The coachman started the horses, but they were only just turning

off when the peasant shouted: "Stop! Hi, friend! Stop!" called

the two voices. The coachman stopped.

"They're coming! They're yonder!" shouted the peasant. "See

what a turn-out!" he said, pointing to four persons on horseback,

and two in a _char-à-banc_, coming along the road.

They were Vronsky with a jockey, Veslovsky and Anna on horseback,

and Princess Varvara and Sviazhsky in the _char-à-banc_. They had

gone out to look at the working of a new reaping machine.

When the carriage stopped, the party on horseback were coming at

a walking pace. Anna was in front beside Veslovsky. Anna,

quietly walking her horse, a sturdy English cob with cropped mane

and short tail, her beautiful head with her black hair straying

loose under her high hat, her full shoulders, her slender waist

in her black riding habit, and all the ease and grace of her

deportment, impressed Dolly.

For the first minute it seemed to her unsuitable for Anna to be

on horseback. The conception of riding on horseback for a lady

was, in Darya Alexandrovna's mind, associated with ideas of

youthful flirtation and frivolity, which, in her opinion, was

unbecoming in Anna's position. But when she had scrutinized her,

seeing her closer, she was at once reconciled to her riding. In

spite of her elegance, everything was so simple, quiet, and

dignified in the attitude, the dress and the movements of Anna,

that nothing could have been more natural.

Beside Anna, on a hot-looking gray cavalry horse, was Vassenka

Veslovsky in his Scotch cap with floating ribbons, his stout

legs stretched out in front, obviously pleased with his own

appearance. Darya Alexandrovna could not suppress a good-humored

smile as she recognized him. Behind rode Vronsky on a dark bay

mare, obviously heated from galloping. He was holding her in,

pulling at the reins.

After him rode a little man in the dress of a jockey. Sviazhsky

and Princess Varvara in a new _char-à-banc_ with a big, raven-black

trotting horse, overtook the party on horseback.

Anna's face suddenly beamed with a joyful smile at the instant

when, in the little figure huddled in a corner of the old

carriage, she recognized Dolly. She uttered a cry, started in

the saddle, and set her horse into a gallop. On reaching the

carriage she jumped off without assistance, and holding up her

riding habit, she ran up to greet Dolly.

"I thought it was you and dared not think it. How delightful!

You can't fancy how glad I am!" she said, at one moment pressing

her face against Dolly and kissing her, and at the next holding

her off and examining her with a smile.




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