Anna Karenina, Page 44

  Chapter 10

  From that time a new life began for Alexey Alexandrovitch and for hiswife. Nothing special happened. Anna went out into society, as she hadalways done, was particularly often at Princess Betsy's, and met Vronskyeverywhere. Alexey Alexandrovitch saw this, but could do nothing. Allhis efforts to draw her into open discussion she confronted with abarrier which he could not penetrate, made up of a sort of amusedperplexity. Outwardly everything was the same, but their inner relationswere completely changed. Alexey Alexandrovitch, a man of great power inthe world of politics, felt himself helpless in this. Like an ox withhead bent, submissively he awaited the blow which he felt was liftedover him. Every time he began to think about it, he felt that he musttry once more, that by kindness, tenderness, and persuasion there wasstill hope of saving her, of bringing her back to herself, and every dayhe made ready to talk to her. But every time he began talking to her, hefelt that the spirit of evil and deceit, which had taken possession ofher, had possession of him too, and he talked to her in a tone quiteunlike that in which he had meant to talk. Involuntarily he talked toher in his habitual tone of jeering at anyone who should say what he wassaying. And in that tone it was impossible to say what needed to be saidto her.