Page 777 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

because he had himself changed of late, or that he was in
too close proximity to the prince, that week seemed
fearfully wearisome to him. The whole of that week he
experienced a sensation such as a man might have set in

charge of a dangerous madman, afraid of the madman, and
at the same time, from being with him, fearing for his own
reason. Vronsky was continually conscious of the necessity
of never for a second relaxing the tone of stern official
respectfulness, that he might not himself be insulted. The
prince’s manner of treating the very people who, to
Vronsky’s surprise, were ready to descend to any depths to
provide him with Russian amusements, was
contemptuous. His criticisms of Russian women, whom
he wished to study, more than once made Vronsky
crimson with indignation. The chief reason why the
prince was so particularly disagreeable to Vronsky was that
he could not help seeing himself in him. And what he saw
in this mirror did not gratify his self-esteem. He was a very
stupid and very self-satisfied and very healthy and very
well-washed man, and nothing else. He was a
gentleman—that was true, and Vronsky could not deny it.
He was equable and not cringing with his superiors, was
free and ingratiating in his behavior with his equals, and
was contemptuously indulgent with his inferiors. Vronsky

776 of 1759