"My God! shall I myself really have to say it to him?" she

thought. "Can I tell him I don't love him? That will be a lie.

What am I to say to him? That I love someone else? No, that's

impossible. I'm going away, I'm going away."

She had reached the door, when she heard his step. "No! it's not

honest. What have I to be afraid of? I have done nothing wrong.

What is to be, will be! I'll tell the truth. And with him one

can't be ill at ease. Here he is," she said to herself, seeing

his powerful, shy figure, with his shining eyes fixed on her.

She looked straight into his face, as though imploring him to

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spare her, and gave her hand.

"It's not time yet; I think I'm too early," he said glancing

round the empty drawing room. When he saw that his expectations

were realized, that there was nothing to prevent him from

speaking, his face became gloomy.

"Oh, no," said Kitty, and sat down at the table.

"But this was just what I wanted, to find you alone," he began,

not sitting down, and not looking at her, so as not to lose

courage.

"Mamma will be down directly. She was very much tired....

Yesterday..."

She talked on, not knowing what her lips were uttering, and not

taking her supplicating and caressing eyes off him.

He glanced at her; she blushed, and ceased speaking.

"I told you I did not know whether I should be here long...that

it depended on you..."

She dropped her head lower and lower, not knowing herself what

answer she should make to what was coming.

"That it depended on you," he repeated. "I meant to say...I

meant to say...I came for this...to be my wife!" he brought out,

not knowing what he was saying; but feeling that the most

terrible thing was said, he stopped short and looked at her...

She was breathing heavily, not looking at him. She was feeling

ecstasy. Her soul was flooded with happiness. She had never

anticipated that the utterance of love would produce such a

powerful effect on her. But it lasted only an instant. She

remembered Vronsky. She lifted her clear, truthful eyes, and

seeing his desperate face, she answered hastily: "That cannot be...forgive me."

A moment ago, and how close she had been to him, of what

importance in his life! And how aloof and remote from him she

had become now!




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