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They were speaking of common acquaintances, keeping up the most

trivial conversation, but to Kitty it seemed that every word they

said was determining their fate and hers. And strange it was that

they were actually talking of how absurd Ivan Ivanovitch was with

his French, and how the Eletsky girl might have made a better

match, yet these words had all the while consequence for them,

and they were feeling just as Kitty did. The whole ball, the

whole world, everything seemed lost in fog in Kitty's soul.

Nothing but the stern discipline of her bringing-up supported her

and forced her to do what was expected of her, that is, to dance,

to answer questions, to talk, even to smile. But before the

mazurka, when they were beginning to rearrange the chairs and a

few couples moved out of the smaller rooms into the big room, a

moment of despair and horror came for Kitty. She had refused five

partners, and now she was not dancing the mazurka.