Before the elections Sviiazhsky, who often visited Vozdvizhenskoe, drove over to fetch Vronsky.

On the day before there had been almost a quarrel between Vronsky and Anna over this proposed expedition. It was the very dullest autumn weather, which is so dreary in the country, and so, preparing himself for a struggle, Vronsky, with a hard and cold expression, informed Anna of his departure as he had never spoken to her before. But, to his surprise, Anna accepted the information with great composure, and merely asked when he would be back. He looked intently at her, at a loss to explain this composure. She smiled at his look. He knew that way she had of withdrawing into herself, and knew that it only happened when she had determined upon something without letting him know her plans. He was afraid of this; but he was so anxious to avoid a scene that he kept up appearances, and half sincerely believed 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 from Gautier's. No, I shan't be dull.'

`She's trying to take that tone, and so much the better,' he thought, `or else it would be the same thing over and over again.'

And he set off for the elections without appealing to her for a candid explanation. It was the first time since the beginning of their intimacy that he had parted from her without a full explanation. From one point of view this troubled him, but on the other side he felt that it was better so. `At first there will be, as this time, something undefined, kept back, and then she will get used to it. In any case I can give up anything for her, but not my masculine independence,' he thought.


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