After dinner, when Dolly left to go to her room, Anna quickly stood up and went over to her brother, who was lighting a cigar.
‘Stiva,’ she said to him with a merry wink, making the sign of the cross over him and indicating the door with her eyes. ‘Off you go, and may God help you.’
Understanding her, he put down his cigar and disappeared behind the door.
When Stepan Arkadyich went out, she returned to the sofa, where she had been sitting surrounded by children. Either because the children could see that their Mama was fond of this aunt, or because they themselves felt she had some special charm, the eldest two, followed by the younger ones, as often happens with children, had attached themselves to the new aunt even before dinner and would not leave her alone. And between them they had made up a kind of game, which consisted of sitting as close as possible to their aunt, touching her, holding her small hand, kissing it, and playing with her ring, or at least touching the ruffle on her dress.
‘Come along now, as we were sitting before,’ said Anna Arkadyevna, resuming her place.
And Grisha tucked his head under her arm again, leant it against her dress, and beamed with pride and happiness.
‘So when is the ball, then?’ she asked Kitty.
‘Next week, and it will be a wonderful ball. One of those balls which are always jolly.’
‘Are there any balls which are always jolly?’ said Anna with gentle mockery.
‘Strangely enough, there are. It’s always jolly at the Bobrishchevs, and at the Nikitins, but it’s always boring at the Meshkovs. Haven’t you noticed?’
‘No, my dear, there are no longer any balls which are jolly for me,’ said Anna, and Kitty glimpsed in her eyes that special world which was not open to her. ‘For me there are those which are less taxing and boring to attend …’
‘How can you be bored at a ball?’
‘Why should I not be bored at a ball?’ asked Anna.
Kitty noticed that Anna knew what answer would follow.
‘Because you are always the best person there.’
Anna had a capacity for blushing. She blushed and said:
‘Firstly, I never am, and secondly, even if that were the case, what difference would that make to me?’
‘Will you go to this ball?’ asked Kitty.
‘I think it will be impossible not to go. Here, take this,’ she said to Tanya, who was pulling off a loose-fitting ring from her white, tapering finger.
‘I’ll be very glad if you go. I would so like to see you at a ball.’
‘Well, if I have to go, I will at least comfort myself with the thought that it will give you pleasure … Grisha, don’t tug, please, my hair is already messy enough as it is,’ she said, adjusting a stray lock which Grisha had been playing with.
‘I can picture you at the ball in lilac.’
‘Why lilac in particular? asked Anna, smiling. ‘Now, children, off you go, off you go. Listen, Miss Hull is calling you in to tea,’ she said, pulling the children off her and sending them into the dining room.
‘But I know why you want me to go to the ball. You have great expectations of this ball, and you want everyone to be there, to be part of it.’
‘How do you know? Yes.’
‘Oh, it’s wonderful to be your age,’ continued Anna. ‘I know and remember that blue haze, like you see on the mountains in Switzerland. The haze covering everything at that blessed point when your childhood is coming to an end, and the path leading from that huge, carefree, happy circle becomes narrower and narrower, and it is both jolly and terrifying entering that enfilade,* even though it is bright and beautiful … Who has not been through that?’
Kitty smiled silently. ‘But how can she have been through that? I would so like to know her whole love story,’ thought Kitty, remembering the unromantic appearance of Alexey Alexandrovich, her husband.
‘I know a bit about it. Stiva told me, and I congratulate you, I like him very much,’ Anna continued, ‘I met Vronsky at the railway station.’
‘Oh, was he there?’ asked Kitty, blushing. ‘What did Stiva tell you?’
‘Stiva gave the game away to me. And I would be very happy. I travelled yesterday with Vronsky’s mother,’ she continued, ‘and his mother couldn’t stop talking to me about him; he’s her favourite; I know that mothers are biased, but …’
‘So what did his mother tell you?’
‘Oh, a lot! I know he is her favourite, but you can still see that he is very gallant … Well, for example, she told me that he wanted to give his entire inheritance away to his brother, that he did something remarkable when he was still a child, saved a woman from drowning. In a word, he’s a hero,’ said Anna, smiling and remembering the two hundred roubles which he had given at the station.
But she did not mention those two hundred roubles. For some reason she found it distasteful to remember that. She felt there was something about it which related to her, something which should not have been there.
‘She was very keen that I go and visit her,’ continued Anna, ‘and I’ll be glad to see the old lady, so I’ll go and see her tomorrow. Well, Stiva has been in Dolly’s room a long time, thank goodness,’ added Anna, changing the subject and getting up, as it seemed to Kitty, displeased with something.
‘No, I was first! No, I was!’ shrieked the children as they raced in to their Aunt Anna after finishing their tea.
‘Everyone together!’ said Anna, laughing as she ran to hug them, bringing the whole heap of wriggling, rapturously squealing children tumbling to the floor.
21
DOLLY came out of her room for the grown-ups’ tea. Stepan Arkadyich did not appear. He had evidently left his wife’s room through the back door.
‘I’m worried you are going to be cold upstairs,’ remarked Dolly, turning to Anna. ‘I’d like to move you downstairs, then we’ll be nearer each other.’
‘Oh, please don’t worry about me,’ replied Anna, examining Dolly’s face and trying to work out whether there had been a reconciliation.
‘You’ll have light here,’ answered her sister-in-law.
‘I assure you, I always sleep like a dormouse wherever I am.’
‘What’s this about?’ Stepan Arkadyich asked his wife as he came out of his study.
From his tone, Kitty and Anna immediately realized a reconciliation had taken place.
‘I want to move Anna downstairs, but I’ve got to re-hang the curtains. I suppose I’ll have to do it myself, as no one else will manage to do it,’ replied Dolly, turning to him.
‘Heaven knows, are they really reconciled?’ thought Anna hearing her tone, which was cold and impassive.
‘Come on now, Dolly, don’t keep creating difficulties. I’ll see to it if you like …’
‘Yes, they must be reconciled,’ thought Anna.
‘I know how you’ll see to things,’ answered Dolly. ‘You’ll tell Matvey to do something which can’t be done, then you’ll go off and he will get everything muddled,’ and Dolly’s usual wry smile wrinkled the corners of her mouth as she said this.
‘Complete, complete reconciliation,’ thought Anna, ‘thank God!’ And jubilant that she had brought this about, she went up to Dolly and gave her a kiss.