Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART SEVEN CHAPTER 28
“Katerina Alexandrovna Levin,” answered the footman.
“Kitty! Kitty, whom Vronsky was in love with!” thought Anna, “the girl he thinks
of with love. He’s sorry he didn’t marry her. But me he thinks of with hatred, and is
sorry he had anything to do with me.”
The sisters were having a consultation about nursing when Anna called. Dolly
went down alone to see the visitor who had interrupted their conversation.
“Well, so you’ve not gone away yet? I meant to have come to you,” she said; “I
had a letter from Stiva today.”
“We had a telegram too,” answered Anna, looking round for Kitty.
“He writes that he can’t make out quite what Alexey Alexandrovitch wants, but
he won’t go away without a decisive answer.”
“I thought you had someone with you. Can I see the letter?”
“Yes; Kitty,” said Dolly, embarrassed. “She stayed in the nursery. She has been
very ill.”
“So I heard. May I see the letter?”
“I’ll get it directly. But he doesn’t refuse; on the contrary, Stiva has hopes,” said
Dolly, stopping in the doorway.
“I haven’t, and indeed I don’t wish it,” said Anna.
“What’s this? Does Kitty consider it degrading to meet me?” thought Anna when
she was alone. “Perhaps she’s right, too. But it’s not for her, the girl who was in
love with Vronsky, it’s not for her to show me that, even if it is true. I know that
in my position I can’t be received by any decent woman. I knew that from the first
moment I sacrificed everything to him. And this is my reward! Oh, how I hate him!
And what did I come here for? I’m worse here, more miserable.” She heard from the
next room the sisters’ voices in consultation. “And what am I going to say to Dolly
now? Amuse Kitty by the sight of my wretchedness, submit to her patronizing? No;
and besides, Dolly wouldn’t understand. And it would be no good my telling her.
It would only be interesting to see Kitty, to show her how I despise everyone and
everything, how nothing matters to me now.”
Dolly came in with the letter. Anna read it and handed it back in silence.
“I knew all that,” she said, “and it doesn’t interest me in the least.”
“Oh, why so? On the contrary, I have hopes,” said Dolly, looking inquisitively at
Anna. She had never seen her in such a strangely irritable condition. “When are you
going away?” she asked.
Anna, half-closing her eyes, looked straight before her and did not answer.
“Why does Kitty shrink from me?” she said, looking at the door and flushing red.
“Oh, what nonsense! She’s nursing, and things aren’t going right with her, and
I’ve been advising her.... She’s delighted. She’ll be here in a minute,” said Dolly
awkwardly, not clever at lying. “Yes, here she is.”
Hearing that Anna had called, Kitty had wanted not to appear, but Dolly persuaded
her. Rallying her forces, Kitty went in, walked up to her, blushing, and shook
hands.
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