Page 1358 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

‘Yes, that brings me to the object of my conversation,’
he said, calming himself with an effort. ‘Anna can, it
depends on her.... Even to petition the Tsar for
legitimization, a divorce is essential. And that depends on

Anna. Her husband agreed to a divorce—at that time your
husband had arranged it completely. And now, I know, he
would not refuse it. It is only a matter of writing to him.
He said plainly at that time that if she expressed the desire,
he would not refuse. Of course,’ he said gloomily, ‘it is
one of those Pharisaical cruelties of which only such
heartless men are capable. He knows what agony any
recollection of him must give her, and knowing her, he
must have a letter from her. I can understand that it is
agony to her. But the matter is of such importance, that
one must passer par-dessus toutes ces finesses de sentiment.
Il y va du bonheur et de l’existence d’Anne et de ses
enfants. I won’t speak of myself, though it’s hard for me,
very hard,’ he said, with an expression as though he were
threatening someone for its being hard for him. ‘And so it
is, princess, that I am shamelessly clutching at you as an
anchor of salvation. Help me to persuade her to write to
him and ask for a divorce.’
‘Yes, of course,’ Darya Alexandrovna said dreamily, as
she vividly recalled her last interview with Alexey

1357 of 1759