Page 663 - ANNA KARENINA
P. 663
Anna Karenina
and the difficulty of making them clear, is something
exceptional and personal, peculiar to himself, and never
supposes that others are surrounded by just as complicated
an array of personal affairs as he is. So indeed it seemed to
Vronsky. And not with out inward pride, and not without
reason, he thought that any other man would long ago
have been in difficulties, would have been forced to some
dishonorable course, if he had found himself in such a
difficult position. But Vronsky felt that now especially it
was essential for him to clear up and define his position if
he were to avoid getting into difficulties.
What Vronsky attacked first as being the easiest was his
pecuniary position. Writing out on note paper in his
minute hand all that he owed, he added up the amount
and found that his debts amounted to seventeen thousand
and some odd hundreds, which he left out for the sake of
clearness. Reckoning up his money and his bank book, he
found that he had left one thousand eight hundred
roubles, and nothing coming in before the New Year.
Reckoning over again his list of debts, Vronsky copied it,
dividing it into three classes. In the first class he put the
debts which he would have to pay at once, or for which
he must in any case have the money ready so that on
demand for payment there could not be a moment’s delay
662 of 1759