Anna Karenina - Part 3

There was probably something unusual about Anna, for Betsy

noticed it at once.

"I slept badly," answered Anna, looking intently at the footman

who came to meet them, and, as she supposed, brought Vronsky's

note.

"How glad I am you've come!" said Betsy. "I'm tired, and was

just longing to have some tea before they come. You might go"--

she turned to Tushkevitch--"with Masha, and try the croquet

ground over there where they've been cutting it. We shall have

time to talk a little over tea; we'll have a cozy chat, eh?" she

said in English to Anna, with a smile, pressing the hand with

which she held a parasol.

"Yes, especially as I can't stay very long with you. I'm forced

to go on to old Madame Vrede. I've been promising to go for a

century," said Anna, to whom lying, alien as it was to her

nature, had become not merely simple and natural in society, but

a positive source of satisfaction. Why she said this, which she

had not thought of a second before, she could not have explained.

She had said it simply from the reflection that as Vronsky would

not be here, she had better secure her own freedom, and try to

see him somehow. But why she had spoken of old Madame Vrede,

whom she had to go and see, as she had to see many other people,

she could not have explained; and yet, as it afterwards turned

out, had she contrived the most cunning devices to meet Vronsky,

she could have thought of nothing better.

"No. I'm not going to let you go for anything," answered Betsy,

looking intently into Anna's face. "Really, if I were not fond

of you, I should feel offended. One would think you were afraid

my society would compromise you. Tea in the little dining room,

please," she said, half closing her eyes, as she always did when

addressing the footman.

Taking the note from him, she read it.

"Alexey's playing us false," she said in French; "he writes that

he can't come," she added in a tone as simple and natural as

though it could never enter her head that Vronsky could mean

anything more to Anna than a game of croquet. Anna knew that

Betsy knew everything, but, hearing how she spoke of Vronsky

before her, she almost felt persuaded for a minute that she knew

nothing.

"Ah!" said Anna indifferently, as though not greatly interested

in the matter, and she went on smiling: "How can you or your

friends compromise anyone?"