Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART ONE CHAPTER 23
was fascinating in her simple black dress, fascinating were her round arms with
their bracelets, fascinating was her firm neck with its thread of pearls, fascinating
the straying curls of her loose hair, fascinating the graceful, light movements of her
little feet and hands, fascinating was that lovely face in its eagerness, but there was
something terrible and cruel in her fascination.
Kitty admired her more than ever, and more and more acute was her suffering.
Kitty felt overwhelmed, and her face showed it. When Vronsky saw her, coming
across her in the mazurka, he did not at once recognize her, she was so changed.
“Delightful ball!” he said to her, for the sake of saying something.
“Yes,” she answered.
In the middle of the mazurka, repeating a complicated figure, newly invented by
Korsunsky, Anna came forward into the center of the circle, chose two gentlemen,
and summoned a lady and Kitty. Kitty gazed at her in dismay as she went up. Anna
looked at her with drooping eyelids, and smiled, pressing her hand. But, noticing
that Kitty only responded to her smile by a look of despair and amazement, she
turned away from her, and began gaily talking to the other lady.
“Yes, there is something uncanny, devilish and fascinating in her,” Kitty said to
herself.
Anna did not mean to stay to supper, but the master of the house began to press
her to do so.
“Nonsense, Anna Arkadyevna,” said Korsunsky, drawing her bare arm under the
sleeve of his dress coat, “I’ve such an idea for a cotillion! Un bijou!”
And he moved gradually on, trying to draw her along with him. Their host smiled
approvingly.
“No, I am not going to stay,” answered Anna, smiling, but in spite of her smile,
both Korsunsky and the master of the house saw from her resolute tone that she
would not stay.
“No; why, as it is, I have danced more at your ball in Moscow than I have all the
winter in Petersburg,” said Anna, looking round at Vronsky, who stood near her. “I
must rest a little before my journey.”
“Are you certainly going tomorrow then?” asked Vronsky.
“Yes, I suppose so,” answered Anna, as it were wondering at the boldness of his
question; but the irrepressible, quivering brilliance of her eyes and her smile set him
on fire as she said it.
Anna Arkadyevna did not stay to supper, but went home.
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