but he quickly found that, even if it were open to him personally, it was closed to Anna. As in the game of "Cat-and-Mouse,"[1] the hands raised for him immediately fell before Anna.
One of the first ladies of Petersburg society whom he met was his cousin Betsy.
"At last?" she cried joyously, "and Anna!" How glad I am! Where are you stopping? I can easily imagine the hideous effect our Petersburg must have on you after such a charming journey! I can imagine your honeymoon in Rome! And the divorce? is it arranged?"
Vronsky saw that Betsy's enthusiasm - cooled when she learned that there was no divorce as yet.
"I know well that I shall be stoned," said she; "but I am coming to see Anna. Yes, I will certainly come. You won't stay here long, I imagine?"
In fact she called on Anna that very day; but her manner was entirely different from what it used to be. She evidently prided herself on her courage, and wanted Anna to appreciate the genuineness of her friendship. After talking for about ten minutes on the news of the day, she got up, and said as she went away: —
"You have not told me yet when the divorce is to be. Though I may disregard the proprieties,[2] stiff-necked people will give you the cold shoulder as long as you are not married. And it is so easy nowadays. Ça se fait. So you are going Friday? I am sorry we shall not see each other again,"
From Betsy's manner Vronsky might have got an idea of what he might expect from society. But he made still another experiment in his own family. He had no hope of any assistance from his mother. He knew well that, enthusiastic though she had been in Anna's praise at their first meeting, she would be relentless toward her now that she had spoiled her son's career; but Vronsky founded great hopes on Varia, his brother's wife. It seemed to him that she would not be one to
