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"Well, au revoir," she said to Vronsky. "I must soon be getting

ready for the races. Betsy promised to fetch me."

Vronsky, looking at his watch, went away hurriedly.

Chapter 24

When Vronsky looked at his watch on the Karenins' balcony, he was

so greatly agitated and lost in his thoughts that he saw the

figures on the watch's face, but could not take in what time it

was. He came out on to the highroad and walked, picking his way

carefully through the mud, to his carriage. He was so completely

absorbed in his feeling for Anna, that he did not even think what

o'clock it was, and whether he had time to go to Bryansky's. He

had left him, as often happens, only the external faculty of

memory, that points out each step one has to take, one after the

other. He went up to his coachman, who was dozing on the box in

the shadow, already lengthening, of a thick limetree; he admired

the shifting clouds of midges circling over the hot horses, and,

waking the coachman, he jumped into the carriage, and told him to

drive to Bryansky's.