Page 311 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

Chapter 8

Alexey Alexandrovitch had seen nothing striking or
improper in the fact that his wife was sitting with Vronsky
at a table apart, in eager conversation with him about
something. But he noticed that to the rest of the party this
appeared something striking and improper, and for that
reason it seemed to him too to be improper. He made up
his mind that he must speak of it to his wife.
On reaching home Alexey Alexandrovitch went to his
study, as he usually did, seated himself in his low chair,
opened a book on the Papacy at the place where he had
laid the paper-knife in it, and read till one o’clock, just as
he usually did. But from time to time he rubbed his high
forehead and shook his head, as though to drive away
something. At his usual time he got up and made his toilet
for the night. Anna Arkadyevna had not yet come in.
With a book under his arm he went upstairs. But this
evening, instead of his usual thought and meditations upon
official details, his thoughts were absorbed by his wife and
something disagreeable connected with her. Contrary to
his usual habit, he did not get into bed, but fell to walking
up and down the rooms with his hands clasped behind his

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