Page 317 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

the calamity possibly ensuing to our son; fourthly,
reference to the unhappiness likely to result to herself.’
And, interlacing his fingers, Alexey Alexandrovitch
stretched them, and the joints of the fingers cracked. This

trick, a bad habit, the cracking of his fingers, always
soothed him, and gave precision to his thoughts, so
needful to him at this juncture.
There was the sound of a carriage driving up to the
front door. Alexey Alexandrovitch halted in the middle of
the room.
A woman’s step was heard mounting the stairs. Alexey
Alexandrovitch, ready for his speech, stood compressing
his crossed fingers, waiting to see if the crack would not
come again. One joint cracked.
Already, from the sound of light steps on the stairs, he
was aware that she was close, and though he was satisfied
with his speech, he felt frightened of the explanation
confronting him...

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