　"Yes. You know we're hoping he will marry Kitty."

　　"Yes?" said Anna softly. "Come now, let us talk of you," sheadded, tossing her head, as though she would physically shake offsomething superfluous oppressing her. "Let us talk of youraffairs. I got your letter, and here I am."

　　"Yes, all my hopes are in you," said Stepan Arkadyevitch.

　　"Well, tell me all about it."

　　And Stepan Arkadyevitch began to tell his story.

　　On reaching home Oblonsky helped his sister out, sighed, pressedher hand, and set off to his office.