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“Yes, yes, but we’ve not finished about Kitty. Is she happy? He’s a
very nice man, they say.”
“He’s much more than very nice. I don’t know a better man.”
“Ah, how glad I am! I’m so glad! Much more than very nice,” she
repeated.
Dolly smiled.
“But tell me about yourself. We’ve a great deal to talk about. And
I’ve had a talk with...” Dolly did not know what to call him. She felt it
awkward to call him either the count or Alexey Kirillovitch.
“With Alexey,” said Anna, “I know what you talked about. But I
wanted to ask you directly what you think of me, of my life?”
“How am I to say like that straight off? I really don’t know.”
“No, tell me all the same.... You see my life. But you mustn’t forget
that you’re seeing us in the summer, when you have come to us and we
are not alone.... But we came here early in the spring, lived quite alone,
and shall be alone again, and I desire nothing better. But imagine me
living alone without him, alone, and that will be...I see by everything
that it will often be repeated, that he will be half the time away from
home,” she said, getting up and sitting down close by Dolly.
“Of course,” she interrupted Dolly, who would have answered, “of
course I won’t try to keep him by force. I don’t keep him indeed. The
races are just coming, his horses are running, he will go. I’m very glad.
But think of me, fancy my position.... But what’s the use of talking
about it?” She smiled. “Well, what did he talk about with you?”
“He spoke of what I want to speak about of myself, and it’s easy for
me to be his advocate; of whether there is not a possibility ...whether
you could not...” (Darya Alexandrovna hesitated) “correct, improve
your position.... You know how I look at it.... But all the same, if
possible, you should get married....”
“Divorce, you mean?” said Anna. “Do you know, the only woman
who came to see me in Petersburg was Betsy Tverskaya? You know
her, of course? Au fond, c’est la femme la plus depravee qui existe. She
had an intrigue with Tushkevitch, deceiving her husband in the basest
way. And she told me that she did not care to know me so long as my
position was irregular. Don’t imagine I would compare...I know you,
darling. But I could not help remembering.... Well, so what did he say
to you?” she repeated.
“He said that he was unhappy on your account and his own. Per-
haps you will say that it’s egoism, but what a legitimate and noble
egoism. He wants first of all to legitimize his daughter, and to be your
husband, to have a legal right to you.”
“What wife, what slave can be so utterly a slave as I, in my posi-
tion?” she put in gloomily.
“The chief thing he desires...he desires that you should not suffer.”
“That’s impossible. Well?”
“Well, and the most legitimate desire—he wishes that your chil-
dren should have a name.”
“What children?” Anna said, not looking at Dolly, and half closing
her eyes.
“Annie and those to come...”
“He need not trouble on that score; I shall have no more children.”
“How can you tell that you won’t?”
“I shall not, because I don’t wish it.” And, in spite of all her emotion,
Anna smiled, as she caught the naive expression of curiosity, wonder,
and horror on Dolly’s face.
“The doctor told me after my illness...”
“Impossible!” said Dolly, opening her eyes wide.
For her this was one of those discoveries the consequences and