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When returning from the races Anna had informed him of her

relations with Vronsky, and immediately afterwards had burst into

tears, hiding her face in her hands, Alexey Alexandrovitch, for

all the fury aroused in him against her, was aware at the same

time of a rush of that emotional disturbance always produced in

him by tears. Conscious of it, and conscious that any expression

of his feelings at that minute would be out of keeping with the

position, he tried to suppress every manifestation of life in

himself, and so neither stirred nor looked at her. This was what

had caused that strange expression of deathlike rigidity in his

face which had so impressed Anna.

When they reached the house he helped her to get out of the

carriage, and making an effort to master himself, took leave of

her with his usual urbanity, and uttered that phrase that bound

him to nothing; he said that tomorrow he would let her know his

decision.