صفحة 556 من 2288

"O my sweet!" he said inwardly to Frou-Frou, as he listened for

what was happening behind. "He's cleared it!" he thought,

catching the thud of Gladiator's hoofs behind him. There remained

only the last ditch, filled with water and five feet wide.

Vronsky did not even look at it, but anxious to get in a long way

first began sawing away at the reins, lifting the mare's head and

letting it go in time with her paces. He felt that the mare was

at her very last reserve of strength; not her neck and shoulders

merely were wet, but the sweat was standing in drops on her mane,

her head, her sharp ears, and her breath came in short, sharp

gasps. But he knew that she had strength left more than enough

for the remaining five hundred yards. It was only from feeling

himself nearer the ground and from the peculiar smoothness of his

motion that Vronsky knew how greatly the mare had quickened her

pace. She flew over the ditch as though not noticing it.