Part Two: Chapter 29

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Everyone was loudly expressing disapprobation, everyone wasrepeating a phrase some one had uttered--"The lions andgladiators will be the next thing," and everyone was feelinghorrified; so that when Vronsky fell to the ground, and Annamoaned aloud, there was nothing very out of the way in it. Butafterwards a change came over Anna's face which really was beyonddecorum. She utterly lost her head. She began fluttering like acaged bird, at one moment would have got up and moved away, atthe next turned to Betsy.

　　"Let us go, let us go!" she said.

　　But Betsy did not hear her. She was bending down, talking to ageneral who had come up to her.

　　Alexey Alexandrovitch went up to Anna and courteously offered herhis arm.

　　"Let us go, if you like," he said in French, but Anna waslistening to the general and did not notice her husband.

　　"He's broken his leg too, so they say," the general was saying."This is beyond everything."

　　Without answering her husband, Anna lifted her opera glass andgazed towards the place where Vronsky had fallen; but it was sofar off, and there was such a crowd of people about it, that shecould make out nothing. She laid down the opera glass, and wouldhave moved away, but at that moment an officer galloped up andmade some announcement to the Tsar. Anna craned forward,listening.

　　"Stiva! Stiva!" she cried to her brother.

　　But her brother did not hear her. Again she would have movedaway.

　　"Once more I offer you my arm if you want to be going," saidAlexey Alexandrovitch, reaching towards her hand.

　　She drew back from him with aversion, and without looking in hisface answered:

　　"No, no, let me be, I'll stay."

　　She saw now that from the place of Vronsky's accident an officerwas running across the course towards the pavilion. Betsy wavedher handkerchief to him. The officer brought the news that therider was not killed, but the horse had broken its back.

　　On hearing this Anna sat down hurriedly, and hid her face in herfan. Alexey Alexandrovitch saw that she was weeping, and couldnot control her tears, nor even the sobs that were shaking herbosom. Alexey Alexandrovitch stood so as to screen her, givingher time to recover herself.

　　"For the third time I offer you my arm," he said to her after alittle time, turning to her. Anna gazed at him and did not knowwhat to say. Princess Betsy came to her rescue.

　　"No, Alexey Alexandrovitch; I brought Anna and I promised to takeher home," put in Betsy.

　　"Excuse me, princess," he said, smiling courteously but lookingher very firmly in the face, "but I see that Anna's not verywell, and I wish her to come home with me."

　　Anna looked about her in a frightened way, got up submissively,and laid her hand on her husband's arm.

　　"I'll send to him and find out, and let you know," Betsywhispered to her.

　　As they left the pavilion, Alexey Alexandrovitch, as always,talked to those he met, and Anna had, as always, to talk andanswer; but she was utterly beside herself, and moved hanging onher husband's arm as though in a dream.

　　"Is he killed or not? Is it true? Will he come or not? Shall Isee him today?" she was thinking.

　　She took her seat in her husband's carriage in silence, and insilence drove out of the crowd of carriages. I spite of all hehad seen, Alexey Alexandrovitch still did not allow himself toconsider his wife's real condition. He merely saw the outwardsymptoms. He saw that she was behaving unbecomingly, andconsidered it his duty to tell her so. But it was very difficultfor him not to say more, to tell her nothing but that. He openedhis mouth to tell her she had behaved unbecomingly, but he couldnot help saying something utterly different.

　　"What an inclination we all have, though, for these cruelspectacles," he said. "I observe..."

　　"Eh? I don't understand," said Anna contemptuously.

　　He was offended, and at once began to say what he had meant tosay.

　　"I am obliged to tell you," he began.

　　"So now we are to have it out," she thought, and she feltfrightened.

　　"I am obliged to tell you that your behavior has been unbecomingtoday," he said to her in French.

　　"In what way has my behavior been unbecoming?" she said aloud,turning her head swiftly and looking him straight in the face,not with the bright expression that seemed covering something,but with a look of determination, under which she concealed withdifficulty the dismay she was feeling.

　　"Mind," he said, pointing to the open window opposite thecoachman.

　　He got up and pulled up the window.

　　"What did you consider unbecoming?" she repeated.

　　"The despair you were unable to conceal at the accident to one ofthe riders."

　　He waited for her to answer, but she was silent, looking straightbefore her.

　　"I have already begged you so to conduct yourself in society thateven malicious tongues can find nothing to say against you.There was a time when I spoke of your inward attitude, but I amnot speaking of that now. Now I speak only of your externalattitude. You have behaved improperly, and I would wish it notto occur again."

　　She did not hear half of what he was saying; she feltpanic-stricken before him, and was thinking whether it was truethat Vronsky was not killed. Was it of him they were speakingwhen they said the rider was unhurt, but the horse had broken itsback? She merely smiled with a pretense of irony when hefinished, and made no reply, because she had not heard what hesaid. Alexey Alexandrovitch had begun to speak boldly, but as herealized plainly what he was speaking of, the dismay she wasfeeling infected him too. He saw the smile, and a strangemisapprehension came over him.

　　"She is smiling at my suspicions. Yes, she will tell me directlywhat she told me before; that there is no foundation for mysuspicions, that it's absurd."

　　At that moment, when the revelation of everything was hangingover him, there was nothing he expected so much as that she wouldanswer mockingly as before that his suspicions were absurd andutterly groundless. So terrible to him was that he knew that nowhe was ready to believe anything. But the expression of herface, scared and gloomy, did not now promise even deception.

　　"Possibly I was mistaken," said he. "If so, I beg your pardon."

　　"No, you were not mistaken," she said deliberately, lookingdesperately into his cold face. "You were not mistaken. I was,and I could not help being in despair. I hear you, but I amthinking of him. I love him, I am his mistress; I can't bearyou; I'm afraid of you, and I hate you.... You can do what youlike to me."

　　And dropping back into the corner of the carriage, she broke intosobs, hiding her face in her hands. Alexey Alexandrovitch didnot stir, and kept looking straight before him. But his wholeface suddenly bore the solemn rigidity of the dead, and hisexpression did not change during the whole time of the drivehome. On reaching the house he turned his head to her, stillwith the same expression.

　　"Very well! But I expect a strict observance of the externalforms of propriety till such time"--his voice shook--"as I maytake measures to secure my honor and communicate them to you."

　　He got out first and helped her to get out. Before the servantshe pressed her hand, took his seat in the carriage, and droveback to Petersburg. Immediately afterwards a footman came fromPrincess Betsy and brought Anna a note.

　　"I sent to Alexey to find out how he is, and he writes me he isquite well and unhurt, but in despair."

　　"So he will be here," she thought. "What a good thing I toldhim all!"

　　She glanced at her watch. She had still three hours to wait, andthe memories of their last meeting set her blood in flame.

　　"My God, how light it is! It's dreadful, but I do love to seehis face, and I do love this fantastic light.... My husband!Oh! yes.... Well, thank God! everything's over with him."