Page 1519 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

after a moment’s silence, bending over towards her, and
he opened his hand, hoping she would lay hers in it.
She was glad of this appeal for tenderness. But some
strange force of evil would not let her give herself up to

her feelings, as though the rules of warfare would not
permit her to surrender.
‘Of course you wanted to stay, and you stayed. You do
everything you want to. But what do you tell me that for?
With what object?’ she said, getting more and more
excited. ‘Does anyone contest your rights? But you want
to be right, and you’re welcome to be right.’
His hand closed, he turned away, and his face wore a
still more obstinate expression.
‘For you it’s a matter of obstinacy,’ she said, watching
him intently and suddenly finding the right word for that
expression that irritated her, ‘simply obstinacy. For you it’s
a question of whether you keep the upper hand of me,
while for me....’ Again she felt sorry for herself, and she
almost burst into tears. ‘If you knew what it is for me!
When I feel as I do now that you are hostile, yes, hostile
to me, if you knew what this means for me! If you knew
how I feel on the brink of calamity at this instant, how
afraid I am of myself!’ And she turned away, hiding her
sobs.

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