She was listening to the stirring of the new life within her.

Alexey Alexandrovitch, after meeting Vronsky on his own steps, drove, as he had intended, to the Italian opera.

He sat through two acts there, and saw everyone he had wanted to see.

On returning home, he carefully scrutinized the hat stand, and noticing that there was not a military overcoat there, he went, as usual, to his own room.