Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART SEVEN CHAPTER 28
“I am so glad to see you,” she said with a trembling voice.
Kitty had been thrown into confusion by the inward conflict between her antagonism
to this bad woman and her desire to be nice to her. But as soon as she saw
Anna’s lovely and attractive face, all feeling of antagonism disappeared.
“I should not have been surprised if you had not cared to meet me. I’m used to
everything. You have been ill? Yes, you are changed,” said Anna.
Kitty felt that Anna was looking at her with hostile eyes. She ascribed this hostility
to the awkward position in which Anna, who had once patronized her, must feel
with her now, and she felt sorry for her.
They talked of Kitty’s illness, of the baby, of Stiva, but it was obvious that nothing
interested Anna.
“I came to say good-bye to you,” she said, getting up.
“Oh, when are you going?”
But again not answering, Anna turned to Kitty.
“Yes, I am very glad to have seen you,” she said with a smile. “I have heard so
much of you from everyone, even from your husband. He came to see me, and I
liked him exceedingly,” she said, unmistakably with malicious intent. “Where is
he?”
“He has gone back to the country,” said Kitty, blushing.
“Remember me to him, be sure you do.”
“I’ll be sure to!” Kitty said naïvely, looking compassionately into her eyes.
“So good-bye, Dolly.” And kissing Dolly and shaking hands with Kitty, Anna
went out hurriedly.
“She’s just the same and just as charming! She’s very lovely!” said Kitty, when
she was alone with her sister. “But there’s something piteous about her. Awfully
piteous!”
“Yes, there’s something unusual about her today,” said Dolly. “When I went with
her into the hall, I fancied she was almost crying.”
695