"Well, was it nice?" she asked, coming out to meet him with a
penitent and meek expression.
"Just as usual," he answered, seeing at a glance that she was in
one of her good moods. He was used by now to these transitions,
and he was particularly glad to see it today, as he was in a
specially good humor himself.
"What do I see? Come, that's good!" he said, pointing to the
boxes in the passage.
"Yes, we must go. I went out for a drive, and it was so fine I
longed to be in the country. There's nothing to keep you, is
there?"
"It's the one thing I desire. I'll be back directly, and we'll
talk it over; I only want to change my coat. Order some tea."
And he went into his room.
There was something mortifying in the way he had said "Come,
that's good," as one says to a child when it leaves off being
naughty, and still more mortifying was the contrast between her
penitent and his self-confident tone; and for one instant she
felt the lust of strife rising up in her again, but making an
effort she conquered it, and met Vronsky as good-humoredly as
before.
When he came in she told him, partly repeating phrases she had
prepared beforehand, how she had spent the day, and her plans for
going away.
"You know it came to me almost like an inspiration," she said.
"Why wait here for the divorce? Won't it be just the same in the
country? I can't wait any longer! I don't want to go on hoping,
I don't want to hear anything about the divorce. I have made up
my mind it shall not have any more influence on my life. Do you
agree?"
"Oh, yes!" he said, glancing uneasily at her excited face.
"What did you do? Who was there?" she said, after a pause.
Vronsky mentioned the names of the guests. "The dinner was
first rate, and the boat race, and it was all pleasant enough,
but in Moscow they can never do anything without something
_ridicule_. A lady of a sort appeared on the scene, teacher of
swimming to the Queen of Sweden, and gave us an exhibition of her
skill."
"How? did she swim?" asked Anna, frowning.
"In an absurd red _costume de natation;_ she was old and hideous
too. So when shall we go?"
"What an absurd fancy! Why, did she swim in some special way,
then?" said Anna, not answering.