132 133
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 had. 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 hose 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 mor at your ball in Moscow that 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.