Anna Karenina - Part 7

"What is it? Why, I'm going out of my mind!" and she went into

her bedroom, where Annushka was tidying the room.

"Annushka," she said, coming to a standstill before her, and she

stared at the maid, not knowing what to say to her.

"You meant to go and see Darya Alexandrovna," said the girl, as

though she understood.

"Darya Alexandrovna? Yes, I'll go."

"Fifteen minutes there, fifteen minutes back. He's coming, he'll

be here soon." She took out her watch and looked at it. "But

how could he go away, leaving me in such a state? How can he

live, without making it up with me?" She went to the window and

began looking into the street. Judging by the time, he might be

back now. But her calculations might be wrong, and she began

once more to recall when he had started and to count the minutes.

At the moment when she had moved away to the big clock to compare

it with her watch, someone drove up. Glancing out of the window,

she saw his carriage. But no one came upstairs, and voices could

be heard below. It was the messenger who had come back in the

carriage. She went down to him.

"We didn't catch the count. The count had driven off on the

lower city road."

"What do you say? What!..." she said to the rosy, good-humored

Mihail, as he handed her back her note.

"Why, then, he has never received it!" she thought.

"Go with this note to Countess Vronskaya's place, you know? and

bring an answer back immediately," she said to the messenger.

"And I, what am I going to do?" she thought. "Yes, I'm going to

Dolly's, that's true or else I shall go out of my mind. Yes, and

I can telegraph, too." And she wrote a telegram. "I absolutely

must talk to you; come at once." After sending off the telegram,

she went to dress. When she was dressed and in her hat, she

glanced again into the eyes of the plump, comfortable-looking

Annushka. There was unmistakable sympathy in those good-natured

little gray eyes.

"Annushka, dear, what am I to do?" said Anna, sobbing and sinking

helplessly into a chair.

"Why fret yourself so, Anna Arkadyevna? Why, there's nothing out

of the way. You drive out a little, and it'll cheer you up,"

said the maid.

"Yes, I'm going," said Anna, rousing herself and getting up.

"And if there's a telegram while I'm away, send it on to Darya

Alexandrovna's...but no, I shall be back myself."