When Kitty joined her she was standing in her usual erect attitude, talking with the master of the house, her head slightly bent toward him.
"No, I would not cast the first stone, though I don't understand about it," she was saying to him, slightly shrugging her shoulders; and then, perceiving Kitty, she turned to her with an affectionate and reassuring smile. With a woman's quick intuition she saw all the beauty of the young girl's toilet, and gave her an appreciative nod, which Kitty understood.
"You even dance into the ball-room," she said.
"She is the most faithful of my aids," said Korsunsky, addressing Anna Arkadyevna, whom he had not as yet seen. "The princess helps to make any ball-room gay and delightful. Anna Arkadyevna, will you take a turn?" he asked, with a bow.
"Ah! you are acquainted?" said the host.
"Who is it we don't know? My wife and I are like white wolves,—everybody knows us," replied Korsunsky. "A little waltz, Anna Arkadyevna?"
"I don't dance when I can help it," she replied.
"But you can't help it to-night," said Korsunsky. At this moment Vronsky joined them.
"Well! if I can't help dancing, let us dance," said she, placing her hand on Korsunsky's shoulder, and not replying to Vronsky's salutation.
"Why is she vexed with him?" thought Kitty, noticing that Anna purposely paid no attention to Vronsky's bow. Vronsky joined Kitty, reminded her that she was engaged to him for the first quadrille, and expressed regret that he had not seen her for so long. Kitty, while she was looking with admiration at Anna as she waltzed, listened to Vronsky. She expected that he would invite her; but he did nothing of the sort, and she looked at him with astonishment. A flush came into his face, and he hastily suggested that they should waltz; but he had scarcely put his arm around her slender waist and taken the first step, when suddenly the music stopped. Kitty looked into his face, which was close to her own, and for many a long day, even
