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Having read the letter, he raised his eyes to her, and there was

no determination in them. She saw at once that he had been

thinking about it before by himself. She knew that whatever he

might say to her, he would not say all he thought. And she knew

that her last hope had failed her. This was not what she had been

reckoning on.

"You see the sort of man he is," she said, with a shaking voice;

"he...."

"Forgive me, but I rejoice at it," Vronsky interrupted. "For

God's sake, let me finish!" he added, his eyes imploring her to

give him time to explain his words. "I rejoice, because things

cannot, cannot possibly remain as he supposes."

"Why can't they?" Anna said, restraining her tears, and obviously

attaching no sort of consequence to what he said. She felt that

her fate was sealed.

Vronsky meant that after the duel-inevitable, he thought-things

could not go on as before, but he said something different.