Chapter 23

           Vronskyhadseveraltimesalready,thoughnotsoresolutelyasnow,triedtobringhertoconsidertheirposition,andeverytimehehadbeenconfrontedbythesamesuperficialityandtrivialitywithwhichshemethisappealnow.Itwasasthoughthereweresomethinginthiswhichshecouldnotorwouldnotface,asthoughdirectlyshebegantospeakofthis,she,therealAnna,retreatedsomehowintoherself,andanotherstrangeandunaccountablewomancameout,whomhedidnotlove,andwhomhefeared,andwhowasinoppositiontohim.Buttodayhewasresolvedtohaveitout.

           “Whetherheknowsornot,”saidVronsky,inhisusualquietandresolutetone,“that’snothingtodowithus.Wecannot...youcannotstaylikethis,especiallynow.”

           “What’stobedone,accordingtoyou?”sheaskedwiththesamefrivolousirony.Shewhohadsofearedhewouldtakeherconditiontoolightlywasnowvexedwithhimfordeducingfromitthenecessityoftakingsomestep.

           “Tellhimeverything,andleavehim.”

           “Verywell,letussupposeIdothat,”shesaid.“Doyouknowwhattheresultofthatwouldbe?Icantellyouitallbeforehand,”andawickedlightgleamedinhereyes,thathadbeensosoftaminutebefore.“‘Eh,youloveanotherman,andhaveenteredintocriminalintrigueswithhim?’”(Mimickingherhusband,shethrewanemphasisontheword“criminal,”asAlexeyAlexandrovitchdid.)“‘Iwarnedyouoftheresultsinthereligious,thecivil,andthedomesticrelation.Youhavenotlistenedtome.