Page 1352 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

Chapter 21

‘No, I think the princess is tired, and horses don’t
interest her,’ Vronsky said to Anna, who wanted to go on
to the stables, where Sviazhsky wished to see the new
stallion. ‘You go on, while I escort the princess home, and
we’ll have a little talk,’ he said, ‘if you would like that?’ he
added, turning to her.
‘I know nothing about horses, and I shall be delighted,’
answered Darya Alexandrovna, rather astonished.
She saw by Vronsky’s face that he wanted something
from her. She was not mistaken. As soon as they had
passed through the little gate back into the garden, he
looked in the direction Anna had taken, and having made
sure that she could neither hear nor see them, he began:
‘You guess that I have something I want to say to you,’
he said, looking at her with laughing eyes. ‘I am not
wrong in believing you to be a friend of Anna’s.’ He took
off his hat, and taking out his handkerchief, wiped his
head, which was growing bald.
Darya Alexandrovna made no answer, and merely
stared at him with dismay. When she was left alone with

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