"Drinking tea on an empty stomach is not good for your health, Anna." Karenin said.

Anna nodded: "Then do you want to drink with me?" ”

Karenin was silent for a moment, then nodded at Anna's inquiry that he had no choice.

"If you insist."

Yunina brought the morning tea. Karenin sat down and watched as Anna gracefully poured tea for him. There was also a stack of small snacks on the small table that I had never seen before.

"It's just gingerbread, I asked Yunina to try it out. Seryosha shouldn't like to eat it, but if you put ginger shreds in it, you can go to the cold. Your knees don't feel comfortable in the winter, do they? ”

Karenin took a sip of the black tea in his quilt, and then took a bite of gingerbread, which was not sweet, and the taste of shredded ginger was a little spicy, which did not suit his appetite, but he still ate two more pieces.

"Don't like it, do you?" Anna asked, not paying attention, honestly, it would be strange if anyone liked the smell as much as she did.

"I'm not a picky eater."

Anna nodded, and ate another piece herself.

Karenin took another sip of tea and asked, "What do you want to talk to me about, Anna?"

Anna put down her teacup, blinked her eyes, and said, "You are very good with Countess Legia." ”

Karenin frowned: "Countess Legia is a wise woman, and she has unique opinions on some things. ”

"Sounds like you admire her." Anna said slowly.

Karenin finally sensed something, he blinked slowly and said, "Anna, I think I need to correct something." I have nothing unseemly with Countess Legia. ”

"Of course I know that, Alexey." Anna smiled.

Karenin's expression softened a little, and he bowed slightly: "I have always believed that it is very important for husbands and wives to trust each other, and I have always believed that it is also unseemly for a person to be involved in these unclear things in his morals. So you will always have my faithfulness and trust in this marriage. ”

It may be a Karenin-esque confession, but as imagined, it is rational and romantic, but it is very practical.

Although she understood this before, there are some things that are not put on the table and there is always a lack of obvious evidence.

This happened a few times in Anna's heart.

If she would choose Karenin as her husband, then in this marriage, she could not have expected to be respectful at first, but now, since Karenin was an upright man, obviously, rich and powerful, and in this environment, his sense of responsibility and loyalty to the family were what she needed, then why didn't she get some assurance from the beginning?

Maybe this is a woman, and she can't be exempt from vulgarity.

For daughters who are dependent on others, a man's assurance is nothing more than a psychological comfort.

But Anna thought: if Karenin had been blinded by her, she would have left it all behind. But only if she will have enough wealth and some connections.

You have to prepare for it with both hands.

Anna doesn't intend to be a woman who is attached to men, but she doesn't intend to work against the whole world.

"What do you think about girls' school, Alexey?"

"I think that's doable." Karenin folded his hands on the table, muttered for a moment and said, "Education can make a person better, it has nothing to do with gender. A country without talent is terrible. You can't grow by resting on your laurels. Women's rights and interests represent the degree of civilization of a country to a certain extent. In times of peace, men should bear in mind that they are a gentleman, and ladies themselves, and to tell the truth, I think that a lady is only a matter of general orientation, and that the pursuit of intellectual and intellectual progress in addition to virtue is commendable and should not be suppressed. ”

Anna looked at Karenin with admiration, and then she said, "I learned from Ligia that you approve of her small group, but you didn't tell her about it, did you?" ”

"Anna." Karenin looked at his wife, then he got up, paced the floor, then turned around and said with a serious expression, "There are some things that are not accessible to everyone. ”

"Although I agree with women pursuing their own rights in my heart, in my position, this is not something I can talk about casually in front of people."

"So, I'm different?" Anna asked, her gray eyes discerning.

Karenin did not deny it, but looked at her with a natural look.

"You are my wife, and if you ask me questions, I will always answer them truthfully. If a husband and a wife are still separated by a barrier in their minds, then their daily lives are not real. ”

Anna looked at Karenin's language steadily, then nodded her head in agreement.

"You're right, Alexey."

Karenin stood still, then looked at his wife, and asked his question: "I wonder why you have become concerned about these things concerning the Countess of Legia. ”

"As far as I know, you're not keen on it, Anna, though you receive her regularly, Anna."

"I was just moved, you know, to fight for some rights for women, and I think it's noble and valuable." Anna said half-truthfully.

Karenin frowned: "If you mean the core of her words, yes, it's not all bad, but if you mean the end of that stream, Anna, I advise you not to learn it." That's not what a decent person does. ”

"Slogans and preaching are unrealistic. Therefore, while I agree with some of the claims of the Countess of Legia, I do not say too many practical suggestions, because they are likely to be futile. ”

"I can see your cunning in that." Anna smiled and said, "If I tell Lady Legia, I will be very disappointed in her." ”

"I wasn't trying to please her." Karenin stated.

"But anyway, you agree with that, don't you?"

Karenin glanced at his wife, and then calmly said: "The most sensible and intelligent politicians never give explicit promises. ”

"But," he paused for a moment, then said, "yes, Anna, I agree, but I do not see at the moment that my approval is of any substantial benefit to Countess Legia, and perhaps it is only in her mind that she thinks more highly of me. ”

"You know exactly what your words do, Alexey." Anna gave Karenin a deep look, who still looked at her indifferently and repeated.

"I'm a government servant, Anna, and as you said some time ago, it's not because I'm a good person."

Anna laughed a little, and with great interest she took another small piece of gingerbread and deliberately handed it to Karenin, who looked at it for a while, and then did not take it.

"I'm not a picky eater, but overall, it's not something I like."

Anna withdrew her hand and ate the gingerbread herself.

Karenin looked at his wife for a long time, and finally raised his hand and wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

"It's a bit unseemly." He said in a slightly reproachful tone, and swallowed the phrase, "When did you have such a bad problem as Seryosha."