easily passed, but Gladiator's gallop and puffing came nearer, Vronsky gave Frou Frou the spur, and perceived with a thrill of joy that she easily accelerated her speed; the sound of Gladiator's hoofs was heard once more in the same relative distance behind.
He now had the lead, as he had desired, and as Cord had recommended, and he felt sure of success. His emotion, his joy, his affection for Frou Frou, were all growing more pronounced. He wanted to look back, but he did not dare to turn around, and he strove to calm himself, and not to push his horse too far, so that she might keep a reserve equal to that which he felt Gladiator still maintained.
One obstacle, the most serious, now remained; if he cleared that before the others, then he would be first in. He was now approaching the Irish banketka. He and Frou Frou at the same instant caught sight of the obstacle from afar, and both, horse and man felt a moment of hesitation. Vronsky noticed the hesitation in his horse's ears, and he was just lifting his whip; but instantly he was conscious that his fears were ungrounded, the horse knew what she had to do. She got her start, and, exactly as he had foreseen, spurning the ground, she gave herself up to the force of inertia which carried her far beyond the ditch; then fell again into the measure of her pace without effort and without change.
"Bravo, Vronsky!"
He heard the acclamations of the throng. He knew it was his friends and his regiment, who were standing near this obstacle; and he could not fail to distinguish Yashvin's voice, though he did not see him.
"O my beauty!" said he to himself, thinking of Frou Frou, and yet listening to what was going on behind him. "He has cleared it," he said, as he heard Gladiator's hoof-beats behind him.
The last ditch, full of water, five feet [1] wide, now was left. Vronsky scarcely heeded it; but, anxious to come in far ahead of the others, he began to saw on the reins, lifting her head and letting it fall again in time with the
- ↑ Two arshins, four feet, eight inches. Three arshins make a sazhen.
