Page 438 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

unpardonable mistake, in recovering his seat in the saddle.
All at once his position had shifted and he knew that
something awful had happened. He could not yet make
out what had happened, when the white legs of a chestnut

horse flashed by close to him, and Mahotin passed at a
swift gallop. Vronsky was touching the ground with one
foot, and his mare was sinking on that foot. He just had
time to free his leg when she fell on one side, gasping
painfully, and, making vain efforts to rise with her delicate,
soaking neck, she fluttered on the ground at his feet like a
shot bird. The clumsy movement made by Vronsky had
broken her back. But that he only knew much later. At
that moment he knew only that Mahotin had down
swiftly by, while he stood staggering alone on the muddy,
motionless ground, and Frou-Frou lay gasping before him,
bending her head back and gazing at him with her
exquisite eyes. Still unable to realize what had happened,
Vronsky tugged at his mare’s reins. Again she struggled all
over like a fish, and her shoulders setting the saddle
heaving, she rose on her front legs but unable to lift her
back, she quivered all over and again fell on her side. With
a face hideous with passion, his lower jaw trembling, and
his cheeks white, Vronsky kicked her with his heel in the
stomach and again fell to tugging at the rein. She did not

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