Page 783 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

Chapter 3

‘You met him?’ she asked, when they had sat down at
the table in the lamplight. ‘You’re punished, you see, for
being late.’
‘Yes; but how was it? Wasn’t he to be at the council?’
‘He had been and come back, and was going out
somewhere again. But that’s no matter. Don’t talk about
it. Where have you been? With the prince still?’
She knew every detail of his existence. He was going to
say that he had been up all night and had dropped asleep,
but looking at her thrilled and rapturous face, he was
ashamed. And he said he had had to go to report on the
prince’s departure.
‘But it’s over now? He is gone!’
‘Thank God it’s over! You wouldn’t believe how
insufferable it’s been for me.’
‘Why so? Isn’t it the life all of you, all young men,
always lead?’ she said, knitting her brows; and taking up
the crochet work that was lying on the table, she began
drawing the hook out of it, without looking at Vronsky.
‘I gave that life up long ago,’ said he, wondering at the
change in her face, and trying to divine its meaning. ‘And

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