Of late his mother, incensed with him on account of his love affair and his leaving Moscow, had given up sending him the money.

And in consequence of this, Vronsky, who had been in the habit of living on the scale of forty-five thousand a year, having only received twenty thousand that year, found himself now in difficulties.

To get out of these difficulties, he could not apply to his mother for money.

Her last letter, which he had received the day before, had particularly exasperated him by the hints in it that she was quite ready to help him to succeed in the world and in the army, but not to lead a life which was a scandal to all good society.

His mother's attempt to buy him stung him to the quick and made him feel colder than ever to her.