Steps were heard at the door, and Princess Betsy, knowing it was

Madame Karenina, glanced at Vronsky. He was looking towards the

door, and his face wore a strange new expression. Joyfully,

intently, and at the same time timidly, he gazed at the

approaching figure, and slowly he rose to his feet. Anna walked

into the drawing room. Holding herself extremely erect, as

always, looking straight before her, and moving with her swift,

resolute, and light step, that distinguished her from all other

society women, she crossed the short space to her hostess, shook

hands with her, smiled, and with the same smile looked around at

Vronsky. Vronsky bowed low and pushed a chair up for her.

She acknowledged this only by a slight nod, flushed a little, and

frowned. But immediately, while rapidly greeting her

acquaintances, and shaking the hands proffered to her, she

addressed Princess Betsy: "I have been at Countess Lidia's, and meant to have come here

earlier, but I stayed on. Sir John was there. He's very

interesting."

"Oh, that's this missionary?"

"Yes; he told us about the life in India, most interesting

things."

The conversation, interrupted by her coming in, flickered up

again like the light of a lamp being blown out.

"Sir John! Yes, Sir John; I've seen him. He speaks well. The

Vlassieva girl's quite in love with him."

"And is it true the younger Vlassieva girl's to marry Topov?"

"Yes, they say it's quite a settled thing."

"I wonder at the parents! They say it's a marriage for love."

"For love? What antediluvian notions you have! Can one talk of

love in these days?" said the ambassador's wife.

"What's to be done? It's a foolish old fashion that's kept up

still," said Vronsky.

"So much the worse for those who keep up the fashion. The only

happy marriages I know are marriages of prudence."

"Yes, but then how often the happiness of these prudent marriages

flies away like dust just because that passion turns up that they

have refused to recognize," said Vronsky.

"But by marriages of prudence we mean those in which both parties

have sown their wild oats already. That's like scarlatina--one

has to go through it and get it over."

"Then they ought to find out how to vaccinate for love, like

smallpox."

"I was in love in my young days with a deacon," said the Princess

Myakaya. "I don't know that it did me any good."

"No; I imagine, joking apart, that to know love, one must make

mistakes and then correct them," said Princess Betsy.




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