Page 1540 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

Petrovna’s face was stern and pale, and still as resolute,
though her jaws were twitching, and her eyes were fixed
intently on Kitty. Kitty’s swollen and agonized face, a tress
of hair clinging to her moist brow, was turned to him and

sought his eyes. Her lifted hands asked for his hands.
Clutching his chill hands in her moist ones, she began
squeezing them to her face.
‘Don’t go, don’t go! I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid!’ she
said rapidly. ‘Mamma, take my earrings. They bother me.
You’re not afraid? Quick, quick, Lizaveta Petrovna..’
She spoke quickly, very quickly, and tried to smile. But
suddenly her face was drawn, she pushed him away.
‘Oh, this is awful! I’m dying, I’m dying! Go away!’ she
shrieked, and again he heard that unearthly scream.
Levin clutched at his head and ran out of the room.
‘It’s nothing, it’s nothing, it’s all right,’ Dolly called
after him.
But they might say what they liked, he knew now that
all was over. He stood in the next room, his head leaning
against the door post, and heard shrieks, howls such as he
had never heard before, and he knew that what had been
Kitty was uttering these shrieks. He had long ago ceased to
wish for the child. By now he loathed this child. He did

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