Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/895

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ANNA KARENINA
213

in his place. Here in the city he was constantly on the go, as if he were afraid of forgetting something; but he had nothing really to do. And she felt sorry for him.

But she knew that to his friends he was not an object of commiseration; and when in society she looked at him as one studies those who are beloved, endeavoring to look on him as a stranger, and see what effect he produced on others, she saw with anxiety the danger that she herself might become jealous of him for the reason that he was not at all pitiable, but was rather an exceedingly attractive man by reason of his dignified, rather old-fashioned, shy politeness to ladies, his strong physique, and his very expressive face. But she read his inner nature. She saw that he was not himself, otherwise she could not define his actions. But sometimes in her heart she reproached him because he could not adapt himself to city life. Sometimes even she confessed that it was really difficult for him to conduct his life so as to please her.

But, indeed, what could he find to do He was not fond of cards. He did not go to the clubs. She now knew what it meant to frequent the company of high livers, like Oblonsky. .... It meant to drink and to go to places— she could not think without horror of where these men were in the habit of going. Should he go into society? She knew that to enjoy that it would be necessary to find pleasure in the company of young ladies, and she could not desire that. Then, should he sit at home with her, with her mother, and her sister? But however pleasant these conversations might be to her, she knew that they must be wearisome to him. What, then, remained for him to do? Was he to go on with his book? He intended to do this, and began to make researches in the public library; but, as he confessed to Kitty, the more he had nothing to do, the less time he had. Moreover, he complained to her that too much was said about his book, and that therefore his ideas were thrown into confusion and that his interest in his work was flagging.

One result of their life in Moscow was that there were no more quarrels between them, either because city conditions were different, or because both were beginning