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The recollection of her son suddenly roused Anna from the

helpless condition in which she found herself. She recalled the

partly sincere, though greatly exaggerated, role of the mother

living for her child, which she had taken up of late years, and

she felt with joy that in the plight in which she found herself

she had a support, quite apart from her relation to her husband

or to Vronsky. This support was her son. In whatever position she

might be placed, she could not lose her son. Her husband might

put her to shame and turn her out, Vronsky might grow cold to her

and go on living his own life apart (she thought of him again

with bitterness and reproach); she could not leave her son. She

had an aim in life. And she must act; act to secure this relation

to her son, so that he might not be taken from her. Quickly

indeed, as quickly as possible, she must take action before he

was taken from her. She must take her son and go away. Here was

the one thing she had to do now.