At 4:30 in the afternoon, Anna decided to go back.
She stopped talking with a countess who had been talking, and said she was going to see Duchess Betsy.
When Anna found Duchess Betsy, she was reclining on the sofa, surrounded by two noble young men, one of whom was the one Anna had seen last time, presumably Betsy's lover .
"Oh, Anna, don't speak ill of me." When Betsy saw Anna walking towards her, she raised her eyes and smiled coquettishly.
"You're right. I think I must go, dear Betsy."
Betsy stretched out an arm, the color of milk, her face was full of blush, a young man with curly hair let his eyes fall from the snow-like arm to the back of his hand presumptuously, and finally smiled and pecked and kissed.
Hearing Anna's answer, Betsy gently pushed the curly-haired man away, looking at him with a pair of hazy eyes, and said, "Aren't you staying for dinner?"
In the past, Anna would have refused.
But this time she just smiled: "If your cook can prepare enough delicious food."
Betsy pretended to be surprised, and said with a smile, "You know I just hired a cook!"
"My dear cousin, who in this circle knows that if you want to see beautiful clothes or eat delicious food, you should come here!" Anna complimented.
In fact, this word was only spread in their circle. If it was in Countess Lydia's circle, women like Betsy would be secretly rolled their eyes.
Betsy smiled helpfully. She got up, took Anna's hand affectionately and said: "Come on, dear Anna, let the messenger servant deliver a message to your husband. I hope that when I see him next time, he won't blame me for robbing his wife. Let him have to eat dinner alone."
Everyone in the circle knows that in addition to a pretty face, Duchess Betsy also has a clever mouth. Her words always look playful with her expression. The ladies also burst out laughing.
"Maybe he will appreciate you instead, lest I keep interrupting his work." Anna also said with a humorous expression.
Most people would probably take this as a joke, or, literally, how unhappy women like Mrs. Karenin are.
She is so young and beautiful, but what is the use!
Her husband was so stuffy and incomprehensible, he was a workaholic through and through, that a shy young lady like his wife, who was born into a famous family, couldn't help but walk around more in circles.
But a small number of people, such as Betsy, have learned two facts.
One is that her husband is very hardworking in official affairs, and the other is that their husband and wife have a good relationship.
Betsy wasn't stupid, otherwise she couldn't have become the leader of the circle. Although she was Anna's cousin, she had never had much contact with each other. It was not until Anna got married and moved to Petersburg that they came into contact.
Perhaps outsiders would feel that the other party was a bit shy, but Betsy knew it was not. But she didn't care, if Anna chose to just be a little woman in front of her husband who was twenty years older than her, then let her go. If she has any other ideas, she doesn't mind helping her.
Whether it is a man or a woman, to Betsy, only being beautiful and pleasing her is the most important thing.
The most important thing is to live and enjoy in time.
Sure enough, the dinner was well prepared. Everyone was very happy at first, but since the host, Anna's cousin, came over, the scene became a bit boring.
Everyone seemed a little cautious, because Mr. Duke was really not good at talking. Although he looked so kind, almost everyone present was not interested in prints, and Mr. Duke did not realize this in time.
"Why don't you have a drink first, my dear?" said Betsy to her husband, with a smile in her eyes.
"Oh yeah, I'm so happy honey, I gotta have a drink."
The footman who served his master poured out a glass of wine for the Duke, who drank it down.
Alcohol didn't shut up Mr. Duke, he got drunk and clamored for more drinks.
Usually, a kind person always makes people feel that there is no sense of crisis. If this person is not very smart, most people will laugh at him in their hearts.
And when a not-so-intelligent person gets drunk and becomes unrestrained, people usually hate him more, pity him, and ridicule him. It seems to say that his incompetence is already a pity, but now he still has this shameless habit.
"More wine!" Mr. Duke said with his mouth open, his face flushed.
A hint of embarrassment crept up on Betsy's face, but she concealed it well before anyone noticed.
Anna saw that the dinner that was supposed to be hosted by the host had been ruined.
Betsy wanted to take the glass from her husband's hand, but in the eyes of drunk people, this kind of predatory behavior is really unforgivable. The latter held his wine glass tightly, as if he would not let go of it even if he was beaten to death.
"Are you drunk?" asked the young man who had been around Betsy all the time.
"Of course not," muttered Monsieur the Duke. Her wife put her hand out in mid-air on the table, her flirtatious eyebrows were first furrowed and then loosened, with a hint of a smile on the corner of her mouth.
Anna's eyes turned on these three people, a lover, a noble lady, and a noble gentleman, and now they are eating at the same table. Most of the people, except Anna's cousin, knew about the affair, but no one spoke to the poor man.
People don't think it's a scandal, keeping a lover or a mistress has become a deformed normality, and an honest husband getting drunk has become an intolerable scandal.
Anna looked up and caught a Duchess winking at her close friend. That kind of look is very subtle, but anyone in this circle can understand it.
Betsy didn't seem to notice this at all.
She raised her hand again, this time neatly and with a bit of skill, as if the short, soft hand had suddenly grown bones.
She snatched the wine glass from her husband's hand.
A drama that should have ended in embarrassment took a turn, because the hostess seemed to have such an ability to turn decay into magic.
"You can't be happy alone. Come, let us have a drink for your new engraving collection." Betsy said with the corners of her lips curled up. She raised her glass and said a toast.
Anna raised the wine glass, and everyone else did the same.
The women were prepared with full-bodied mead, not as strong as vodka, but Anna still only sipped a little.
Mr. Duke looked at his wife with drunken gaiety, and kissed her fingers, while Betsy looked at her husband with motherly tenderness.
There was love in those eyes. But if you want to investigate seriously, you are not so sure.
When dinner was almost over. Betsy arranged for the guests to rest in the living room, and the maids or male servants could guide the guests where they should sit without too many instructions from the master.
Betsy whispered a few more words to her husband, who laughed like a child.
Seeing that her husband had become obedient, Betsy asked the servants to help her husband up, and let them take him to my house.
"Anna," Betsy called.
Anna walked up to Betsy, who winked at her and said, "Honey, I have to get my husband settled, would you mind greeting my guests for a while?"
"You don't have to worry about it," said Anna.
Betsy went up to the second floor with her husband and the servants. She walked beside her husband, smiling from time to time. It was a different laugh than when she was with her lover. It seems to be more sincere, but it seems to be just an illusion.
After turning her eyes away from Betsy's back, Anna scanned everyone.
She found that the eye contact between the Duchess and the others had become more presumptuous, as if she was about to poke her fingers into it.
And Betsy's lover was sitting next to a long-necked young lady, telling some jokes intimately. No one was surprised by this, or wanted to condemn the young man, and people were busy discussing Betsy's husband with their eyes.
Anna blinked slowly, gaining a deeper understanding of this circle.
She walked towards that circle, fulfilling her promise to Betsy.
The Vronsky siblings were not entrusted, but Vronsky's sister had consciously joined those discussions. Only Vronsky, who was originally a very gregarious boy, was even more integrated into this relaxed and dissolute environment, but at this moment, the boy was a little expressionless.
"Come here, my dear," the princess called to Vronsky, and more people held out their hands to the handsome boy.
Vronsky didn't want to go near them at the moment, and he suddenly felt that these people were very dazzling.
No, maybe he could approach them. A powerful concept of right and wrong suddenly drilled into the boy's mind.
As Vronsky was walking up to them, a hand lay lightly on his shoulder.
"You have gone by the wrong way, Mr. Vronsky. May I be in charge of greeting the guests here?"
Vronsky looked up at the speaker, and when he saw clearly that it was Anna, he was a little annoyed: "Haven't you always been displeased with these things?"
Anna withdrew her hand and said slowly: "The lamb chops for dinner are delicious, but young people like you are the easiest to get angry if you eat too much. I suggest you drink more water, so as not to get angry , it will not be so good then."
Anna brought Vronsky a glass of water, and then said in a lower voice: "Let the kitchen make some pear juice. Take it to Betsy."
Vronsky subconsciously took the water glass, and then asked: "Why did you do this?" He wanted to ask, didn't you always feel that you are not the same kind of person as us
Anna pretended to be puzzled: "Because pear juice can save you!" After she finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the crowd.
Vronsky hesitated for a while, then grabbed a servant and asked him to go to the kitchen to get a cup of sanity, and then he broke it himself, otherwise he was afraid that he would really do something irrational.
Ten minutes later, Betsy came down from the second floor.
Her hair is still exquisite, her dress is clean, and her body still carries a rich fragrance. A pair of soft little hands are slightly folded, gently resting on the front of her lower abdomen.
The woman's shoulders were forcefully opened, so that the off-the-shoulder dress could fully expose her high breasts.
Anna thought: she still looked radiant, as if the mess her husband had caused hadn't affected anything.
From this moment on, Anna thought she could no longer look at Betsy with contempt. At least she lived a very frank life.
"I was worried that no one like us Anna would be able to take good care of you, but now it seems that maybe I should come half an hour late." Betsy blinked her eyes charmingly, and everyone laughed.
"We will be very sad if you say these words." When Betsy's lover saw the former coming, he had naturally left the former lady. He walked up to the other side and kissed Betsy's the back of the hand. Now people from all over the world can only see you, and Betsy just smiles coquettishly.
Maybe she knows all this, maybe she doesn't. But no matter what the facts are, this woman is indeed not simple. Anna thought to herself.
The three duchesses surrounded Betsy again, and they were affectionate with her, as if no one could shake their solid friendship.
This scene is a bit ridiculous, but everyone quickly integrated into their new roles.
Only Anna and Vronsky were present who remembered what happened before, but no one would expose it.
Since the hostess said, Anna handed over the place to the other party.
She took the time to glance at the time, thinking that in another twenty minutes, she would almost be able to say goodbye.
Although the food is delicious, after seeing another corner of this circle, those things are like solidified lard, because of the delicious aroma, people mistakenly think it is some kind of food. After swallowing the whole piece, apart from the nausea between the lips and teeth, there is discomfort in the belly.
As she was thinking, Betsy's servant said that Karenin was coming.
Anna's eyes widened.
This was Karenin's second time at Anna's social events, and he always came just in time, just like the first time. Anna almost doubted whether Karenin knew something, and she planned to try to ask later.
"I don't usually see you, but now I see you twice in less than two months, which is much higher than the frequency of seeing you once last year, dear Karenin." Betsy laughed.
Her tone is soft and tactful, her eyes are charming, so no matter what she says, she will not be annoying.
"If you didn't want to see me, then I might disappoint you next."
"You put all the responsibility on me." Betsy stretched out her hand and accepted Karenin's hand kiss.
"You don't come here specially to pick up our Anna, do you?" Betsy asked again, her eyes swept over everyone, and finally fell on Karenin's eyes. It seems that she is using her slightly raised mouth to say that everyone is watching.
Although Betsy's questioning was not necessarily for Anna's benefit, after all, it also made the latter have some expectations.
But Karenin, after all, was the man who always wrote rigidity and dogma on his eyelashes. He said in a calm tone: "I happened to send a British envoy, Mr. Dawson, back to the embassy."
The British embassy was very close to Betsy's house. This explanation made everyone's illusions disappear.
Most of the people once again looked at the senior official's wife with sympathetic eyes in their hearts.
Karenin had just arrived at the master's house and there was no reason to leave immediately, so he stayed for another twenty minutes.
During these twenty minutes, his speech was either dry or full of reason. In short, everyone felt that this gentleman was really tortured here.
So, after Karenin felt that it would not be disgraceful to leave now according to the rules, he took his leave of the mistress.
This time, Betsy didn't hold back anything, and simply allowed the couple to leave.
As soon as he went out, a gust of cold wind hit.
Anna sneezed.
Karenin frowned, he raised his left hand, stopped his wife's slender waist, and brought her into his arms.
"Let's go quickly," Karenin whispered.
Anna smiled softly, and responded in a low voice.
After they got into the carriage, Anna turned her head to look at her husband, without saying a word, just staring at him with bright eyes.
Karenin originally maintained a natural look, but then coughed lightly.
The cough made Anna move a little closer to him, until the tip of her nose was almost touching the tip of her nose.
Anna bit her husband's upper lip lightly, and asked, "Am I by the way?"
"I didn't say that." Karenin had a straight face, as if you were my wife, but you still have to bear legal responsibility for distorting the words of senior Russian officials at will.
Anna is not afraid, after all, she is the second daughter-in-law of a fighting nation family.
She bit her husband's lower lip lightly again, then let go, like you have to be honest.
Karenin told his wife to sit down, and at the same time, familiar with her uncooperative mode, he also took a second order and patted her on the knee with his hand.
"I did send Mr. Dawson to the British Embassy."
"However, that's when I'm off work."
Anna laughed and asked, "Then you won't be waiting at the door of Betsy's house in the end?"
Karenin gave her a look that he really wouldn't do such a stupid thing, and then said: "I'm back at the house. Kearney said that the servant of Betsy's house has brought a message."
Anna squeezed Karenin's fingers when she heard this: "Have you eaten yet?"
"Yes."
"It's a pity, you should be so worried that you won't be able to eat." Anna said with pretended regret.
Karenin glanced at her and knew that the other party was not sincere, but he still said: "Skipping meals because of worry will not help to solve the problem, and more often than not, it will make you miss the good time to solve the problem. Because When the body is unhealthy, people's stupidity will increase a lot."
Anna giggled, and said coquettishly, "Can't you lie to me?"
"I won't lie to you, Anna. I told you so." Karenin said flatly.
After hearing this, Anna stopped laughing.
She leaned on the other's shoulder and asked, "Can I?"
"Recently, you have done it first and then asked me for permission too often." Karenin said, but his right hand was gently stroking his wife's hair.
"Oh, then I won't do this next time." Anna wanted to leave, but Karenin gently pressed her head with his hand.
"Next time," he said.
A smile curled up at the corner of Anna's mouth, and she sighed: "You are so kind, Alexei. You are my husband, and you are so different from others. You are like a treasure. Sometimes I really want to put you in in the handbag."
"...that's unrealistic."
"It's just a metaphor." Anna said with a smile in a tone that you shouldn't take so seriously.
"Just to appease you." Karenin said, still stroking his wife's hair with his right hand.
"You didn't stay that late before. Ana, I can see you don't like this. If you don't, you don't have to force yourself to do it."
Anna froze for a moment, then sighed, and let herself slide onto Karenin's lap.
"... Anna."
"I need comfort now, you know that. Oh, don't stop, please continue." Anna mumbled. On the one hand, it was because Karenin was so smart, and on the other hand, it seemed that he was really appeased.
"Sometimes I want to become the kind of person who can sacrifice everything for my lover, like the heroine in a drama, that's great," she laughed suddenly, "it also has a sense of fate and tragedy , but you didn't give me this chance."
"You don't need to."
"People who sacrifice themselves for others is not a smart decision. I strongly disagree with this irrational view."
Karenin kissed his wife on the forehead.
"Anna, you just have to do what you want to do."
Anna raised her hand and gently slid it between Karenin's browbones, then smiled sincerely, her dark eyes forming beautiful arcs at the corners of her eyes.
"Who says I'm not a heroine? Alexey, I want to be someone worthy of you. I want to become your wife. As time goes by, I can become better and better than before. That kind of person."
"I've heard a saying. Marriage makes the lives of two people who love each other dull. I don't believe it, and it's getting stronger now. Our marriage will make us all better. I I just hope that I can become such a person.”
"You said such touching things to me, but it will make me more and more selfish. I don't want this, because I really, really love you. Alexis."
Karenin looked at his wife for a long time, and then said: "Anna, you will not be a good actor. So regarding what you said, the heroine's remarks, even though I am your husband, I have to make a reservation decision. "
"However," he continued after a pause, "that won't make a difference."
Karenin bent down slightly, brought his lips close to each other, and after imprinting a kiss, he rubbed lightly. His low voice was like some kind of intoxicating wine fragrance, which invaded people's limbs, and finally reached the heart, where it took root. , germinated, and eventually became a solid protective force.
"I promise, you can do whatever you want."