Thinking of the words she was going to say to Dolly, and deliberately chafing her own heart, Anna went up the steps.
‘Is anyone here?’ she asked in the front hall.
‘Katerina Alexandrovna Levin,’ the footman replied.
‘Kitty! The same Kitty that Vronsky was in love with,’ thought Anna, ‘the one he remembered with love. He regrets not having married her. And me he remembers with hatred, and he regrets having become intimate with me.’
When Anna arrived, the two sisters were having a consultation about nursing. Dolly came out alone to meet her guest, who had just interrupted their conversation.
‘You haven’t left yet? I wanted to come and see you myself,’ she said. ‘I received a letter from Stiva today.’
‘We also received a telegram,’ Anna replied, looking past her for Kitty.
‘He writes that he can’t understand precisely what Alexei Alexandrovich wants, but that he won’t leave without an answer.’
‘I thought there was someone with you. May I read the letter?’
‘Yes, it’s Kitty,’ Dolly said, embarrassed. ‘She stayed in the nursery. She’s been very ill.’
‘I heard. May I read the letter?’
‘I’ll bring it at once. But he doesn’t refuse. On the contrary, Stiva has hopes,’ said Dolly, pausing in the doorway.
‘I have no hope, and don’t even wish it,’ said Anna.
‘What is it?’ thought Anna, left alone. ‘Does Kitty consider it humiliating to meet me? Maybe she’s right. But it’s not for her, who was once in love with Vronsky, it’s not for her to show it to me, even if it’s true. I know that not a single decent woman can receive me in my position. I know that from the first moment I sacrificed everything to him! And this is the reward! Oh, how I hate him! And why did I come here? It’s still worse, still harder.’ She heard the voices of the sisters talking in the other room. ‘And what shall I say to Dolly now? Shall I comfort Kitty with my unhappiness, submit to her patronizing? No, and Dolly won’t understand anything either. And I have nothing to tell her. It would only be interesting to see Kitty and show her how I despise everyone and everything, and how it makes no difference to me now.’
Dolly came with the letter. Anna read it and silently handed it back.
‘I knew all that,’ she said. ‘And it doesn’t interest me in the least.’
‘But why? On the contrary, I’m hopeful,’ said Dolly, looking at Anna with curiosity. She had never seen her in such a strange, irritated state. ‘When are you leaving?’ she asked.
Anna looked straight ahead with narrowed eyes and did not answer her.
‘So is Kitty hiding from me?’ she said, looking towards the door and blushing.
‘Oh, what nonsense! She’s nursing and it’s not going well, so I advised her ... She’s very glad. She’ll come at once,’ Dolly said awkwardly, not knowing how to tell an untruth. ‘And here she is.’
Learning that Anna was there, Kitty did not want to come out, but Dolly persuaded her to. Gathering her strength, Kitty came out and, blushing, went to her and held out her hand.
‘I’m very glad,’ she said in a trembling voice.
Kitty was confused by the struggle going on inside her between animosity towards this bad woman and the wish to be lenient with her; but as soon as she saw Anna’s beautiful, sympathetic face, all her animosity disappeared at once.
‘I wouldn’t have been surprised if you didn’t want to meet me. I’ve grown used to everything. You’ve been ill? Yes, you’ve changed,’ said Anna.
Kitty felt that Anna was looking at her with animosity. She explained this animosity by the awkward position that Anna, who had once patronized her, now felt herself to be in, and she felt sorry for her.
They talked about her illness, about the baby, about Stiva, but obviously nothing interested Anna.
‘I came to say good-bye to you,’ she said, getting up.
‘When are you leaving?’
But Anna, again without answering, turned to Kitty.
‘Yes, I’m very glad to have seen you,’ she said with a smile. ‘I’ve heard so much about you from all sides, even from your husband. He visited me, and I liked him very much,’ she added, obviously with ill intent. ‘Where is he?’
‘He went to the country,’ Kitty said, blushing.
‘Be sure to give him my regards.’
‘I’ll be sure to!’ Kitty naïvely repeated, looking into her eyes with compassion.
‘Farewell then, Dolly!’ and having kissed Dolly and shaken Kitty’s hand, Anna hastily went out.
‘The same as always and just as attractive. Such a handsome woman!’ said Kitty, when she was alone with her sister. ‘But there’s something pathetic about her! Terribly pathetic!’
‘No, today there was something peculiar about her,’said Dolly. ‘When I saw her off in the front hall, I thought she was going to cry.’
XXIX
Anna got into the carriage in a still worse state than when she had left the house. To the former torment was now added the feeling of being insulted and cast out, which she clearly felt when she met Kitty.
‘Where to, ma’am? Home?’ asked Pyotr.
‘Yes, home,’ she said, not even thinking of where she was going.
