Page 857 of 2288

His mother's attempt to buy him stung him to the quick and made

him feel colder than ever to her. But he could not draw back from

the generous word when it was once uttered, even though he felt

now, vaguely foreseeing certain eventualities in his intrigue

with Madame Karenina, that this generous word had been spoken

thoughtlessly, and that even though he were not married he might

need all the hundred thousand of income. But it was impossible to

draw back. He had only to recall his brother's wife, to remember

how that sweet, delightful Varya sought, at every convenient

opportunity, to remind him that she remembered his generosity and

appreciated it, to grasp the impossibility of taking back his

gift. It was as impossible as beating a woman, stealing, or

lying.