Anna Karenina (Dole)/Part Two/Chapter 10
CHAPTER X
From this time began a new life for Alekseï Aleksandrovitch and his wife. Nothing unusual happened. Anna continued to go into society, and was especially often at the Princess Betsy's; and everywhere she met Vronsky. Alekseï Aleksandrovitch saw it, but was powerless to prevent it. Whenever he tried to bring about an explanation, she raised up against him an impenetrable wall of humorous perplexity.
Outwardly, everything was the same, but their relations had completely changed. Alekseï Aleksandrovitch, a remarkably strong man in matters requiring statesmanship, here found himself powerless. Like an ox, submissively lowering its head, he waited the blow of the ax which he felt was lifted against him. Whenever he began to think about it, he felt that once more he must try by gentleness, tenderness, reason, to save Anna, and bring her back to him. Every day he made up his mind to speak; but as soon as he made the attempt, that evil spirit of falsehood which possessed her seemed to lay hold of him also, and he spoke not at all in the tone in which he meant to speak. Involuntarily, what he. said was spoken in his tone of raillery, which seemed to cast ridicule on those who would speak as he did. And this tone was not at all suitable for the expression of the thoughts that he wished to express. ******