Page 1680 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

Chapter 5

In the slanting evening shadows cast by the baggage
piled up on the platform, Vronsky in his long overcoat
and slouch hat, with his hands in his pockets, strode up
and down, like a wild beast in a cage, turning sharply after
twenty paces. Sergey Ivanovitch fancied, as he approached
him, that Vronsky saw him but was pretending not to see.
This did not affect Sergey Ivanovitch in the slightest. He
was above all personal considerations with Vronsky.
At that moment Sergey Ivanovitch looked upon
Vronsky as a man taking an important part in a great
cause, and Koznishev thought it his duty to encourage
him and express his approval. He went up to him.
Vronsky stood still, looked intently at him, recognized
him, and going a few steps forward to meet him, shook
hands with him very warmly.
‘Possibly you didn’t wish to see me,’ said Sergey
Ivanovitch, ‘but couldn’t I be of use to you?’
‘There’s no one I should less dislike seeing than you,’
said Vronsky. ‘Excuse me; and there’s nothing in life for
me to like.’

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