Page 1689 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

Chapter 7

Agafea Mihalovna went out on tiptoe; the nurse let
down the blind, chased a fly out from under the muslin
canopy of the crib, and a bumblebee struggling on the
window-frame, and sat down waving a faded branch of
birch over the mother and the baby.
‘How hot it is! if God would send a drop of rain,’ she
said.
‘Yes, yes, sh—sh—sh—’ was all Kitty answered,
rocking a little, and tenderly squeezing the plump little
arm, with rolls of fat at the wrist, which Mitya still waved
feebly as he opened and shut his eyes. That hand worried
Kitty; she longed to kiss the little hand, but was afraid to
for fear of waking the baby. At last the little hand ceased
waving, and the eyes closed. Only from time to time, as
he went on sucking, the baby raised his long, curly
eyelashes and peeped at his mother with wet eyes, that
looked black in the twilight. The nurse had left off
fanning, and was dozing. From above came the peals of
the old prince’s voice, and the chuckle of Katavasov.
‘They have got into talk without me,’ thought Kitty,
‘but still it’s vexing that Kostya’s out. He’s sure to have

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