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"You're back from leave, I suppose?" he said, and without waiting

for a reply, he turned to his wife in his jesting tone: "Well,

were a great many tears shed at Moscow at parting?"

By addressing his wife like this he gave Vronsky to understand

that he wished to be left alone, and, turning slightly towards

him, he touched his hat; but Vronsky turned to Anna Arkadyevna.

"I hope I may have the honor of calling on you," he said.

Alexey Alexandrovitch glanced with his weary eyes at Vronsky.

"Delighted," he said coldly. "On Mondays we're at home. Most

fortunate," he said to his wife, dismissing Vronsky altogether,

"that I should just have half an hour to meet you, so that I can

prove my devotion," he went on in the same jesting tone.