And then they do so much good. Has he told you about his hospital? Ça sera admirable! Everything from Paris."
This conversation was interrupted by Anna, who returned to the terrace, followed by the gentlemen, whom she had found in the billiard-room.
Considerable time still remained before dinner, the weather was beautiful, and so various propositions were made for their amusement during the two hours before them.
There was every facility for diversion there at Vozdvizhenskoye and many of them were very different from what they had at Pokrovskoye.
"Une partie de lawn tennis," proposed Veslovsky, with his gay, contagious smile. "I'll take one side with you again, Anna Arkadyevna."
"No, it is hot; suppose we go into the park, and take Darya Aleksandrovna out in the boat to show her the landscape," said Vronsky.
"I am agreeable to anything," said Sviazhsky.
"I think Dolly would like to do that better than anything else," said Anna. "So then the boat-ride it is."
That having been decided, Veslovsky and Tushkievitch went to the landing, agreeing to get the boat ready, and the two couples took the path to the park; Anna walked with Sviazhsky, and Dolly with Vronsky.
Dolly was somewhat confused and embarrassed by this absolutely novel environment in which she found herself. Abstractly, theoretically, she not only justified, but even approved, of Anna's conduct. Like the majority of irreproachably virtuous women, wearying often of the monotony of a virtuous life, Dolly from a distance excused illicit love, and even envied it a little. Moreover, she loved Anna with all her heart.
But in reality, finding her among these strangers, with their fashionable ways, which were quite novel to her, she was thoroughly ill at ease. Especially odious to her was it to see the Princess Varvara forgiving everything, because she could thereby share in her niece's luxury.
Abstractly and on general principles Dolly excused
