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ANNA KARENINA
143

of her poor little traveling-bag and at the dust with which she felt herself covered.

"No, Dolly, dushenka. .... However, we'll talk of that by and by. Come up to your room." And Anna conducted Dolly up-stairs.

The room was not the chamber of honor which Vronsky offered her, but one where she could be nearer Anna; but even this room, though they felt it needful to apologize for it, was furnished with a luxury such as she was not accustomed to, and which recalled the most sumptuous hotels that she had seen abroad.

"Well, dushenka! how glad I am!" said Anna, seating herself for a moment in her riding-habit. Tell me about your family. I saw Stiva just an instant, but he could not tell me anything about the children. How is my darling Tania? She must be a great girl!"

"Yes, very large," answered Dolly, laconically, astonished that she answered so coolly about her children. "We are all living charmingly with the Levins," she added.

"There! If I had known," said Anna, "that you wouldn't look down on me, .... you all would have come here. Stiva is an old and good friend of Alekseï's," said Anna, blushing.

"Yes! but we are so well .... " began Dolly in confusion.

"Well! I am so happy, I talk nonsense; only, dushenka, I am so glad to see you," said Anna, kissing her again. "But you would not tell me what you think about me; I want to know all. But I am so glad that you see me just as I am. My only idea, you see, is to avoid making people think that I am making any display. I don't want to make any display; I want simply to live and not do any harm to any one but myself. Am I not right about it? However, we'll talk of all this at our leisure. Now I'm going to change my dress; I will send you a waiting-maid."