as we live, it must be so.
I know it now."

"That's true," she said, getting whiter and whiter, and embracing
his head. "Still there is something terrible in it after all
that has happened."

"It will all pass, it will all pass; we shall be so happy. Our
love, if it could be stronger, will be strengthened by there
being something terrible in it," he said, lifting his head and
parting his strong teeth in a smile.

And she could not but respond with a smile--not to his words, but
to the love in his eyes. She took his hand and stroked her
chilled cheeks and cropped head with it.

"I don't know you with this short hair. You've grown so pretty.
A boy. But how pale you are!"

"Yes, I'm very weak," she said, smiling. And her lips began
trembling again.

"We'll go to Italy; you will get strong," he said.

"Can it be possible we could be like husband and wife, alone,
your family with you?" she said, looking close into his eyes.

"It only seems strange to me that it can ever have been
otherwise."

"Stiva says that _he_ has agreed to everything, but I can't accept
_his_ generosity," she said, looking dreamily past Vronsky's face.
"I don't want a divorce; it's all the same to me now. Only I
don't know what he will decide about Seryozha."

He could not conceive how at this moment of their meeting she
could remember and think of her son, of divorce. What did it all
matter?

"Don't speak of that, don't think of it," he said, turning her
hand in his, and trying to draw her attention to him; but still
she did not look at him.

"Oh, why didn't I die! it would have been better," she said, and
silent tears flowed down both her cheeks; but she tried to smile,
so as not to wound him.

To decline the flattering and dangerous appointment at Tashkend
would have been, Vronsky had till then considered, disgraceful
and impossible. But now, without an instant's consideration, he
declined it, and observing dissatisfaction in the most exalted
quarters at this step, he immediately retired from the army.

A month later Alexey Alexandrovitch was left alone with his son
in his house at Petersburg, while Anna and Vronsky had gone
abroad, not having obtained a divorce, but having absolutely
declined all idea of one.

PART 5

Chapter 1

Princess Shtcherbatskaya considered that it was out of the
question for the wedding to take place before Lent, just five
weeks off, since not half the trousseau could possibly