Page 613 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

of himself. ‘It is a misfortune which may befall anyone.
And this misfortune has befallen me. The only thing to be
done is to make the best of the position.’
And he began passing in review the methods of

proceeding of men who had been in the same position
that he was in.
‘Daryalov fought a duel...’
The duel had particularly fascinated the thoughts of
Alexey Alexandrovitch in his youth, just because he was
physically a coward, and was himself well aware of the
fact. Alexey Alexandrovitch could not without horror
contemplate the idea of a pistol aimed at himself, and
never made use of any weapon in his life. This horror had
in his youth set him pondering on dueling, and picturing
himself in a position in which he would have to expose his
life to danger. Having attained success and an established
position in the world, he had long ago forgotten this
feeling; but the habitual bent of feeling reasserted itself,
and dread of his own cowardice proved even now so
strong that Alexey Alexandrovitch spent a long while
thinking over the question of dueling in all its aspects, and
hugging the idea of a duel, though he was fully aware
beforehand that he would never under any circumstances
fight one.

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