Chapter 26

           TheexternalrelationsofAlexeyAlexandrovitchandhiswifehadremainedunchanged.Thesoledifferencelayinthefactthathewasmorebusilyoccupiedthanever.Asinformeryears,atthebeginningofthespringhehadgonetoaforeignwatering-placeforthesakeofhishealth,derangedbythewinter’sworkthateveryyeargrewheavier.AndjustasalwayshereturnedinJulyandatoncefelltoworkasusualwithincreasedenergy.Asusual,too,hiswifehadmovedforthesummertoavillaoutoftown,whileheremainedinPetersburg.FromthedateoftheirconversationafterthepartyatPrincessTverskaya’shehadneverspokenagaintoAnnaofhissuspicionsandhisjealousies,andthathabitualtoneofhisbanteringmimicrywasthemostconvenienttonepossibleforhispresentattitudetohiswife.Hewasalittlecoldertohiswife.Hesimplyseemedtobeslightlydispleasedwithherforthatfirstmidnightconversation,whichshehadrepelled.Inhisattitudetohertherewasashadeofvexation,butnothingmore.“Youwouldnotbeopenwithme,”heseemedtosay,mentallyaddressingher;“somuchtheworseforyou.Nowyoumaybegasyouplease,butIwon’tbeopenwithyou.Somuchtheworseforyou!”hesaidmentally,likeamanwho,aftervainlyattemptingtoextinguishafire,shouldflyinaragewithhisvaineffortsandsay,“Oh,verywellthen!youshallburnforthis!”Thisman,sosubtleandastuteinofficiallife,didnotrealizeallthesenselessnessofsuchanattitudetohiswife.