He vividly recalled all the constantly recurring instances of inevitable necessity for lying and deceit, which were so against his natural bent.  He recalled particularly vividly the shame he had more than once detected in her at this necessity for lying and deceit.  And he experienced the strange feeling that had sometimes come upon him since his secret love for Anna.  This was a feeling of loathing for something—­whether for Alexey Alexandrovitch, or for himself, or for the whole world, he could not have said.  But he always drove away this strange feeling.  Now, too, he shook it off and continued the thread of his thoughts.

“Yes, she was unhappy before, but proud and at peace; and now she cannot be at peace and feel secure in her dignity, though she does not show it.  Yes, we must put an end to it,” he decided.

And for the first time the idea clearly presented itself that it was essential to put an end to this false position, and the sooner the better.  “Throw up everything, she and I, and hide ourselves somewhere alone with our love,” he said to himself.

Chapter 22

The rain did not last long, and by the time Vronsky arrived, his shaft-horse trotting at full speed and dragging the trace-horses galloping through the mud, with their reins hanging loose, the sun had peeped out again, the roofs of the summer villas and the old limetrees in the gardens on both sides of the principal streets sparkled with wet brilliance, and from the twigs came a pleasant drip and from the roofs rushing streams of water.  He thought no more of the shower spoiling the race course, but was rejoicing now that—­thanks to the rain—­he would be sure to find her at home and alone, as he knew that Alexey Alexandrovitch, who had lately returned from a foreign watering place, had not moved from Petersburg.

Hoping to find her alone, Vronsky alighted, as he always did, to avoid attracting attention, before crossing the bridge, and walked to the house.  He did not go up the steps to the street door, but went into the court.

“Has your master come?” he asked a gardener.

“No, sir.  The mistress is at home.  But will you please go to the front door; there are servants there,” the gardener answered.  “They’ll open the door.”

“No, I’ll go in from the garden.”

And feeling satisfied that she was alone, and wanting to take her by surprise, since he had not promised to be there today, and she would certainly not expect him to come before the races, he walked, holding his sword and stepping cautiously over the sandy path, bordered with flowers, to the terrace that looked out upon the garden.  Vronsky forgot now all that he had thought on the way of the hardships and difficulties of their position.  He thought of nothing but that he would see her directly, not in imagination, but living, all of her, as she was in reality.  He was just going in, stepping on his whole foot so as not to creak, up the worn steps of the terrace, when he suddenly remembered what he always forgot, and what caused the most torturing side of his relations with her, her son with his questioning—­hostile, as he fancied—­eyes.