or make any changes, but only control myself, wait, and invent amusements—this English family, my reading, my writing; but it is all only to deceive myself, like this morphine. He ought to be sorry for me," she said, feeling how the tears of pity at her own lot filled her eyes.
She heard the door-bell Vronsky rang violently; and instantly she wiped away her tears, not only wiped away the tears, but sat down near the lamp with a book, and pretended to be calm. She felt that she must show her dissatisfaction because he had not returned as he had promised, but not to let her grief be seen. She might pity herself, but Vronsky must not be allowed to pity her. She did not want a contest, she blamed him because he wanted to quarrel, but she herself involuntarily took the attitude of an opponent.
"Well! you weren't lonely, were you?" said he, briskly and cheerfully, as he came toward her. "What a terrible passion gambling is."
"No, I was not lonely. I long ago learned not to be lonely. Stiva and Levin have been here to see me."
"Yes, I knew that they intended to come. Well, and how do you like Levin?" he asked, as he sat down near her.
"Very much. They have only just gone. How about Yashvin?"
"He had won seventeen thousand rubles. I got him away, but he escaped from me, and went back again; and now he's losing."
"But why did you abandon him?" said Anna, suddenly raising her eyes to his. The expression of her face was cold and unpleasant. "You told Stiva that you were going to stay, to bring him away. Now you abandon him!"
"In the first place, I did not send any message to you; in the second place, I never tell lies; and chiefly, I wished to stay and I stayed," he answered angrily. "Anna, why, why do you do so?" added he, after a moment's silence, holding out his hand to her, in the hope that she would place hers in it.
