Anna Karenina - Part 2

From that time a new life began for Alexey Alexandrovitch and for

his wife. Nothing special happened. Anna went out into society,

as she had always done, was particularly often at Princess

Betsy's, and met Vronsky everywhere. Alexey Alexandrovitch saw

this, but could do nothing. All his efforts to draw her into

open discussion she confronted with a barrier which he could not

penetrate, made up of a sort of amused perplexity. Outwardly

everything was the same, but their inner relations were

completely changed. Alexey Alexandrovitch, a man of great power

in the world of politics, felt himself helpless in this. Like an

ox with head bent, submissively he awaited the blow which he felt

was lifted over him. Every time he began to think about it, he

felt that he must try once more, that by kindness, tenderness,

and persuasion there was still hope of saving her, of bringing

her back to herself, and every day he made ready to talk to her.

But every time he began talking to her, he felt that the spirit

of evil and deceit, which had taken possession of her, had

possession of him too, and he talked to her in a tone quite

unlike that in which he had meant to talk. Involuntarily he

talked to her in his habitual tone of jeering at anyone who

should say what he was saying. And in that tone it was

impossible to say what needed to be said to her.