Part Six: Chapter 25

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Vronsky and Anna spent the whole summer and part of the winterin the country, living in just the same condition, and stilltaking no steps to obtain a divorce. It was an understood thingbetween them that they should not go away anywhere; but bothfelt, the longer they lived alone, especially in the autumn,without guests in the house, that they could not stand thisexistence, and that they would have to alter it.

　　Their life was apparently such that nothing better could bedesired. They had the fullest abundance of everything; they hada child, and both had occupation. Anna devoted just as much careto her appearance when they had no visitors, and she did a greatdeal of reading, both of novels and of what serious literaturewas in fashion. She ordered all the books that were praised inthe foreign papers and reviews she received, and read them withthat concentrated attention which is only given to what is readin seclusion. Moreover, every subject that was of interest toVronsky, she studied in books and special journals, so that heoften went straight to her with questions relating to agricultureor architecture, sometimes even with questions relating tohorse-breeding or sport. He was amazed at her knowledge, hermemory, and at first was disposed to doubt it, to ask forconfirmation of her facts; and she would find what he asked forin some book, and show it to him.

　　The building of the hospital, too, interested her. She did notmerely assist, but planned and suggested a great deal herself.But her chief thought was still of herself--how far she was dearto Vronsky, how far she could make up to him for all he had givenup. Vronsky appreciated this desire not only to please, but toserve him, which had become the sole aim of her existence, but atthe same time he wearied of the loving snares in which she triedto hold him fast. As time went on, and he saw himself more andmore often held fast in these snares, he had an ever growingdesire, not so much to escape from them, as to try whether theyhindered his freedom. Had it not been for this growing desire tobe free, not to have scenes every time he wanted to go to thetown to a meeting or a race, Vronsky would have been perfectlysatisfied with his life. The role he had taken up, the role of awealthy landowner, one of that class which ought to be the veryheart of the Russian aristocracy, was entirely to his taste; andnow, after spending six months in that character, he derived evengreater satisfaction from it. And his management of his estate,which occupied and absorbed him more and more, was mostsuccessful. In spite of the immense sums cost him by thehospital, by machinery, by cows ordered from Switzerland, andmany other things, he was convinced that he was not wasting, butincreasing his substance. In all matters affecting income, thesales of timber, wheat, and wool, the letting of lands, Vronskywas hard as a rock, and knew well how to keep up prices. In alloperations on a large scale on this and his other estates, hekept to the simplest methods involving no risk, and in triflingdetails he was careful and exacting to an extreme degree. Inspite of all the cunning and ingenuity of the German steward, whowould try to tempt him into purchases by making his originalestimate always far larger than really required, and thenrepresenting to Vronsky that he might get the thing cheaper, andso make a profit, Vronsky did not give in. He listened to hissteward, cross-examined him, and only agreed to his suggestionswhen the implement to be ordered or constructed was the verynewest, not yet known in Russia, and likely to excite wonder.Apart from such exceptions, he resolved upon an increased outlayonly where there was a surplus, and in making such an outlay hewent into the minutest details, and insisted on getting the verybest for his money; so that by the method on which he managed hisaffairs, it was clear that he was not wasting, but increasing hissubstance.

　　In October there were the provincial elections in the Kashinskyprovince, where were the estates of Vronsky, Sviazhsky,Koznishev, Oblonsky, and a small part of Levin's land.

　　These elections were attracting public attention from severalcircumstances connected with them, and also from the peopletaking part in them. There had been a great deal of talk aboutthem, and great preparations were being made for them. Personswho never attended the elections were coming from Moscow, fromPetersburg, and from abroad to attend these. Vronsky had longbefore promised Sviazhsky to go to them. Before the electionsSviazhsky, who often visited Vozdvizhenskoe, drove over to fetchVronsky. On the day before there had been almost a quarrelbetween Vronsky and Anna over this proposed expedition. It wasthe very dullest autumn weather, which is so dreary in thecountry, and so, preparing himself for a struggle, Vronsky, witha hard and cold expression, informed Anna of his departure as hehad never spoken to her before. But, to his surprise, Annaaccepted the information with great composure, and merely askedwhen he would be back. He looked intently at her, at a loss toexplain this composure. She smiled at his look. He knew thatway she had of withdrawing into herself, and knew that it onlyhappened when she had determined upon something without lettinghim know her plans. He was afraid of this; but he was so anxiousto avoid a scene that he kept up appearances, and half sincerelybelieved in what he longed to believe in--her reasonableness.

　　"I hope you won't be dull?"

　　"I hope not," said Anna. "I got a box of books yesterday fromGautier's. No, I shan't be dull."

　　"She's trying to take that tone, and so much the better," hethought, "or else it would be the same thing over and overagain."

　　And he set off for the elections without appealing to her for acandid explanation. It was the first time since the beginning oftheir intimacy that he had parted from her without a fullexplanation. From one point of view this troubled him, but onthe other side he felt that it was better so. "At first therewill be, as this time, something undefined kept back, and thenshe will get used to it. I any case I can give up anything forher, but not my masculine independence," he thought.